Fashion label H&M is promoting its summer products on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #DivideOpinion by seeking responses from followers regarding their own personal style preferences.

With this campaign, H&M converts a popular idea often seen in fashion magazines into a mobile-compliant venue. By squaring off two products, rather than three or four, against one another, H&M intends to drive excitement around summer fashions by still keeping the mobile user in mind, who wants quick snippets of information and whose screen does not allow for more than a couple of images if they are to be seen clearly.

“Having the chance to win something typically entices customers to participate more,” said Danielle McCormick, senior director of marketing at Skava, San Francisco. “Due to the fact of making the campaign easy and continually driving and encouraging people, H&M is rewarding its loyal customers.”

Ms. McCormick is not affiliated with H&M but agreed to comment as an industry expert.

H&M did not comment by press deadline.

Divided but united
For each #DivideOpinion post, H&M captures a fashion item in two distinctive scenes and asks its followers which look is better and why. The fashion label uses items inspired by actress Ashley Benson and her personal style.

The campaign began July 3 and will continue through July 15. The best responses will receive a trip to Los Angeles for the each winner and a friend.

H&M’s promotional tweets and posts are compiled of two images each featuring an item that has been styled in two opposite ways.

For example, a sheer lace top was styled for romantic-inspired and street-style outfits. Followers were asked to reply using hashtags #Romantic or #Street depending on their preference.

Following the request, H&M announced the results, claiming 43 percent of participants preferred the street look.

The label also used a shoulder bag, offered in red and black, in the campaign and asked followers which one looked best. If followers liked the red bag, they were instructed to reply using hashtag #ColourPop, showing their favoritism towards the use of color. If followers preferred the black bag, they should have replied using hashtag #Monochrome, representing their liking of the neutral look.

Through this type of social campaign, the label seeks the opinions of its most dedicated followers to gain a glimpse inside their fashion preferences.

Furthermore, H&M hopes to showcase the versatility of its products and the numerous ways the items can be worn. H&M is likely pushing the offer that no matter one’s personal style, any consumer is able to incorporate H&M’s fashion items into their daily routine.

Socially inclined
H&M continues to expand its brand socially.

In June, H&M entertained shoppers on its mobile catalog with a customizable music mixer to encourage positive vibes and more spending.

Consumers across China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia are able to create their own personalized playlists while browsing through apparel and accessories from the summer collection. H&M is encouraging fans to share tunes on social media platforms to win prizes while an in-store component pushes interaction with iPads to hear the musical style for different items (see story).

Retailer JCPenney has also recently prioritized its social presence through campaigns, aiming to create conversation and seek the opinions of its followers. The retailer boosted a new strategic push into its U.S. World Cup initiatives by targeting Hispanics using mobile and social.

These efforts showed how retailers can leverage social and mobile for real-time consideration around live events to drive awareness for specific products. In this case, JCPenney targeted Hispanics with text-message offers, World Cup apparel offered on mobile application Shop Kick and a bracket featuring spirited fashion looks on its Latino Facebook page (see story).

While these types of social efforts contain the potential to spark sales, consumers are content with mere recognition from the brand they love.

“In today’s age of social media, recognition on a top brand is a prize itself,” Ms. McCormick said.

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon, editorial assistant for Mobile Commerce Daily, New York