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Fashion Square

Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Fashion Square's market, the upscale San Fernando valley, is Internet country, with rates of home computer ownership and personal Internet access well above national averages. To Fashion Square, that presented both a challenge and an opportunity: Technology enabled its customers to easily shop the world from home—but it might also help the center communicate with them more easily and build stronger ties with them.

Fashion Square already had in place a successful Shopping for Students program, in which shoppers earn points for their children's elementary schools by redeeming receipts at the concierge desk. The schools with the most points receive prizes ranging from $200 to $2,500 for new computers, software, and books. Some 16,000 local families were registered to participate on behalf of 25 elementary schools. Adding an e-mail component to the program would enable the center to communicate with that database more quickly, easily, and cost-effectively; increase the program's visibility; and ultimately expand the program.

IMPLEMENTATION The team created a postcard inviting Shopping for Students families to participate in the e-mail program, with which the center would announce special events and store openings, as well as sales and bonus point opportunities expressly for Shopping for Students members. Bonus points were offered as an incentive for returning the permission cards. The cards were distributed at each school by student coordinators who were also responsible for their return within a month. Although all other communications would take place online—at the participant's convenience—shoppers would still have to visit Fashion Square to shop and to redeem their receipts at the concierge desk.

In preparation for the launch, the center installed a new e-mail system solely for communicating with the program participants. As the program matures, the center will develop a database of purchasing information that will enable it to carefully target e-mails to specific customer groups.

RESULTS In the program's first month, participants redeemed more than $3 million in receipts, an increase of 9.6% over the receipts redeemed during the entire 1998–99 school year. Since its launch in May, ten of the 25 schools have each accumulated more than a million points.

CREDIT

Owned by: Prudential UK

Managed by: Jones Lang LaSalle

Professional recognition to: Shana Yao, marketing director; Ruth Tewalt, CSM, CMD, vice president, general manager; Carol Sullivan, SCMD, regional marketing manager; Laura Howard, SCMD, vice president, director of consumer marketing.

EXPENSES

Postcard graphics/printing/return postage…$6,660

Database creation…750

E-mail program creation…1,000

Monthly e-mail administration…250

Total…$8,660