Pandora_Annual_Report_2018

P A N D O R A A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 8 C O N T E N T S O U R B U S I N E S S 2 6 We use social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to communicate our brand story, build relationships with our customers, and inspire consumers to be a part of our growing community. These channels are an integral part of our digital mar- keting strategy and an increasing source of online sales. Research suggests that around 80% of consumers conduct research online before making an in-store purchase, and about 50% read product reviews before buying a product. Social search is increas- ingly important in this respect and has eclipsed search engines as the preferred research channel in certain markets. To take advantage of this, we showcase our products and share oth- er engaging content around our brand on social media channels. This not only increases brand awareness, but also enables us to direct customers straight to our online stores. In 2018, around 3% of our online sales came from direct clicks on social media. Social media also contribute to offline sales, as customers are inspired to visit our physical stores after engaging with online content. When it comes to Facebook, we lead the jewellery industry with more than twice as many followers than our nearest competitor. But we can still do more. So, in 2018 we implemented a number of initiatives to further grow our base of followers. This included introducing a Facebook Messen- ger chatbot in the UK. The chatbot uses artifi- cial intelligence to simulate a brand represen- tative that can take requests, answer questions PANDORA IN DETAIL Connecting with Customers on Social Media and ultimately guide the customer to the right product. This kind of ‘conversational commerce’ is an important competitive parameter, as customers increasingly demand 24-hour customer service. We also introduced dynamic product advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. This mobile-friendly ad format allows us to deliver better timed and more relevant ads to potential customers as they browse through their social media feed, resulting in higher click- through rates and store traffic. Followers love to see our products up close to get a better look at the intricate details. An Instagram post with these Pandora Shine crown rings from our Spring 2018 collection generated 187,000 interactions 1 . - Laura Olesen, Social Marketing Manager 14.8 million followers on Facebook 2017: 13 million 5.6 million followers on Instagram 2017: 3.7 million For the fourth consecutive year, the industry magazine Professional Jeweller declared Pandora the brand with the highest reach on social media in the UK jewellery trade in 2018. 1 'Interactions' includes likes and comments to a post.