Sephora Direct: Investing in Social Media, Video, and Mobile

Posted: 4 Feb 2012

See all articles by Elie Ofek

Elie Ofek

Harvard Business School - Marketing Unit

Alison Berkley Wagonfeld

Harvard University - Business School (HBS)

Date Written: June 30, 2011

Abstract

Julie Bornstein, senior vice president of Sephora Direct, is seeking to double her budget for social media and other digital marketing initiatives for 2011. A number of digital efforts implemented in the past two years seem to be bearing fruit, and there is a desire to intensify Sephora's social media, online video, and mobile presence. Bornstein must justify the need for the additional funding, determine how best to allocate the money across the various platforms, and establish effective ways to measure return on investment (ROI) for digital marketing spending . She must also take into account that the funding requested will likely come at the expense of Sephora's traditional marketing programs. Importantly, Bornstein needs to begin thinking about a cohesive long-term strategy that clearly identifies the role digital platforms play and how they help Sephora maintain its leadership position in the prestige beauty care space. The constant emergence of new players, such as Groupon and Shop Socially, the growing power of social media platforms such as Facebook, and the way consumer behavior and user generated content are rapidly evolving in a digital era, make her task all the more challenging.

Learning Objective: To explore considerations in developing a digital/social-media marketing strategy and justifying its components.

Suggested Citation

Ofek, Elie and Wagonfeld, Alison Berkley, Sephora Direct: Investing in Social Media, Video, and Mobile (June 30, 2011). Harvard Business School Marketing Unit Case No. 511-137, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1998292

Elie Ofek (Contact Author)

Harvard Business School - Marketing Unit ( email )

Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
United States
617-495-6301 (Phone)
617-496-5853 (Fax)

Alison Berkley Wagonfeld

Harvard University - Business School (HBS) ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan 270C
Boston, MA 02163
United States

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