How Harry Rosen Set the Tone for Success in the Pandemic

The pandemic did not just disrupt how we go about our daily lives - how we work, learn, socialize, and make purchases - thousands of businesses were forced to downsize or close permanently. However, there are some that survived this extremely difficult time after adapting and shifting to digital channels.

One brand that found success in transitioning from a brick-and-mortar store to a personalized e-commerce platform is Harry Rosen, Canada’s leading quality menswear retailer, which has been in the market since 1954. In the last two years, brand sales tripled to record levels, and I had the pleasure of meeting virtually the person who played a key role in this.

As part of my Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series class at George Brown College, Paul Michel, the Senior Manager of Performance Marketing at Harry Rosen, shared with us marketing practices and philosophy that helped him deliver the significant online growth for Harry Rosen. In his role, he focuses on aligning

customer journeys and bringing revenue to the website.

Digital Philosophy of Relevance

To make customers care about your brand and to remain on top of their minds, businesses need to meet and keep up with their ever-evolving demands. In his talk, Michel highlighted the digital philosophy of relevance and how this should be a guiding principle for marketers.

In his view, consumers only hate irrelevant ads, which was a lightbulb moment for me. When I consider my online behavior, I realize I don't always ignore a paid advertisement. I even click on some, especially those that provide information on what I'm looking for - like which online store offers a discount for a pair of sneakers I’ve been eyeing, or where I can find the winter jacket in the color I wanted.

To guarantee that brands remain relevant to customers and the interaction helps them reach the conversion stage, marketers should be able to:

• always provide value to the customer, like a discount or lifestyle advice, in each phase of their journey,

• satisfy a customer’s need, and

• serve products that customers will most likely respond to.

Learning more about the customers by looking at the available data - both qualitative and quantitative - is one of the things Michel did when he joined Harry Rosen. He studied the customer journey in their physical stores, how their services measured up to the needs of the customers and listened to client feedback.

To have a better understanding of how the brand applies this philosophy to its digital strategy, Michel showed 3 Harry Rosen Facebook ads that target different market segments.

Two ads appeal to their middle and high-end customers, and the last ad caters to the lower-end clientele. The targeted messaging, text and image layout per ad is tailored to fit the needs, wants, and desires of the targeted segment. By doing so, when the ad is shown, the user, instead of ignoring or getting irritated, will find the ad valuable and relevant and will most likely click it.

Beyond Digital to Performance Marketing

However, Michel noted that being a great marketer entails going beyond digital to performance marketing. It requires “evolving beyond a single channel focus to a more integrated and holistic view.”

The brand must have a single view of the customer across all channels, with key teams collaborating, integrating digital marketing to the bigger marketing campaign and customer experience.

This simply means that when products are shown on ads, they must be available on the landing page where the customers are directed to and in the retail store. Ensuring this supports the customer journey, and helps the user move from one phase to the other seamlessly - from awareness to potential sales or conversion.

Michel also shortened the "lookback window" from 30 days to 28 days. This is a process that Facebook uses that tells you when an action like a click or a view can be attributed back to an ad. Readjusting this time frame allows the brand to pinpoint more accurately what channel or ad drives awareness, optimize it, and use it to deliver personalized and targeted messaging.

Set the Tone for Success

A year ago, Harry Rosen released its new integrated brand platform, “Set the Tone.” The campaign sends a powerful message that being at your best - looking and feeling good - sets the tone for one’s success in work and in life. It speaks to the younger generation - future leaders, innovators, and disruptors. It resonated with me, especially since I changed careers and moved overseas. Despite still figuring out a lot of things, the campaign reminded me that I'm in charge of my success. I am the one in the driver's seat, choosing which road to take and deciding what my destination is.

As I prepare for my co-op placement this summer, Michel, who started his career as a Digital Media Intern, shared 3 valuable tips.

1. Have a strong understanding of the platforms.

2. Get certifications needed.

3. Offer ideas on your cover letter.

The competition will be tough with thousands entering this booming industry of digital marketing. Keeping up with each class' modules, completing certification courses like Google Analytics and Hootsuite's Social Marketing, and applying the knowledge to brands and organizations we'll work with, are major tools that will set me up for success. Learning more about the industry from the professionals and thought leaders, reaching out for mentoring, and networking will help me identify the most relevant and valuable career journey I'd want to embark on.

I alone am in control - to stand out, step up my game, put in the hard work and commitment, and set the tone for my success. All it takes is courage and consistency to make that choice every day.