Is Your Brand Prepared For The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?

If you’re a high-end retailer, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale will inevitably impact your DTC site and your advertising campaigns.

DTC brands need to implement strategies to maximize their acquisitions during this period. Using strategic messaging and promotional tactics, brands can maintain relevancy and increase conversions.

Recognize what Nordstrom does well, and if you can offer the same things to your shoppers, communicate it. Nordstrom has a reputation for: variety, an unparalleled in-store experience, quick shipping, hassle-free returns, etc.

While most DTC brands, especially one growing, can't offer everything that a big retailer would, you can focus on specific values. For example, if your brand can deliver free shipping and an exceptional online shopping experience, speak to it in your organic and paid messaging during the sale.

Differentiate your brand

‍Lean into what you can offer that Nordstrom can’t. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are benefits to being a smaller brand than Nordstrom.

Do you have SKUs on your DTC site that they don’t carry? Highlight them in your emails, ads, text messages, etc., during those weeks. And, of equal importance, a message about the scarcity of those products through phrases like “available only at [your website]” or “limited production quantities available at [your website].

Create value adds

Offer a different type of added value to your customer. Many high-end brands try not to discount, which is a good thing for healthy brand growth. However, during Anniversary Sale, they may be required to.

While it’s important to offer consistent pricing for similar products, if you are really trying to limit the occasions and opportunities for markdowns, you can offer shoppers a different type of added value, like Gift with Purchase or free two-day shipping to earn the transaction.

Many times, whether conscious or not, shoppers are more attracted to added value than discounting, especially those who are luxury brand consumers.

Scale your ad budgets

Scale your ad budgets. It is difficult to fight off inflated CPMs due to the market demand during those weeks. When demand for ads increases, so does the cost of your placements. That means your budgets will have to grow if you want the same results you’ve seen in the weeks and months leading up to the sale.

If you don’t want to put pressure on your campaigns, scale back and take the weight off your lower funnel. Take advantage of the heightened consumer activity and run awareness campaigns that are traditionally less expensive. You may not see an increase in ROAS immediately, but if executed properly, you will ultimately see longer-term gains and broader brand awareness.

Lean on organic content

Keep your organic content calendar loaded. Consumers will be shopping during the weeks that Nordstrom runs its sale, which means more eyeballs will be online. Keep your content fresh and full so that when users scroll through the various social media platforms, yours gets their thumb to stop.