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A retail store may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a world-renowned publishing company like National Geographic. Jill Dvorak, director of merchandising and marketing at National Geographic Partners, finds it quite an exciting undertaking.
With a brand people recognize through various channels like television, magazines and social media, “you’re given an ability to leverage that brand with customers,” Dvorak says. Merchandise that complements the brand is recognizable, and that appeals to customers.
In this week’s episode of Retail Gets Real, Dvorak explains how National Geographic connects content and community with commerce as a strategy for building customer loyalty.
National Geographic may be 129 years old, but it has been quick to adapt to ever-changing consumer trends and technology. Today, it’s among the top accounts on Instagram and Facebook.
Jill Dvorak (front left) in the studio with Retail Gets Real co-hosts Bill Thorne (front right), Artemis Berry (back right) and Jessica Hibbard (back left).
With an extensive collection of content and venerable reputation, Dvorak finds plenty of ideas to build on. The challenge is linking products for sale online to the organization’s ethos of exploring the world and bringing it back to share with everyone at home. “The National Geographic store and catalog has always been able to shop the world and bring it to the customers,” she says.
Listen to this week’s episode to learn how Dvorak helps expand the prestige of the National Geographic brand through e-commerce.
Artemis Berry is a co-host on NRF’s Retail Gets Real. Meet all the co-hosts and learn more about the show.