Dive Brief:
- Cole Haan and commerce platform PredictSpring have created a solution that allows the retailer to close m-commerce sales after clicking on Instagram images previously loaded into its mobile app.
- The system brings Instagram images into its app's environment, where shoppers can browse after logging into Facebook or Instagram, click their favorites, and buy using Apple Pay.
- Instagram announced that it has 400 million active monthly active users earlier this week, but still has limited commerce capabilities.
Dive Insight:
High-end fashion retailer Cole Haan has solved a problem many retailers face in using Instagram: While the platform is an attractive showcase for visual content and offers excellent engagement, it has limited options for direct sales. Cole Haan’s mobile app now pulls Instagram posts into its environment, where customers can browse and buy.
Cole Haan says that social-driven sales and referral traffic now "represents double digits" of revenue, and is growing faster than other online channels. The company has been adept at using the targeting tools offered by Instagram and Pinterest to establish its presence in the social spaces, while emphasizing paid advertising on Facebook and handling customer service issues via Twitter.
Such hacks are helping drive innovation in the social and mobile spaces. The new Instagram Direct, for example, allows users to share images with up to 15 people, avoiding the need to create a screenshot.
