February 14, 2013
Apparel and accessories label Rebecca Minkoff is looking to interact with its target audience of female millennials through a Valentine’s Day event with beauty brand Laura Mercier at retail partner Bloomingdale’s.
The brand is pushing attendees to purchase a Mini M.A.C. bag to go with their Valentine’s Day evening outfit at the Kiss & Tell event. Rebecca Minkoff invited New Yorkers to Bloomingdale’s today from 4-6 p.m. via Facebook, email and direct consumer outreach from the department store.
“My consumer is the millennial girl, experiencing many of her first big life experiences and many of those have to do with love and romance, so Valentine’s Day is an exciting holiday for us,” said Rebecca Minkoff, creative director at Rebecca Minkoff, New York.
“Consumer engagement is a huge part of our marketing strategy and one of the reasons why we have such a loyal following,” she said.
“We always want to provide fun opportunities to our girls and doing events with our retail partners is good for all of us.”
Seeing red
Rebecca Minkoff is offering event attendees The Mini M.A.C. Bar where they can purchase one of the handbags to complete their outfit.
The event will be held on the second floor of the Bloomingdale's New York flagship store on 59th Street and Lexington Avenue where a Rebecca Minkoff handbag shop is located.
The label is filling the in-store boutique with Mini M.A.C. bags in the colors red, pink, white and silver.
Mini M.A.C.
The Mini M.A.C. comes in two styles and is priced at $195.
Consumers who make a purchase during the event will get a free gift and monogramming.
The Kiss & Tell event will also feature a The Makeup Bar. Beauty brand Laura Mercier is partnering with Rebecca Minkoff for the event to do attendees' Valentine’s Day makeup.
In addition, The Bubble Bar will offer attendees complimentary pink Champagne and treats.
Rebecca Minkoff also added an Instagram component to the event. Attendees are encouraged to post photos taken during the event to the mobile image-sharing application with the hashtag #RMXO.
The label will cover the event live via Instagram with the hashtag.
Invitation
“This exclusive event focuses around a holiday when people want to feel special and appreciated,” said Dalia Strum, president of Dalia Inc., New York. “This targets the younger, affluent demographic who wants to experience each aspect of their shopping experience, while focusing on their segmented interests.
“In essence, this full event allows the brands and retailer to create awareness of new products with a positive emotional connection to their experience,” she said. “It also provides an opportunity for the attendees to enjoy all their favorite vices at one time.”
What’s in store
In-store events can draw eager consumers into the retail experience to have a good time with less pressure to make a purchase.
Department store chain Saks Fifth Avenue and British label Burberry recently held in-store events as well.
Saks raised awareness for its SaksFirst loyalty program by holding an event in the fourth-floor boutique space at its New York flagship store for customers and select media.
The event drew Saks customers in-store where signage that described the new rewards card and its “5 Days of Firsts” program was present, including in the first-floor beauty level and elevators.
As soon as attendees stepped out of the elevator on the fourth floor, they could hear the music provided by special guest Solange Knowles, who is the sister of singer Beyoncé Knowles (see story).
Also, Burberry invited consumers to the first music event held at its Regent Street boutique in London.
British singer/songwriter Jake Bugg performed live Jan. 31 at the Burberry’s boutique at 121 Regent Street, London. The event could have strengthened the brand’s presence in its city of origin by providing a lifestyle experience for local consumers (see story).
In-store events such as Rebecca Minkoff's can push sales in a softer way.
“This strategy allows consumers to develop relationships with representatives from the featured companies and help them find the items that they would be the most interested in, without feeling the sales-y approach,” Ms. Strum said.
“By focusing on a customer-centric culture, it essentially leads to stronger relationships and brand building,” she said.
Final Take
Tricia Carr, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York
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