Check it Out: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
I know what you're thinking: What, is this guy nuts? Much of the nation is just beginning to see signs of life after digging and thawing out from one of the harshest winters on record, and he's asking for more snow? Well, not exactly.
I wanted to take the opportunity in this space to highlight a truly unique and creative marketing campaign from Lands' End (and it just so happens to involve snow).
With the Midwest section of the country buried under more than a foot-and-a-half of snow from a Feb. 1 storm, essentially trapping people in their homes, the marketing team at Dodgeville, Wis.-based Lands' End (themselves dealing with the effects of the storm) came up with an idea: Why not take advantage of the fact that there was a captive audience who would be looking for indoor activities — e.g., shopping online. In particular, Lands' End sought to engage consumers online via its social media outlets. And so Lands' End's Virtual Snow Day was born.
Check out the press release I received from Lands' End on Feb. 1, a day in advance of the event: "In anticipation of a snow day for millions on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, Lands' End is launching a campaign to engage with those that want to log online while snowed in. From Facebook contests at www.facebook.com/landsend to a 'Twitter Storm' of activities, questions and giveaways at @LandsEndPR on Twitter, the company is prepared to offer a flurry of activities for those with impending cabin fever."
Beginning at 11 a.m. EST, Lands' End engaged its Twitter followers. Activities included posing fun weather trivia to followers, hosting a forum for snow day Q&A and offering giveaways to followers. The event wrapped up at 3 p.m. EST. To help promote it, Lands' End tapped its Twitter followers, Facebook fans and blogger network to invite participation. It also issued a search engine optimization advisory.
Engagement First, Sales Follow
The goal of Lands' End's Virtual Snow Day was to take advantage of this unexpected opportunity to interact with prospects and customers, not sell them products. Sure, acquiring social media fans and followers typically leads to customers, but the retailer was careful not to turn its Virtual Snow Day into a marketplace.
"We knew with the pending snowstorm that millions of people might be snowed in, and chances were pretty good that they'd be online," says Michele Casper, public relations director for Lands' End. "We saw the Twitter party as a great way to interact with our customers, share stories and 'TwitPics' of the snow, with all the benefits that come from good relationships with customers."
Lands' End's Virtual Snow Day reached an estimated audience of 9.5 million, registering more than 600 new Twitter followers to Lands' End's PR team. The fast-paced, one-day event also generated more than 10,000 tweets. Lands' End plans to continue to reach out to its fans and followers on a regular basis — both opportunistically (e.g., Virtual Snow Day) and seasonally (e.g., back-to-school preparation, holiday gift suggestions), says Casper.
I thought Lands' End's Virtual Snow Day was great idea. It tapped into a timely event that was affecting a wide swath of the country, and brought some levity to a serious situation. It was a brilliant move in terms of branding, providing a blueprint for how retailers can spontaneously use social media to engage customers and prospects. The real measure won't be in how many fans or followers Lands' End gained from the promotion, but the impact those consumers have on its bottom line.
