One of the interesting things about contemporary commerce is the way product advertisements consistently adapt to suit evolving technology. Ads that would've once been on the radio and placed in newspapers are now playing before youtube videos or being sent directly to our inbox.
Despite the evolving medium, the first rule of business remains the same: know your customer. A lack of this consumer conciousness that left me scratching my head at this Ugg sponsored promotional email from Who What Wear.
I'm a fan of Who What Wear and I don't mind geting sponored promotional emails; I know that the profit from this type of advertising allows the site to continute to function. I also have a positive consumer - retailer relationship with Ugg Australia: I own several pairs of Ugg boots. They're well made and they last forever. So what's my beef?
The product doesn't align with Who What Wear's audience
We all remember when classic Ugg boots were the "it" shoe of the moment. Many fashion concious individuals, like those who subscribe to Who What Wear, still own and wear their classic uggs but only around the house - in private. This often happens to the "it" item of the moment: by definition an "of the moment" product references a specific period of time and thus will never regain the cache of being a fashionable.
In other words, the daily readers of Who What Wear are not going to be convinced that the "classic" Ugg boot is stylish again simply because a respected fashion blogger wears them in a sponsored email.
What they Should've Done
The classic Ugg had its fashion hey day, and much like the Juicy Couture Sweatsuit, it's gone and it's never coming back. Rather than working fruitlessly to ressurect the fashion fervor of a trend that's long over, why not create an ad around one of the many beautiful and stylish leather alternatives that any fashion fiend worth their salt would love to own?
The Ugg Australia website offers a wealth of more fashionable options, any one of which would have been a great alternative to share with Who What Wear readers.
Even in the most stylish of circumstances, a promoted email alone isn't likely to convert, which is why including a "where to buy" link is so important, especially when the retailer in question has high quality rich product content included for each item in their assortment. Ugg Australia certainly fits the bill: every detail of each style is perfection, from the unique on-brand product description and details to the high quality product images shot from multiple angles.
Now that's a shopping experience I can connect with.
The Takeaways
1. Effective advertising strategies have to work with the customer's perception of the brand not against it
2. An ad is just the first step on the road to conversion: the real work is done with rich product content that turns a wish & daydream into a click & buy.
