Social Fabric Changed How I Shop

By: Amy Fulcher

We’re all shoppers. We shop at different stores, at different times, for different things. But we are all shoppers. As a part of Social Fabric® I have the opportunity to participate in Shoppertunities. These generate content for my blog and provide feedback for the brand.

While shopping, we create a “Path to Purchase” story that shares photos and insights about how we shop, what catches our eye, and what drives our choices. The creation of those stories is ostensibly information for the brand. I noticed almost immediately that my participation in “shops” was changing how I looked at things when I was in a store. Over one year later, I’ve noticed they are not only telling the brand a story about how I shop. They are telling me too.

Have you ever seen two items on the shelf that were basically the same? Similar ingredients. Similar price. What made you choose one over the other? I noticed that I paid attention to packaging. Certain name brands stood out more than others. Interactive displays caught my attention. I spent more time shopping on aisles with well stocked and neat shelves. I couldn’t stay away from a sign that said “sale”. Occasionally while I was out shopping, I would find myself reaching for my phone to take a picture of something I found interesting. Even if I wasn’t actually participating in a campaign.

Blogging and shoppertunities have also introduced me to new brands. I participated in a campaign for Ecce Panis bread last year. I had never heard of them prior to the campaign. I enjoyed the product and the opportunity to create content around it on my blog. I now buy Ecce Panis bread on a regular basis. What’s more, I regularly mention this brand to others. It’s possible that my best friend is an even bigger fan of Ecce Panis than me now. I just had a discussion with another blogger who mentioned that Ecce Panis has become a regular purchase on her shopping trips too.

These Shoppertunities also create brand loyalty. I recently needed to purchase batteries. Two competing brands were the exact same price but it was easy to decide which to purchase. Energizer had sponsored Champions for Kids and in turn sponsored content on my blog. I happily purchased the Energizer batteries over the competitor without thought.

There’s also the draw to products that I don’t work with directly. I can’t help but be drawn in by the buzz that my fellow Social Fabric members create when a product or campaign is launching. In addition to enjoying their opinions, I enjoy the content they create around the product they are showcasing. And apparently I’m not the only one. Many members recently featured a DVD and pizza night on their blogs as part of an ongoing campaign. A fellow blogger just reported that on her most recent shopping trip, she picked up the DVD and pizza for dinner after being inspired by what she saw.

It’s impossible now to ignore my thoughts as I put each and every item in my shopping cart. Each purchase tells a story. I just had to learn how to listen.

Amy blogs at As The Bunny Hops, where she hops here and there to write about the things she loves. A cooking, crafting and technology enthusiast, Amy is also passionate about early childhood education and children’s causes. When she’s not working with children or writing, Amy is busy planning her next adventure…whenever and wherever that might be! You can follow along on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Google +.

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