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Retail Industry Word of Mouth and Social Media Solutions

Shopping is social. From bricks (physical) to clicks (online), Word of Mouth drives traffic to your stores and products off of your shelves.

Retailers must rely on word of mouth on a number of levels - it's one thing to have consumer recommendations drive traffic to your stores, but it's product recommendations, from online consumer reviews to helpful in-store associates, that ultimately sell merchandise. From apparel, sporting goods, furniture, cosmetics, to consumer electronics retailers, word of mouth and social media are the key drivers of brand recommendation, loyalty, and new customer acquisition.

Whether you are a big-box chain or an online luxury retailer, Affinitive can help take your brand Beyond Community™.

Did You Know?

  • Shoppers are most interested in hearing from their peers about products, retailers, and past shopping experiences. Consumers say that word of mouth is still the number one influencer in their apparel (34.3%) and electronics (44.4%) purchases.

    Source: Retail Advertising and Marketing Association/BIGresearch

  • Recommendations from consumers (78%) are the most trusted form of advertising out there, along with consumer opinions posted online (61%).

    Source: Nielsen Online Global Consumer study.

  • 60% of consumers report being drawn to online retailers that employ Web 2.0 tools and techniques, such as soliciting feedback and providing recommendations on products and services, along with making them feel part of a community.

    Source: Guidance/Synovate

Customer Communities and Brand Ambassador Programs

Fully managed and integrated customer community marketing and technology solutions engage and ignite consumer passion, facilitate C-to-C and C-to-B conversation around your brand and retail topics, educate, and drive loyalty and repeat purchase. Learn more >>

Consumer Advisory Panels

Provide a "Walled Garden" for a select group of consumers and employees to share insight, exchange ideas, garner invaluable feedback, and help guide product development, marketing, PR, and loyalty initiatives. From segmentation and identification to messaging, management, and analysis, our Advisory Panel solutions facilitate optimum engagement and reporting. Learn more >>

Employee and Partner Training Platforms

"Which video game should I buy my daughter for her 14th birthday?" From fashion to electronics, customers can rely on the person "behind the counter" for product recommendations as much as from other consumers. Convert every one of your store associates into well-informed product experts by providing an interactive, course-based social platform/community that educates, engages, and rewards them, while showing them how they stack up against their co-workers. If you are a brand, why not get an edge on your competition by providing a platform for your retail partners to learn about your products and have easy access to product information? Learn more >>

Social Applications

Provide portable tools and social applications such as widgets, Facebook applications, and iPhone/mobile apps that provide consumers with a fun experience and allow them to take marketing into their own hands to generate buzz and clearly communicate your brand message in innovative, memorable ways. Learn more >>

Viral Promotions and Sweepstakes

Reach a mass audience through quick-hit, high-impact viral promotions that consumers will engage with and share. Learn more >>

CRM/Loyalty Program and Legacy System Integration

How is engagement driving loyalty? Our enterprise word of mouth solutions can be integrated with the most sophisticated CRM and Business Intelligence platforms to provide a 360-degree view of your customers. Learn more >>

Social Network and Cohort Site Marketing

Reach your audience where they already connect and engage. Join, interact and establish brand presence within "cohort sites". No matter what is in your cart, Affinitive has extensive experience developing and managing cohort site relationships. Learn more >>


Related Work and Case Studies

La Cense Beef - The Grass-fed Party

La Cense Beef

La Cense Beef wanted to reach, educate, and engage environmentally conscious consumers about their 100% grass-fed beef products and ranching methods. The Grass-fed Party social platform informed and educated consumers and influential foodie bloggers about industry trends, sustainable ranching, and the latest news on the grass-fed moo-vement. In addition to activating brand advocacy with existing customers, Affinitive executed a successful blogger outreach program that generated coverage from a number of popular foodie blogs.

View all case studies >>