I’ve recently seen a new policy and PR move that a few companies are implementing, where companies allow customers to “test drive” and try out its products. Yahoo presented an article about the clothing store GU in Japan that allows thirty people a day to try on up to three items of clothing and leave the store without paying for the items. The catch, is that the clothes have to be returned before the end of the day at which time the customer can either return or buy the clothing.
T-Mobile is running a similar campaign allowing potential customers to “test drive” the T-Mobile 4G network for one week. According to T-Mobile’s website, the participant will sign up and receive an iPhone 5s that will be sent to their house. Once the phone arrives and is signed for, the 7-day challenge begins, and the participant is then able to call, text, stream, etc. all for free. After the 7 days it is the participants responsibility to return the phone to a T-Mobile store, without any obligations. If the phone is damaged or not returned a fee will be charged to the participants account.
As noted in the Yahoo article many online companies are operating this way allowing consumers to try out items before they are purchased. This saves companies a lot of money on returns and leaves the consumer satisfied with the purchases they decide to make. From a public relations viewpoint, I think this is a very creative strategy. With these strategies executed, the companies are getting a lot of social media coverage and implementing online customer service perks in the brick-and-mortar experience. T-Mobile’s Facebook and Twitter pages are overflowing with positive posts, in part to offering consumers perks for participating in social media. This method isn’t only encouraging people to be active online, but in the store and involved with the brand.
Sources:
https://shine.yahoo.com/fashion/clothing-store-s-new-policy-lets-you-wear-clothes-out-of-the-store-without-paying-155638745.html
http://explore.t-mobile.com/test-drive-free-trial
T-Mobile is running a similar campaign allowing potential customers to “test drive” the T-Mobile 4G network for one week. According to T-Mobile’s website, the participant will sign up and receive an iPhone 5s that will be sent to their house. Once the phone arrives and is signed for, the 7-day challenge begins, and the participant is then able to call, text, stream, etc. all for free. After the 7 days it is the participants responsibility to return the phone to a T-Mobile store, without any obligations. If the phone is damaged or not returned a fee will be charged to the participants account.
As noted in the Yahoo article many online companies are operating this way allowing consumers to try out items before they are purchased. This saves companies a lot of money on returns and leaves the consumer satisfied with the purchases they decide to make. From a public relations viewpoint, I think this is a very creative strategy. With these strategies executed, the companies are getting a lot of social media coverage and implementing online customer service perks in the brick-and-mortar experience. T-Mobile’s Facebook and Twitter pages are overflowing with positive posts, in part to offering consumers perks for participating in social media. This method isn’t only encouraging people to be active online, but in the store and involved with the brand.
Sources:
https://shine.yahoo.com/fashion/clothing-store-s-new-policy-lets-you-wear-clothes-out-of-the-store-without-paying-155638745.html
http://explore.t-mobile.com/test-drive-free-trial