Features

The Financial Times recently carried an interesting story about the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. The story wasn’t about the movies on show, but about the stars of those movies. It wasn’t about the acting ability of those stars either, but their saleability.

Big names associated with luxury goods, such as Chopard jewellers of Geneva, are said to have developed “a masterclass of celebrity endorsement” at Cannes. They set up exclusive invite-only events for the biggest stars, and dole out their jewelry specifically so those stars can be photographed wearing their pieces on the red carpet.

Among the list of those who toed the line this year were such stellar names as Robert De Niro, Jude Law and Uma Thurman.

“Images are sent out within hours of stars hitting the red carpet, while the sales force take high-end clients to the film festival to show Chopard’s new creations and give them the Chopard experience,” said one spokesperson.

It was reported that a certain pair of emerald earrings from Chopard’s Red Carpet 2011 collection were sold to a customer within moments of Uma Thurman appearing with them hanging from her lobes. Similarly we are told of Angelina Jolie’s selling power, she being the face of the Style of Jolie collection by jeweler Robert Procop. She has modeled Procop’s pieces at various premieres including that for the children’s movie Kung Fu Panda 2.

Of course all of this won’t come as too much of a surprise to many of you. Celebrity endorsed products have become an accepted part of the culture over the past few decades – even Justin Beiber has his own fragrance for God’s sake. But isn’t it all a bit cynical, even a little sinister perhaps?

Well, no, not really. What’s the moral difference between a celebrity advertising a product and a multi-million dollar marketing campaign that is similarly persuasive but features no familiar faces? Both are equally acceptable or unacceptable, depending on your perspective.

However, one important point to take away from this is that, on some level or another, you are being manipulated. If you are aware of this and continue to buy endorsed products, then we say fine, go ahead. But for those of you who blindly follow what the hottest stars are wearing, you should at least give this fact some thought, and see if you are making properly informed choices.

The idea behind celebrity endorsements is that they sell a lifestyle – people believe that they can somehow attain an element of the glamor and success of their favorite celebrity if they wear what they wear, drive what they drive, drink what they drink. Of course, rational thinking should tell us that this is a complete fallacy, but unfortunately rational thinking doesn’t always work as it should.

For instance, athletes –  another group of celebrities who regularly endorse things – have been shown to drive up sales of the products they put their names to by an average of 4 percent in a recent study. And the more successful the athlete, the greater the sales bump.

Another study by the Journal of Consumer Research, seeking to explain why we are so susceptible to this seemingly obvious marketing ploy, found that “we seem to have an inborn belief that objects can impart the “essence” of those who have handled them or owned them before us.” Apparently this is an evolutionary by-product, because way back when we were still living in caves it made sense to use things that others had already proven were safe and successful.
So there we have it folks, scientific proof that we are hardwired to fall hook line and sinker for a celebrity endorsed product over a regular one, even if they’re practically the same. Just be aware of this next time you get the urge to buy that new dress because you saw it on Natalie Portman, or that new face cream because Jennifer Love Hewitt says it’s great, or… well you get the idea!

Image Credit: AP

Following a nationwide survey of American online shopping habits, new light has been shed on why consumers buy what they buy. The survey was conducted by SteelHouse, an exclusive behavioral commerce platform created by marketers for marketers. In conjunction with Chicago market researcher Synovate eNation, SteelHouse asked 1,000 Americans: “What kind of online shopper are you?”

The survey aimed to discover trends among American shoppers from different socioeconomic groups. The American online shopping market has been a notorious one to pin down and define from a marketing perspective, primarily because of its sheer diversity.

The SteelHouse survey reads between the lines of American consumer diversity and finds some intriguing and surprising results. For instance 25 percent of men say they would buy premium brand name products compared to just 16 percent of women.

