EP.153/ BAGPHIC
Unlocking the Power of Live Selling Luxury Products with Bagphic’s Marketing Manager Taylor Hall
Mariah Parsons hosts Taylor Hall, the Marketing Manager at Bagphic, a company specializing in pre-loved authentic designer handbags. Taylor discusses her background in B2B marketing and her role at Bagphic, which involves bridging the gap between Japan and the US. She highlights the meticulous process of authenticating luxury items, emphasizing the importance of customer experience and loyalty. Taylor explains their marketing strategy, focusing on lifestyle and live selling, particularly on platforms like Whatnot and Poshmark. She also touches on the importance of customer retention through personalized service and maintaining a seamless shopping experience.
EP. 153
TAYLOR HALL
Episode Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
Mariah Parsons introduces the podcast, "Retention Chronicles," and welcomes Taylor, the Marketing Manager at Bagphic.
Mariah and Taylor reminisce about their first meeting at Shop Talk Fall and express excitement for the episode.
Taylor shares her background, mentioning her dual heritage and her role at Bagphic, which focuses on pre-loved authentic designer handbags.
Mariah expresses her enthusiasm for fashion and accessories, and Taylor compliments Mariah's style from their first meeting.
5:01 Taylor's Journey to Bagphic
Taylor explains how she found the job at Bagphic, highlighting her background in B2B marketing and her dual heritage.
She describes the company's structure, noting that it is a brand of a much larger company based in Japan.
Taylor shares her excitement about transitioning into a role that leverages her cultural and global perspective.
She discusses the intimidating nature of joining a large company and her initial fears about working with luxury handbags.
6:40 Bagphic's Product Offerings and Sourcing
Taylor elaborates on the unique nature of luxury handbags from brands like Dior, Fendi, Chanel, and Hermes.
She explains the meticulous process involved in creating these items and the importance of authenticity in sourcing.
Taylor describes the rigorous inspection process for authenticating pre-loved items and the expertise required to identify genuine materials.
She highlights the sustainability aspect of selling pre-loved luxury items and the rarity of finding certain pieces.
18:35 Marketing Strategy for Bagphic
Mariah and Taylor discuss the nuances of marketing luxury handbags, focusing on the lifestyle and experience rather than specific products.
Taylor explains how Bagphic leverages the notoriety of luxury brands and emphasizes the unique selection and customer experience.
They talk about the importance of inventory management and the challenges of maintaining up-to-date stock information.
Taylor emphasizes the role of social media and live selling in keeping customers informed and engaged.
19:50 Customer Acquisition and Social Media
Taylor shares insights on how Bagphic uses social media to promote a lifestyle and build customer confidence.
She discusses the effectiveness of live selling in providing a more authentic shopping experience, especially for luxury items.
Taylor explains the different platforms Bagphic uses for live selling, including Whatnot and Poshmark, and the benefits of each.
They talk about the importance of community building and the role of software like OBS for multicasting live sessions.
37:14 Customer Retention and Experience
Taylor outlines the key factors for customer retention at Bagphic, focusing on experience, impression, and relationship.
She emphasizes the importance of providing a seamless experience and building trust with customers.
Taylor shares her belief in mutual support and loyalty, both from the brand's perspective and from customers.
They discuss the emotional connection between brands and customers and how it contributes to loyalty.
45:01 Solving Problems and Future Plans
Taylor talks about her approach to solving new problems, emphasizing the importance of understanding the customer's perspective.
She mentions the value of research, feedback, and leveraging her network to find solutions.
Taylor hints at some exciting collaborations and events in the future, including a Whatnot seller event.
Mariah expresses excitement for the upcoming developments and thanks Taylor for sharing her insights.
46:29 Closing Remarks and Call to Action
Mariah thanks the audience for listening and encourages them to like, subscribe, and leave reviews.
She highlights the importance of community feedback and the role of Malomo in enhancing the customer experience.
Mariah invites listeners to visit the podcast's website and social media channels for more information.
She signs off, expressing gratitude for the journey and looking forward to future episodes.
TRANSCRIPT
This transcript was completed by an automated system, please forgive any grammatical errors.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
customer retention, customer retention marketing, luxury handbags, customer experience platform, marketing strategy, social media, live selling, customer acquisition, inventory management, brand awareness, luxury lifestyle, customer loyalty, pre-owned items, fashion sustainability, customer service
SPEAKERS
Taylor Hall, Mariah Parsons
Mariah Parsons 00:00
Music. Welcome to retention Chronicles, the retention podcast for E commerce marketers. I'm your host and fellow e commerce marketer, Mariah Parsons, tune in as I chat with E comm founders and operators all about customer retention. Think marketing ops, customer success and customer experience, we cover it all and more. So get ready to get real with retention. Here is our newest episode. Hello everyone, and welcome back to retention Chronicles. I am so happy to be here with you today. Taylor, thank you for being here. I am so so so so excited. You are such a joy for our listeners. You are the marketing manager at bag thick, and we met originally at Shop Talk fall, which our listeners will know, like I have, I've made so many great connections with people who have come on this podcast, people who haven't yet, but are planning to, and I am just so so in love with meeting people for the first time, like sporadically, and then being able to connect later. So thank you for taking the time to sit down with me today. It's going to be a great episode, and I will have you say hi to our audience, and we'll take it from there.
