Lesson #4 - Maintaining the Love

I love David’s Bridal so much that this week’s post is dedicated to that socially savvy and totally trendy Bride loving brand all over again!

Visiting David’s Bridal’s website is a fun, enjoyable, and informative experience for Brides of all kinds. It’s updated constantly with the latest additions to their various collections including bridal gowns, bridesmaid’s dresses, shoes, accessories and much more. With daily deals and online promotions, sometimes the website is more effective than an in-person stop at a David’s Bridal store!

There are several sections of the website that take a Bride far past just browsing for her gown or her bridal party dresses and introduce fresh and new content. The “Dress Your Wedding” link takes her to a virtual world where she can create her entire bridal party and actually put them in their outfits. She can even change the background to fit something closer to her actual wedding atmosphere. This option gives her the ability to “see” what her wedding party will look like when they are standing next to her.

The “Color &Style Inspiration” link brings her to a place where she can do just that…get inspired. There are links to the David’s Bridal catalog and look book, to the latest bridal trends, to real life wedding stories, and of course, to their blog and social media sites. One of the neatest features in this section is the “Find Your Figure” tool. It allows her to click on the body figure that most resembles her own and then gives her ideas for the types of dress that will look most faltering on her.

There is also a “WeddingSolutions” link that offers her advice on various parts of the wedding planning process, apart from dress and shoe buying. This section of the site shows viewers that David’s Bridal is more than just a wedding dress retailer, but that they are also true industry professionals with a great knowledge for their product and beyond. With links to local vendors, tips and advice articles, photographers, reception services and much more, it shows that David’s Bridal is a true expert when it comes to helping you plan your special day.

One of the best features of the David’s Bridal website is their “My Event” section. This is a great way to get Brides hooked on their site and coming back for more than just dresses and shoes and really plays to that “industry professional” piece we just talked about. The My Event site provides her with all of the tools needed to plan her special day. From a budget calculator to a shopping list, this is her virtual filing cabinet and will help keep her on task with the planning process. The best part – it’s completely mobile friendly! 

As you can see, David’s Bridal’s website is a fun and interactive place for Brides to play, dream, create, and be inspired. With “share” and “like” buttons on every buyable item’s page, it’s easy for users to share their findings with friends and followers alike. The best part about their website though is that you can continue dreaming and creating on your smart phone as well! Their mobile website is user friendly and easy to navigate, just like their online version, so the planning doesn’t have to stop when you leave your computer.

In visiting the David’s Bridal website, you will encounter some “push marketing” tactics like a pop up chat window that allows you to speak directly with a David’s Bridal representative, emails that offer promotions and insider tips on the latest trends in the wedding industry, and pop up ad windows showing off their exclusive wedding invitation collection. They also make great use of “pull marketing” techniques by giving you the opportunity to sign up for email newsletters, being the first link when “wedding dresses” is searched on Google, an opportunity to sign up for text messages alerts on promotions and trends,  and offer great real-life advice and stories on their official blog site.

Throughout all of David’s Bridal’s multiple online outlets, consistent branding and theming is seen on every platform. From Facebook to Twitter and Instagram to banner ads and websites, the use of their logo and similar colors (depending on the fashion season of course) makes it easy to navigate between each site and never feel lost or confused.

There isn’t a lot about the David’s Bridal website, or brand in general, that I would change. However, there is always room for improvement. I think that marketing their My Event tool more could prove quite useful. I had never even heard of their event tools until pretty recently, I thought that only brands with planning tools were The Knot and Wedding Wire. These two brands also off their planning tools in an app, something David's Bridal could benefit from greatly. It’s also pretty difficult to find their blog on their website and social media platforms. In fact, I’m not entirely sure how I happened upon in the first place. The only way I could find the link to it on their website, was at the VERY bottom of the site in a “Connect With Us” section that houses links to their Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube accounts. They obviously have a great presence in social media, but I feel like they could do a better job of sharing that with their website visitors.

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Lesson #3 - You'll Love David's Bridal

With nearly 2.5 million weddings happening each year in the United States alone, it’s easy to assume how bridal superstore, David’s Bridal has become the most successful bridal retailer in the nation. According to ScottRogers, Director of Strategic Planning for David’s Bridal, from 2006 to 2007 two-thirds of all brides shopped at a David’s Bridal location! One of the many reasons David’s Bridal attracts such a large audience is their “David’sBridal difference.” Rogers explained that this means offering customers the ability to try on dresses in her size and color, and know exactly what she is purchasing (and at a reasonable price too). A stark contrast from the industry standard’s strategy of carrying sample dresses in just a few sizes and making their customers wait several months to “officially” try on their dress.

