Social media presents retailers with a unique opportunity to connect with consumers in a more intimate way. However, to achieve optimal engagement via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, brands must offer a variety of compelling content relevant and customized to loyal customers.
ALDO, a men’s and women’s shoe and handbag retailer, keeps pace with and responds to consumers’ decision-making influences with a new social portal designed to generate and capture detailed customer feedback on a more frequent basis.
Touting the hash tag #ALDO40 ― in honor of the fortieth brand anniversary ― the 40-day digital campaign enlightens consumers about the history of ALDO and encourages social sharing of experiences with and memories of the well-established brand and products.
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“In the fashion segment, especially footwear, consumers have a lot of passion for their favorite brands and designers, which translates easily into the social space,” Vyara Ndejuru, Director of Marketing at ALDO told Retail TouchPoints. The ALDO 40 campaign “has revealed a deep appetite for conversation around fashion and footwear,” she said, “allowing us to really tackle these passion points with more relevant social content.”
By partnering with BumeBox, a real-time social media company, ALDO marketers and brand fans can access and post to Facebook and Twitter directly through the ALDO 40 web site. All social feedback from the two social sites, as well as Instagram, is aggregated and published in real time on the site, allowing the brand to participate consistently and promptly in social conversations, and “acquire the information we need to help shoppers move throughout the decision-making process,” Ndejuru said. “We have learned a lot from the social space, including how to inspire and be inspired by our customers.”
Since the campaign kick-off on Oct. 1, 2012, the ALDO marketing team has pinpointed consumers’ growing desire for more in-depth content and thought leadership from the brand and other reputable fashion experts, Ndejuru reported. “Consumers’ passion for content and learning more about our brand and product line is really surprising,” she said. “It’s exciting to see consumers heartily welcome and repeatedly request more content on a consistent basis.”
Creating A Digital Museum To Boost Brand Advocacy
The ALDO 40 initiative provides a “digital museum of content,” such as photographs, behind-the-scenes information, videos and articles spotlighting brand growth and innovation during the last 40 years, Ndejuru explained. New content is released every day, as are compelling calls-to-action that encourage customers to start conversations and share photos on social networks. In addition, a variety of social contests are promoted via the campaign, encouraging consumers to take photographs on Instagram and share them across Facebook and Twitter using the #ALDO40 hash tag.
Brand- and user-generated content provided on the ALDO 40 site is separated into four categories ― Fashion, History, Giveback and Contest ― and curated based on the following three themes:
Make: This category provides an inside view into the planning and execution processes behind ALDO products and marketing campaigns.
Play: Images, videos and articles showcase a variety of fun and innovative campaigns ALDO has released to increase engagement across channels.
Grow: Content spotlights how the ALDO brand has evolved since its inception. It focuses on company team members and how the brand has promoted social causes worldwide.
By harnessing the power of brand- and user-generated content, ALDO successfully is boosting customer engagement, according to Jon Fahrner, CEO of BumeBox, told Retail TouchPoints. The brand also is connecting with fans and advocates more efficiently by integrating the ALDO 40 site with social networks, which makes the commenting and sharing process more seamless. “Content will always be the key driver of customer engagement,” Fahrner explained. “The positive response has been interesting: People really do like to ‘cuddle up’ to the brands they love and have opportunities to interact directly with them. The ALDO 40 campaign is a perfect example of this innate need.” 
Integrating Digital And Physical Brand Experiences
ALDO deepened the campaign by extending the limited-time initiative offline with a pop-up museum that showcases the extensive history of the brand. The display was unveiled at the newest ALDO flagship location in Montreal, where the company was founded.