Taylor Hall 01:13
Yay. Okay, well, I'm so excited. Like, thank you so much for having me, of course, um, because I thought we connected so well and so organically. So it was just kind of a beautiful, like, moment, you know what I mean? Like, it was you, it was me, and it was the space, and then, boom, you know, yes, like, it's just kind of perfect. So thank you so much. And of course, hi to everybody. My name is Taylor, and I'm excited that's
Mariah Parsons 01:40
just gonna be the title of the podcast episode is we're excited, period. That's it. Yes, okay, so tell our listeners a little bit about yourself, and then we'll get into, you know, your background and bag fake and all of that fun stuff that'll give us, like, some fun context to then bounce off of for the rest of the episode.
Taylor Hall 01:58
Yes, absolutely. So again, my name is Taylor. I am the Marketing Manager at bag fic. We are a we are a company that we focus on a pre loved, authentic designer handbags. So we do have quite the inventory, and we also are very How would you say? I would say that we're very knowledgeable and we're very passionate about what we do, so we try to translate that into our customer experience. But that's who I am.
Mariah Parsons 02:26
Yes, I love it. Yeah, no, and it's so fun because, like, I mean, I am such a I'm such a person that, like, loves fashion, loves accessorizing, loves like, loves all like, I just, it's so fun to me to be in that world. So I kind of envy you where you get to see all of these incredible, you know, bags and accessories come through your door and you're able to, you know, get in that, get in that world a little bit, um, it's so fun,
Taylor Hall 03:00
it is. But let me tell you something, and I just want the whole world to know you were stepping out when you came to shop talk you were, you were in these outfits and, like, That's literally how I gravitated toward you, because you were just this beautiful, colorful lady, and you just came through with this personality, all this style, you matched everything so beautifully. I was like, I'm gonna talk to her. Thank
Mariah Parsons 03:21
you. I'm gonna, that's gonna be the episode clip. Like, that's the social media said it. So it's true. Okay, I know I did it. I came out and I did it. Okay, you did no. Like, seriously, it's like three conferences a year. I probably go to where I'd get to be like, Okay, what's my moment, what's my color. So I very much appreciated it. And like minded sees. Like minded like I remember so clearly, I was like, you are also stunting. And everyone here so very, very, very, you know, it is a symbiotic or what's the parallel, similar? That's the word I'm looking for. I'm like, it's similar to symbiotic. Um, yeah, you know what? Right vocab. It's coming out today. Um, but no similar minds thing you like. And I can, I feel like I can sniff it out in a crowd where I'm like, ooh, that person, like, they have a similar, you know, they're like, their outfit is super fun, or, like, similar type personality. And I think that's why we, we jam so well. So I don't know, I'm here for it, and today you're also stunned. I'm here in a sweatshirt, and you're looking great. So
Taylor Hall 04:27
thank you so much. Like, let me put it for the time I look today. Like, make sure, you know, because I wanted to first of all present myself, but also, you know, like, I just wanted, I just wanted for you to feel like, okay, this is the right moment. This is everything. So I was just kind of like thinking about it,
Mariah Parsons 04:44
like attention. Oh, we're flattered here at retention Chronicles. So thank you. Thank you for putting the time and effort in. So tell us about all about bag fic and how you how you got to be the marketing manager there, because it's a great. Great story, and I think our audience will really appreciate hearing it.
Taylor Hall 05:03
Oh, my God. Thank you so much. So I guess, like, I'll kind of jump into how I even really like found the company. So just a little bit of background, like the company, it's a brand of a much bigger company. And so the bigger company is actually stationed in Japan. And so what they were looking for was someone who can kind of bridge the gap between Japan and the US, right, and in a marketing perspective. And so, because I am American, but I'm also Japanese as well, it just seemed like the kind of bit that they were looking for, I imagine. And so, like, I remember when I was looking for, like, I was looking for this new job. I was like, I really want to transition into something I've been doing B to B marketing for most of my career, right? And so I was like, Okay, I really want to leverage, you know, my culture. I really want to focus in on trying to utilize my global perspective and really bring light to, I guess, like my professional world with that, because I it's such a big part of who I am. I was raised by cultural and even, like by religious, if you can imagine. So I wanted to find something that would maybe highlight that in my professional life. And then, boom, this job was like, we're looking for exactly you. And I was like, stop here. Like, okay, well, I will show up first day, just let me know. And so I was like, Okay, let me go ahead and give this a try. It was something super, you know, intimidating for me, because it's a huge, huge company, okay, it's, yeah, huge. And so when they decided they were, like, we want to do luxury handbags, I'm like, say less. And so, like, we,
Mariah Parsons 06:48
like, all of my interests are aligning. I know, literally, it
Taylor Hall 06:51
just came all together. And I was like, I can't say, like, No, it has to happen right now, right here, right now, so, and it is. So that's how I ended up at back fake, and so far, I'm loving it a lot. I'm also really learning a lot about, I guess, the managerial duties too. Because even though I've managed other teams and stuff like that before, this is on a whole other level, and I feel like I really get to use my skill set in the way that I've been looking to for a long time. So I feel really excited about this.
