On September 25, Zalando Partner Marketing Services (ZMS) brought together the fashion industry’s key players at their fourth annual Partner Awards held in Berlin. This event highlighted innovative advertising strategies within Zalando’s e-commerce platform, which boasts a remarkable 560 million visits per month and a wide customer base of approximately 50 million across 25 European markets. The awards aimed to pinpoint successful retail media campaigns that not only showcase creativity and effective strategies but also boost brand visibility and performance.
ZMS recognizes three distinct campaign categories: Creative & Storytelling, Seasonal & Category, and Self-Service. The Creative & Storytelling category focuses on campaigns exemplifying exceptional creativity and narrative flow, while the Seasonal & Category award celebrates campaigns leveraging peak shopping moments such as the holiday season. The Self-Service category highlights brands that effectively utilize Zalando’s self-service advertising tools.
The awards are not merely an acknowledgment of success but also an educational opportunity for brands aiming to harness best practices in retail marketing. This year’s event coincided with Zalando Partner Day, fostering a knowledge-sharing environment where non-nominees could learn from the experiences of their peers and gain valuable insights into effective strategies.
Insights From the Winners
The Creative & Storytelling category was won by the global fashion brand Lacoste for its retro-inspired capsule collection launched on Zalando. This campaign specifically targeted changing perceptions among Gen-Z consumers. A study by ZMS revealed that the campaign succeeded in reshaping customer associations with Lacoste, transitioning from terms like “elegant and vintage” to more contemporary descriptors such as “sexy and exciting.” With a prominent offline reach of 79% among its primary demographic of 18-24 year-olds, the campaign effectively resonated with its audience.
Storytelling is a powerful tool in marketing. Research indicates that 92% of consumers prefer ads that tell a story, while 56% believe brands should engage with narratives. This is particularly crucial in fostering authenticity and representation, especially among younger consumers. Notably, a survey revealed that 69% of luxury shoppers feel that wearing a brand says something about their identity.
Lacoste’s campaign included both online and in-person experiences. An intriguing activation involved a maze in central Paris that transformed rooms into themes inspired by pieces from the collection. Participants interacted with hidden QR codes to learn more about the collection and win prizes, combining physical engagement with digital exploration.
In the Seasonal & Category category, Ralph Lauren emerged victorious for its strategy targeting the lucrative holiday shopping period. As retail sales during this period saw a significant 5.4% increase in 2022, Ralph Lauren’s campaign was carefully timed and executed across multiple touchpoints, including a homepage takeover on Zalando. By identifying key looks that would resonate with holiday shoppers and employing various digital channels, the brand effectively captured consumer interest. This strategy is significant today as 85% of consumers plan to incorporate online shopping into their holiday strategies.
Furthermore, the attention economy is rapidly evolving, with research showing that Gen-Z consumers lose focus on ads within just 1.3 seconds. This reinforces the necessity for brands to create captivating and timely content to retain consumer engagement. A viral TikTok post featuring Ralph Lauren highlighted the importance of culturally relevant content, attracting over 13 million views and demonstrating the brand’s capacity to creatively connect with their audience during a high-traffic event.
The Self-Service category was awarded to Blend, a Scandinavian menswear brand that achieved an impressive 244% sales increase during its campaign. Utilizing ZMS’s self-service advertising tools allowed Blend to actively respond to real-time metrics, achieving over 10 million impressions. This approach illustrates the flexibility and responsiveness that self-service marketing solutions provide in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.
A New Era of Retail Media Marketing
The 2024 Zalando Partner Marketing Awards serve not only to commend successful marketing efforts but also to propagate effective practices across the retail industry. As brands collaborate with Zalando, they emerge with refined strategies tailored to align with consumer behavior and cultural trends.
Zalando’s partner marketing framework emphasizes the importance of community and accessibility, empowering brands to harness data and personal insights for greater success. As the landscape continuously shifts, retailers must remain adaptive, ready to implement innovative tactics to capture and retain consumer interest.
In conclusion, as highlighted by the various winners at this year’s awards, adopting a blend of creativity, timely execution, and strategic use of data is essential for brands eager to thrive in today’s competitive e-commerce environment. Retail media can remain a steadfast ally in building brand awareness and driving consumer engagement.
