Zumobi Creates Mobile Microzines for Shoppable Retail Experience
- Thursday, March 10th, 2016
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Mobile content marketing firm Zumobi has revealed its latest partnership with luxury fashion retailer Bag Borrow or Steal, which will use Zumobis brand integration platform to aggregate content from across its social media presence and create a dynamic shoppable experience that is accessed through the mobile web.
Zumobis unique Microzine format can pull in content from across a variety of websites and apps, including Twitter and Instagram feeds, YouTube videos and blogs, creating an engaging rich media experience that consumers can browse, and brands can update in real-time.
The Microzine also incorporates shoppable content, providing consumers with direct and seamless links to purchasable items featured in the content, even recommending items based on individual interests and browsing history.
“When we talk to brands about this product, were thinking about solving two products in the content marketing space,” said Chris Maly, vice president of product management at Zumobi. “One is content marketing on mobile. Much like mobile advertising, content marketing has not been lit up on mobile channels in the same way as it has on the web.
“Our platform is really looking at how we can take content from brands, be it social or YouTube, theyve produced all this content on other platforms, but unless you go there and find it, theyre not distributing it in other ways. Thats what the microzine does. Secondarily, shoppable connects the content and the product, making it super easy for someone thats reading about a particular product to then see it at the bottom of the article and learn more about the product, really connecting the dots.”
The Microzine is accessed the the users mobile browser, but can be saved to a phones home screen, serving as an app-style experience without the need to download anything or route a user through an app store, which also enables brands to update the Microzine much more quickly than a traditional app.
“You can also share it with your friends, for instance with Bag Borrow or Steal, if you see a handbag you like, you can either borrow it, purchase it or you can share it with your friends, so from a brand perspective, it really enables them to amplify and activate their consumers,” added Marla Schimke, vice president of marketing at Zumobi.
“They other nice thing is that a customer might be in different apps, so they might be on a brands Facebook account, then they have to switch to their Instagram account, then their blog. This puts it all in one place, so you can really manage the customer journey, from acquisition to purchase.”
“Our job as a retailer now requires the ability to not only stay ahead of fashion trends, but digital trends as well, as more consumers take their shopping habits to their smartphone,” said Robert Treves, chief operating officer of Bag Borrow or Steal. “This year, were focused on jumpstarting our mobile efforts and engaging smartphone users.
“Zumobis Microzine enables us to accomplish this by providing an elegant app-like experience for our customers, without developing a separate app.”