Arguably even more interestingly, consumers in the highest income bracket ($75,000+) look for coupons, discounts and free shipping more so than people who make less money. 32 percent in the higher income group say they buy only when there’s a discount (compared with 28 percent overall) and the same percentage say they buy only when shipping is free (compared with 27 percent overall). But they’re also the ones who are most likely to buy premium brand names: 29 percent of the highest income category regularly buy premium goods, compared with 15 percent of those who earn under $25,000.

It also provides us with an insight into the divided mindset of the average American shopper; though 40 percent say they always shop with a purpose to find something in particular, 30 percent say they regularly browse with no intention of buying.

Of  most interest to online retailers and their marketing departments may be the fact that 12 percent of those surveyed said that they would never buy from a website on a first visit, even if a discount was offered.

“It’s clear that simply giving the same offer to every online shopper is not the way to increase sales,” said Douglas. “We’re people, we approach shopping just like everything else – based on our personalities and ingrained behaviors. Retailers that understand and act on these different shopper personalities in real time are the ones that will be successful.”

The survey results also offer some conclusions that are more in line with our preconceptions, such as the fact that women feel more strongly about discounts and offers than men. Who knew?! Specifically, a third of women say they only buy when there’s a discount, and nearly that same amount say they only buy when free shipping is part of the deal, where as less than a quarter of men said the same thing.

Here is a full summary of the survey results:

44%  I read product reviews before I buy.

39%  I always shop with a purpose – I look online only when I’m searching for something in particular.

32%  I check out coupon sites to get the best price.

30%  I browse products regularly, even when I have no intention of buying.

28%  I buy only when there’s a discount.

27%  I buy only when there’s an offer for free shipping.

20%  I buy premium brand name products.

18%  I often start the checkout process but don’t end up purchasing.

12%  I never buy on my first visit to a website, even if a discount is offered.

11%  I never shop online.

We’re all about savings at The Vogue City, and with sites like LivingSocial and Groupon skyrocketing in popularity, coupons are enjoying a massive resurgence of late. Today we’re bringing you some top couponing tips to help you make maximum savings this summer. Thanks to Chrissy Volk of Adahlia Volk for sharing these top tips. With Chrissy’s help, you can now enjoy your favorite pieces, before they’re out of season!

Take advantage of online coupons

• Smart phone apps: The CouponClipper app directs you towards coupons and deals based on your location. Download this app before your next shopping trip to get the best deals in your area.
• Hassle-free coupon shopping: Thanks to the wonders of modern technology there’s no need to print out hard copies of your coupons any more. Just show your smart phone to the cashier who will then scan the special barcode right from your mobile device. There are a number of ways to do this. Try the Coupon Sherpa app which lists over 120 retailers. It’s also a good ideato download your favorite store’s app as well – many times they offer scanable coupons direct from their website!
• Click and compare: Price comparison apps are a great help when you need to find out who’s offering the best deal on your favorite brand. Chrissy recommends the Shop Savvy Barcode Scanner and The Find app, which scans the item’s SKU number and compares prices with other retailers so you can find the best deal every time.
• Get social: “Like” your favorite stores on Facebook and follow them on Twitter too. This is the best way to keep up with the latest deals and special offers on the stuff you love. GAP and Macy’s are two stores that have been known to offer special sales for their most loyal followers!
• Print and go: Like the feel of a 30% off coupon in your hands? There are websites that work directly with big-name merchant partners to create exclusive online coupon codes. For example, CouponCabin.com features exclusive current coupons for Target, Payless, the Limited, etc in both digital and print formats. FlamingoWorld.com is similar and features relevant coupons that are being offered at specific retailers.

Don’t dismiss the value of good old paper coupons either. Have your scissors at the ready!

• Don’t say no to offering your home address when you shop at your favorite stores: Next time you’re in the store – don’t say no to offering your email and home address. Many retailers still send out coupons in the mail. Some stores even send out 20% off coupons on a weekly basis, such as Lord and Taylor for example.
• Getting a coupon today? Try scheduling another purchase for next week: A common practice for retailers is to hand out coupons that become valid at a future date. These are great to keep handy if you plan on shopping at the same store in the near future, as the discounts are normally pretty significant. Why not ask if they are offering a coupon with a certain purchase price – might make sense to make a smaller purchase today and return to buy that dress or suit a week from now!

