Vote for Carly: How the Gap Connects with Consumers
Reaching the consumer through alternative marketing has been a hot topic of late in the consumer goods industry, and as consumers continue to more closely monitor what they spend and where, engaging them will be more critical than ever. Whether it be user-generated content, community building through social networking, contests and competitions, couponing through mobile applications, or so much more, the intention is to get consumers to spend more time with a brand, creating loyalty, and, in turn, spreading the word. In fact, recent Nielsen data indicates that 78 percent of consumers trust other consumer recommendations as the most credible form of advertising.
Does it work? Apparently, because I am intimately involved with one such initiative. In its third year, the Gap's "Casting Call" promotion has grown from thousands to nearly one million entries, and the smiling 6-year-old redhead in accompanying picture is one of the finalists and just so happens to be my daughter.
Carly was selected from almost 900,000 entries this year -- little did I know what I was in for when I submitted a snapshot taken in my front yard. Not only is this an exciting opportunity for my family, but it has given me a close-up view of how one company has truly connected with hundreds of thousands of customers. In fact, when I told a colleague that Carly was a finalist, he replied, "Wow, every mom I know has entered their child in that contest!"
If you search "Gap casting call" you will find almost 300,000 Google results. What is even more impressive -- and proof that Gap is successfully engaging the consumer -- is the number of blogs on which people are posting and commenting about how their beautiful children deserve to win.
On top of the initial flurry of entrants, Gap grabs even more attention by asking the public to vote. This furthers the reach to consumers who may not have otherwise been involved. What family member or friend is going to refuse to take a minute to vote?
There are four categories (each with five finalists), so while the Gap runs the official marketing campaign, each of the finalists also becomes a mini-marketing machine. There are Facebook pages, e-mail campaigns and other creative schemes, all enabling consumers to interact with the Gap.
Please visit www.gap.com/castingcall to cast your vote for my daughter Carly and learn more about how Gap is reaching the consumer.
For more on the topic of consumer insights, click here and listen to a recent Web seminar produced by CGT that discussed how Dell leveraged online communities to gain and retain customers, which led to increased revenue and brand loyalty, as well as decreased support costs.
Does it work? Apparently, because I am intimately involved with one such initiative. In its third year, the Gap's "Casting Call" promotion has grown from thousands to nearly one million entries, and the smiling 6-year-old redhead in accompanying picture is one of the finalists and just so happens to be my daughter.
Carly was selected from almost 900,000 entries this year -- little did I know what I was in for when I submitted a snapshot taken in my front yard. Not only is this an exciting opportunity for my family, but it has given me a close-up view of how one company has truly connected with hundreds of thousands of customers. In fact, when I told a colleague that Carly was a finalist, he replied, "Wow, every mom I know has entered their child in that contest!"
If you search "Gap casting call" you will find almost 300,000 Google results. What is even more impressive -- and proof that Gap is successfully engaging the consumer -- is the number of blogs on which people are posting and commenting about how their beautiful children deserve to win.
On top of the initial flurry of entrants, Gap grabs even more attention by asking the public to vote. This furthers the reach to consumers who may not have otherwise been involved. What family member or friend is going to refuse to take a minute to vote?
There are four categories (each with five finalists), so while the Gap runs the official marketing campaign, each of the finalists also becomes a mini-marketing machine. There are Facebook pages, e-mail campaigns and other creative schemes, all enabling consumers to interact with the Gap.
Please visit www.gap.com/castingcall to cast your vote for my daughter Carly and learn more about how Gap is reaching the consumer.
For more on the topic of consumer insights, click here and listen to a recent Web seminar produced by CGT that discussed how Dell leveraged online communities to gain and retain customers, which led to increased revenue and brand loyalty, as well as decreased support costs.