BIGresearch compiled a snapshot of the
YouTube user as part of the Simultaneous Media
Usage Study (SIMM) it published last month. The
average YouTuber – those who say they use
YouTube.com for video or music content – is just
over 32 years of age (contrary to widely-held
assumptions, users are spread relatively evenly
across the 18- to 24-, 25- to 34- and 35- to
44-year-old age ranges).
Forty percent of YouTubers say they regularly
give advice to others about products or
services: 56 percent dole out advice
“occasionally.” Twenty-nine percent of YouTubers
regularly purchase items online; 63 percent
“occasionally” buy products online.
The upshot: Social media users, led by YouTube
surfers, are an engaged group capable of
influencing purchases, and they seek out sites
that offer rich, entertaining experiences that
they can share. They not only create and share
videos, they remix them and “mash” them up – a
phenomenon that’s been dubbed “collaborative
social media.”
“The power of the people is getting louder and
louder,” says Paula Rosenblum, managing partner
at RSR Research. “Consumers have more technology
at their disposal today than some retail
companies. It’s incumbent on retail executives
to recognize the power those customers hold.”
The industry’s general lack of enthusiasm about
social networking “is tied to the loss of
control they feel,” Rosenblum says. “It’s
understandable, and, at the same time, it’s time
to get over it. Retailers may have to reinvent
themselves a little when it comes to this type
of marketing; they’ll have to develop different
instincts, but ultimately it’s a growing piece
of the media mix and they need to be there. ”
It’s a Mall World
Retailers that have experimented with online
videos have taken different approaches. Among
the leaders is American Eagle Outfitters: In
August, it introduced a dedicated media channel
called 77E on its website, ae.com. 77E features
original and user-generated content, including a
range of media from music to comedy to drama.
The new platform debuted with the premiere of
“It’s a Mall World,” a 12-episode series
directed by Milo Ventimiglia of NBC’s “Heroes.”
The series, set in a mall, features six young
characters who confront real-life situations.
Not surprisingly, one of the characters works at
an American Eagle store. The Pittsburgh-based
teen retailer followed that with a round of web
shorts called “Winter Tales.”
Kathy Savitt, chief marketing officer for
American Eagle, reports that both features
boosted traffic to the company’s website –
particularly Mall World, which delivered a lift
of more than 20 percent on the nights it was
shown. She recently told The New York Times that
more than 75 percent of those who watched the
Mall series also made a purchase.
“Social online communities are a part of our
customers’ daily lives,” says Jani Strand, vice
president of corporate communications for
American Eagle. “Making 77E content available on
sites such as YouTube enables American Eagle to
make a lasting connection with its customers in
a very relevant way.”
Victoria’s Secret Pink opted for user-generated
videos. The chain hosted a contest inviting
customers to submit videos of themselves dancing
to Fergie’s “Here I Come,” and allowed consumers
to vote for their favorite. The winner received
a $500 shopping spree. That was followed by a
promotion called Road to the Runway in which
contestants vied for 30 stand-in spots on the
catwalk at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Although the videos were posted on the VS Pink
website, many ended up “shared” on YouTube,
MySpace and Facebook, attesting to the viral
nature of online videos.
Resource Interactive was instrumental in helping
Pink to step into social networking and social
media. Laura Evans, executive director and
manager of the retail practice at the Columbus,
Ohio-based company, insists it’s up to each
retailer to figure out how to leverage this new
tool. “All alternative media sites need to be
considered, particularly when you think about
how these sites have emerged as both
entertainment and educational vehicles,” she
says. “Retail companies need to listen to the
conversation taking place on social networking
sites and figure out how to get their brand to
positively participate in the banter.”
A video proposal
Sierra Snowboards, a small online retailer,
found that the best way to get its brand in
front of YouTube viewers was to create a how-to
video. Michael Harrosh, founder and CEO of the
Sacramento, Calif., company, created a video on
how to properly wax a snowboard. In less than
four months, it was downloaded from YouTube more
than 23,000 times. Along with attracting
snowboard enthusiasts who might not otherwise
have found the site, the views have translated
into a higher search-engine ranking for the
video and thus more traffic on the Sierra
website.
1-800-Flowers kicks off its engagement with
YouTube this month with the marriage proposal
contest and another competition called Video
Valentine; the company plans to build contests
and events around other holidays and occasions
throughout the year. Through Google Gadget, it’s
also offering a free widget that users can use
to send virtual bouquets or to link directly to
the 1-800-Flowers website. In addition, the
company is using Google’s offline ad placement
services to run ads on the radio, in print and
on TV, directing consumers to the YouTube
channel.
Tim Armstrong, Google’s president for
advertising and commerce, recently told The New
York Times that 1-800-Flowers is taking
advantage of how consumers use the Internet.
“That’s the game changer for YouTube,”
he says, “if it can become a platform
where marketers learn to leverage the
community rather than reroute it [to
their own websites]. This shows the
ability of YouTube to capture an event
like Valentine’s Day and really build a
community around it.” |
