A blog I frequent published an article that, with a simple quiz, brought into high relief the lack of brand differentiation in online retailers. The author removed the logos of a dozen or so e-commerce websites from brick and mortar retailers such as Sears, Macy’s, and Kmart and challenged you to identify who’s site was who’s. I got most of them wrong.
While this exercise is quite powerful, there is a critical piece of the equation that the author left out. Many of the retailers that she cited don’t have distinctive customer experiences in the the real world. Yes, I could tell the difference between whether I’m in a Kmart, Macy’s or Sears, but how memorable and engaging are these customer experiences? What does the JC Penny brand really have to leverage in-store that they can extend online? The fact that Penny’s has consistently scored high on Forrester’s Customer Experience Index isn’t enough to truly set them apart online — especially when competing against companies like Zappos.
So who does do a good job extending their brand and differentiating itself online? Let’s take a look at a few examples…
Williams-Sonoma
With large, beautiful product photography, over 3000 recipes and tips, and instructional videos, williams-sonoma.com brings us into an aspirational culinary world that is uniquely theirs. This holiday my wife and I were shopping for a waffle maker for her mother. By the time we finished watching a video of Thia demonstrating Williams-Sonoma’s exclusive All-Clad Waffler next to a recipe for Buttermilk Waffles, we were ready to buy one for ourselves. In a dreamy haze of maple syrup and strawberries we completed our purchase with Williams-Sonoma’s signature gift wrapping.
American Apparel
American Apparel is a socially-conscious fashion brand that has exploded globally over the past five years. A signature element of the brand is their risque ads which feature provocative photography of subjects that look more like their (sexy) customers than super models. Their website brings these models to life by extending their instantly recognizable visual style to useful videos that showcase tips like sixteen ways to wear a Cotton Spandex Pencil Dress. The company’s identity is also strongly tied to their stance on immigration rights which they regularly voice on their “Legalize LA” blog — a great example of how they’re living their brand.
Uniqlo
Yes, this is technically not an e-commerce site, but it behaves like one. Uniqlo is a retail brand geared towards a young demographic that sells stylish, affordable clothing. Uniqlo.com almost quite literally mimics the fun way that Uniqlo decorates their stores, treating clothing as art.
Target
Target is an interesting example in that they do a better job expressing their brand online than off. Target.com has great immersive and engaging moments that really support their value proposition, “Great design. Every day. For everyone”. What’s interesting however, is that Target does such a horrible job extending this into its retail presence. Shopping experiences in Target feel more like a brand-color-coordinated version of Walmart. When you’re in the heart of the store and there’s no Target-red in sight the customer experience is incredibly undifferentiated. Why isn’t their commitment to design more core to the in-store customer experience?
There are many more examples, both good and bad. But again, in the end, a differentiated online experience needs a distinctive brand behind it.