How to Build Brand Advocates: its hard not to Cotton On

Author:

HOW TO BUILD BRAND ADVOCATES: IT'S NOT HARD TO COTTON

First week back at school – it felt like only yesterday we were holidaying on the Gold Coast! Of all our fun memories, there was one in particular I feel the need to share. It was the grand opening weekend of a new Cotton On store. Hardly remarkable given they have 1300 stores already across eight brands and in 19 countries. So what was it that made this occasion so memorable?

To understand, you need to know a little about the founder Nigel Austin and his Cotton On empire. The clothing business started in Geelong in 1991 from very humble beginnings where Nigel was selling denim jackets from the boot of his car. Fast-forward 25 years and Cotton On is now bigger than Solomon Lew's Premier Investments which owns Just Jeans, Dotti, Portmans and Jay Jays, as well as the Country Road, Witchery and Mimco Group. It's also bigger than surf and skate giant Billabong International.

What's the secret behind this family owned and operated success story where sales have grown 20 per cent every year for at least the last five years? If the grand opening is anything to go by then I can share with you plenty of things the Cotton On Group is doing right. It also has nothing to do with their vertically integrated model which has catapulted their financial stakes in the game.

I can also share with you a few of their ideas which you might want to consider when it comes to changing the perceptions and behaviour of your target market.

We were simply walking past the new Surfers Paradise store with no intention on entering but were lured in by promotional girls who were dancing on the street and waving big green balloons. Naturally they caught our eye as my little girl raced to grab one of the balloons from a Cotton On girl crouched to my seven-year-old's level. We were quickly drawn into the store with the offer of free gelato for the kids and coffee for us. It didn't matter that the coffee was on the very top level with the kids clothing - anything for something hot out of the cold weather.

Weaving our way through the racks of ladies and men's clothing, we boarded the escalator to the second floor. Grabbing a salted coconut gelato each and strawberry gelato for the kids we made our way past the Cotton On body undergarments and up to the third floor. At the top of the escalator we were greeted again by happy sales assistants offering up freshly poured Ugandan coffee but our hands were already full of freebies.

It was sensory overload as we made our way through the crowds of delighted families to find a seat around the giant wooden tree to recollect what had just taken place. We weren't even intending on entering the store yet here we were on level 3 in the kids clothing section with my daughter lining up to have her face painted by a gypsy painter; the boys throwing on ponchos and pushing sombreros on their heads to do the Macarena for a chance to win $500, and my parents juggling gelato and coffee with no choice but to settle in for the morning.

Did this grand opening idea work? Absolutely. While we had no intention of even being there, it was a jam packed two hour entertainment package for the whole family. As one Cotton On girl seriously suggested as we entered the store, "there's really no need to leave here at all today". She was right. Tacos were on the menu for lunch and if we were there last night we would have been treated to hot dogs, beer and wine. Of course we were invited to come back the next day for more.

There's no doubt Nigel Austin is on a fast trajectory for continued success. Apart from the clothing providing value-conscious consumers up-to-the-minute fashion statements (which by the way, can be turned around within two weeks of design), all proceeds from the sale of certain lines of goods goes towards empowering communities. They give $1M a year through the Cotton On Foundation.

With reminders throughout the store of the direct impact Cotton On has made (right down to the coffee we were drinking straight from the coffee plantations of Uganda), it's easy to want to champion the efforts of this Australian family who have done so much good for so many people.

There were so many activations of the opening weekend that worked - from the girls giving balloons on the street, dancing and beckoning us indoors to warmth and a hot coffee; to the gelato on level 2; the face-painting gypsy on level 3; and all the messaging in between with framed photos of Uganda women and children; social media promotions; instant give-aways; a live television screening and the not-so-subtle reminders that every sales counter was more than just a sales counter, we were doing something much, much bigger. We were saving communities and for that we could be proud of ourselves. It felt good to be there. Whatever took place those few hours in that store this morning it worked and the Cotton On girl was right, we didn't really want to leave.

Cotton On took us to a place that we least expected by giving us an experience that we will now fondly remember from our Gold Coast holiday. They were able to make brand advocates out of three adults and three children yet we didn't seek it or expect it. My three children were all asking when we could return, hopeful of more in-store entertainment – and you know what, I considered it.

Sponsors have an advantage already because as sponsors of an event, we're already part of something people love. Imagine what would be possible when we apply some of the best practise activation examples served up by Cotton On to our own activations? Who knows where your next brand advocates will come from?

Related Tags

Featured Event

Voices in Action: Your Stories. Stronger Together

We bring together young people, carers and professionals to collaborate and provide an in-depth exploration of key issues identified by children and young people with a care experience to discuss solutions to improve the care sector.

Read More More Events

Featured Sponsor

Promotion Products

Seeking a Sponsor for Your Team or Event? Promotion Products Has Got You Covered!Are you in search of a sponsor for your sports team, community event, or corporate function? At Promotion Products,...

Read More

Featured Blog Post

Useful Metrics for Sponsoring Community Events

Sponsoring community events is a really effective way to connect with your target audience, demonstrate commitment to social responsibility, and build brand awareness. To make sure your sponsorship investments are worthwhile, it's crucial to track and measure the impact of these events.

Read More More Posts

CONTACT US TODAY

Let us know where you need support and we'll do our best to help you.