Mariah Parsons 07:27
Again. We're excited. You've always known, like, I know your background, you said is B to B marketing, which I know I can relate to also being a B to my B marketer. Currently. Have you always kind of wanted to be in marketing. Or what was, I guess, like, pre, actually, pre actualizing, like, Okay, this is where my career is going to go. Has that always been something that you've been eager or curious about,
Taylor Hall 07:53
you know, I will say yes and kind of no. So, like, for a long time, right? Like, since I was, like, in 10th grade or something, I was like, I'm going to be a journalist. That's what I want. That is my goal. And then, like, I took a journalism class in college, and then I quickly realized I'm like, Oh, I don't want that at all because, because it just seems like it was crossing some ethnic, not ethnic, sorry, ethics. And I was just kind of like, I'm not the kind of person to press other people for their information. So I was just kind of like, I'm not, I don't think it's in alignment with who I am as a person. And then also like, I feel like my overall goal in life, I can achieve much more through the avenue of marketing than I could journalism. And so when I pivoted my major from journalism to like, public relations, then I started being introduced to like, the more marketing aspect of things. And I was like that, this is it, that right there, that right there is what I want to do, and I think that it's so much more in alignment
Mariah Parsons 08:59
with who I am, Okay, wonderful, yeah, so I don't we, I don't think we've discussed this because it was so quick, um, at shop talk, but my background is neuroscience and so the pivoting, yeah, I was like, looking at going to med school, Taylor, can you believe it? I know. I still, still. I'm like, You know what? Maybe I should, but no, um, marketing has, has my whole heart now, at least. But the but the realization of like, Hmm, maybe this is different from what I want to do. I very much relate to. But neuroscience and marketing are so, so I talked about it so much on this podcast, or sober like, yeah. I mean,
Taylor Hall 09:39
like, when you, when you you just telling me that right now, I'm like, what kind of brains do you have? You must be such a smart lady, which I already thought that. But now I'm kind of like, that's a whole other capacity, where I'm just like, and not even just take a medical like neuroscience. That's like a whole. Cool. That's a whole thing to like it like it is impressive. I
Mariah Parsons 10:04
maybe I just say that. So when I mess up on this podcast, I'm like, Guys, I swear I know something. I retain something in this brain. Okay, um, no, but I trust me that you Yeah, I trust and believe it's fun time. Okay, so tell us about, obviously, luxury, luxury handbags. So tell us a little bit more about the products you offer. Like, how do you even acquire them? Because I think a lot of our listeners, they're looking at, like, Okay, we are the manufacturers of this product, and I think that gives back fake a little bit of a different perspective when you're looking at, um, obviously just the luxury industry that you're in?
Taylor Hall 10:41
Yeah, absolutely. And so the thing to consider about luxury items, and especially with designers like Dior Fendi, Chanel Hermes, things like that they have, first of all, they're specialists in what they do. And I feel like that's not even necessarily the right word, but if you can imagine a designer, the way that they communicate or they express themselves is through their meticulous detail and attention to detail in items that they create for like either you're going to wear it as a handbag, or even if it's clothes or things like that, that is their main expression. So you can imagine how much passion and how much effort they put into communicating how they feel, or trying to help you find yourself through what they create, right? It's like. So with that being said, that means that these pieces are pretty unique, and they're not like mass created, like, if you've ever seen the story with Hermes, what they do is, first of all, if you, even if you get a stitch wrong, you start the bag over. It's and you can't, like, reuse, like, oh, you can't just take this, this piece that you messed up. You have to use whole new pieces. And all of these materials that they use are, they go through such a rigorous and such a special process. And as far as, like, making the leather and all that stuff, so you don't really have space to mess up. And if you do meticulous, yeah, yeah, it's like, a lot of material loss. And so that's what makes them so sustainable. And so for us, we have to think about, okay, looking in the in the space of sustainability and fashion sustainability, right? We want to give these items like a second life, if you can imagine. So, with the pre loved items or with luxury items, they last for so long, and they are resilient because they're made with genuine material. And so when we source these items, we're looking at them for, you know, first of all, authenticity, that's a huge part. And then, like, We're sourcing them from all corners of the earth, wherever people really preserve these items and take care of them. Because, like, they always say, like, one man's trash is another man's treasure, and that's kind of the truth in this case, because some of these items, like, when I first joined this job, I was like, this is in such good condition. Did anyone even, like, use it? Like, it was kind of a shock to me. And so, like, we have this huge team where they go all over the place and source these items, and they have to go through this rigorous inspection process for authenticity to make sure that they're real. And like, one of the ways that you know they are real is because the material, because it's like skin, right? It's leather, so, like, it acts like skin, you know, and it ages like skin. And so you can tell things like that from the smell, the texture, looking at the, you know, under a microscope, things like that. It's a very, it's a very deep knowledge you have to have. But as far as sourcing goes, like we, we have, we only shop with experts, and we only, we only gather our materials from people that we know that have so many years on their belt in this industry, and like know to a team the kind of materials that they're working with, because designers are very detail oriented, like we've said. And so that means that every designer has their own like, fingerprint in every single design that they have, and you have to be a specialist to know that, like, you have to be an expert. So that's who we shop with, is that's who we source our items with.
