Searching for offline places online
September 26, 2014
If we're building up a physical place, we have to remember that people often come to an offline place from an online place. Does our web site completely and correctly convery the physical experience? How can we generate a desire among our viewers to meet each other at our place?
Hub Magazine: Bricks & Cliques, 2014-Aug-15 by Christine Hall of Landor Associates
People go online to find new things to do locally and to be a part of what’s going on in their community. They can watch videos and read reviews to determine if they’ve found a brand and brand experience with which they might want to connect. Brands that use technology to drive foot traffic to an in-person experience are more successful in building community and loyalty around their brand.
Julep Beauty is a great example of this. Founded by Jane Park, a former Starbucks executive, Julep Beauty was launched as a small chain of beauty salons intended to double as a laboratory for testing new products. The larger play was to use the stores to build a community and capitalize on the conversations that naturally happen at salons. Park has now extended that conversation into the online sphere, with thousands of women actively playing a role in designing new products.