New York & Company fits jeans campaign into social era

Specialty apparel retailer New York & Company is targeting social media-savvy young women with a new promotional campaign that brings jeans into the digital realm.



New York & Company is promoting its new line of Soho jeans with a rich media campaign featuring American Idol alum Jennifer Hudson. Through the trends section of its main e-commerce site (avoiding any content silos), New York & Company displays images of Hudson that can bring the customer directly to a product page for purchase.



The center of the product page features a widescreen YouTube video produced by New York & Company features Hudson speaking about each of her signature looks. Customers are encouraged to create social media posts featuring the #itJustFits hashtag, which is also used in promotional posts by Hudson and her friends.



Guided selling tools quickly follow with informative, in-depth descriptions of each fit of the new Soho jean, including high-resolution images of Hudson wearing the product.



New York & Company’s mixture of celebrity, social media and active user engagement is becoming an increasingly common digital promotional strategy. Retailers are realizing that younger consumers in particular want to shop brands that fit into their wider lifestyle, which increasingly is lived through digital channels and includes engagement with celebrities.



For example, in October specialty athletic retailer Finish Line Inc. launched a new omnichannel initiative called “Epic Finish” that includes digital content such as videos, media advertisements and still photography of initial celebrity partners NBA player Anthony Davis and rapper Big Sean. Customers can interact with Epic Finish online and via social media, and the retailer plans to integrate the experience in-store, as well.



Look for more retailers to follow in the footsteps of New York & Company and Finish Line as younger, digitally oriented consumers continue growing in number and buying power.