Zara owners adopt video game as their latest marketing tool!

Specialized in fast fashion, Zara is one of the most successful fashion retail brands in the world. They're the leading company in the Inditex group, the world's largest apparel retailer. Zara is known for implementing advanced production and marketing strategies to hold onto their position. They take pride in flooding stores with styles from the ramp within short time spans. Zara’s most commendable attribute is their customer centric approach that values customer preferences above all things.  Spain’s Inditex SA, Zara’s parent organization, has recently decided to explore a unique marketing avenue. In doing so, they are creating a video game for their Pull & Bear brand.

Responding positively to the latest shift from physical stores to online sales, they have teamed up with Facebook and Instagram to develop the “Pacific Game” to attract younger buyers towards Pull & Bear. The idea is not to pitch direct sales but to develop a relationship with younger customers. The goal here is to become a part of ongoing conversations, to increase brand awareness.

This is not the first time that a clothing brand has harnessed the power of video games for marketing purposes. Previously, the fashion house Burberry created a game called B Surf that was the outcome of their TB Summer Monogram campaign frontlined by model Kendall Jenner.

According to Tim Cooper, the director of brand game maker Peek & Poke, “It’s about adding that extra piece of magic to a brand so that you’re memorable in the minds of your audience.”

In Inditex’s new game, the character will collect clothes along their way from California to Tokyo, avoiding obstacles on the way. Users will have access to the game from Pull & Bear’s Facebook and Instagram page and also from their website.

Considering the recent growth in their e-commerce revenue, Inditex seems determined to invest a significant portion of their planned $3 billion budget towards digital marketing. The video game is a part of the project.

It’s inspiring to see brands coming up with innovative marketing strategies, more so when the focus is building customer relationships and not mere sales generation. Associating with the consumers' personal interests is definitely one of the best tricks a brand can pull, and Inditex seems ready to ace the game!