2. .2.
60%
retailers have
Although it's been around for years,
the social shopping trend peaked
during the December 2009 holiday
virtual storefronts season. More retailers and consumers
on Facebook 2
are online than ever before.
according to the Internet
Retailer Top 500 Guide 1
image by kayla casey
3. ..
47%
3
A report by Shop.org indicated that almost
half of brick and mortar retailers were
planning to increase their investments in
traditional retailers
online social media campaigns for the 2009
holiday buying binge. 3 increased SMM
for holiday 2009
That growth is, according to Reuters, due to
the fact that advertisers perceive social media
marketing channels have matured
considerably since 2008, becoming an
important piece of a cross‐platform puzzle.
According to the Harvard Business Review
connected consumerism4
is one of the key economic trends for 2010.
Likewise, the annual FEED Report from
Razorfish announced the mainstreaming of
social commerce
5
occurred in mid‐2009.
image: Thomas Hawk
4. Privacy concerns aside, people are
.4.
embracing the opportunity to
narrowcast our retail transactions and Social media marketing encourages
publicize our consumer preferences to
friends, fans and followers.
bonding over brands
and bargains
As a result, social shopping is taking in a networked culture.
brand affiliation and ambassadorship
to a whole new level.
image by hfabulous
5. image by Always Be Cool
According to author Mitch
Joel, the power of social
shopping is "the ability to
connect directly with the
brand and build friendships
with individuals who have like‐
6
minded interests."
Thus, the social glue of
consumer communities is
loyalty to a set of shared
values and/or similar lifestyle
choice represented by our
preferred brands.
It is no surprise then, that opt‐
in social shopping rituals are
emerging as the next
mechanism for elevating
companies and brands to
(what Saatchi & Saatchi call)
Lovemark status.7
.5.
8. As researchers at the MIT Media
Lab have pointed out, the
emergence of these digital,
interest‐driven shopping
networks is contributing to
consumers becoming more
information‐
aware.12
image by ratterrell
This in turn drives:
• comparison shopping trends
• increased participation in
loyalty programs, and
• creation of valuable (and
influential) user generated
content.
All of which is sure to please
eCommerce retailers and social
media marketers.
image by ratterrell
.8.
9. .9.
A collection of new social
shopping apps for smartphone
users promises to simplify the
process of sharing purchase
history with family and friends as
social shopping
goes mobile.
The iPhone and 3rd party app
development is another
foundational element supporting
structures of connected
consumption.
iPhone is the platform for mobile
social shopping campaigns, since
research shows users of this
smartphone brand have the
highest click‐thru rate for animated
13
mobile ads.
image by Sami Keinanen
11. Resources Cited
1. http://www.directnews.co.uk/news/online‐
marketing/social‐networking/over‐50‐of‐top‐e‐
retailers‐have‐facebook‐presence‐
$1337549.htm
2. http://cm.media.mit.edu/publications/
connected‐consumption‐hidden‐networks‐
consumption
3. http://www.utalkmarketing.com/pages/
Article.aspx?
ArticleID=15864&Title=Retailers_rely_on_socia
l_media_advertising_for_Christmas
4. The Harvard Business Review social trend
report is cited in http://
socialcommercetoday.com/harvard‐business‐
on‐6‐social‐media‐trends‐for‐2010/
5. Razorfish annual FEED report: http://
feed.razorfish.com/feed09/digital‐primacy/
6. Mitch Joel on social shopping: http://
www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/social‐
shopping‐takes‐hold‐as‐the‐next‐hot‐online‐
social‐network/
7.Saatchi & Saatchi on brand love: http://
www.lovemarks.com/
image by AlinaKulesh
12. 7.Saatchi & Saatchi on brand love: http://
www.lovemarks.com/
8. Brands on Facebook: http://
www.insidefacebook.com/2009/02/16/
facebook‐to‐launch‐redesigned‐pages‐for‐
businesses‐tour‐first‐impressions/
9. Nielsen on consumer trust in adverts: http://
blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/
global‐advertising‐consumers‐trust‐real‐
friends‐and‐virtual‐strangers‐the‐most/
10. Interview with Nancy Zmuda from
Advertising Age: http://
www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20090413/
EMAIL01/904139962#
11. Researchers from Ontario’s McMaster
University: http://is.gd/91b7r
12. http://pubs.media.mit.edu/pubs/papers/
main.pdf
13. http://mashable.com/2009/05/06/iphone‐
shopping‐savings/
14. iPhone users click on mobile adverts: http://
www.bizreport.com/2009/10/
study_cpg_auto_scoring_well_in_mobile.ht
ml
15. Geoloco adverts: http://
www.mediastyle.ca/2010/01/mobile‐tech‐
opportunity‐in‐foursquare/
image by Armano Maynez
13. image by CWMc
about the author
Sidneyeve Matrix, PhD.
Queen's National Scholar, Film & Media, Queen's University, Canada.
Blogger, Speaker, Professor teaching digital culture, mass
communication & marketing, pop culture, television, & film courses.
Website: sidneyevematrix.com
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