Shoppable Media offers a lot of potential for Brands to meet their consumers where they spend their time, at virtually every digital touch point. But cracking the code for a unique user experience within an ever-increasingly crowded space can be a significant challenge.
So, what does shoppable media look like when it’s done right? We named a few of our standout picks for brands who are really knocking it out of the park. From shoppable social media, videos, articles, banner ads and more, these brands are finding new ways to win over their consumers.
Social media brings in massive traffic, and platforms are now advanced enough to enable any brand to provide a shoppable experience…
British fashion brand, ASOS, understand their community. They know that shoppers trust user-generated content more than conventional ads, so they let their followers do the hard work. Teaming up with a hand-picked set of influencers, they encouraged budding fashionistas to post their hauls on Instagram along with #AsSeenOnMe.
These were then curated by the ASOS team, with the best submissions making it onto a homepage feed. Those submissions were made shoppable so people could instantly get their hands on whatever their peers were wearing. It’s fast-moving, authentic and not overcomplicated, the perfect way to leverage an engaged follower base.
With over 38 million Instagram followers, fashion leaders, H&M, realized they had an entire ecommerce ecosystem right there on the platform. Their whole Instagram feed is shoppable, backed up by world-class product photography and feed optimization.
Fashion lovers and idle browsers alike can explore new products and purchase anything that catches their eye, with minimal disruption to their social media experience. Liking photos helps the algorithm show users more of the right stuff and works as a pseudo-shopping list, helping them come back and buy later.
It’s a campaign that works seamlessly with the platform, understanding how to turn every possible feature into an ecommerce asset.
Video is the king of content marketing. Adding a shoppable element only accentuates its value when you do it right…
Shoppable media works great for small, everyday products. But with the right approach, it’s also handy for breaking down objections and helping build a case for some seriously big purchases. A BMW, for example, isn’t something you’ll find yourself buying too often.
The car icon’s 4 Series coupé campaign used an interactive video that broke down individual working parts and technologies used in the car’s creation. It’s a great info dispenser and rapport builder. Once the prospect’s curiosity is secured, they’re directed to a landing page. One step closer to a sale.
Shoppable media doesn’t have to be fast and cheap. Even if your customer isn’t impulse buying, it can play a role in building trust and credibility.
Another example of style and sophistication leveraged by shoppable media is Ted Baker’s #TedPresents video campaign. This fantasy stroll through an enchanted forest features products appearing on models before disappearing and being replaced by other elegant pieces of clothing.
On the surface, it’s a beautifully put together piece of video marketing that wouldn’t look out of place in a prime-time TV slot. But every single product that shows up is shoppable. One click and the viewer is able to drop the item into their basket and continue watching for yet more inspiration.
It takes a lot of effort, planning and talent to produce something that looks this effortlessly gorgeous, while also serving a tangible business purpose. We love it!
Staying with fashion and video, Kate Spade New York opted to go beyond the single-serving film experience and produce a whole series. Their #MissAdventure videos starring Anna Kendrick opt for a more story-driven style with plenty of comedy to highlight products.
Because it was distributed on third-party video platforms like YouTube, products aren’t immediately shoppable as they appear on screen. However, the number of episodes they produce and the engaging writing makes people stick around to the end. At that point, they can shop for their favourite items from the video.
This is a different take on video, more episodic and conversational than Ted Baker’s campaign. But it works and it shows how creative you can get with your shoppable media.
Articles let you flex your authority and show off your product expertise. Making them shoppable lets readers act on your advice quickly…
Marketers who made use of shoppable articles simply have to bow their heads in respect to Net-A-Porter’s weekly magazine, The Edit. Averaging 30 pages, every single product image in the magazine is shoppable, every single week.
Coupled with great product photography, this is a technical masterpiece that slashes friction and catches shoppers when their path to purchase is shortest. They also produce a bimonthly print magazine, Porter. Again, every image is scannable via their app and gives readers a chance to buy right away.
Net-A-Porter are shoppable media experts. Their approach is helpful, streamlined, and adds as few steps as humanly possible between the user and conversion.
Not to be outdone, UK-based Monsoon produces Swoon, their own shoppable magazine optimized for tablet. This was done in line with data which showed that, at one point, over a third of their conversions were coming from these devices.
Blending image, audio, video and even gifs, Swoon is perhaps a little more narrative driven than Porter or The Edit. Clicking on a gif of someone posing in one item of clothing leads to a video of them doing a full twirl, users are rewarded for interacting with the content more deeply.
With clever features like the ability to get a close-up of each garment’s fabric, it’s a very clever tool. Better yet, it’s one clearly driven by the way Monsoon’s customers prefer to shop.
Of course, ads make up the very frontline of eCommerce. Here are some of our favourite shoppable examples…
The speed at which shoppable media lets users engage with your brand can help facilitate big changes. When Puma decided to move away from presenting themselves as a lifestyle brand, they opted to push their innovative credentials. Alongside A-list influencers like Usain Bolt, they emphasised the speed their products unlock in athletes.
Here, all the focus was on the products in action, being used by real athletes to achieve peak performance. The product photography is the star of the show here, forging a real connection to the moment that makes shoppers want to start using these products. And because every ad is shoppable, they can do exactly that.
So far, we’ve looked at examples of big-ticket items and fashion products being sold with shoppable media. But French supermarket leader, Intermarché, take a far more grounded approach. Their banner ads for staple goods like tinned peas and carrots are simple, streamlined and shoppable.
It’s that uncomplicated setup that makes it such a great example of what brands can do with relatively little budget. You see the product, a price and the option to buy. It really can be that simple in terms of creative and still drive amazing results. If your customers want speed and convenience, give it to them like Intermarché have done here and they’ll love you for it.
To prove that our shoppable media categories aren’t set in stone, let’s finish with one that pushes the boundaries. Food and lifestyle brand, Crate & Barrel, blur the line between ads and articles with their blog. It has the eye catching impact of a banner ad, presented with the expert authority of a blog.
Being able to see products in use gives viewers that same insight into how they’ll benefit their own daily lives. Strong calls to action and a clean, uncomplicated layout create a shoppable media experience that commands attention and provokes action. For what is a large, long-term commitment for a brand, producing a blog in this way has really paid off.
And that’s our list! But we know there are so many other examples out there that deserve recognition.
If you are looking to build something amazing for your next shoppable media endeavour, ChannelSight will help you get there. Schedule a demo with us today.
