Rue La La is enabling mobile and online shoppers to sample cotton items from top brands such as Hudson Jeans and Springfield as part of a new partnership with Cotton Inc. that will see the flash sales site offer a series of four curated cotton collections.

The partnership is the first of Rue La La’s four announced initiatives dedicated to cotton, titled The Fabric of our Lives. The campaign kicked off on May 11 by allowing mobile and online shoppers to sample cotton items from some of the top brands featured on Rue La La, such as Hudson Jeans and Splendid, suggesting that offering curated collections by companies dedicated to corporate social responsibility is a sound strategy.

“Daily deal sites can easily fall into the trap of having their content become monotonic,” said Shuli Lowy, marketing director at Ping Mobile, New York. “Getting a conglomerate of sales sounds great but if you get one every single day in the same format then it can easily loose its draw.

“Accordingly, daily deal sites often run special events to highlight a certain portion of their inventory or connect with fans in a more dynamic setting. It’s important to change things up,” she said. “Events are typically centered around special interest points that would resonate with the site’s target audience.

“In this case, Rue La La is featuring an event on cotton just as spring is starting to warm up in many places and consumers are looking for lighter, breathable outfits.”

Cotton immersion
Members of Rue La La who visit the mobile application, mobile site or online site from May 11 onward will be able to view an “Editor’s Picks” collection of specifically chosen products with special boutique’s across the men’s, women’s, children’s and homes sections.

All items will be primarily cotton-based to fuel consumers to purchase more of the fabric’s goods. Examples of featured products from the takeover include Splendid shirts, a classic Hudson Jeans denim jacket, Soludos espadrilles and Espalma towel sets.

The editorial content will be showcased during the shopping experience to ensure that all consumers have a chance to view the products and potentially purchase items from a new brand they have not yet tried. The campaign also aims to underscore the versatility of cotton, and offer users a bout of style inspiration for their daily outfits or for home decoration.

Rue La La hopes that its customers can appreciate the classic fabric, and create strides in their personal style with the curated collections.

Boosting cotton sales
A survey undertaken by Cotton Incorporated revealed that 69 percent of respondents claimed their favorite clothing item is at least 60 percent cotton, and that consumers own approximately seven pairs of denim jeans.

Therefore, the cotton takeover on Rue La La can benefit both companies by ensuring that cotton production and sales stay high, while urging customers to purchase more cotton staple pieces for their wardrobes.

Rue La La has long been tapping its large customer base on mobile to bolster sales and maintain a strong presence with its core millennial demographic.

It has also been attempting to cement its status as a leading retailer in social media, especially during peak shopping times such as major holidays. The flash sales retailer and clothing corporation Urban Outfitters are two brands that can transform an ordinary animal photo into a social trend to help achieve engagement with their most dedicated followers (see story).

This past January, Rue La La targeted its user base on publishers’ apps, including USA Today, with a banner ad that featured dynamic product suggestions based on prior searches that were deep-linked to product pages, bringing mobile users directly to the point of sale (see story).

“The campaign is likely to draw more clicks and interest from Rue La La members,” Ms. Lowy said. “The campaign will also help further Cotton Incorporated’s goals by selling more cotton.

“The partnership allows Cotton Incorporated to push cotton in a more targeted setting—in a retail environment when consumers are closer to purchasing apparel.”

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York