So how did David’s Bridal get their brand and idea seen in the first place? An incredible integrated marketing campaign – that’s how! David’s Bridal started as a small Fort Lauderdale bridal salon in 1950 and was purchased in 1972 by entrepreneur PhilYoutie. Youtie noticed in the 1980s that Brides were changing; he said, “I saw a busy, intelligent bride-to-be who didn’t have the time, patience, or money to shop for a wedding gown the old way.” Using this insight and analysis, David’s Bridal opened David’sBridal Warehouse in 1990, a first of its kind bridal superstore, offering discounted designer replica wedding dresses in all sizes and shapes. While it was met with industry criticism, budget conscience Brides fell in love with the concept! In 1994 and 1995, David’s Bridal doubled in size from 14 to 36 stores – fast forward to today and David’s Bridal operates more than 300stores nationwide.

So what kind of marketing strategy are we talking about exactly? Sure, David’s Bridal has seen incredible growth and evolution over the past 60 years, but how have their marketing strategies evolved? Simple, they have kept up with the latest and greatest technology creations!

In 1996, you could find this bridal gem on your television! That catchy tune, “You’ll love David’s Bridal,” has been a staple in the companies television commercials since the very beginning…admit it, you’re singing along right now too!

While their television commercials have evolved over the years, incorporating the latest fashion trends and hooking you with incredible sales and promotional offers, that catchy tune has remained a consistent piece of their marketing and advertising scheme.

Television is not the only place you’ll find David’s Bridal marketing on display. Have you ever opened one of the many bridal magazines on display at the grocery store checkout counter? If so, you’ve probably seen a David’s Bridal print ad like the ones pictured here. Often times, these ads also contain coupons or promotional offerings that the reader can redeem at a David’s Bridal location (or even online)..

David’s Bridal also has a presence at nearly every Bridal Show or Expo happening across the country! Bringing along samples of their latest collections, free giveaways for attendees, and helpful brand representatives that are passionate and knowledgeable about their product – couple those elements with the consistent use of their iconic logo and you’ve got a winning combination...and one I’m certainly going to pay attention to.

Speaking of consistency, have you ever stepped foot into more than one David’s Bridal store? If so, you probably haven’t noticed much a difference. Racks and racks of dresses in the front and fitting rooms in the back, it seems pretty standard but the consistent feel offers shoppers a sense of comfort and knowledge while browsing. 

One of the most helpful aspects of my recent David’s Bridal experience is their “Wish List." While I am getting married Florida, my bridesmaids will be coming from all over the country. I was able to go to my local David’s Bridal, pick out my bridesmaid dresses (and shoes), and add it to my “Wish List.” Now, all my bridal party needs to do is go to their local David’s Bridal and say they need items from Lacee’s Wish List. The associate can pull my Wish List from their database and my girls will know exactly what to purchase – super helpful and calms any nerves about your girls getting the wrong dress. After my in-store visit, I now get emails weekly about specials, promotions, and the latest additions to their various collections.

But don’t forget…I mentioned that David’s Bridal was keeping their fingers on the pulse of not just the latest fashion trends but also the latest advances in technologies. As Brides have gotten increasingly more mobile and virtual, David’s Bridal has had no choice but to keep up with the changing industry. They have an incredibly informative website that allows Brides to search their vast inventory at the click of a button. It's easy to register and quickly start receiving exclusive emails. However, it’s become more than just shopping for HER wedding dress; today’s Bride is looking for a one-stop-shop, a place she can browse (and potentially purchase) bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dresses, shoes, accessories, etc. David’s Bridal has answered her demands with an enormous inventory of personal and designer collections to dress her entire bridal party from head to toe. With the 2012 launch of their mobile website, Brides can literally have it all at their fingertips everywhere they go. KeelyConley, Director of e-Commerce for David’s Bridal said, “Mobile is key to the future of David’s Bridal’s multichannel experience…As a brand, being present across a broad range of consumer touch points is critical in strengthening our relationships with customers.” You can even join a text message club with David’s Bridal to receive bridal alerts and offers straight to your phone.

While the website has been a great tool in enhancing David’s Bridal’s marketing scheme, they knew it was also time to expand into the ever growing social media world. With the creation of official David’s Bridal Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and blog pages, I’d say David’s Bridal is doing pretty well keeping up with the times! Each of these platforms offer ways for David’s Bridal to reach their consumers in ways that Phil Youtie would have never thought possible in 1972. These platforms allow fans, followers, and David’s Bridal themselves to share personal stories about their experiences, tell their own stories on a public platform, and share tips and tricks with the ever-emotional bridal community. Each of these social outlets helps to foster relationships between consumers and the brand better than any television or print advertisement ever could.

David’s Bridal has clearly done a great job of blending outbound marketing (television commercials, print ads, and in-person sales expos) with inbound marketing tactics (websites, emails, and social media platforms). So well, in fact, that David’s Bridal was honored as a Silver Winner at the 2012Channel Innovation Awards for its “innovative approaches to connecting brides to personalized wedding planning resources through its online web store and creative a cohesive brand experience no matter how or where their customers shop.”

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