Online retailer BeachMint Inc. broke company sales records during last week’s post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy by putting a new technology twist on old-school media.
On Nov. 28, the biggest online shopping day of the year – Cyber Monday – BeachMint streamed a live webcast on a special Facebook page, featuring interviews with its celebrity designers and special sales offers. It was a riff on the sales platform popularized by TV shopping network QVC.
To bring that sales method into the modern age, BeachMint used the social network to show off its wares. Viewers could buy items seen in the video and share news of purchases with friends.
John Volturo, BeachMint’s chief marketing officer, said the Santa Monica company wanted to do more than just send e-mails and buy advertising to promote its Cyber Monday deals.
“We’ll do e-mails, too, but BeachMint is known for doing this a little bit different,” Volturo said. “We know a lot of our customers are purchasing from home shopping channels, so we leveraged the power of Facebook and their huge network to do a live shopping event.”
Since launching last year, BeachMint has created four websites to sell products designed by celebrities. It started last year with JewelMint.com, with jewelry designed by actress Kate Bosworth and stylist Cher Coulter. It also now operates StyleMint.com, which sells apparel by actresses Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen; BeautyMint.com, which offers skin care products by singer Jessica Simpson and skin care expert Nerida Joy; and ShoeMint.com, which features shoes by actress Rachel Bilson and stylist Nicole Chavez.
The company partnered with Palo Alto social network Facebook, New York live video company LiveStream and startup R to Z Media to stream its Cyber Monday video. The two-hour webcast was hosted by the founders of style blog WhoWhatWear.com, and featured interviews with the Olsens and Bilson. Deals on products, which lasted for only a limited time, were offered throughout the broadcast with links to the BeachMint sites to purchase the items.
Volturo would not provide specific Cyber Monday sales data, but said more than 50,000 people have watched the broadcast since it first aired. As a result of the marketing campaign, the company had its largest sales day to date. ShoeMint, which launched Nov. 25, sold out by the end of the day.
Andrew Lipsman, vice president of analysis for Chicago market research firm ComScore Inc., said BeachMint’s video broadcast was a good move.
“One of the challenges in this retail environment is how you cut through the clutter,” Lipsman said. “Innovating with social media is really a great way to engage with your loyal fans and amplify your message.”
BeachMint’s sales also may have received a boost from a healthier retail environment. Cyber Monday sales reached $1.25 billion this year. That’s an increase of more than 21 percent from last year’s $1.03 billion in sales.
Lipsman said improved consumer confidence, including willingness to use credit cards, boosted online buying.
BeachMint attributes some of its sales gains to its live broadcast, and Volturo said that the company plans to host similar marketing campaigns in the future.
“We believe this is going to become a new shopping model for online,” he said.
