By combining new-age video and audio merchandising along with ease of shopping, American Eagle Outfitters is hitting both ends of its targeted online market—teens 20-somethings, and their gift-buying relatives—to drive web sales this year close to $200 million.
American Eagle’s AE.com added to an already-rich, interactive site this year by launching “aerie Tuesdays on CW” on the teen-oriented CW television network to promote its new line of intimate apparel and sleepwear for teen girls and young women. Diving into new areas of interactive marketing and merchandising and marketing, AE.com offers video clips of the TV shows it sponsors, including “Gilmore Girls” and “Veronica Mars,” plus clips of its TV commercial featuring AE customers discussing the TV shows and AE apparel. American Eagle is No. 111 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide to Retail Web Sites.
The site also engages its young customers with an online audio feature that lets them click on the same music tracks that are played in American Eagle stores.
But in addition to using video and audio technology to engage customers, AE.com also has taken several steps to make online shopping easier. Extensive use of Flash technology provides interactive mouse-over navigation to reveal product details and displays of outfits.
And, to help parents and grandparents figure out what to buy their adolescent children and grandchildren, it offers helpful content including advice on what styles are popular in different areas of the U.S.
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