Sephora is driving customers to mobile messaging platform Kik in a new contest asking users to answer three questions and enabling the retailer to build its audience on the platform while gaining shopper insights.

The retailer is acquiring a wide range of information on its shoppers through the contest in which participants must respond to a series of questions to help tailor future services. Sephora is spreading the word on its corresponding social media platforms in the hopes of promoting awareness of the contest and garnering more users on its chatbot platform.

“We are always looking for new ways to engage with our clients, across all of our social media platforms,” said Bindu Shah, vice president of digital marketing at Sephora. “The sweepstakes was a first for us as well as Kik.

“With the incentive of a gift card, Kik users will see how easy and fun it is to interact with the Sephora bot. Once the quiz is done, users are prompted to dive deeper into Sephora’s beauty content on the platform,” she said. “From our early results on Kik, we know that once she is engaged with our bot, she sends multiple messages back and forth.

“We are excited to continue to test new ways to engage with our Kik audience, leveraging the unique aspects of their bot ecosystem.”

Beauty questionnaire
Beauty product fans are entering a contest to win a $100 gift card to Sephora through mobile messaging application Kik. Followers on its various social media platforms such as Snapchat and Twitter were prompted to download the app and add Sephora’s official account for a chance to win.

Kik users who were already following Sephora on the app automatically received a message for a chance to enter. The message read: “want to win a $100 Sephora gift card, enter the exclusive sweepstakes on Kik now through May 29, just answer three questions to enter.”

Sephora’s chatbot on Kik automatically provides curated responses for its questions. For instance, after users received the message to enter the contest, participants selected “tell me more” through a button within the keyboard to enter.

After the chatbot shares information regarding legal aspects of the contest, users select “let’s get started” to continue onto the contest. Sephora asks participants questions such as “are you a beauty insider,” “which in-store Beauty Classes are you most interested in” and “what is your favorite makeup brand.”

Once users have completed the questionnaire, they are automatically entered for a chance to win the $100 gift card. Three participants will be notified on June 1.

The Sephora chatbot then automatically reverts back to its normal user experience and asks users what kind of tip would they like to learn. The seamless transition drives Kik interactions with consumers who may not have previously done so, and were not sure how the experience worked.

Sephora innovations
Sephora’s recent debut on messaging app Kik is a reflection of the push towards conversational commerce through chatbots and how to drive sales with one-to-one experiences on mobile that mimic in-store interactions (see more).

The retailer also leveraged sponsored content on Facebook to promote its Color Correcting Crash Course, which lets consumers discover their best-suited colors for combating undereye circles before inviting them to shop these items on the retailer’s mobile site (see more).

“The goals of the Kik sweepstakes are to continue the conversation (and engagement) with our existing Kik followers and to grow our Kik follower base,” Ms. Shah said. “In the process we are also finding out a bit more about our Kik audience through a short three-question quiz.”