Ballard Designs
New Store Opening and Social Media
Objective
Ballard Designs is a leading multi-channel retailer offering a unique curation of all periods and provenance of home furnishings and décor with a distinctive European influence. Ballard Designs opened its second retail store, its new flagship store and 13th store nationwide, July 13 in Atlanta. Our objectives were to generate awareness of the retail opening, inform the Atlanta market of its new location and points of differentiation and generate Instagram followers.
Research
Our research phase consisted of a four-pronged approach. Initially, we researched how competitors in the area marketed their new store openings. We also researched the company’s previous new store openings and discussed with the client how they were marketed in other cities, as well as reviewed our own results for the opening we assisted with. From our findings, we were able to create new ways to increase awareness and success such as our very effective blogger program. Lastly, we researched the Atlanta area media to identify key consumer publications and local TV stations. Through research, we created a robust media list for press releases, VIP event invitations, etc. We also noted each reporter who had already published a story about the store opening. We conducted market research of all lifestyle bloggers in the Atlanta area and narrowed the list to the top social influencers with a substantial following, engagement level and interest in home décor.
Implementation
To achieve our objectives, we used three strategies. The first was media relations. We developed press materials, including a press release, to distribute to all local TV stations, newspapers, lifestyle magazines and other consumer news sources to secure media coverage. Secondly, we managed an Instagram handle for the Atlanta store, for which we developed all content and handled all engagement. Third, we created and enhanced blogger partnerships and outreach. We researched and identified the top Atlanta area lifestyle bloggers and sent them an invitation to attend the first-ever Ballard Blogger Brunch. With a picturesque and successful brunch, the number of Instagram posts and Instagram Stories from the event significantly exceeded our expectations. Goodie bags for all attendees were designed to be used in future blogger posts that would, in turn, help increase our social media presence on Instagram.
We also promoted the Blogger Brunch ourselves on Ballard Designs’ Atlanta Instagram handle and re-posted bloggers’ posts to increase engagement.
Results
By securing consistent, clear and substantive messaging via the media, blogger communications and social media that reached Ballard’s target audience, we successfully raised awareness of Ballard Designs’ new flagship store opening by saturating the media and positioning as an eclectic retail store. We garnered seven media placements, including all top publications in the local area, with a combined average UVM (unique monthly visitors) of 1.6 million, with two social media posts from the top local publications that received 79,850 likes. Among the media covering the opening were the Atlanta Business Chronicle (twice+social post), Atlanta Magazine, Marietta Daily Journal, Atlanta Informer and Editor at Large’s Business of Home. Two significant points of differentiation – Ballard Design’s monogramming service and Design Solutions services – were captured in most media coverage. The monogramming service, also popular during the Blogger Brunch, was captured through bloggers’ posts.
The Ballard Blogger Brunch, hosted by the local store and Ballard Designs corporate, was a major success. Thirteen top bloggers attended the intimate brunch that included the Ballard Designs president. The total unique impressions from Instagram posts by the bloggers was 511,000 (all bloggers’ followers combined as an estimate). Starting with 199 followers on the Atlanta Instagram handle June 20, we increased the follower count more than 300 percent to 848 by July 18.