Last night I was invited to an event called a “tweetup” at the Nordstrom Rack in Orange. The invite promised food, beverages and gifts…and I rarely turn that combo down, so of course I was on board!
I have to admit I was expecting it to be a little lame.
With no idea of how many people were attending, I sort of assumed we’d get a drink or two and a cheese platter while expected to wander around the store and “tweet” about being there.
Oh how wrong I was. Nordstrom Rack is just one of many large companies who are getting on board the Social Media train – using tech savvy shoppers to promote their brand for practically nothing (when you think about the publicity they get from an event full of twits, err I mean, twitterers…or whatever) while at these VIP events. But this event was done REALLY well, and to you Nordstrom Rack I tip my (on-trend fedora) hat.
When we arrived we were given the hashtag #rackopening to use for the night and advised that by using it there would be extra special rewards…intriguing. We were then handed a goodie bag that included a $75 gift card to play with – the perfect incentive to really dig in and shop! The store doesn’t even open until tomorrow so we were literally the first people to get our little hands on all the great stuff in there.
We honestly were treated like gold – from the free flowing drinks and yummy sushi style appetizers (and lemon macaroons, to-die-for), amazing customer service and kickin’ tunes, this was a total party and a great way to give people an experience they want to talk about.
But that’s not so much what impressed me. I think they did a couple of things very very right here.
1. They encouraged tweeting the event by GIVING AWAY the things we were tweeting about. Jennifer from TinyOranges tweeted a pic of these great Toms shoes, so when they drew her name she got to pick her size and take them home. Someone else got their 3 favorite nail colors and the night went on as such. What an awesome way to create engagement, and you know these winners will be talking for days after after.
2. The sales associates were walking around with mobile p.o.s. systems that look like iPhones with a credit card swiper. So, casually letting people know that they could just walk up to anyone in the store and check-out whenever left us feel free to shop without an ounce of tension about getting finished and getting in (what would have been a massive) line before the end of the event. They showed us tech-geeks that they too are savvy and understand what their connected customers want.
3. The amount of the gift card. Yes, I know that sounds kind of tacky, but I think that $75 was the perfect number to pick. First, it was more than anyone was expecting…so right off the bat we were all pretty stoked. Second, it allowed us to start thinking about splurging rather than finding something practical. If you’re handed $20 you already know that you’ll have to spend more than that to get anything good so you shoot low. But with $75 you can find something pretty nice and have it free OR put it toward something really nice and get a total steal! So this encouraged everyone to think bigger which, in turn, makes the whole experience more exciting and memorable and a lot more likely to be talked about.
I got this kick-ass Hobo clutch/wallet that I NEVER would have bought myself before. What’s even better, I had money left over to spend on a coral tank (which I needed) and some peacock blue nail polish – all for my upcoming trip to Hawaii.
My fancy finds at Nordstrom Rack in Orange
With the gift card, I spent just over $15 on the whole she-bang. And I’m thrilled. Obviously.
I definitely think this event was a great example for Nordstrom Rack to set and I can’t wait to see more companies get into this. And I’m totally okay if they want to invite me…