Zappos the world’s largest online shoe retailer, was one of the first companies to incorporate social media into its business, and it has established itself as a leader in its use. Zappos sells women’s, men’s, and kid’s shoes as well as clothing, bags, and more. The Amazon-owned company focuses on building customer relationships through human interaction and emphasizes comments related to service and fun. For example, if a customer experiences a problem with an order or has a question about a product, the Zappos team ensures that these comments are responded to honestly, authentically, and in a timely manner. Sometimes customers will leave fun comments about their experience with the company. Zappos takes these comments just as seriously. Both instances are at the heart of its operations, which is to “deliver happiness.” 

Zappos does not maintain a specific strategy for marketing on social media, nor does it have a policy for responding to customers. As with any Zappos activity, marketing is guided by the company’s core values, including creating “WOW” customer experiences and a culture characterized by fun and a little weirdness. If customers are congregating on Facebook, Zappos makes sure to have a presence there so it can engage them in conversation. In fact, Kenshoo, a digital marketing specialist, has recognized Zappos’ Facebook activity for its effectiveness. Over a 2-month period, the company initiated 85,000 visits to its webpage through status updates. Forty-two percent of these updates led to purchases, while the other 58 percent left comments or likes on the webpage. 

Questions for Discussion

1. Describe some ways in which Zappos uses digital media tools

2. How does Zappos encourage word-of-mouth marketing through digital media

3. How does Zappos use digital media to create an authentic relationship with consumers