Integrating online and offline marketing – M&S are ‘bang on trend’

I have been following Marks and Spencer on Twitter over the past couple of weeks and was particularly impressed by a post they made yesterday –

This tweet is directing customers to a Facebook page displaying photos, descriptions and links to the products featured in their Christmas television advert.

This intelligent use of social media channels to support and reinforce offline marketing efforts and actively encourage conversions/sales is a great example of how to integrate on and offline marketing messages. Even if customers have not yet seen the television advert, they might see the Twitter/Facebook update and potentially go on to buy from the site.

This is not the first instance in which I’ve spotted the retail giant maximising the use of social media tools to highlight their offline promotions. Check out the Twitter/Facebook combo promoting their hugely successful in-store 1-penny bazaar promotion last week

 

And they also seem to be using Twitter to respond to customer feedback and comments:

It seems Marks and Spencer have employed a particularly switched on individual to manage their online media marketing. Although there is still plenty more to be made of the integration between on and offline channels, M&S have many of the boxes ticked. They encourage their online shoppers to engage with them on social media sites (text alerts, follow us on Twitter and add us on Facebook links from ‘Offers’ page), they are encouraging dialogue with their customers and talking about in-store and offline advertising in their social media updates – therefore reinforcing and effectively extending the reach of marketing messages.

There are definitely lessons here for other major retailers - who are yet to fully engage with a social media audience – to learn.