Victoria?s Secret is enticing Valentine?s Day enthusiasts with a doodle contest for its Snapchat followers, offering a chance to win one of its personalized panty kits in time for the retail-oriented holiday.

The lingerie giant is ramping up fans? excitement for Valentine?s Day later this month by featuring some of its popular panties ? alongside the personalized panty kit ? in the Snapchat-enabled giveaway. Victoria?s Secret is steadily building up a reputation of introducing themed contests for Snapchat followers, a strategy that other retailers may want to embrace for their own mobile marketing tactics.

"As a retailer, engaging your target market in ongoing dialogue around products is a brilliant mechanism to further brand affinity,? said Laura Sossong, senior consultant at Boston Retail Partners. ?Marketing campaigns are especially compelling when they precede an event that is largely relevant to your consumer base, like Valentine's Day is to women who shop for Victoria's Secret merchandise."

Putting doodles to the test
Earlier this week, Victoria?s Secret issued a call-to-action to all Snapchat users coveting one of its new Valentine?s Day-themed personalized panty kits, which enable individuals to customize and design a plain pair of panties with materials such as rhinestones and stickers.

The brand?s followers first saw a photo showcasing one of the kits, with the phrase ?Want one of these?? emblazoned across the screen. Fans were then given instructions to grab a screenshot of their favorite pair of the three plain panties that appeared during the Snapchat Story.

Afterwards, they were tasked with doodling their cutest panty design on the image and Snapping the picture back to Victoria?s Secret with the hashtag #DIYPantyContest.

A panel of judges will select fifteen entries to receive the complimentary personalized panty kits in time for Valentine?s Day.

This strategy is well-poised to ramp up awareness of Victoria?s Secret products ahead of the love-themed holiday, which is typically a sales-heavy day for many retailers. Consumers not participating in the doodle contest may be inspired to purchase a panty kit for themselves or for someone else as a Valentine?s Day gift.

Additionally, they could also stop in-store to browse the brand?s newest collections.

The sheer ease of entering the giveaway likely fueled much of the participation. Snapchat users could tap the photo-sharing app?s doodling features to draw a personal design on the panty screenshot in a matter of seconds.

Victoria?s Secret can expect to see the number of its Snapchat followers steadily increase as its contests receive the word-of-mouth treatment. If Victoria?s Secret fans who are not yet following its Snapchat account hear about the giveaways from friends, they can easily add ?victoriassecret? on the app to ensure they are aware of future promotions.

"Word-of-mouth is certain to spread hype around the growing presence of Victoria's Secret on Snapchat, consequently building its following on the application and certainly inciting further purchases,? Ms. Sossong said.  

Socialness on Snapchat
Snapchat has generally been the social media channel of choice for Victoria?s Secret, as evidenced by the retailer?s recent contests and promotional strategies leveraging the photo-sharing app?s capabilities.

In November, the brand unclasped fans? excitement for its annual fashion show by asking Snapchat followers to draw their own fantasy bra with the photo-sharing application?s doodle features (see story).

It also continued last year?s significant push for social media domination by perfecting the art of organic branded content on Snapchat several weeks ago ? this time starring its Angel ambassadors to promote a limited-time sale (see story).

The lingerie marketer?s social media posts will undoubtedly increase in frequency as Valentine?s Day creeps closer.

"Finding new, inventive ways to sustain customer interest is key,? Ms. Sossong said. "To be most effective, promotional activity must be targeted and germane to the likes and interests of a brand's loyal shoppers."