Teens and young adults that share their clothes purchases via YouTube videos are turning into a marketing force in the clothing industry.
It is a relatively new type of earned media that is taking the clothing industry by storm. And it is an idea that can be applied to marketing just about anything if marketers are able to translate the concept to their products.
What is a haul video?
The making of a haul video is relatively simple. Teenagers and young adults that just purchased clothing, often at a great price, make a video talking about their purchases in very creative and entertaining terms. They then upload the video to YouTube with connections to other appropriate social media sites. As reported by NPR, according to Lisa Green, head of luxury and fashion brands at Google, there are now roughly 700,000 haul videos up on YouTube. The number seems to be growing at an increasing rate with 34,000 uploaded just over the past month.
Why do young customers do it?
Some do this because they are really interested in clothes and shopping for the latest styles. Others use hauling as a vehicle to star in their own videos. Just about all of the “haulers” do it because it is fun, and they like the attention. And for some, hauling has evolved into lucrative profession where they can make a six-figure income.
Why is it so effective?
As with other earned media, haulers influence their friends and followers since they are viewed as objective recommenders of the products and places where they bought them. As a result, clothing companies are targeting the most influential haulers. In some cases, companies pay them to review their products and shopping experiences. In others, companies pay commissions on the sales that are directly attributed to the haul videos. Some companies sponsor haulers to host contests and reward them with products, gift cards, and money.
How do clothing manufacturers and retailers benefit?
As with most “viral” forms of promotion, companies can promote their products at a much lower cost while taking advantage of the illusion of objectivity that haulers provide. Whether they are compensated or not, haulers appear to give “real” testimonials about products and shopping experiences. This affords companies the credibility they are not likely to achieve by doing their own advertising in paid media.
How can all companies benefit from this concept?
Even if companies are selling products that do not involve teenagers and young adults, just about everybody is influenced by recommendations from their peers. Finding enthusiastic buyers that take the further step of creating their own videos in which they talk about their positive experiences with your products and company is something that all companies should be looking for. Some people will do this because they want attention.
Others will do it because they want to lift their own brand image by associating it with your company’s brand. You can help this effort along by educating your customers on the benefits (to them) of promoting your products. In those cases where it makes sense and you will not compromise the credibility of their testimonial, you might consider compensating them, in some way, for their efforts.
Haul videos work because they take the “tried and true” testimonial form of promotion and add the interest, excitement, and spontaneity that can be generated by a homemade video. Once the video is created, links to other social media can leverage the effort and reach a much wider audience. If they go viral, the brand impact can be enormous. Haul videos are proving to be a strong marketing force in the clothing industry. They can also be an effective low-budget form of marketing for everyone.
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