While many retailers’ back-to-school efforts have utilized video this season, Lands’ End is using Twitter to further connect with social users and its followers. Lands’ End has struggled with mobile efforts in the past, as its primary audience is mothers who are shopping for their families, but if indeed these mothers are as active on social as Lands’ End expects, they are surely in search of good deals and giveaways.

“Lands’ End’s goal is ultimately to get their followers re-engaged and talking about the brand,” said Jay Hawkinson, senior vice president of emerging products at SIM Partners, Chicago. “The campaign gives an active voice to the followers and rewards them with the daily jeans giveaway.

“It only takes a little effort from the fans to engage with potential to win. Lands’ End benefits from the engagement and brand awareness as well as feedback on what their customers enjoy the most. It’s a smart way to highlight the fans and draw attention to Lands’ End products.”

Mr. Hawkison is not affiliated with Lands’ End but agreed to comment as an industry expert.

Tweeting to win
On August 1, Lands’ End announced the month-long giveaways and began promoting hashtags #LandsEndJeans and #BestJeansEver.

The campaign began with a trivia question asking followers when jeans were invented. Lands’ End later announced the winner on Twitter.

Each day, there is a different theme among the giveaways to keep the campaign interesting. For example, on Thursday, August 7, the retailer used hashtag #Tbt (Throwback Thursdays) to request user submissions of their throwback photos featuring jeans.

Other incentives that Lands’ End used were the request of user submissions featuring followers’ favorite activity to do while wearing jeans, favorite style of jean and favorite shoes to pair with their jeans.

Amongst the many tweets during the campaign, the retailer retweeted select submissions and responded back to customer service issues, aiming to balance business with fun, which is important for retailers with their social presence.

Consumers will be unlikely to remain loyal to a brand if they do not think they are being heard, and Lands’ End is clearly not forgetting about customer service issues even though a giveaway campaign is also occurring.

Making a move
In 2012, Lands’ End used SMS to not only remind consumers to buy a Mother’s Day gift but also drove them to its mobile site to buy gift cards.

Lands’ End sent two different texts over a two-week period that encouraged users to shop for Mother’s Day gifts from the company’s mobile site. At that time, Lands’ End actively used its SMS program to push season and holiday specific offers to consumers (see story).

Lands’ End’s mobile efforts began in 2011 with a loyalty SMS program and a commerce-enabled iPad app to drive mobile sales during the holiday season.

By using mobile marketing initiatives in conjunction with other marketing channels, including Web, in-store, email and social, the retailer partnered with Donorschoose.org for digital charity donations (see story).

Though the retailers’ incorporation of mobile may have been slow, today’s society is not too far from the complete evolvement of mobile. Generation Xers and retail marketers are simultaneously hopping onto mobile, and retailers like Lands’ End must be ready to better serve its customers.

“The Lands’ End promotion is way to boost engagement using this social channel,” Mr. Hawkinson said. “Although probably not intentional, this campaign is receiving the most engagement from women sharing their #BestJeansEver stories and photos.”

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon, editorial assistant for Mobile Commerce Daily, New York