Mariah Parsons 14:13
Yeah, yeah. I listened to the acquired episode on Hermes, and it was just like fascinating to learn, obviously, about the history of their business, but then also the meticulousness of their their process, and like they have their whole entire school to train people, and like all of the all the ways that they preserve the ability to meet things by hand still. And it is I recommend that that episode, just because it's fascinating, but you really see it carried over in the in the products themselves. And so it's a fun, fun space for you all. I imagine to be sitting in where you get to, you know, obviously have your. Business fee in the luxury handbag space, but you get to work with, like, a bunch of different brands in that space. And I, I'm so excited to have you here today, because I think it'll be a really interesting conversation around marketing. And when I think about previous guests or future guests on this podcast, a lot of the times the marketing is around the brand, of course, and the product is like one of the biggest right, like you're marketing around, why would you buy XYZ piece of clothing or game or spirit or whatever, whatever product? But you all your marketing is a little less around specific branded product and more about the lifestyle that comes with luxury handbags. So I'd love to kind of hear how you all are thinking about, how do you approach a marketing strategy when you don't have this, like one branded product that like, these are the bag thick bags, but these are bag thick luxury handbags from other brands, because I think it, it makes the marketing and the branding a little bit more nuanced in that way.
Taylor Hall 16:14
Mm, hmm, absolutely. And thank you so much for asking that question. So good. Um, so for us, right? So we already kind of are working with the notoriety of these luxurious brands, and so it's not like an issue of while we do have to also focus on brand awareness, just for backfiq as a whole, but as far as finding or as far as having people already interested in handbags, and especially designer ones, that's already kind of there. So, like, really, it's just leveraging, or kind of leaning into, okay, the selling points of working with bag fic, right? And so that's really where the marketing perspective comes from, and just kind of focusing on the experience that you're going to get with us versus other places, and then also the selection, right? Because a lot of these items, like, like, you, like, I was saying before, um, there's, they're not, like, mass made, and so each thing is kind of one of a kind. And so like, when they do get a second life, or when they do, kind of when you do offer people a chance to have this bag, like, say, for example, it's a bag from like, 1980 and it was really popular then, and it's not like they make those anymore. So now you get to, you know, you have this as a part of your collection. And a lot of these can be like collectors items, or they can be, you know, like maybe at the time you didn't ever have money for Chanel, but now you can afford Chanel, and especially because it's not going to be at the price that it was when it was first created. So it's kind of like there's so many other, I guess, like avenues or other benefits, if you can imagine, when shopping this way and other ways that we can take the marketing route, but it mostly leans on to you can finally get the back of your dreams, even if it's been however long. And then also, like vintage pieces, these are pieces that you will never see again. They will not make them again, and they're always they're never going to be made exactly the same. No, no one back is the same. So it's kind of like that. And like getting a chance to really hold, like a piece of history, but also like a piece of art when you get to have that. And so that's kind of like the Avenue, and then also, you know, good customer service, pricing, things like that. So there's so many other elements to the marketing that we can focus in on, as opposed to just kind of having, like, this is our brand. This is what we make. You should value what we make. Here's why, kind of like that. There's a different path, if you can imagine,
Mariah Parsons 18:40
yeah, for sure. And I think too, like, that's one of the things when I was thinking about, um, having you on the podcast of, like, your inventory management has to be so up to date, like your your teams have to be so synced, because you're not going to send out an email, like an automated or maybe you will, but like an automated email saying that you have this specific handbag in stock, because you might not it. Someone might buy it before. You know, if you have a campaign where it's like you're sending a marketing email every month or something, every specific cadence, and it's automated, you can't, you can't lean on, okay, we're going to have this in stock. You have to really, really be updated with what you actually have open for people to buy. So, yeah, I, I can totally imagine how there's the different areas that you, of course, focus on for marketing, but you have to have that communication between, okay, this is the marketing campaign we're going to run, because we just, you know, we just got this new shipment in. This is what our new inventory looks like, all that stuff.
Taylor Hall 19:45
And definitely with that, which is why, also, I think, like email marketing, it's a powerful tool, no matter the case. And I think that because, you know, it's really like, we don't have, like, a series of these things, it's just kind of the one thing we. You have to really plan our campaigns, but then also really execute on them, because you know who's to say when it'll go out, or when it gets sold out, and things like that. So leveraging social media for us is really important, because that's a more up to date thing, and because also who wants to receive, like so many emails from the same person multiple times a day, every day, like, we don't really want to be doing all that to people, because I'm a customer somewhere else too. And let me tell you something, my Google inbox is soulful and it's kind of embarrassing. So it's like, you know, so we don't want to so especially in our industry, it's really good to leverage social media, because that's kind of like that instant experience. And so definitely, like you were saying, we do have to be in so much sync. And like, especially because the trends in fashion change, and there's so many and especially for women's fashion, it is such a high paced environment, and so having to keep up and having to hop on at the right times is really, you know, that's like, like, you playing an instrument in a weird way. You know what I mean? You really do have to, like, play to the field. And so that's I would say that for marketing campaigns, it really leans on, first of all, you making sure that we understand what the customer is looking for, and then making sure that our stock and our inventory reflect that, and then also being able to keep up with trends and having like that, I guess, like revolving door of sales, if you can imagine. So that way we're not just kind of piling up in here. You know,
Mariah Parsons 21:36
yeah, for sure. How many bags? It's totally okay if you don't know this, but off the top of your head. But how many bags would you say, like, you have in stock at once? Okay,
Taylor Hall 21:46
