Dive Brief:
- Williams Sonoma announced via news release the launch of "A Chance to Win in Every Tin" to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the brand's iconic holiday Peppermint Bark. The campaign, a partnership with Visa, has hidden more than 1,5000 winning golden gift cards, ranging from $20 to $1,000, inside Peppermint Bark tins available in stores and online. Consumers who find one are urged to share it on Instagram with hashtag #barkyeah and tagging @williamssonoma.
- Along with the gift cards, Williams Sonoma locations nationwide will host a 20th anniversary celebration on Nov. 29, with Peppermint Bark samples, baking demonstrations and prizes. This year, 10 new Peppermint Bark products will be released, bringing the total number of products to 24.
- The store at Columbus Circle in New York City will host a Peppermint Bark Bake Off on Nov. 29 in partnership with Bake From Scratch magazine and three baking bloggers. Erin Clarkson of @cloudykitchen, Vallery Lomas of @foodieinnewyork and Erin McDowell of @emcdowell will compete, and their Peppermint Bark creations will be judged by Amirah Kassem of the bakery Flour Shop and Brian Hart Hoffman, editor-in-chief of Bake From Scratch. Tickets include a copy of the magazine and a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Dive Insight:
By building its campaign around food and cooking influencers, Williams Sonoma is striving to appeal to a new generation of home cooks among millennials and Gen Zers. The retailer is tapping into the popularity of cook-off shows, like the "Great British Bake Off," which is called the "Great British Baking Show" in the U.S. and has been a hit with U.S. audiences, especially younger audiences.
Williams Sonoma is debuting a Willy Wonka-esque campaign to celebrate its iconic Peppermint Bark, and the hidden golden gift cards should inspire purchases of the holiday treat and help the brand grow social media engagement. The retailer is also hoping to encourage in-store traffic around the holidays with its in-store events and drive sales during the season when holiday baking and cooking are common.
More marketers are partnering with influencers to enhance brand awareness, with 65% of multinational brands planning to increase their influencer marketing spend over the next 12 months, and 74% planning to use influencers to reach targeted and new audiences, according to the World Federation of Advertisers. Most select influencers based on quality of followers, and Instagram is the most popular platform for influencer campaigns.
Williams-Sonoma Inc., the retailer's parent company, recently reported a 2.6% increase in net revenues of $1.68 billion, an increase over $1.58 billion from the year-ago period and beating analysts' estimates of $1.65 billion. E-commerce net revenues rose 8.4% to $877 million, up from $809 million, according to Retail Dive. Same store sales at Williams Sonoma locations grew 4.3%. The company said it plans to close 30 stores in 2018 and open 20. Its new Williams Sonoma Home concept will expand with 24 new locations within Williams Sonoma stores and two standalone stores.
