Kate Spade New York has embraced the world of social media to welcome customers and let the “voice” of the brand speak. Fans of the brand can friend, follow or like, or Kate Spade on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, YouTube, or check into their stores on FourSquare and even occasionally download music from a Spotify promotion. Search for Kate Spade New York on any social media platform, and it’s easy to see what’s important to the brand: patterns, colors, fun food, and classic New York moments. For Kate Spade NY social media is the new way of marketing. Most of the tweets, Tumblr posts, Facebook updates, and pins aren’t even of products you can buy on KateSpade.com. But the non-promotional updates help build customer loyalty and understand the message the brand wants to convey.
For affordable luxury brand like Kate Spade, the future of social media lies in corporation putting more and more resources behind marketing the new digital way. Reaching customers through social media isn’t a side project for their marketing teams anymore, it’s the new way of selling a product.
“Social media has been such a great tool for luxury brands, it helps the customer feel like they are a part of the brand. Social media just helps tell the story so many different ways.”
Kyle Andrew, the SVP of marketing for Kate Spade (via facebook message)
Kate Spade New York (KSNY) knows how to use social media to build customer loyalty. KSNY rewards its loyal customers with extremely generous offers that keep customers coming back.
If you are one of the loyal customers that follow Kate Spade on Facebook, you’ll be one of the first to know when the “surprise flash sales” arrive. Designer bags at 75% off gets plenty of fans excited, while getting fans to tune in for other exciting sales and events.
“Primarily we’re looking to grow our consumer base and our followers, and ensuring that they remain engaged with us, which is the most important part. That said, we are looking at how to drive more direct revenue. We’ve offered special sales and previews on items to Facebook fans in the past, and we’ll look to do more of that in the future.”
Craig Leavitt
Using an action-gated page, KSNY was able to generate loyal customers with their flash sales. This action-gated page tells the viewer that if you type in your email and zip code, you will get access to the promotional price or sale. The flash sale does not use the domain from their website. It uses a link that is derived from their Facebook page so only those who follow KSNY on FB can see when they have their sale.
KSNY, listens to their clients in, last fall consumers publicly took the brand to task in response to a canvas tote simply meant to signify “I heart kate spade”. However the logo carried an unintended interpretation. Social media reacted negatively, and the brand quickly removed the controversial items.
The brand also pioneered an interactive storefront last spring. Their (younger, more affordable) kate spade saturday line temporarily located in vacant store windows in NYC’s Chelsea area. Using mobile devices, window shoppers were able to order items on eBay and have them delivered. It was very successful from a PR perspective. Once again engaging existing customers and gaining more clients. KSNY is always looking for new ways to improve their brand awareness, for example, they know customers take in-store selfies, so their dressing rooms now feature stylish wallpaper to serve as photo backdrops.
Their marketing team really understands the medium that they’re participating in. They don’t use social media just to push product. It’s really an extension of their brand personality. If you look at Facebook, if you look at Pinterest, the inspiration is such a part of their core DNA as a brand. If you walk into their stores, they have some rare art books sitting on the shelves, and if you walk into their 5th Avenue store right now, they have the The Apartment playing on a reel in their store. It’s just a part of who they are; it’s a part of their brand. A lot of brands still make the mistake of just using social media to push a product and push brand messages. People don’t engage in social media that way.
Recently Kate Spade ventured into the wearable-tech world. People are obsessed with the fitness trackers — they’re a key part of their workout and wellness routines. But let’s be real: They’re kind of ugly, so Kate Spade has stepped in to help. Turns out we want form and function, and thanks to this collection, it’s now possible to have both without paying a crazy amount. The silicone tracker is available at Kate Spade New York stores and the brand’s website. The bangle and smartwatch will be available in November. Tracking your steps never looked so good.
Lessons for Others
On the walls of Kate Spade New York’s offices, photos of colors, shoes, and prints hang for everyone to see. The staff has shared inspiration this way for years, everyone is invited to share. For KSNY engagement starts with their own employees.
They put significant effort toward innovative ways to engage with their employees and their customers and communicate the kate spade new york lifestyle across a range of social media channels. Their team creates unique strategies for each digital platform, understanding that each channel functions in a different way. Their primary goal is to keep their fans and customers engaged. They recognize the importance of providing them a compelling reason to follow their brand on multiple channels. In addition to creating interesting content, they are always listening – conversations are authentic and they adjust their strategic approach as their consumer’s behavior changes
Every piece of content they post across social media is thoughtful and calculated, and ties back to a larger content strategy. Quality content takes focus and provides a curated lens on everything they do digitally. Tons of content does not tell an effective story and each day they challenge their teams to focus, edit and ensure the story they tell across social media channels is thoughtful while remaining true to their brand voice.
Organization:
Kate Spade New York
Industry:
Fashion, Retail
Name of Organization Contact:
KSNY CEO Craig Leavitt, Kyle Andrew, the SVP of marketing for Kate Spade
Authored by: atabor
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