#MarketingExcellenceAwards SG 2021 highlights: CapitaStar eyes Gen Z dollars by dazzling with entertainment

Lifestyle and shopping programme CapitaStar realised that most of its consumers comprised of early Millennials and Gen X. According to CapitaStar, Gen Zs were starting to enter the workforce and are committed to the independence of spending what they earn. CapitaStar was also aware of the spending power of these individuals and decided to launch a campaign to tap into this demographic. 

Partnering with Merkle, CapitaStar unveiled its "CapitaStar Live 247" campaign to recruit Gen Z shoppers. The campaign managed to impress the judges and clinch the bronze award for Excellence in Loyalty Marketing at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Marketing Excellence Awards Singapore 2021. 

Challenges 

Although aware of the positive merits a Gen Z shopper would bring to the brand, it was without its challenges. For instance, recruitment has not been easy for CapitaStar, especially with CapitaLand Malls being a physical shopping area. Gen Zs, on the other hand, tend to gravitate towards eCommerce platforms such as Shopee and Lazada. This is attributed to the character traits associated with this demographic, indicating these individuals as tech-savvy and highly familiar with the usage of an app. Another challenge that CapitaStar realised was the lack of brand loyalty Gen Zs had to a brand or store. In fact, these individuals are more inclined to shop at places that were more affordable or offered a better deal. 

Aware of the challenges faced with targeting Gen Z, CapitaStar partnered with Merkle to come up with various solutions. According to CapitaStar, it had three key points to focus on:

1. Generating brand awareness among Gen Zs 
2. Tailored content and messaging for Gen Zs 
3. Increase engagement with Gen Zs 

Solution 

To combat these challenges, CapitaStar formulated CapitaStar Live 247, the biggest CapitaStar shopping event on 24 July 2021. Similar to how online shopping platforms such as Shopee and Lazada used their "11.11 Singles' Day", CapitaStar wanted to create a series of shopping festivals that were available monthly. The aim was to create excitement among the Gen Zs to look forward to each shopping festival. 

Banking on fresh and entertaining content, CapitaStar and Merkle sough to provide a shoppertainment live show, an interactive offline to online shopping event that was formulated to push the boundaries of retail with innovative offerings. This also extended the social experience of shopping in CapitaLand malls to the living rooms and mobile phones of the Gen Zs. While CapitaStar partnered with big media production house Night Owl Cinematics and well-known celebrities for its past editions, the CapitaStar Live 247 live stream on July 2021 featured its very own produced live show. 

In addition to providing a shoppertainment live show, CapitaStar also integrated a #HelloIAm contest to find its next social media ambassador. With Gen Zs found mostly on the social media space, CapitaStar and Merkle envisioned that the idea of a social media ambassador would be one of the best to resonate with these individuals. The #HelloIAm contest also took inspiration from the K-pop music genre, which CapitaStar understood to be a genre that was popular among Gen Zs. 

Aware that these individuals valued authenticity and transparency, CapitaStar decided to utilise the power of emotional branding to send its viewers on a journey. By watching finalists that were relatable to them, CapitaStar aimed to generate feelings of involvement among these individuals and those participating. 

Execution 

Tailoring to three different personas (beauty fashionistas, fitness enthusiasts, and foodies), CapitaStar also banked influencers such as Christabel Chua, Tyen Rasif, and Aiken Chia to attract viewership. 

1. Combining reality TV and star search

The #HelloIAm finalists went head-to-head in a series of challenges, which included themes of fashion and beauty, fitness and a food review masterclass. The contestants also had to film and produce content such as videos, photos, and reviews featuring fashion merchandise, beauty products and food items from CapitaLand malls, Capita3Eats and eCapitaMall while showcasing their personalities. Aside from providing advice surrounding content creation, influencers Christabel Chua, Tyen Rasif, and Aiken Chia also aimed to aspire future content creators who were watching the show to pick up tips. 

2. Shoppertainment livestream featuring influencers

According to CapitaStar, live streaming helps to bridge the omnichannel retail gap as consumers no longer need to see the physical products in the store. This is extremely relatable for consumers in the Gen Z demographic as it provides not only convenience for shoppers, but also for influencers to use their star power. 

3. Leverage the use of social media to amplify the reach of CapitaStar Live 247

To amplify the views of the videos, the power of social media was harnessed to engage with the target audience and communicate unique offerings and promotions. There were a total of 24 social media posts across two weeks to build up hype for the big event on July 2021. Partnering with Merkle, CapitaStar placed several targeted ads that drove link clicks to the #HelloIAm campaign landing page on specific channels such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Audience Network, Facebook Messenger, and programmatic. "These channels were selected as they have been identified as the most popular social media platforms among Gen Zs," said CapitaStar. 

Results 

Since the launch of the CapitaStar Live 247 campaign, there was an increase in the number of Gen Zs who signed up for the CapitaStar app. The campaign was well-received by Gen Zs, and CapitaStar saw an increase in spending from these individuals. Furthermore, the 247 livestream also helped to acquire new customers to eCapitaMall and Capita3Eats and reactivated customers who stopped buying from the platforms.