Why Marc Jacobs Wins the Internet
3 Min Read
(Photo via Mashable)
On this second day of New York Fashion Week, Marc Jacobs opened a new pop-up fragrance shop in SoHo today in which instead of cash or credit, customers exchange Daisy Marc Jacobs products for posts on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
That’s right. Social currency.
For the price of a hashtag mention—#MJdaisychain—Marc Jacobs enthusiasts walk away with their own sample-size of Daisy. (I did!) Every hour, a lucky few who post the most creative Tweets, Instagram photos or Facebook posts win larger prizes, like their very own Marc Jacobs purse.
Here’s why that’s amazing and I’m totally convinced Marc Jacobs is winning the Internet:
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(1) We would’ve checked-in anyway. Now we’re hooked. At this point, we’ve all been social media trained enough to automatically let the world know via FB post, Tweet, or what have you when we’re in a cool place. That’s just being a Millenial. Marc Jacobs gave us an extra reason to do it—free loot. And in the process, not only did they recruit us as brand minions, they added a viral number of new customers. Hell, I wasn’t even thinking I needed a new perfume, but now that I have this sample, maybe I could do with a change…
(2) Star treatment. It’s not uncommon for celebrities to endorse a product via social media in exchange for monetary compensation. And it’s not uncommon for lay people to write reviews of products they love and tell their friends about it. But it IS uncommon for the everyman to be compensated for using a hashtag. Roll out the red carpet!
(3) Tweets = currency. Literally. Merchants have been trying to make social commerce work forever, but it usually feels more or less intrusive. But maybe we’ve been thinking about it the wrong way the whole time. Maybe Marc Jacobs has the answer. Instead of interrupting people’s social media interactions to try to sell and advertise, what if the posts themselves were the currency? That introduces a whole new, truly democratized, kind of purchase power. Is this social commerce 2.0?
(4) Daisy Marc Jacobs isn’t even new. I’ve walked by it in stores many times, but this is the first time I’ve ever really considered purchasing it. Marc Jacobs managed to make an old product new by infusing a little discovery, a little competition, and a little fun.
(Photo via Mashable)