BRANDED RETAIL STORE OPENING

SITUATION:

In 2019, Black Diamond began a push to open branded retail stores in strategic locations across the country. To make this new endeavor successful, we needed to get the word out to as many potential customers as possible about their latest store opening...on a tight budget. Social media is just the place to do that.

GOALS: Create awareness & excitement surrounding new retail stores (brand play); Drive traffic into stores – both new and existing brand customers

SOLUTION:

Create a robust social media support plan that includes a mix of the brand’s managed channels, athlete & ambassador platforms and paid social media, specifically designed for each store’s unique location.

PAID SOCIAL SUPPORT:
– Beginning with paid social, we used locally-sourced imagery and video of Pearl Street and the exterior of the building to run “coming soon” ads leading up to the anticipated opening date. These were targeted to Front Range locals who had similar interests to Black Diamond, and directed viewers back to a landing page on the Black Diamond website.
– Paid support is sourced through an agency

ORGANIC SOCIAL SUPPORT:
– Global platforms: We announced the new location on our global social media channels – FB and IG @blackdiamond. This would reach our current following and drive excitement and loyalty behind the brand.
– Community Platforms: in the month leading up to the event, we continued organic support, leveraging our more community-based platforms (primarily our Stores and Climb IG channels) as these would provide a slightly different audience than our large global channels.
– Ambassador Amplification: We asked local athletes to post about the grand opening on their own Instagram channels, which we then cross-posted, amplifying our reach
– Live Coverage: We captured content from the opening event and shared it real-time on our Stores and Brand Instagram platforms. Live coverage helps BD followers feel like they’re part of the BD community and creates anticipation for future opportunities.

RESULTS:

– A packed house for the VIP night and a line out the door for the entirety of the opening event