Coach and Mattel are similarly building off of online

　　
　　While guest DJs and celebrity appearances might not move merchandise in stores on Fashion’s Night Out, there’s still an opportunity to utilize the event as a marketing and customer engagement opportunity — largely, I believe, through digital.
　　This year, participating retailers large and small are coming up with creative ways to incorporate social media and digital technology into their in-store and online events. The most successful of these are building off followings they’ve already built through social networks and mobile apps, using these platforms to develop a new form of social customer relationship management (sCRM) that converts social audiences into shoppers over time.
　　DKNY, for instance, will be deepening the relationship its built with customers through its DKNY PR Girl brand on Twitter and Tumblr. At DKNY’s London flagship, shoppers are invited to explore an in-store set that realizes DKNY PR Girl’s fantasy apartment — including, of course, her closet. She will also be interacting with fans across the pond via a Twitter feed that will be projected onto a giant BlackBerry in the store.
　　Coach and Mattel are similarly building off of online relationships for Fashion’s Night Out. Coach will be bringing bloggers who participated in designer collaborations to its flagship store to meet shoppers, while Mattel will be leveraging Barbie’s its Twitter following for a fun, engaging QR code-enabled scavenger hunt throughout the city that non-New Yorkers can follow at barbielovesfno.com.
　　These aren’t just one-off events: These are promotions that will develop relationships with consumers old and new alike. Sure, these brands may not see off-the-charts sales on Fashion’s Night Out, but they can hope to develop relationships that convert these social audiences into shoppers over time.