so depends on because of the way the it's structured, right? So at our office, in hand, like, if you wanted to come to the office and like, I give you a bag, we have a hand picked collection of about 200 but if you're talking about our whole inventory, you're looking at some 1000s. Okay, okay, you're looking at some 1000s. Okay, like, you're looking at a lot. And, like, let me tell you something. I went to our warehouse in um, overseas, right? I went to the warehouse to watch the inspection process, the authentication process, all of it, and it is like, rows and rows and floors, rows and floors of all kinds of items. And I'm just like, wow, that's nuts. Yeah, it's crazy. Because it's also like, jewelry, accessories of other kinds, scarves and stuff like that. Also apparel too, but our focus is bags. And, like, if you see what they have for bags, I
Mariah Parsons 22:46
was kind of in heaven, like, Can I walk out with this, right? I was like, can I just take
Taylor Hall 22:51
like, two IKEA bags and just fill up? It was amazing. Okay,
Mariah Parsons 22:56
that's, yeah, that's envious. It very much. Gives me like, Devil Wears Prada moment, where it's like, you just walk into the closet, you're like, Whoa, there's so much. And they're like, you're like, I do like a dream When I was little. It's just like, someone outfit me, and being like, here you have this, you have that. And just like, okay, and walk out of the office, and
Taylor Hall 23:16
it was, it was like, I was like, an Anne Hathaway moment, like, I walk in there, and I'm like, Are you kidding? And it's just these rows of these pristine items. Like, I want to tell you something before this job, I never even held anything airmess ever I in my liking, so never come close, because it's such a coveted brand. And, like, you have to know somebody in order to go to the store and go shop there and all that stuff. And I'm sure you probably have to prove a certain amount of financial abilities. So like, in that case, right? And so like, never in my life have I ever felt something of that value, and so until I got to this job, and then now I'm like, oh my god, it feels like I'm in my closet, you know? Because, yeah, like, let's just run back and see literally. So it's like, such a it's such a shift in life. But I totally feel you. I geeked out too. Yeah, I still do well. Thank you for
Mariah Parsons 24:08
taking me on that, on that tangent, because I was like, I have to ask, but it leads us perfectly into, like, talking about customer acquisition. And you mentioned, social media works really well for you guys. So I'd love to kind of dig in there, because I've seen through this podcast and just other talking to other brand founders in the space of like, social media. They know it's important. They know, you know, like they have to do it, and some can do it really well. Some are still trying to figure out their strategy. So I'd love to hear like, how you're kind of parsing out what, what you guys are putting on social like, what's the goal? What is, you know, how are you drafting campaigns, all that fun, nitty gritty stuff,
Taylor Hall 24:49
absolutely. So, you know, we mentioned a little bit before that, it's really like a lifestyle that we're trying to promote, right? And so, like, the idea is that this luxury lifestyle has been such a coveted. Thing, and it's very it's been very difficult for people who, you know, don't really have money like that, and so this is kind of we, we've kind of taken the route of like, you can achieve that lifestyle, or you you can, you can have luxury and live that way, or feel that way, or boost your confidence that way, because we're going to make it accessible to you through whatever we have and like, since it's pre owned, and even though it's excellent condition, and some of these, like, look like they haven't even been used, this is kind of like you get to have that experience, and we want to replicate that experience. So if you, like, buy something from us, like, we want to even replicate, like, the wrapping experience of the bag that you feel like you're getting something for the first time, and things like that. And so with social media, it's really like that lifestyle. It's really that experience, and it's really like leveraging kind of the the, I want to say, confidence boost in a weird way, because, like, what we really want is for our followers or our customers to find themselves and find the most authentic way to express them themselves through our collection. And so that's why we have like this. That's why we kind of utilize this social media to promote a certain lifestyle, because we want them to feel good, so that they do good, and so that they like, contribute, well, if that makes sense. And so, like, I think that a lot of times with like the luxury lifestyle and kind of pushing that you kind of have, like this, I don't know, you kind of have this experience where you're really like, it's a self exploration kind of experience. And so that's kind of really what we found to be a very successful thing for us. And also, like, I would say, social media works different for us than it does for maybe the standard kind of company that we were talking about earlier, because we also leverage a lot of, like, live selling. So that's really, you know, because if you're going to get people to spend on luxury items, you got to see it, you know. And so, like, we also have that as an extra tool, whereas other people maybe aren't, you know, utilizing or leveraging, live selling and things like that. So just to kind of clarify, or just to kind of summarize, it's, it really is like taking a lifestyle approach and really showcasing that way, rather than like, I'm selling you this item. Here it is. It's like, we want you to feel this way about yourself. We want you to feel worthy about these things, and we want you to find a way to express yourself through this collection. So that way, it's like, authentically you, you know, and you get to feel good about you. And then that's really the avenue that we're taking. And then also, like, on the actual, like, you know, what applications we use, and blah, blah, blah, we do a lot of live selling, and that's been very helpful. And that's also good with, like, credibility, trustworthiness, and then also explaining, kind of, you know, the knowledge of the bag, because you gotta, you gotta know the year. You don't know how much it was like all this stuff. So, yeah,
Mariah Parsons 28:06
yeah. So I would actually love to go into the live selling aspect just a little bit, because that is something that we haven't talked about on this podcast and at Shop Talk. There was, I'm blanking on his name, but he was from Pinterest and, or, sorry, Poshmark, um, and he was saying how live selling is a big, big thing in Asia, and how he thinks it's coming to the US. And you're starting to see that more on Poshmark, like I'm on the app, just as a consumer um. And that was a really, really interesting um, I guess, like foresight, or, like visionary thing, strategy, thing for him to be talking about. And so I'd love to kind of pick your brain apart about like live selling, because I really, really could see, especially with like influencers, to like influencers, you are kind of live selling, but it's not like an auction in that way, right? It's like, so I could totally see the direction of live selling becoming a bigger, bigger, a bigger industry in the US, and I think it would be a fun exercise for us to kind of walk through when you're here with us today.
