Michael Kors’ #InstaKors returns as part of see-now, buy-now strategy
U.S. apparel and accessories label Michael Kors is improving social shopping with the relaunch of #InstaKors.
First launched in 2014, Michael Kors’ #InstaKors is an innovative shopping program that allows the brand’s enthusiasts to shop directly from its Instagram postings. One of the main pitfalls of Instagram is the inability to put hyperlinks within photo captions, which has limited conversions generated from the platform, but a number of brands have found intuitive ways to get around this challenge.
Insta-gratification
Increasingly, brands are looking for ways to offer consumers seamless shopping experiences. For Michael Kors, its #InstaKors program, available for only United States consumers at this time, aims to make shopping its wares much simpler for its enthusiasts.
#InstaKors is synced to Michael Kors’ Instagram feed, making it easier for consumers to continue on the path to purchase from discovery to transaction. The program also creates a unique shopping community for Michael Kors’ 8.2 million followers, as offers will be exclusive to #InstaKors.
Michael Kors has placed a link within its profile that redirects to the #InstaKors Web site. The landing page is a mirrored feed of images shared by Michael Kors on Instagram.
Product feed on #InstaKors
This allows the consumer to easily spot products that may have caught her attention and then shop the items, either online via Michael Kors’ Web site or in a physical point of sale.
#InstaKors also functions as a social loyalty program. Going forward, Michael Kors plans to use the program’s page to offer its Instagram community special promotions throughout the year and shop-it-first opportunities.
Sticking to its new see-now, buy-now retail strategy (see story), at the start of each new season, Michael Kors will post a piece from a new collection on its Instagram feed. The selected piece will also be displayed on #InstaKors, allowing consumers to shop the product weeks before it hits shelves at its own boutiques or department stores.
As the velvet ropes of luxury continue to come down, Instagram has created an outlet for storytelling that has democratized the industry, according to panelists at the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference April 20.
With such high potential for storytelling and awareness building, Instagram’s resistance toward seamless ecommerce via shoppable links has complicated the platform’s advantages. During the panel, conference host and Vogue International editor Suzy Menkes asked how marketers could drive consumers from Instagram into stores.
The answer may lie within the emergence of the see-now, buy-now trend (see story).