Hugo Boss builds community, drives foot traffic with international foursquare contest

Hugo Boss launches foursquare contest

Menswear designer Hugo Boss is driving in-store traffic and increasing its social media fan base with a mobile check-in-based contest through which fans can win a New York shopping experience.

Consumers who follow the brand on the foursquare application and use their mobile devices to check-in to a Hugo Boss retail store between now and Dec. 6 will be entered into the contest raffle. Hugo Boss is promoting the contest through in-store window displays that contain QR codes, which consumers can scan to check-in.

“Hugo Boss has been one of the first fashion brands to really take advantage of foursquare, having been on the service for over a year now,” said Ron Schott, senior strategist at Spring Creek Group, Seattle.

“I think pairing the foursquare campaign with the exclusive shopping trip is an excellent way to marry the social/digital with the real world,” he said. This isn’t an either/or situation for the consumer, it’s an ‘and’ experience that is fun and exciting.”

Mr. Schott is not affiliated with Hugo Boss, but agreed to comment as a third-party expert.

Hugo Boss did not respond by press deadline.

Fair’s square
To enter the contest, a consumer must first follow the brand on foursquare at https://foursquare.com/hugoboss.

By following Hugo Boss, the consumer will be alerted to brand news such as in-store events. For example, Hugo Boss posted news about its Fashion’s Night Out activities to nearby consumers through its foursquare account.

Hugo Boss' foursquare account

To be entered into the random contest drawing, the consumer must use the foursquare mobile app to check-in at a Hugo Boss store before Dec. 6.

Selected bricks-and-mortar stores will have a special contest-themed window display to promote the check-in contest that will have a QR code that shoppers can scan to quickly check-in to the store.

Hugo Boss will be choosing one winner at random who the brand will fly to New York and provide them with a hotel room.

Additionally, the winner will receive Hugo Boss credit to be used for a shopping spree with a surprise celebrity guest.

The VIP shopping experience will take place Dec. 13-15 at the Hugo Boss flagship store in New York’s meatpacking district.

The contest is open to fans in the United States, Britain, Germany and France.

“Hugo Boss’ campaign refreshingly features a curiously interesting prize,” said Paul Farkas, Founder/CEO of Social.TV and SocialFashion.com, New York.

“Combining an exclusive shopping spree with access to an international fashion industry icon serves to remove the final velvet rope for the winner as an enviable brand-enabled top fashion industry insider,” he said.

Getting face time
Hugo Boss is promoting the contest through its in-store window displays as well as on social media.

The brand has recently made the contest the focus of its Facebook page and requires consumers to like the page before they can learn more about the contest.

Hugo Boss spreads the word on Facebook

Hugo Boss has also been posting tweets regarding the contest, and promoting it to its current foursquare followers.

The level of promotion and ease of entry may prove effective for Hugo Boss.

“I think this will drive extra foot traffic during the holiday shopping season for Hugo Boss,” Spring Creek Group’s Mr. Schott said.

“With checking-in being the catalyst for the whole experience, Hugo Boss is rewarding shoppers and giving them a chance to share their experiences through their social networks,” he said. “The barrier for entry is rather low, so I think we’ll see high levels of participation.”

Indeed, this is not the first time Hugo Boss — which has been active on foursquare since 2010 — has conducted a campaign on the platform.

The label used foursquare to engage with attendees of Berlin fashion week by posting hot spot locations and tips around the city.

For luxury brands that aim to follow in Hugo Boss’ footsteps, simply creating an account or contest is not enough anymore, according to Mr. Farkas.

“Check-in campaigns must be strategically planned and executed to resonate with shoppers in an increasingly noisy digital shopping environment,” Mr. Farkas said.

“Higher levels of participation result from creative multiplatform design and storytelling that embrace brand identity and heritage, with rich dynamic value that uniquely contextualizes understood currency around product narrative,” he said.

Final Take
Kayla Hutzler, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York

Share this article:

>Tweet this | Follow us on Twitter

No comments » You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.