Creativity Magazine

What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall

By Mrstrongest @mrstrongarm

The December 16-17, 2017, edition of Wall Street Journal Weekend contained an interview with Kemper Freeman. Mr. Freeman owns Bellevue Square, a multilevel mall east of downtown Seattle. He says foot traffic was up 21% this past year, and he’s planning a multimillion-dollar expansion.What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall

That’s remarkable news at a time when online shopping seems to be all the rage.

What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall

During Christmas season, the mall has a parade every night. It runs for four blocks. Thousands of people line up to see it: artificial snow, a light show, floats, drummers, and a sleigh-riding Santa. Mr. Freeman: “It’s the biggest outdoor Christmas celebration in the country, and we do it every night… It’s the kind of thing that brings people to the mall.”

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What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall

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The interview with Mr. Freeman was titled How Retailers Can Thrive in the Age of Amazon. But his ideas and business principals have something to teach all of us.
What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall
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1. Mr. Freeman says retailers have to provide emotional fulfillment. We are social animals: “We aren’t robots who are going to make all our purchases from robots.”

What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall

Lesson: We need to be social when we engage people on social media platforms. If we don’t inject some humor and humanity into our exchanges, we will fail.

What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall
What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall
What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall

2. One of the mall’s most successful stores just opened up three months ago: Amazon.
Mr. Freeman: “They know they need to connect and fuse with you as a consumer.”

What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall

Lesson: We have to do all we can to connect with people. To show there’s a human face behind the brand. I think live streaming succeeds because it helps humanize brands.

What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall
What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall
What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall

3. Bellevue Square offers free parking. It helps attract people to the mall.

What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall

Lesson: Content marketers succeed when they offer some free content: tips, advice, how-to’s. It attracts prospects to your brand. It also allows you to demonstrate your expertise.

What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall
What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall
What Digital Marketers Can Learn From A Very Successful Mall


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