A decade ago, social media was termed as one of the platforms that very few retailers chose for branding. While some businesses only focused on creating accounts to be present on Facebook and Twitter, others focused on pushing marketing messages out to consumers, hoping they would get a response.
However, the situation today is much different. Best-in-class retailers understand that ongoing communication, information sharing and engagement drive successful social media initiatives. These organizations are putting social networks at the center of their service, engagement and commerce strategies in order to stay top-of-mind with connected consumers.
Retail TouchPoints (RTP), an online publishing network for retail executives, honored brands and retailers that are using social media in innovative ways to improve their businesses.
The 2015 Social Media Maven Awards recognized organizations for their achievements in the social space and were nominated on the basis of their overall social strategy, best use of up-and-coming social channels, specific social campaign amongst others.
The top 10 winners include Adore Me, Belk, Claire’s, DollarDays, Jamba Juice, Kohl’s, Lilly Pulitzer, Lorna Jane, Marc Jacobs, Saddleback Leather Co., Softlips Lip Balm, Staples and Yes-Sir.com.
“We are thrilled to win the 2015 Social Media Maven Awards with large retailers like Marc Jacobs and Claire’s – our business ethos has been to create unique experiences for our community and customers, whether that be through omni-channel experiences or through pure online campaigns on specific social media platforms,” commented Rupa Ganatra, Co-Founder, Yes-Sir.com.
Ms Ganatra shared how they used social media to engage their customer base. “We have found a very engaged audience and customer base through social media, particularly Instagram, which has made a vital contribution to our business growth. When we begin planning campaigns, we always aim to make sure that they will be playful and fun, even when they are underpinned by creating awareness for serious issues like our Movember and Decembeard campaigns did.”
