Sephora, known for its technological innovations in marketing and retail, is taking its social engagement strategy one step further by adopting a solution that will reward users with gift cards via social media.

Building on top of its previous relationship with prepaid commerce solutions vendor CashStar, Sephora will be interacting with consumers on social media with a bigger focus on monetary experiences. Loyal customers or those who have had issues with customer service will be able to receive Sephora gift cards directly through social media applications.

“Sephora has embraced innovation and the powerful use of social and mobile marketing to engage consumers and deliver a compelling omnichannel experience,” said Ben Kaplan president and CEO of CashStar.

Social media and Sephora
Retailers are often forced to head to private channels and platforms to solve a problem or reward a loyal follower on social media, which can cause many to drop off and not respond or create communication issues in general. Sephora is hoping to rectify that by reducing the steps in the process.

Partnering with CashStar will allow Sephora to share egift cards directly on whichever social media platform the interaction is taking place, without having to jump to email or phone. Sephora can simply respond on Twitter with the egift card without allowing others access.

For instance, if a customer has had a bad experience with Sephora and makes mention of the issue on twitter, the retailer can then immediately share an egift card with them. The issue could then be instantly rectified.

Sephora’s Twitter feed, reaching out for customer’s service issue

Sephora may even choose to launch a contest on Twitter and award the winner with a gift card through the CashStar solution.

The platform also means that Sephora will not have to pay for any egift cards that have not been claimed. Sephora will only pay when the gift card has been redeemed, eliminating extraneous costs.

CashStar allows partners to track the data and redemption rates of the gift cards, which can give Sephora a bevy of information on how to continue with campaigns and customer service strategies.

Sephora strategy
Sephora has been known as a leader in ecommerce solutions and use of social media and was one of the first beauty retailers to institute the use of chatbots. The retailer recently continued its streak with some extra features for its chatbot service aimed toward improving consumer experience both at home and in-store.

The two new features focus on different areas of the consumer experience. One helps customers book appointments with a Sephora beauty specialist and the other gives customers help with making purchasing decisions on their own (see more).

Sephora also recently experienced a digital gifting revenue growth rate that was eight times faster after its integration with its first partnership with CashStar Commerce, proving that offering the capability on standalone mobile apps can ramp up gift card sales.

The makeup retailer augmented its omnichannel efforts as well as its prepaid commerce program. By partnering up with CashStar, the brand is able to allow customers to instantly purchase and send personalized digital gift cards from any smartphone, tablet or desktop (see more).

CashStar’s latest partnership with Sephora focusing on the social media aspect, allowing it to send the gift cards to Twitter users.

“With CashStar’s new social engagement capabilities, retailers such as Sephora now have new secure opportunities for meaningful, real-time engagement with their clients on social channels,” Mr. Kaplan said.