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historically have been a newspaper, television or radio station.
2) Focus on Back-End Analytics: Analytics enable the
mall’s interactive producer to understand precisely how each digital tool is used. First, the analytics provide tools to track growth. Chart
5-1, a screen shot of a Google Analytics graph, shows the growth between January 1, 2010 and December 27, 2012 in monthly visitor traffic to
thevorh.com. Second, the analytics provide tools to monitor and
manage how tools that facilitate engagement also drive reach. Chart 5-2, a screen shot of a Google Analytics graph, shows the growth between January 1, 2010 and December 27, 2012 in Facebook referrals to
vorh.com. Observe how the growth in the use of Facebook as an engagement tool corresponds in the growth in overall Web traffic. Third, vehicular traffic counts, the variable under the
landlord’s control that most directly drives the retailer’s sales volumes, must be integrated at the heart of the various analytic tools. This integration is critical to the social platform’s potential to help optimize the performance of the mall.
3) Use the Mall’s Natural Advantages to Grow: Once
digital tools and back-end analytics are deployed, a mall can amplify that which already differentiates it on behalf of the retailer’s channels. It is a place to see (i.e., content aggregator) and to be seen (i.e., community crossroads and convenor): Content Aggregator: Like the mall itself, the social
network can be used to aggregate and share the styles and content developed by individual brands into a colorful symphony of signs pointing to desirable products and services. This is the mall’s built-in engine for converting its already existing fan base into a virtual community. Good brands are using the explosion in channels to pull multimedia entertainment value from the brand as well as from the products themselves. This is now one of the best ways to fight for the consumer’s attention in a world saturated by information. The mall can inexpensively enhance its role as an aggregator at the physical place, by sharing these various materials in the digital space on its own Website or Facebook wall. This is most effective when the network producers focus exclusively on content that reinforces the store at their mall, rather than other stores or the retailer’s other channels. Community Crossroads and Convenor: The mall’s role
as a meeting place is also a generator for a virtual community. As the seasons change and people go about
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF SHOPPING CENTERS 27 4
their daily lives, opportunities exist through the social platform to deepen the mall’s role in the community calendar. Among other initiatives, for example, the Village of Rochester Hills developed online photo contests for Easter and Halloween; a sweepstakes for the holiday season; and an ad campaign to drive traffic to a children’s camp and a mom’s group during the summer. Like the retailers, the mall can use inexpensive digital
cameras and video recorders to capture content and share across their networks. A recent holiday flash-mob for the Village of Rochester Hills, for example, engaged a large audience. The YouTube video was played 1,600 times, and the post generated 316 Facebook “likes,” by some of the 20,000 people that came across the content over a three-day period. These small efforts extended the mall’s sense of place across the digital network. The mall can even help people in the larger community
make themselves better known to one another by championing user-generated content (e.g., a recent “giving initiative” at the Village of Rochester Hills). During this initiative, community members wrote via social media about people who have inspired them. Several of these “nominees” received a holiday gift certificate to shop the Village, as well as broad community recognition for their good work with an article about them published in Rochester Patch, a local e-zine owned by AOL Time Warner.
4) Focus on the Mall’s Business Drivers: The social
platform can, as it matures, become a power tool for increasing the use of the mall. Through general Internet posts and paid online advertising, large subsets of a robust online community will gladly be directed to content and to events that strike their fancy. One key is to know how to make offers that please enough people to turn them into a crowd. The Village tree lighting each November is an excellent case in point. As Chart 5-3 demonstrates, there can be a clear correlation between the web views and vehicular traffic for the event. Using the social platform for discounts and offers can
create bigger shopping-center crowds as well as cause the public to perceive the website as seamlessly integrated with the activities at the property. In turn, this helps the virtual-physical world to build upon itself, making it a far more powerful marketing tool. Making offers that serve the goals of the mall is
critical. Certain months at the start of spring, summer, fall and winter generate the highest sales volumes primarily because women are motivated to find creative new clothes to meet each new season.
RETAIL PROPERTY INSIGHTS VOL. 20, NO. 1, 2013
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