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Swarovski links in-store, digital via year-long campaign

January 22, 2013

Swarovski Passport to Sparkle microsite

Precision-cut crystal maker Swarovski is crossing its digital and in-store marketing efforts through a year-long campaign that centers on travel and aims to build relationships with customers and reward loyalty.

The “Passport to Sparkle” campaign is housed on a microsite where consumers can browse a full explanation of the program, view a video introduction to model Emma du Monde and read her travel blog. To participate, consumers must go to a Swarovski location to get their own passport and stamps can be acquired during each visit.

“The strategy behind Swarovski’s Passport to Sparkle program was to create a fully-integrated campaign that allowed us to engage with our customers in a meaningful way while also building relationships and rewarding loyalty,” said Jennifer Hinkle, director of communications at Swarovski North America Limited’s consumer goods business, New York.

“Additionally, the campaign allows us to connect with our customers through rich storytelling and a compelling incentive program,” she said.

“This campaign will allow us to create an engaging experience for our customers both in-store and outside the store through our microsite.”

Passport stamps
Swarovski is encouraging consumers to visit the campaign microsite at http://passporttosparkle.com through its social media channels. When they arrive at the site, users must enter their first and last name and email address to continue.

Microsite entry page

Those who wish to participate in the campaign must visit a Swarovski boutique to pick up their own Passport to Sparkle and register it in the store so that they can earn gifts, monthly prizes and the chance to win a trip for two to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Passport holders must bring it with them each time they visit a Swarovski boutique to receive a stamp.

Passport

Once holders have a stamp from six unique Swarovski stores, they have reached Jet Setter Level One status in the program. This means that they have earned a complimentary Crystallized Luggage Tag.

The next level in the program is Jet Setter Level Two. Passport holders with 10 unique stamps will receive a Crystallized Passport Holder.

Jet Setters at level No. 2 will also be eligible for a chance to win the grand prize which is a trip for two to Rio de Janeiro.

Microsite

In addition, Swarovski is holding a giveaway for passport holders each month.

Holders can bring their passport to their local Swarovski boutique up to 10 times per month to receive a stamp that translates to an entry in the monthly drawing. Eight prizes will be given each month.

The first prize being given away is for Swarovski products including a cashmere travel set, crystalline ballpoint pen and pencil set and iPhone case. This month’s giveaway entry period is Jan. 15-Feb. 28.

Meanwhile, the digital portion of the campaign lets consumers follow Ms. du Monde on a year-long modeling shoot via her blog on the microsite.

She will stop at Rio de Janeiro Jan. 28-March 3, the Amazon March 4-31, the Mexican Temples April 1-28, Acapulco April 24-June 2 and Miami June 3-July 27. More destinations will be announced later this year.

Blog

Swarovski will reveal each destination on a monthly basis with corresponding product information and direct links to its Web site, per the brand.

In addition, a dedicated mobile application will launch Feb. 4.

Social media will be included in the campaign through Ms. du Monde’s presence on Pinterest and messaging on all of Swarovski’s social channels.

“This is a big and rich integrated brand campaign focused on younger brand loyalists,” said Marko Z. Muellner, senior director of marketing at Shoplgniter, Portland, OR. “The duration of the campaign, depth of the video content, the creation of a completely formed yet fictitious character, the in-store retail tie-in and the status and rewards model all make this effort incredibly impressive.

“As we have learned repeatedly in our digital marketing efforts, the most effective way to pull consumers into campaigns like this is to make participation both easy and rewarding, immediately,” he said. “Requiring that consumers go to a store, get a passport and then return to the store six times within the month just to get the first reward – a luggage tag – seems like a high barrier to entry.”

Crossing channels
Swarovski often links digital and in-store through its multichannel efforts.

For instance, the brand tapped consumers’ competitive spirit in its Fashion’s Night Out campaign by hosting a street-style contest via the Instagram mobile application to be judged the night of the event.

The brand chose mobile to host the “The Style Elite of FNO” national campaign that centered on a user-made look book created via an exclusive partnership with 52Grams, a mobile platform where brands can curate shoppable look books from Instagram images.

To drive foot traffic in its New York boutiques, Swarovski hosted in-store contest entry parties at its 625 Madison Avenue and 696 Fifth Avenue locations. The brand’s style experts were on-hand during the events (see story).

In addition, the brand gave its customers in the top international markets access to customized city guides and the chance to unlock exclusive digital experiences in a previous campaign to push its fall/winter 2012 collection.

The month-long “Kingdom of Jewels” campaign was presented on a microsite where Swarovski offered public city guides as well as exclusive experiences that a limited number of consumers could access with a unique code found in stores (see story).

The length of Swarovski’s latest campaign is extended to one year in contrast to past campaigns so that consumers are encouraged to visit boutiques on a regular basis.

“The Passport to Sparkle program provides incentives for customers to visit our boutiques multiple times throughout the year,” Ms. Hinkle said. “A year-long campaign gives our customers reasons to come into our boutiques month after month to collect new stamps in their passports, receive special gifts and enter to win a dream vacation.

“The [program] allows us to cultivate deeper relationships with our key target audience through engaging storytelling that is inspired by Swarovski’s seasonal jewelry and accessories collections,” she said.

“Through this storytelling and unique incentives we are aiming to drive repeat store visits from our target audience.”

Furthermore, the goal of the campaign is to provide consistent consumer experience via digital and in-store so that consumers can interact with the brand as often as they like and through the channel of their choice.

“Stamps are tied to in-store events which often overlap,” Ms. Hinkle said. “Therefore, there are many times throughout the year that consumers can obtain more than one stamp per visit.

“We believe that the experience of coming in-store to see the collections inspired by Emma’s travels and to attend related events is the true motivator and the two gifts offered are simply recognition to those consumers that are truly engaged with the program,” she said.

Final Take
Tricia Carr, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York

Tricia Carr is an editorial assistant 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 tricia@napean.com.