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Luxury designer brand Michael Kors was able to leverage Snapchat's filters feature to drive up sales of its Kendall II sunglasses on National Sunglasses Day in June, reports Luxury Daily.
The filter was only available on June 27, and it featured a pair of Michael Kors sunglasses that could be superimposed on a user's face, letting the shopper virtually try the glasses on. The campaign on Snapchat was very well received by users and stands out as an important example of how to leverage social media to grow e-commerce sales.
Michael Kors' Snapchat campaign generated a lot of interest among its target demographic — millennials and Generation Z shoppers. The Michael Kors Snapchat lens was viewed over 104 million times. This high visibility translated to an 18% increase in ad awareness and a 6% lift in purchase intent. Nearly three out of four people between the ages of 12 and 24 in the US are Snapchat users, according to Edison Research and Triton Digital.
Snapchat is also one of the most frequently used platforms by this demographic, just behind Facebook. So while there was no purchasing capability associated with Michael Kors' filter, it still placed the brand and its products in front of millions of eyes. In addition, using filters to promote products can help build up consumer confidence when it comes to making an actual purchase, as shoppers already have an idea of what the item will look like.
Snapchat's shoppable ads could help grow online sales, while also raising brand awareness. In May, Snapchat launched its first shoppable ads with Target and Lancome. The ads allow users to swipe up for more information, including a purchase page, about the product being advertised. No specific details have been released on the performance of these shoppable ads, but considering the popularity of Snapchat among retailers, we expect purchasing capabilities on the platform to expand in the year ahead.
In addition to promotional filters, retailers like Birchbox and Who What Wear use Snapchat's functions to engage with customers and receive feedback. As retailers continue to capitalize on Snapchat's existing tools to reach shoppers, we expect the company to meet their needs by including e-commerce functions like making purchases and contacting customer service.
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