Heard of Pinterest?
If you haven’t, you should start getting to know them now. I predict a new wave of social outreach is upon us– one that inspires product discovery.
Pinterest is my latest addiction and is growing at Facebook-like speeds, although it’s not like Facebook at all. Pinterest essentially allows you to bookmark images you find while browsing the web, and then categorize them as you see fit, for later viewing. These categories are called “Inspiration Boards,” and they serve as digital collections of items and ideas you think are cool. Your pinned items can be shared with the larger Pinterest community for others to discover. Find something you like, re-pin it, like it, and/or comment on it. Find people with similar interests and you can “follow” their inspiration boards.
There’s also an app…of course, available on Apple iPhone and Android. However, as opposed to pinning existing content, you create new content with the app. See a girl with amazing boots walking down the street? Snap a photo using the app and “pin it”! Unlike the existing web content, this new content doesn’t lead to a website or product. Here’s where the retailer opportunity lies: when other Pinterest users click on the pinned boots, instead of leading them nowhere, how about leading them to the cute boot section on your eCommerce site?
Have you seen Google’s latest features, Google Product Search and Search, plus Your World? Google Product Search (formerly Google Shopping) uses an algorithm that is based on your past searches and web activity, and shows you products it thinks you would be most interested in. For example, when I search for dresses, I am served a bunch of cute, value priced, hipster dresses a la Forever 21. However, when my mom searches for dresses, she is served images of work appropriate, modern, mom style dresses a la Ann Taylor.
Search plus Your World takes the personalized search one step further, and not only shows you items based on your search and browsing history, but adds what your friends have found. The new search feature integrates with Google Plus. If I conduct a basic Google search for “dresses,” I’ll see items listed that are based on my search history, images of dresses that are on my friend’s Google Plus images, plus items that popped up when my friends searched for dresses. Search, plus Your World allows me to discover dresses that are most likely to impress my friends. Now that’s inspiring!
This new wave of inspiration sites and products has had me whirling with ideas this year. Take Gap Inc. retailer, Piperlime.com for example: you can find collections of products chosen by various celebrity guest editors such as Olivia Palermo and Rachel Zoe. When you click on Olivia’s Picks, you see all the Piperlime items that she thinks are cool and worth purchasing. Why not take that a step further and allow me to select collections of items I love, create an inspiration board, and share that with my friends? Think of the benefits – viewing collections as opposed to singular items could increase basket size.
Sharing drives new customer acquisition. Taking the Pinterest approach and allowing consumers to “follow” each other keeps customers coming back for more. Now you have something that is inspiring, entertaining, and habitual. Sounds like an effective app to me! This concept could be extended to housewares retailers such as Crate and Barrel, home improvement stores such as Home Depot, and of course other retail giants – Macy’s, Nordstrom, Kohl’s. The shopping possibilities are blissfully endless, and inspiring!
So in 2012, don’t just facilitate purchases, inspire your consumers to shop.
Paola Ladigin
Senior Account Manager, 5th Finger
