You may have heard about the Lilly for Target Launch that didn’t necessarily run as expected on multiple levels.
Target’s website crashed in the early hours of the AM, lines formed outside of Target locations all around the country, resulting in the items selling out within minutes leaving thousands disappointed they were unable to get their hands on some preppy-patterned merchandise.
The hype for this launch had been building up for weeks with commercials, preview look-books featured on the homepage of Target.com, social media buzz, word of mouth all over the country, and of course, the Lilly For Target Launch Event. With the overwhelming outcome of the launch, it’s clear that Lilly For Target may not have needed all of this publicity for a successful introduction after all.
Lilly For Target has what other brands would die for, it completely speaks for itself. Two established brands coming together to offer quality fashionable clothing at affordable prices for an exclusive amount of time is a no-brainer recipe for success.
So, was the Lilly for Target Launch Event a smart move? Sure, budgeting may not have been too much of an issue for either company, but it serves as a model to other organizations that an event should be utilized as a long term marketing strategy, not part of something that is going to sell out within minutes and be done with.
At East of Ellie, we don’t believe in throwing an event just for the sake of throwing an event.
“Say whaaat? But you’re event planners!”
Yes, we sure love fabulous events, but ensuring that our clients have a smart, marketing based strategy for their event that is guaranteed to establish long term results is extremely important to us. We want our clients happy not only during the planning phases and on event day, but post-event as well, when their investment begins to see some reimbursement.
An example of a brand that absolutely kills this concept in the fashion industry, is Victoria’s Secret with The Annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion show. An event that is truly one of a kind, runway turns consumer, with features of A-list entertainers, all while highlighting Victoria’s Secret’s new looks for the season. This event keeps VS relevant year after year, boosting long term results and maintaining a phenomenal brand image.
Though Lilly For Target was influential enough to stand alone without an event, we can’t forget about Target’s past events that we’re extremely effective (and we have total event envy of) such as Target + Feed, as one of many favorites.
Wondering how an event fits into your marketing plan? Contact us today and let’s get planning!