Taylor Hall 29:14
Yeah, absolutely, live selling is kind of a beast of its own, like you can imagine when Tiktok first came out that was a beast of its own, and then we all had to, like adjust marketing wise, to figure out how to leverage this platform. Live selling is kind of like that too. And so what I will say is that in Asia, especially for luxury items, there is an appreciation for well preserved things, and there's also an appreciation for things with lineage and history. However, right? Like, even though we do kind of have a culture around keeping things very nice, it it does add to the experience, and especially, like post COVID and all that stuff, it does really add to the experience of being able to shop. But, like, at home still, you know, because, like, a lot of people really do. You're really just shopping through images, like with clothes. It's like, okay, well, whatever I can like, return it, or, you know, what have you, but for things like handbags or anything that's like, over a certain price bracket, it's kind of like, I need to make sure I don't care about no 3d model that you have on the website. I need to see it with my eyes, that this is what I think it is I want to see every blemish. I want to see every like so it's kind of like really catering to those kind of consumers as well, and then also it allows any kind of consumer to have a certain confidence about what they're buying, especially if you are just an online store, if you don't have, like a storefront, this is something that's been very helpful for people to really see and not feel like you're manipulating any of the the media or the pictures or videos that you put on the website. Because we all know that things are like heavily Photoshop for the most part, especially brand new items, right? Like you go to Louis Vuitton's website. Bless their heart. But let's be real, okay, um, they, you know, they Photoshop that, you know what I'm saying, you know, they Photoshop that, they all do, but, but with live selling, you, you kind of get to look at it for what it is. And then you don't, like, get it, and then, like, oh, smaller than I thought. Oh, that's not the same color that I thought I got, you know, so you kind of eliminate that misrepresentation, if you will,
Mariah Parsons 31:26
right? Yeah, I the, like disillusionment. I don't know if that's the right word, but like something that you're able to see with your hands and touch, and like some even if it's someone else touching and feeling it, and like working the the material, or like opening it up and you can see the comparison. It's such a good, good point of you get the feeling of shopping, but you're not actually the one to be in person and doing it. And especially in the luxury goods space, I can imagine it being so, so, so quintessential. Talk me through, like, if someone wanted to implement live selling for one of their marketing strategies, like, Where would they begin? Do they just literally start like on Instagram or Tiktok, or like um, or like what, or Poshmark, like, where, where the hell. What platforms can you even start to like, draw that into your strategy?
Taylor Hall 32:20
Okay, okay, so there are different platforms that really focus different categories. But if you're doing like, if you want to do like luxury items or like clothing or things like that, okay, there are two that I would recommend for sure. Okay, so one of them is going to be what not, which is what we use right now and then Poshmark for like clothes and things like that. But if you, if you kind of not sure, like what avenue you want to go through, or if you kind of cover a lot of different categories, I would say that whatnot is a really good platform for that, because they have so many different categories, and they organize the way that they organize their application, or their platform allows you to kind of understand and kind of even gage like they have a lot of seller tools, they have a lot of marketing tools. And then also they allow you to see how many current viewers you have per category, and so that's really helpful when kind of understanding the interests. And then you can also see during what times, what kind of foot traffic you're experiencing. So that's also really helpful. And then also it has like this really, I don't know if you've ever used like live streaming anything before, but typically they'll have this function where it really leans on your connection with the community. So you'll have people who will raid your live which means that there, there's someone who is bringing viewers into your live. That's what a raid is. And so it really emphasizes and kind of pushes you to build community and really connect with others and support each other. And so that's something that I think is really beautiful about that platform that I think the other ones don't do as successfully. But I would say, like, if you want to get into Tiktok, just know you're going to have to have a certain follower account, and you're going to have to, you know, include some pretty in depth information so upon getting started, and you'll also have to build reputation too. So for example, if you're in your company, you will need to maybe wait until your company kind of develops or grows. It's like online reputation, not just with customers, but just like it's life on being active on the internet, and then also, you know, domain and all that stuff that history is what it's looking forward to. And then with Instagram, it's pretty simple, very straightforward. You can go live at any time, so that's a really user friendly thing as well as you also have your store on there. But Tiktok is going to be a bit more complicated, but Facebook and Instagram are good ones to get started if you want to reach your own community first. I've seen other people do that, one of the ladies that I've met at. At Shop Talk. Her company is natural, Radiant Life, and she focused her community first through Facebook and Instagram and all that stuff, so you can go live there. But if you want to reach new people, or kind of gain a more community based following, whatnot, is a really good platform for that. And we're still kind of exploring Poshmark as the lives go. Because that is, like, I don't know actually, how new that function is, but it's, I think, like,
Mariah Parsons 35:27
within the last year, yeah, okay, yeah. So that thing so pretty brand new, because I just started seeing it maybe a couple months before hearing at shop, talk them, talk about it. And I was like, Yeah, I have been seeing that. Like, yeah. So I that probably maybe isn't factually correct, but, like, definitely recent, yeah, yeah, or at least
Taylor Hall 35:45
