COVID-19 Learning: Success in Shifting Focus to Online Retail

As states began to call for shutdowns for what was, at first, planned for two weeks and eventually carried out for several months, GreenRoom’s home & apparel client Cariloha had to devise a strategy that would keep revenue coming in while their retail show rooms across the country were closed.

No stranger to operation during difficult economic times, the Cariloha team was well-equipped to handle this new challenge. The company itself launched amidst the economic recession of the late 2000s and managed to flourish and thrive. They were ready to face this scenario once again with Covid-19, and this time, they turned to GreenRoom to help carry out their plan.

While Cariloha has always had an active and thriving online retail presence, the company saw much success with the personal touch of brick and mortar retail shopping at their showroom locations across the country. With strategic placements in cruise ports and deep ties within the industry, it proved to be a harmonious sales relationship for more than a decade. Now, with the showrooms closed and ships docked, it became essential to drive customers to Cariloha.com and Cariloha’s Amazon profile to keep a healthy bottom line in order to be able to re-open retail locations and maintain jobs when pandemic closures were lifted.

Leveraging a mix of owned media coverage and organic earned media product spotlights and reviews, many naming Cariloha products as best-of their recommendation lists, the GreenRoom team kept the flow of top tier coverage steady and drove consumers to Cariloha’s website and Amazon store. Sourcing out coverage opportunities that centered around home refreshes and simple room updates, sustainable products for a healthy home, and soft, comfortable apparel for working from home or working out at home, Cariloha was easily positioned as a company that could help fill many of the new needs consumers faced while in quarantine. Connecting with media who have strong affiliate marketing programs, GreenRoom helped position Cariloha’s Amazon presence as a valued source for products that fit their strict affiliate requirements. Working with the brand to share sales and discount opportunities also helped to position Cariloha products as top quality affordable luxury and necessary essentials in tough economic times.

GreenRoom’s media strategies helped propel Cariloha towards record high digital, far exceeding their expectations. The brand noted that the month of May 2020 saw an impressive 70% ecommerce growth over the month of May 2019, with a 21% increase in website traffic from March through May 2020, and a growth of over 540,000 unique users exploring the brand’s offerings on Cariloha.com in that two-month period. This is almost unheard-of growth in dour economic times and another huge victory for a client who has proven success amidst a tough economic climate. With GreenRoom’s help, Cariloha continues to defy the odds in a challenging economy that helps perpetuate the brand’s growth for the long-term future.