Canadian Retailer - The Marketing Issue - 28

MARKETING ROUNDTABLE

A curated experience
Mahoney: In trying to engage with millennials, some marketers have learned the hard way that
they don't respond well to the hard sell-the traditional marketing approach that speaks to how
great a product is. They control their own media and the information that they want to receive
through their use of digital technologies. And they prefer that information, whether it comes from
brands or otherwise, to be specific to them as individuals and to speak to their tastes, preferences
and needs.
To respond to this changing landscape, Hallmark is expanding our marketing approach to
include channels that feel more authentic to the millennial consumer. For example, our research
tells us that they prefer peer-to-peer recommendations, so Hallmark engages often with social
media influencers and bloggers to share their favourite Hallmark products across their networks
that reach our target audience.
How are you marketing to millennials in order to create this curated experience?
Zedic: In the beauty category, we have found that Watanabe: We start the curated experience with
online influencers and bloggers have become
our assortment, offering over 300,000 products
a critical and complementary asset in helpon staples.ca across a broad range of categories
ing establish relationships with our millennial
to serve our diverse customer base's needs. And
customers. Influencer and bloggers have become
in-store, we just introduced demo days where we
trusted and reliable resources for consumers and
have product experts available to provide product
more specifically, their message resonates with
demos and to interact with customers and answer
millennials at a more peer-to-peer level. Whether
questions. We're also testing automated retail
it is a how-to video or a discussion on the benefits machines on various university campuses that
of a product, the message is being delivered in a
allow us to bring the assortment to where the milforum that is comfortable and
lennial customers are, plantthey are providing engaging
ing a strong brand impression
MILLENNIALS LIKE TO SELFDIRECT AND DISCOVER
and personalized content that
with younger millennials in an
At Hallmark we strive to make
millennials can connect with.
innovative format. In addition,
cards that use casual, simple
flexibility and customization
Tate: For us, being in the phoeditorial that can be applied to
in our product and service
multiple occasions. This gives
tography and video industry,
offering is also key in order
the millennial consumer the
it's about showcasing content
to serve the millennials' bias
freedom to choose how she or
that's meaningful, relevant
towards non-ownership and
he wants to use the card.
and connects with them. For
the whole sharing economy.
example, we just recently
launched what we call 'Henry's Spotlight', where
Castonguay: We're all learning together today.
we profile local Canadian artists. We spotlight
These are new tools that we have at our disposal,
who they are, what they do, how they shoot and
and we have to make sure we're engaging our
film. The videos are quick and easily digestible.
customers at all levels in a way that helps them
There's a product at the forefront that the artist is feel connected. Through data gleaned from workusing, but we aren't making a hard sell. It's about
ing with our loyalty partner, Air Miles, we can
the artists and their art-it's a window to our cussee the behaviours of our customers; we're able
tomers and the output of what we sell. You need
to better understand and know what their likes
to give them content they want to see. If you can
and dislikes are, and what they're buying. Knowdo this for them, they will have an affinity with
ing these things helps us make their experiences
your brand and they're going to keep you top-ofwith us more personalized because we're able
mind when they're ready to make a purchase.
to analyze and understand the data and in turn,
serve up offers to customers that are catered to
their tastes and preferences, creating a truly curated experience for them.

28 |

CANADIAN RETAILER

| THE MARKETING ISSUE

http://www.staples.ca

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