it was released not that long ago, right? So that's something that we still have to explore, and they have a lot of users on the website, but just kind of getting them used to that new function. That's going to take some time too, but we definitely want to explore that avenue as well. And then what I will advise is that if you want to stream to multiple platforms, get a software. Okay, get a software for that. A lot of people use OBS. I use it too, but I would definitely say that get a software do the multicasting. That's a great thing, but if you, if you're going to do that, just make sure you have a store active everywhere you're doing that, and whatever way they do the platform, because there's a lot of technical issues that come with it, so just prep yourself. Okay,
Mariah Parsons 36:33
so, yes, that's a great heads up. Thank you. No. That's a great walk through. I think that'll be really helpful for people who are trying to look into, like, how do I kind of stay ahead of the mark? And it's like, how do I maybe roll in some newer strategies that not everyone has right now that might be able to, like, help in standing out and, like, you know, connecting and building that community and all that stuff. Because there's a lot of founders who are its founder, facing the brand themselves, and that I could totally see that being a new avenue of a founder saying, like, hey, like, you know, I'm going to sell today, and blah, blah, blah, like, join us and see me try it on, or see me wear it, or see how I like to style something. So I really appreciate you kind of giving your sharing your expertise and where you've learned, and because I don't know, you know, Tiktok versus Instagram versus Poshmark, it's really, really fascinating. I'm going to move us along to customer retention now, because I want to think of, or I want to walk through, how you think about retention, especially with higher Lux, you know, higher priced luxury goods. You know, what do you all think about when you're thinking about, Okay, why would someone come back to shop with us again?
Taylor Hall 37:49
So the main things, it's very straightforward, experience and impression, right? So, like a customer comes back, because first of all, you give them a good price, they have a good experience. You got good quality things, and then also the relationship that they develop with you so and especially when you're in the market, of having people spend a good enough chunk of money at once, relationship is really important, and having that like line of trust, which is why it's so important to me to really take care of everyone who you know comes to us, even if it's just they show interest or if they're ready to buy, whatever the case is, it's that mutual support that I think is really important when trying to achieve or have a good customer retention, and also, too, like, I'm a really big believer in never biting the hand that fed you in the way that if this is a customer that you know is trusting you or choosing you over competition, and they will choose you over and over again or whatever the doesn't really matter what the reason is. Like, that level of loyalty to me goes a long way, and I will do whatever I can. I'll give you the same energy every time, whatever I can do to offer a solution to whatever issue you bring to me, or concern or feedback, whatever, I will act on it, because that's something that is really important to me, just as a regular person, but especially having that carry into professional spaces where, you know, businesses can be really cold and they can just be so uninviting and, like, so lacking. Yeah, put it that way. So for me, that's something, as far as customer retention goes, that has been very important, and especially in the luxury space, it's about experience girl. People want to feel expensive, they want to feel loved, they want to feel taken care of. I think that's true in any customer experience, but especially luxury. It is so important. So you have to really be ready to do that, and that kind of has to be who you are if you're going to be offering that kind of
Mariah Parsons 39:58
experience. I would say, yeah. I love that you intertwine retention with the customer experience, because I know it's something that we see on the Malomo side of like that is why the software was created. Is because brands want to give a better customer experience to their loyal customers. And I think it's a really cool way to articulate for you of loyalty goes both ways, like it isn't just you're trying to get the customer to be loyal to you as a brand and as a business, but you're also as a brand and a business trying to be loyal to them. Of like we understand what it means to shop with us. Thank you. Let us go this extra mile to show you we want to be intentionally thinking about you in any way that we can. And I think it's a really, really astute way of looking at, okay, customer attention. Yes, you can, like, have well timed emails or social media live selling or or whatever else, in terms of, like, the strategy side, but why someone continues to go back with you is because of that emotional connection or because of that loyalty that they feel is, and I think that's where a lot of people in this space, especially feel the like gratitude of like, okay, this is a really cool founder that I get to interact with on social media. Or this is a really cool brand that I like to see, like, Oh, they're doing this specific thing for me as a customer. Um, and I think it's a really, really, really cool way to rope in the customer experience and, like, why it matters. Um, because it really does. And like, I'm a consumer. For how many other brands out there where I'm like, No, I'm gonna I love, I love what they're doing. I'm gonna say I'm gonna stay here because I'm loyal to them, right? But you have that sense that they are also loyal to you, which is really cool. Thank you. And
Taylor Hall 41:50
I, because I really feel like you have to care, and if you don't care, then it's like a lack of human in a weird way. And like, I think human touch is something that, and I mean, we talked about this at shop talk, and they talked about it a lot too, is that it's really coming back, and you really do have to leverage that. But like I in general, have always felt we're just we it's factual, we're social creatures, and that's something that we always appreciate, right? And in general, I just think that you should care. Obviously, there are certain things that you can't focus too much in on at a time if you don't have the resources, but you need to care. And like, especially when it comes to customers, even if it sounds kind of ridiculous, okay, just like, take it in. It's feedback, right? And like, maybe it seems like, Oh, that's really hate maintenance, whatever. Fine, if this, if this is about experience, and it's going to help create a seamless experience, and especially one that people can't really compete with. Girl, do it, yeah. I mean, like, and just, and you should, you should love the people that love you back. Like, that's just kind of love is a demonstration. It's something that you do as well. You can't just be taking all the time. You know, it's like, it makes
