2. Like No Other Store In The World
When people think of Bloomingdale’s, one of the first
thoughts that pop in their minds is high-end, trendy
department store.
Bloomingdale’s is more upscale than a
JCPenny’s, Sears, or even its parent
company, Macy’s; it is less posh and ostentatious
than a Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus.
Bloomingdale’s falls perfectly in the middle and has
become the symbol of classy, fashionable, American
department store.
3. Who is a Bloomingdale’s Shopper?
Bloomingdale’s appeals to a younger target audience in
their advertisements but that does not mean that an
older audience does not appreciate the lengthy list of
designer handbags, shoes, clothing, jewelry, makeup and
more offered. The Bloomingdale’s shopper is up on the
latest trends and designer fashion. They appreciate
quality products and value nice things. However, these
shoppers can’t afford to walk in and not look at a price
tag. Bloomingdale’s acknowledges this and offers their
customers numerous sales, free returns, special shopping
events, and more.
4. 2012 Digital Strategy Proposal
Bloomingdale’s already has a strong social media presence, a
solid website, and invests in Internet marketing. The next step is
to take a specific department within Bloomingdale’s – something
that makes it stand out from its competitors – and build a
campaign around it.
The first part of the campaign to be rolled out will be focused on
Bloomingdale’s Bridal Registry. This idea is one that is
specifically searched for online and that an entire social media
campaign can be devoted to. Bloomingdale’s will be able to reach
a wider audience that may not have been aware of
Bloomingdale’s Bridal Registry or is unsure of where to register.
This campaign will feature social media, Internet marketing and
mobile strategies.
5. Social Media Strategy
Bloomingdale’s is currently active on Facebook, Twitter and foursquare. While
they are successful with engaging with their target audience through these
channels and conveying the essence of the Bloomingdale’s brand, it would be a
huge mistake for the company not to create a Pinterest account.
Pinterest exploded onto the social media scene within the past year and, even
more amazing, customers are turning to brand’s Pinterest accounts to shop
online. Bloomingdale’s could have different boards for each of their
departments, the latest trends, inspiration for their style, and even special
boards devoted to brides and weddings. When someone views a pin on one of
these boards, they are taken to the retailer’s site, which then suggests that the
customer make the purchase.
The main focus of Bloomingdale’s 2012 Social Media Strategy is to create a
Pinterest account just as engaging and appealing as their website and current
social media accounts. This will allow for the brand to reach a larger audience
and show up in results when users search for specific terms, such as “wedding
ideas” or “bridesmaids’ gifts.”
6. Google AdWords Campaign
An AdWords campaign will allow Bloomingdale’s to reach their target audience as they
are searching for products they need. Whether customers are searching specifically for
Bloomingdale’s or generically for “bridal registry,” an AdWords campaign will guarantee
more visits to the Bloomingdale’s website, a larger target audience reached, higher search
result ranking, and ultimately more online and in-store sales traffic. One example of an
AdWords advertisement for the Bloomingdale’s Bridal Registry is:
Bloomingdale’s Bridal
Register and receive special offers!
Click to see today’s exclusive perk
Bloomingdales.com/bridal
This advertisement catches the eye for many reasons: the word “bridal” appeals those
searching for bridal needs, not just for Bloomingdale’s. Also, it has a call to action to
register, and includes language about special offers and perks.
7. Mobile Strategy
For the mobile strategy, a Bloomingdale’s Bridal Registry
smartphone app will be created for soon-to-be-brides.
Brides with smartphones will download the app and,
once registered, will be able to do all of their gift
registering and other bridal essentials from their phone.
This makes Bloomingdale’s even more appealing by
making it most convenient for the bride – she doesn’t
even have to come in the store to do her registering! This
way, she is able to easily share ideas with her family,
friends and fiancé on-the-go and will be able to complete
her registering in what normally takes hours in minutes.
8. Measurement and Results
There are several ways to measure the campaign’s success. For the Google AdWords
Campaign, a special formula can be used so that every time a consumer clicks on the ad, they
can be tracked for 30 days to see if they make a purchase. We will also analyze page views and
sales results to see if there is an increase in both of those. This AdWords campaign will not only
increase traffic to the Bloomingdale’s sight, but will also reach a broader target audience and
increase sales.
The Pinterest account will be measured similarly to other Bloomingdale’s social media sites. An
increase in traffic to the Pinterest site, “likes” or “repins,” and traffic and sales from the
Pinterest account to the Bloomingdale’s website will be factored in to the measurement.
As for the Bridal Registry smartphone app, the number of downloaded apps, an increase in
Bridal registration, and an increase in traffic and sales from the app to the Bloomingdale’s
website will all be used to measure the effectiveness of the app.
9. Timeline and Budget
Due to the projected size of the campaign and the benefits for
Bloomingdale’s, the budget is currently set at $250,000.
Wedding season is year-round – there is no seasonal peak or best time of year
to promote Bridal Registry. Instead, this phase of the campaign will focus on
different seasons, for example, “Winter Bridal Needs and Registry.”
Once the Bridal Registry campaign evolves into another department, for
example, Designer Handbags, the timeline will revolve around the new
seasonal product lines.
Each seasonal part of the campaign will be allocated $62,500. The majority of
the budget will go toward the Google AdWords campaign and the creation the
Bloomingdale’s Bridal Registry smartphone app.
10. Conclusion
It is the hope that through the 2012 Bloomingdale’s
Digital Strategy that there is an increase in sales, website
traffic, social media engagement, and brand awareness
and loyalty.
With the extensive research done on the Bloomingdale’s
brand, their target audience and current strategies, this
campaign encompasses everything that will take
Bloomingdale’s to the next level.
Through social media, Google AdWords and mobile
marketing, Bloomingdale’s is sure to be America’s top
department store and an iconic brand.
