Commentary

How to Take Your Digital Brand into the Physical Space Successfully

You’re a digital brand and you want to increase knowledge and awareness and deepen engagement. A physical store is a great way to tap into new markets and test new strategies.

When Blue Nile approached JGA, the challenge was how to extend the virtual into the physical without becoming a traditional jewelry store. What customers loved about the online experience was no pushy sales people or typical sales closing rooms to deal with. But what was missing was the ability to touch and feel the product.

   

The 470-square-foot Webroom was designed to become a portal to the brand, avoiding typical sales closing rooms and traditional materials.  This concept was conceived more as a live “animation” of the virtual space creating a physical presence for the cyber-brand. Customers can choose from over 400 setting styles and be guided through interactive tools by one-on-one experts, creating selection opportunities that are significantly greater than that of a typical jewelry store.  It really facilitates one-of-a-kind solutions for digital-savvy customers.

The creation of the Webroom became a bridge into the virtual world of Blue Nile without being a parallel experience. The Diamond Constellation Wall is a direct translation of the Blue Nile online experience that consumers typically encounter either before or after the sale.

This “Alice In Wonderland” positive portal to the Blue Nile pipeline is the antithesis of traditional jewelry stores, less complicated and formal than traditional jewelers. It changes the consumer’s reference for what jewelry buying has been about. It is minimal, reflecting the “new luxury” that is expected by the Millennial shopper, and is both democratic and elevated at the same time.

What’s great about these highly efficient, low overhead, small footprint locations is that they bring together consumer and product, serving as the place of inspiration, and even becoming a delivery center, if the customer chooses.

For Blue Nile, its new physical “webroom” increased overall sales; accelerated repurchase and lifetime value of the customer; and motivated customer ambassadorship.

See more of our work for Blue Nile.