Retail guru Mary Portas showed the nation an amazing concept on her first episode of Channel 4’s Secret Shopper. A ‘Twitter Mirror’, where consumers try on clothes in-store, use a touch screen monitor outside the changing room to take photos of what they’re wearing, and instantly tweet it to their friends/followers for an opinion before buying.
She trialled the idea at ‘fast fashion’ chain Pilot, whose owner was so impressed with the concept that he promised to roll the scheme out nationwide. We know how effective search engine marketing can be when it comes to promoting sites across the internet, but this is the first instance we’ve come across where social media has actually been ingrained into the actual retail experience.
But when we discussed the practicalities in the office, reaction was decidedly mixed. It’s important to point out that Mary Portas didn’t ‘invent’ the Tweet Mirror and that the concept is still relatively new. But Mary has helped to thrust it into the spotlight – her ambition was to show Pilot’s manager that his target market love taking pictures and interacting with their friends when shopping. It was an insight into the social media habits of a new generation.
But the idea of social media interaction during the shopping phase hasn’t gone down too well here. One colleague pointed out that if you aren’t ‘obsessed’ with Twitter and check it all the time, then you may not get a response as quickly as you’d like, adding more time to your shopping experience. Another pointed out that girls aged in their younger teens will probably adore the idea – but will there be any point for an older generation? Is it a bit gimmicky?
But there were positives, too. One was amazed, saying it showed that shopping doesn’t have to be a tired, boring experience, and another highlighted just how ‘real’ social media services are becoming. Whatever the opinion, there can be no arguing that social media is now a huge part in all areas of people’s lives. What next, a foot measurer in Clarks that connects to Facebook? We’ll have to wait and see…
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Posted by John.
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