Users can submit their pictures via Twitter and Instagram, using #spreecoza or #spreegallery, or tagging @spreecoza. The Spree team will upload and approve images for display in the gallery, which users can browse on the website and in the latest iOS and Android apps. Images are linked to relevant products on the Spree website so that browsers are just a click away from adding it to cart.
Customers can also shop straight out of Spree’s Instagram account by following the link Shopinsta.spree.co.za.
Esther Hoogstad, Spree’s head of customer interaction & marketing, says, “Smartphones and platforms like Instagram have democratised the concept of fashion, which is not merely led by high-end luxury brands. We can now all participate in creating fashion by snapping ourselves and sharing the images. The #SpreeGallery further allows us to put great content at the heart of our strategy and engage in a more meaningful and authentic way with, and through, our customers.”
In a recent study by Bazaarvoice, 85% of respondents said that consumer-generated content was the tie-breaker in choosing between multiple brands, and 51% felt that online pictures created by real people, peers and friends were helpful for everyday purchases.
By launching #SpreeGallery, the online retailer aligns itself with this global trend while continuing to put its customers first, Hoogstad says.
“Shoppers are now creating and curating visual content related to their purchases, and fashion has a very obvious high-quality shareability opportunity. Social media and reviews have changed the way people shop and we want to encourage our customers to share their looks and be inspired by one another. We’re very excited to launch a platform for our customers to share content which is both powerful and displays an authenticity that sets us apart from many other retailers in SA.”
