Express CMO Lisa Gavales shares how to turn “likes” in to sales

EXPRESS doesn’t just sell stylish clothes to trend-setting young women and men. The brand invites customers into a world of fashion, music and runway glamour, providing video from photo shoots, interviews with popular bands and lively interactions with customers via social media.

Behind the progressive marketing strategy is EXPRESS’s secret weapon, Lisa Gavales, EXPRESS Chief Marketing Officer.

Gavales has made sure EXPRESS marches at “the beginning of the parade” when it comes to social media and new marketing strategies. Tens of thousands follow @EXPRESSLisaG on Twitter. And who wouldn’t want to, as she shares pictures from runway shows in Jamaica, posts her EXPRESS pick of the day, and even gives individual followers personalized recommendations for the most flattering dresses?

In a Q&A, Lisa shares her insights on why EXPRESS ventured into Facebook commerce last year, ways she measures social media success, how they helped set a Guinness World Record, and what the future of retail marketing holds.

EXPRESS CMO Lisa Gavales

EXPRESS was an early adopter of social media, and this spring it made its whole catalog available in a Facebook store. When many others are waiting to see how Facebook commerce plays out, what made you jump right in?

EXPRESS caters to 25-year-old customers. We have to be out in front. Our customers are savvy and experimental, so we have to be too. It’s also a matter of weighing the risks and rewards. The downside to having Facebook commerce was low, and the potential upside was high. We like to be at the beginning of the parade, and if there’s not too much risk in being there, we will be. At the very least, we’ll be there sizing up the opportunity.

With more than 1.7 million Facebook fans, EXPRESS is certainly popular. How are you measuring success in that area?

Customers these days don’t consider social media to be marketing and neither do we. Just like we have terrific associates in our stores, we have terrific associates manning social media platforms. Social media is simply a vehicle for conversation that takes place between our brand and our customers.

Success is a two-way dialog. Success is when customers let us know that they are happy customers. Success is when customers post about how much they love what they just bought for all their friends to see.

We don’t look at social media ROI any more than we look at the ROI of air conditioning. We measure how much interaction we have—the more the better.

How do you turn ‘likes’ into sales?

Communication that is based on conversation allows a brand to also talk about itself when there is something to say. When we have a best seller, promotion or new product, we announce it with social media first. The customers who ‘like’ us are always in the know. ‘In the know’ typically translates into interest, and interest translates into sales.

In addition, there is no other communication medium that allows us as brands to speak to our customers multiple times a day. When a customer ‘likes’ a brand, they are saying that they want the brand to always be front of mind for them. It doesn’t get any better than that.

The EXPRESS website and Facebook page is rich with content, including videos, interviews and photos from music festivals or fashion shows all over the world. Why is creating and sharing this content important to the brand?

As a purveyor of apparel to customers in their 20’s, being on the cutting edge is critical. Music is a very important part of our customers’ lives. The brand our customers put on every morning is also one they can turn to for new music, up and coming artists, and interviews with their favorite bands.

In addition, because customers want to be insiders, we share our Sidewalk Runway shows from around the country. We talk about what’s going on with the brand, and in general, we work towards creating a more three dimensional vision of who we are and what we do.

What are some of the most interesting ways you’re seeing social media being used in retail today?

I think the most interesting thing that is happening between the retail and social media worlds is the convergence of technology with bricks and mortar during the purchase process. Shopping alone isn’t necessarily a solo sport anymore. For example, it’s pretty typical to post a picture from a fitting room to get feedback.

Smartphones are so pervasive that it’s becoming naive to think a customer won’t use some sort of technological assist in the buying process. Much of that technology is serving to connect people—both friends and unbiased third parties—to make the process more of a guaranteed success. No friend home to answer your text? Post a style question on the EXPRESS Facebook page, and someone is likely to answer in minutes, if not seconds.

Channels as we have known them in the past, are – like the past – history. Social media and mobile technology will soon tear down any silos we have left.

This is an exciting time to be in retail marketing. What’s been your most memorable moment as EXPRESS CMO?

That’s a tough one. I have to agree, it’s an amazing time to be in marketing. Technology is changing so fast, it’s keeping us all on our toes. I’m a glutton for change, so I’m loving every minute of it. Picking only one is tough. Ringing the bell at the NYSE when EXPRESS went public in 2010 was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In terms of marketing moments, I think I’d have to say the most memorable was in Times Square in July of this year, when we earned a Guinness World Record for the most people walking a runway. We more than doubled the prior record. We could have kept going, but we ran out of all supplies, including water, and it was over 100 degrees that day. So we thought we better stop.

What are you most looking forward to at Retail’s BIG Show this January?

I always like to be at the BIG Show because so many ideas are in one space. Between listening to retailers and vendors talk about what is new and working, and then walking the EXPO hall, I always walk out with a longer to-do list than could possibly be executed. I’ve never yet left without a list. And yes, I’m looking forward to hearing President Bill Clinton speak too.

This year at Retail’s BIG Show, there will be a lot of buzz about the growth of mobile, tablets and social media. What do you think retailers will be talking about five years from now?

I’ve always been a fan of the movie “Minority Report,” so I think we will be talking about serving individual customers based on their specific needs through some uniquely identifiable technology—though perhaps not retinal scans. I hope we’ll be back to talking about the customer as the center of the wheel and all the cool things we can now help her with that we never dreamed possible.

You can hear more from Lisa Gavales at Retail’s BIG Show, Jan. 15 to 18 in New York City, where she’ll be speaking in the session, “Winning Today’s Digitally Enhanced Shopper.”