Finally

Chrissy recommends keeping your coupons organized with a fun pouch, a decorative envelope or a printed mesh/organza bag (always fashionable!) that are often offered free by many retailers after a gift card or jewelry purchase. Or you can stay tech savvy and try the MyCoupons app for a free and easy way to organize your deals. It also alerts you when a coupon’s expiration date is nearing. Amazing!

About Chrissy Volk: Chrissy brings years of fashion knowledge and a love of making people feel good to Adahlia Volk, the Style and Image Consultancy. Chrissy is a highly-regarded consultant with years of experience within the fashion industry.

This week saw the launch of Gilt Taste, a brand new food website. Aimed at the more adventurous foodies among us, Gilt Taste wants to inspire you to “taste something new today”.

Gilt Groupe has been going from strength to strength since it launched its first website in 2007, offering clothing and apparel at discount prices in a flash sale format. Since then they have extended their range to provide discounted air travel via Jetsetter and a location based coupon service called Gilt City.

Gilt Taste is more than just a recipe and review site in the vein of Epicurious or FoodNetwork.com. According to the site’s About Us section, Gilt Taste is an interactive magazine and an online market where “you can connect with the farmers and artisans who make and grow the products, discover where food comes from, learn how to prepare it for the best results and buy it with a single click.”

The opportunity to actually buy “hard-to-get” food items from the site is probably the most revolutionary thing about Gilt Taste, giving you access to goods you might otherwise not even consider purchasing. Some of the items for sale were previously only available to chefs for instance. But, considering Gilt has a tradition of focusing on discounted wares, does the food on offer represent value for money?

For one thing, the focus isn’t on just any old food, but gourmet, artisanal food, so don’t expect to find any processed meat or microwave meals on here. After taking a quick look at what’s on offer on the Gilt Taste homepage, it’s clear that the focus is on providing a platform for quality culinary goods, not on cheap eats.

For example, there’s a 12oz “Chef’s Blend Mushroom Mix” for $19 and four 12oz steaks for $128. Not exactly bargain basement stuff. There’s also shipping and tax to take into account; a reduced delivery rate is being offered during the site’s initial launch.

There is a Weekly Specials section, but as of yet there is nothing there other than a banner stating that “Starting this summer, Gilt Taste will offer Weekly Specials of exceptional products.” So we’ll have to wait and see what they have planned for it.

At first glance there appears to be something for everyone on Gilt Taste, with easily navigable sections for Meat, Seafood, Cheese & Diary, Pantry, Sweets, Produce and Equipment. There’s also a Stories section featuring food-related articles and recipes.

However, each of the above-mentioned sections seems to have a very limited selection; when I’m shopping for food I don’t like to be restricted to what someone else tells me is best. On top of that there’s the price which lends an air of snobbishness to the entire operation – a leg of artisanal pork for $549 anyone? We can all appreciate good food, but obscure mushroom varieties and exceptionally expensive caviar aren’t on top of everyone’s culinary wish list.

One final criticism is that there is no defined section on the site for vegetarian and vegan users. Perhaps buying fresh veggies from Gilt Taste is not viable for them during their launch phase, but one would imagine that a fair proportion of Gilt members appreciate the necessity of eating their greens, and they aren’t catered for (pun unintentional).

The site is still in its beta phase, so we will have to give it the benefit of the doubt for now. It is a wonderful concept, and if the median price range can be reduced, and a little more variety added, it will certainly be one to watch. But as editorial adviser Ruth Reichl says, it is intended to be “a luxury brand,” so perhaps Gilt Taste will be content to occupy that niche. If so, count me out!