Retail Brands are not Engaging Women Through Social Media

This post on retailwire discusses how a recent study conducted by ad:tech Chicago and Q Interactive finds that three out of four women do not feel engaged when interacting with a brand via social networks. Matt Wise, president of Q Interactive mentions, "Although women are socializing a lot more with each other, they are not interacting with brands more. The brands are falling behind in this game and they are not opening dialog with women in this arena. We're seeing a divide right now of where the women are leaping ahead of the brand and the brands are struggling to find how best to interact with them."

A small percentage of women who friended brands actually had a positive reaction. Sixty four percent of survey respondents felt neutral and nineteen had a negative reaction. Brand marketers will have to improve on engaging women on social networks in the future.

Shopping Malls and Social Networks?

Retailwire recently posted that The Mall at Robinson in Pittsburgh became the latest mall to launch a social networking site, Shoptopia.

What's interesting about this network, is like others, users will have to signup and create profiles and personalize shopping preferences. The site is able to give exclusive deals and perks to consumers depending on the preferences users selected in their profiles. Shema Krinsky, marketing director at The Mall at Robinson mentioned:

"Shoptopia helps us build relationships with customers and provides them with information about the retailers and promotions that are specifically relevant to them. This allows us to translate the online shopping experience into a trip to the mall for people who love the experience of shopping in a store."

Will we see other shopping malls across the US launch similar social networks?

Select2gether allows for social shopping

Killer Startups has featured a new online shopping community that will be sure to draw internet shoppers from everywhere. Social shopping comes to life with Select2gether.com.

The website:
will empower anybody to specify what it is that he or she wants to buy and then receive the advice and insight of fellow site users. When doing so, the shopper can also let other know whether shopping locally or online is the order of the day.

Do you think that this has a future for shoppers? As the next generation grows up, will they be more likely to shop online and use functions like this than the current generation?