Mariah Parsons 43:03
sense, yeah, we're excited, and it makes sense. We're excited, and it makes sense. Here we go. I love it. Um, okay, we have a couple, a couple couple of quick hitting questions for you, because I want to hear when you're, like, trying to solve a new problem, and you're like, where the hell can I even go to learn this. Um, where do you kind of, where does, where does your energy take you? Like, podcasts, people, what it what helps you when you're trying to figure out how to solve a new
Taylor Hall 43:29
problem? Oh, my God, so much research. But what I will say is that a lot of times you have to look at the solution like or, sorry, you have to look at the problem from that perspective, from the the customer perspective. And so a lot of times, like, you know, I'm not, I'm very unconventional in a lot of ways. And so trying to put myself in their shoes can be very difficult. But I think you really do have to tap into like, Okay, is it really going to save time? Is this the attitude that they're going at this thing with, and so really understanding, like, the crux of it and why it's the issue, or why they believe it it's an issue, and then really leaning into like, Okay, what's going to make this more seamless experience? What's going to take away XYZ steps and things like that? And typically, what I look for like, I usually, I usually go to like, Okay, is there any resource on the on the internet where I can understand this experience? Or do I have anybody in my circle that feels the same way about, you know, XYZ issue, and then I really tap into, okay? So I'm going to utilize this experience, or I'm going to utilize this example, or I'm going to ask these people who have anything to share, like, I'm going to use these surveys, I'm going to gather feedback. I'm going to do whatever it is. And I like in my previous job where it was B to B, right? So you had to have relationships with the customers. So I literally would call them up, and I would be like, Don whatever, right? Let me ask you something. Would this make it a better experience? Tell me what you think. And then I. Gather what they share with me, and I would do this with several customers, and then any feedback that I would get, I act on it immediately, like I find that it was always really not easy, but it was a better route to just ask the person directly, or ask other people and get more feedback. So that way the solution was more well rounded, too, but you really do have to tap into understanding the problem a bit more intimately and definitely open yourself up to even if it's not something that you particularly think is an issue, treat it like you would. Right.
Mariah Parsons 45:33
Loyalty goes both ways. There you go. Okay, I love that answer. Thank you, Taylor. And then, in terms of when you're looking at things that are exciting, you new, you know, new categories, or new, you know, new categories of strategies, or, you know, campaigns that you all are excited about running. Is there anything that comes to mind that you want to give a little easter egg to the audience? Totally, okay. If not, oh my god. Well,
Taylor Hall 46:00
I kind of so we do have some things kind of coming down the pipeline, but we have some exciting collaborations that might be coming soon. And then also, I will say that there is a whatnot seller event that we're going to be going to so stay tuned, because there might be some new collaborations from there as well. But we do have some plans.
Mariah Parsons 46:28
Okay, amazing. I'll leave it at that. We're excited.
Taylor Hall 46:34
I am excited, like, I can't wait.
Mariah Parsons 46:37
No, I'm excited to see it like, come out. And I'm like, oh my god, I remember and Taylor show me that on the podcast. So I'm so excited for you all. It'll be a nice little easter egg for our audience. And thank you again for making the time here today. This has been so fun to just talk about all things luxury and all things fun and exciting and all of that. So thank you. I really appreciate it.
Taylor Hall 46:57
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. It's so good to connect again. I really had a great time with you. Thank you so much. Oh,
Mariah Parsons 47:04
good. That makes me so happy. Hello, everyone. It's Mariah again. I am just popping in to say thank you for listening to today's episode. And I am so so so grateful that I have been able to be on this journey for the past couple of years with this podcast, it's been phenomenal to grow and see our community of 1000s of listeners. See what you guys are up to, what you're learning, what you want to hear about next. So if you haven't already, please like and subscribe to the show so we can continue doing this. Leave us a review. Let us know your thoughts. Follow us on our new social media channels and check out our newly launched website. If you or someone you know would be a great guest for the show, please do not be shy. Fill up the form that we have on there, because those are some of my favorite interviews, and I will make sure that our new website is linked in the bio, it's retention Chronicles podcast.com and as always, let's give a warm shout out to our day one sponsor, Malomo. As you already know, Malomo is an order tracking platform that enables Shopify brands to take control of their transactional email and SMS through branded order tracking. What does that mean? That means you ditch those boring carrier tracking pages, the all white pages that have nothing on them but a tracking number and an update on the date of your estimated arrival, and swap those with pages that actually match your brand and can help you convert on some of your goals. Customers like you and I obsessively check that tracking page when we're looking for our order at our doorstep an average of 4.6 times. If you can believe it, yes, customers are going to that page 4.6 times. So don't waste out on all that customer engagement and instead send them to a page that converts in the way that you want it to. I am talking dealing with shipping issues, having cross sells and upsells, having your social media on there, your loyalty programs, anything, anything that you can imagine. So if you want to learn more about how to do that, go to go malomo.com that's G O M, a, l o m, o.com and if you didn't get that, don't worry. That website link for our sponsor, as well as our podcast website are linked in our episode description. So with that, I will sign off and see you all next time you.
