M. Gemi Is Forming Innovative Partnerships and Turning Its Customers into Sellers

The world of retail is transforming before our eyes, of that there can be little doubt, and brands in the ecommerce space are finding themselves having to think outside of increasingly challenging boxes to make sure they nurture and retain their audiences.

This is especially true for companies operating in the more luxurious corner of the market as, in the wake of the global COVID-19 crisis where, despite a surge in shopping online, luxury brands didn’t feel the same benefit as those selling entertainment products, fitness equipment, or groceries.

Luxury items such as designer shoes, clothing, and accessories are normally reserved for special nights out, so it’s unsurprising people weren’t as engaged with those corners of the business while stuck inside under lockdown restrictions.

M. Gemi

As an online purveyor of just those kinds of items, fashion ecommerce brand, M. Gemi had struggled to find buyer for its hand crafted fine Italian shoes during the worst days of the pandemic. However, now things are returning to some semblance of normality, M. Gemi’s innovation machine is firing on all cylinders once again.

The first of these innovations takes the form of a special collaboration between the footwear retailer and renowned Italian beer brand, Peroni Nastro Azzurro. The partnership saw the two brands come together to create a special a limited-edition collection of sneakers in an attempt to catch the attention of customers ready to step out on the town once again.

"The partnership with [Peroni] was meant to acknowledge changing consumer trends while celebrating Italian culture," said M. Gemi Cofounder and Chief Merchant, Maria Gangemi. "I have made sure to continue to incorporate comfort into the pieces I choose, while also keeping things easy and stylish. As style seekers head back to the office and in-person happy hours again, our sneaker collaboration will provide the perfect balance of comfort and refinement, all with an Italian twist."

The M. Gemi-Peroni partnership gives both brands a chance to attract new demographics of customers who may have previously engaged with one but not the other and each can play of its strengths to boost awareness and sales of their core offerings.

Turning Customers into Sellers

M. Gemi isn’t stopping there however and has a unique strategy to leverage the most benefit from the customers it attracts in this new landscape – especially those which carry their own volume of clout in the online space.

This innovation sees M. Gemi creating a new social sales program, designed to let its top customers sell its products via their own social media accounts. Customer relationship management brand, Mavely will be providing its Social Sales Teams platform for the endeavor and will encourage retailers to engage with the top 5-10% of their most loyal customers to promote and sell M.Gemi items.

With the technology provided by Mavely, M. Gemi can employ training and engagement tools to help the individuals its working with increase their sales and promotion effectiveness over time. Those who are onboarded into the program also gain access to a custom branded digital sales platform on which they can see their incentives, post content on their social media accounts, track their success, and receive additional training.

There is also a Social Store feature – allowing any member of a sales team to quickly create shareable and shoppable Instagram posts.

"Mavely’s technology has allowed us to easily empower over 2,000 of our customers to be a social sales team for our brand with our M. Gemi Partners Program," said Chief Brand Officer at M. Gemi, Heather Kaminetsky. "Not only do these M. Gemi partners drive revenue and new customers through their sharing of products, but they have created a deep community connection to our brand, helping inform product decisions as we grow."

"As digital advertising costs continue to skyrocket across social platforms, many ecommerce brands are looking for alternative channels of revenue growth and customer acquisition," added Cofounder and CEO at Mavely, Evan Wray. "This is exactly what we are solving for with our new Social Sales Teams offering. We’re seeing a five-year acceleration of ecommerce in a shortened period of time due to the pandemic, and Mavely is providing an alternative channel for digital retailers."

Final Thoughts

Recovery from the COVID-19 crisis is going to take time and innovative thinking. With marketing costs increasing all the time and customers being fickler than ever, brands need to come up with ways to grab their attention and maintain it.

With its intelligent partnership with Peroni and select customers, M. Gemi is demonstrating that it has the innovative spirit necessary to come out of the pandemic swinging.

You can hear M. Gemi President and Cofounder, Cheryl Kaplan, speak at eTail Boston 2022, taking place in August at The Sheraton, Boston.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.