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Multi-channel Marketing Saves The Day
by Lauren Hankins on 10.26.2011 in Company News, Interactive Marketing 1
I recently received an email notification indicating that I’d made a purchase at Athleta.com. First item purchased: a sporty shirred swim skirt, size XL. Wait! A sporty swim skirt is not really my style, and I don’t think my size would be an XL, unless Athleta sizes run small. In addition, I knew I hadn’t made a purchase online at all! Worried, I went for my wallet to make sure all of my cards were there, thinking maybe one of them had been stolen. I then headed to Google to find a customer service number to report the mysterious email and ensure I didn’t have a bill coming my way. I was dreading the call, worried that I’d just be placed on hold and directed to multiple “appropriate department”s. Then it occurred to me that I should check Twitter first to see if there were any other complaints. Sure enough, Athleta was already on top of it. The company had sent out a message on Twitter directing users to their Facebook page for more information. I was able to confirm the email was indeed a fake. I could rest easy, finish my work and go home knowing my accounts were safe and sound.
Athleta Twitter Message:
Athleta Facebook Page:
This is just one example of how email marketing, social media and search marketing can be great resources to your consumers and for your business. Because of these channels, I was able to resolve my problem quickly with little frustration. Ahhh.
With a little help from the web, questions like mine can be resolved easily, and in the blink of an eye. Let us know if you’ve dealt with similar stories, and please share below!
The timing of your post was perfect, Lauren. Earlier this afternoon, Game 6 of the World Series was called off due to inclement weather. When the announcement was made, word spread quickly across Twitter and Facebook (I saw friends talking about it on Twitter before I heard the news from anyone else!).
It’s funny to think about how such news would have gotten out just a few years ago. When the Cardinals were competing in the 2004 and 2006 World Series, Major League Baseball officials may have simply called a press conference to announce a game cancellation. Word would have trickled down from local and national news sources to fans, and then spread fan-to-fan.
Fast forward to today, where fans could have received info on the cancellation through team websites, e-mail, social media, news sources, and more. As this story and your Athleta story show, word travels fast when you go where the people already are and give them easy ways to share your important message.
Thanks for the post, Lauren!