Kendra Scott scored on TikTok with sorority recruits at the University of Alabama

When a brand goes viral, a smart one takes hold of the moment.

That’s what Kendra Scott’s marketing people in Austin did last week when the Texas-based jewelry brand was nicely swept up in the University of Alabama fall student rush.

Kendra Scott was featured repeatedly with hashtag #bamarush posts when freshman women known as #pnms (potential new members) went one after the other on the TikTok social media platform to describe what they added to their daily student connection. Wore rush parties.

“Necklace Kendra Scott.” “Kendra Scott earrings.” “Necklace from Kendra.” “I only wore these Kendra Scott earrings to spice it up, you know.”

The #pnms are not allowed to post which sororities they have invited to another rush event, but they can signal that they are in the thick of it by describing their outfits day in and day out, including the jewelry. There is a hashtag for such a post: #OOTD for outfit of the day.

#bamarush has had more than 330 million views on TikTok.

The presence resulted in 17% more new online customers for the brand than in the previous week, a 24% increase in the number of new customers from the state of Alabama alone and a 600% increase in searches for Kendra Scott on the influencer platform LTK .

Conversion rates, or the rate at which browsers become customers to buy, increased 5% from the previous week, resulting in a nearly 20% increase in sales, said Mindy Perry, chief marketing officer at Kendra Scott.

A group of Phi Mu Sorority Sisters take photos on the morning of Bidding Day on the front steps of their Sorority House during the University of Alabama rush hour August 15 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.(Nathan Hunsinger / Nathan Hunsinger)

TikTok is a tough place for a brand to get attention, Perry said.

Perry’s team watched and listened late into the night last week and started tagging the women who mentioned the brand.

But this is where things got interesting.

“Then they started tagging us,” said Perry. “So we decided to shoot a video about choosing your #bamarush look.”

Kendra Scott on the set of Shark Tank, where she will be a recurring shark from Fall 2020.(Kendra Scott)

Founder Kendra Scott expressed her appreciation in a second TikTok video.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe that. There are so many of you wearing Kendra Scott. That’s great. I’m absolutely obsessed with all of your amazing looks, ”said Scott, who was sitting in her living room looking at the posts on her phone. “I want to say, hey #bamarush, keep it up. How amazing. And I can’t wait to see which university is next. “

Kendra Scott wasn’t the only brand with repeated mentions in the #OOTD TikToks. Chinese clothing retailer Shein was a regular, and the pants store on University Boulevard in Tuscaloolsa was an obvious favorite. It sells a lot more than pants. Richardson’s Fossil, Apple Watch and Golden Goose sneakers have also been mentioned a lot.

There are 17 fraternities on campus, and according to AL.com, more than 2,500 women have gone through the fraternity recruitment process, which began Aug. 7 and ended on Sunday.

The Kendra Scott brand seeks to nurture relationships with sororities that have a mission as service organizations, not just social ones, Perry said. Founder Kendra Scott has made philanthropy a part of the brand’s marketing since she founded the company in 2002.

Brands from GameStop to Neiman Marcus have encouraged their own employees to become influencers on social media platforms. This week Nordstrom launched the “Ambassador Program” for 14-22 year olds who have access to membership experiences and roles in content creation. Kendra Scott has more than 100 women on campus and calls them “our jewels,” said Perry. There’s one at the University of Alabama.

Last year’s rush in Tuscaloosa and other campuses was virtual because of the pandemic.

“The women were finally, as they say, IRL or real life and seemed certain that their personal style was shining through,” Perry said.

The fraternity rush is underway at the University of Texas and will end on Monday. Perry is keeping an eye on it, along with the impending rush at the University of Oklahoma and Louisiana State University.

The #OOTD posts in Alabama could be the start of something big, Perry said. “Do you know how productivity drops in some workplaces during March Madness? I’ve heard from so many people who said I was so sucked into #bamarush! “

Twitter: @MariaHalkias

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