“Personalization” is about more than just marketing emails. It’s a process that can go all the way from the product design stage to in-store sales to post-sale follow-ups.
That’s according to Feliz Papich, vp of digital technology, experience and insights at the footwear brand Crocs. Crocs has taken the concept of personalizing products farther than most, particularly through the sale of Jibbitz — small pins and decorative elements sold individually and meant to adorn the rubber uppers of a pair of Crocs.
Those Jibbitz have become an important part of Crocs’s business. Last year, sales of Jibbitz alone surpassed $270 million, making up around 8% of Crocs’s total revenue.
Speaking at The Future of Commerce, a virtual event hosted by Glossy and its sister publication Modern Retail, Papich was joined by other retail executives from fashion, beauty and the consumer goods space. Papich spoke about how Crocs integrates personalization into every stage of its business and how Jibbitz play into the brand’s overall commerce strategy.
Below are a few highlights from Papich’s conversation with Modern Retail’s executive editor, Anna Hensel.
Crocs’s personalization philosophy
“It’s easy to get sucked into the buzzword of personalization. All of these concepts boil down to removing friction. The No. 1 goal is [giving] customers exactly what they’re looking for, as fast as possible. We think of it from the product line, with Jibbitz, to customer segmentation and personalized marketing. We try to personalize our SMS, our emails, even the content people see on social channels. It’s a lot of factors, but it comes down to reducing how hard it is to find what you need.”
The Jibbitz effect
“We’re seeing a lot of engagement with Jibbitz. It’s a product form of personalization. It’s playful, and it’s become a key part of our identity as a brand. There are a lot of copycats out there now. We’re also playing around with how we might bring pre-Jibbitzed bags and shoes to life online. It’s another form of personalization. You can shop the look right from the catalog page, without having to search through 800 Jibbitz and add them to your cart one by one. If you’re inspired, you can just buy the look. There’s always more to learn.”
Working with tech vendors and third-party partners
“A lot of times, we’re just trying to figure out the use case [of a third party] and the value it brings to our team. We have some strong partnerships with vendors who bring a lot to the table. When we’re talking to new vendors, we make sure the right stakeholders are in the room so they can tell us if it’s actually useful to them or not. Is it creating efficiencies for us or bringing value for the customer? You can also push the vendors you already work with. You can go to them and say, ‘I have this use case; do you have anything for that?’ We always tell our vendors that we’re interested in going where they’re going. You have to let them know you have an appetite for experimentation. And sometimes you get to try new things for free and see if the results are there.”
What metrics brands should prioritize
“We’re obsessed with conversion rate. There’s also the add-to-cart rate, average order value, etc. The natural goal is to have more in the basket for consumers. Those are always secondary metrics, but ultimately, if the consumer sees something and they’re converting, then you’re doing your job right.”
