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Marc Jacobs advances Web merchandising strategy with on-site video

March 10, 2011

Marc Jacobs uses videos on its ecommerce site to drive sales

Brands such as Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan and Alexander Wang have taken online merchandising to the next level by incorporating product videos into their Web sites.

Createthe group is responsible for helping the brands drive sales through online video. The company recently partnered with Ooyala to bolster its technology and provide better video services for luxury brands.

“By adding video to a luxury brand’s site, it captures the sense of movement and interaction that is so important to capturing product detail,” said Maryssa Miller, vice president of ecommerce at createthe group, New York.

“You can see the drape of the clothes and how it moves on the body in apparel, or the intricate moving parts of a timepiece that cannot be conveyed fully in photography,” she said.

“In essence, it adds life to a luxury brand’s Web site.”

Createthe group builds videos for luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Oscar de la Renta, Neiman Marcus, Bulgari and Burberry.

Ooyala‘s video technologies analyze consumer interaction with products through videos.

Work so far
Createthe group has helped a number of luxury brands with their online videos.

Marc Jacobs’ ecommerce homepage resembles a storefront with a salesperson outside, inviting the consumer in.

marc-jacobs-ecomm-screen

Screen grab from Marc Jacobs’ site

The store’s windows are streaming fashion show footage of the brand’s most recent collections.

Alexander Wang’s homepage video shows models dancing in the designer’s spring ready-to-wear collection.

Alexander Wang’s spring/summer collection at NY Fashion Week 2011

Consumers can stop and start the video at their leisure. The video is large and strategically placed in the middle of the screen. It immediately commands attention when visitors are on the site.

Donna Karan’s fall 2011 runway show encompasses the entirety of the ecommerce site’s homepage. It is shown in clear, streaming video with links to the collection’s lookbook available above it.

Donna Karan fall 2011 runway show

All of these videos drive sales for the brands by promoting the newest looks in interesting ways.

Createthe group’s platform is now tightly integrated with Ooyala’s video technologies.

The videos are able to be delivered and analyzed as customers interact with the products from both the Web and mobile devices.

Brands can use these analyses to understand more about the consumer and to structure their campaigns, specifically digital and video, to better promote their products in a way that drives sales.

“Consumers do love video as evidenced by the increase in usage of YouTube and the growth in sharing video content,” Ms. Miller said.

“It is a quick glimpse into the heart of a product or brand that can now be done on the go through mobile or in spare moments without requiring a large time investment,” she said.

Video to drive sales
The usage of video on a luxury brand’s site is one of the key ways to drive sales, according to industry experts (see story).

Furthermore, luxury brands are using videos on their blogs and Facebook pages as additional outlets to reach customers.

Consumers are looking for information on the Web. In fact, most of them use the Internet as their primary form of discovering products and details before buying.

Videos are the perfect way to quench a consumers’ thirst for information while also promoting the brand’s newest and most desired products.

“Video drives the site engagement metric, and the more engaged a customer is, the more likely they are to have higher lifetime value,” Ms. Miller said. “As a sharable and viral asset that can be shared through social media and other channels, it can also be key part of a brand’s acquisition strategy.”

Final Take
Rachel Lamb, editorial assistant at Luxury Daily, New York

Rachel Lamb is an editorial assistant at Luxury Daily. Reach her at rachel@napean.com.

Rachel Lamb is an associate reporter on Luxury Daily. Her beats are apparel and accessories, arts and entertainment, education, food and beverage, fragrance and personal care, government, healthcare, home furnishings, jewelry, legal/privacy and nonprofits. Reach her at rachel@napean.com.