M&S’ Digital Marketing Strategy
M&S is launching a new campaign that highlights its Must-Haves across Womenswear, Menswear, Lingerie and Home. Performance marketing agency Journey Further has been appointed to drive the campaign with its relevancy-led approach to search and content.
M&S is also using its Shoppable Instagram and Style Finder to help attract younger customers. This is backed up by campaigns to drive engagement with local stores, including food-focused videos on TikTok.
Digital Strategy
A digital strategy is the set of tools and processes that enables a business to take advantage of new technologies. These can include software that automates tasks, allowing customer service employees to serve more customers in less time, or systems that automatically track and update inventory, reducing the risk of lost or stolen products.
Digital strategies can also help a business save money by leveraging technology to maximize the use of resources like human capital, content and financial capital. For example, automated software can reduce wait times for customers in call centers, while cloud servers and content management systems can lower infrastructure costs.
M&S has been experimenting with social media platforms to reach younger audiences and build connection with them. For instance, the company’s TikTok campaign, ‘Mira’, used virtual influencers to create a fresh image and generate engagement. M&S has also been using the platform to promote its new range of Remarksable Value products, encouraging followers to post videos showing their food hauls and reviews.
Digital Advertising
M&S uses a number of digital advertising strategies to promote their products and services. These include social media, search engine marketing, and affiliate programs. These strategies are designed to reach the most potential customers possible. In addition, they are used to improve the brand’s reputation and increase sales.
In an effort to be more responsive to customers, M&S is shifting its focus to a digital-first strategy. The retailer is now launching campaigns online before releasing them on TV and in print. The Leading Ladies campaign, for example, was launched on Facebook in September before appearing on billboards and in-store.
M&S also focuses on content marketing, promoting their latest products and trends through blogs and videos. They also use social media to interact with customers and respond to their feedback. For example, the M&S store in Romford posted a Halloween video on TikTok and raised funds for Covid-19 victims. The campaign garnered more than a million views, making it one of the most successful TikTok campaigns to date.
Digital PR
Using digital PR to drive brand awareness and organic traffic is a common strategy. This can be achieved by sharing valuable content on social media, guest blogging, and directory inclusions. This approach helps to improve SEO value and increases sales.
M&S has utilised a range of digital marketing strategies to support its goal of moving one third of its business online. This includes using video on demand services for customer targeting and Google Inventory Advertising to show customers what products are available in their local stores.
M&S has also launched a TikTok campaign to build connections with a younger audience. The ad features a virtual influencer called Mira and demonstrates the retailer’s willingness to experiment with new technology trends and platforms. The campaign has already received 10 million hits, and its impact is significantly higher than that of M&S’s TV ads.
Social Media
In addition to digital transformation and a focus on customer data, M&S has focused heavily on social media. It is able to use platforms like TikTok to tap into viral trends and create organic user generated content. In doing so they are able to drive engagement and interest in local stores.
The brand also uses Instagram to share fashion, food and body-positive imagery that resonates with younger audiences. It also launched a Style Finder tool which allows customers to take a picture of an item and the app will automatically find similar items in store.
M&S has also used social media to drive engagement and promote offers. For example, it ran a campaign asking customers to name new characters for its Percy Pig sweets, which saw a surge in sales of the treat. In doing so, M&S is able to connect with customers in a personal way and demonstrate its understanding of their needs and wants.