Interesting read on Bloomberg about retailers shuttering their Facebook stores. What’s surprising is that they didn’t try new concepts all together. Why would you shop the same experience in Facebook that you could have on the web? If the alternate store is one bookmarked click away, then there is hardly stickiness.
We’ve had an alternate experience at CBA – the Facebook community is vibrant and its an exciting channel. We don’t want another branch in Facebook, we want Facebook to be an extension of our branches. For the two together, to create a better and differentiated experience. Ok, it’s early days. And that’s why shuttering stores seems remarkably shortsighted.
It also seems to miss one of the killer elements that Facebook offers us all – a compelling and low-cost platform on which to experience and play. Play is the key factor. It is what people do when they get there. I wonder how many of these retailers tried to reinvent retailing as a game in facebook?
We’d give Facebook an “F” for fun, and and “A” for marketing impact.
Hi Andy,
I admire your attitude toward Facebook!
It is interesting how an FB wall can become a service portal for some businesses – however for financial services (and any business that has privacy issues in service delivery) it isn’t possible to actually provide substantive service contact there, so the portal can become more of a ‘service quality complaints portal’. CBA is brave and honest the way they manage that in the open.
Any thoughts about keeping a good mix on the wall and managing it toward the positive, while avoiding too much self-promo posting that turns people away? And can you share any impression about how many eyes are attracted to your ‘fun’ tools vs the wall?