For Urban Decay’s JOIN Stories activation we aimed to reach a Gen Z audience, to test and learn what type of content converts within their customer journey. JOIN pioneered a web-based version of the popular "Stories" format that blends video, audio, images, animation and text to create a dynamic consumer experience. Our Urban Decay x JOIN Stories campaign tested different content types, image formats and placements for impact on conversion rates. The Web Stories integrated were composed of UGC content tested against branded content and image formats tested traditional “story” format versus a disruptive vertical card version.
The way we proceeded was simple but powerful. We A/B tested the homepage and product pages with different format and positioning of the Web Stories. Then we tested content type, comparing UGC versus brand content to measure engagement.
Image Placement – We tested the impact of JOIN Stories location, both above and below navigation, and above and below the fold.
Image Format – JOIN Stories have the more traditional “story” format shown as a circular image as well as a disruptive tall vertical card.
Brand Content – Urban Decay branded content was utilized, including influencer and behind the scenes imagery.
UGC Content – Content created by the Urban Decay community was tested, to evaluate level of engagement.
Our goals were not only to have a positive effect on brand authenticity, but also enage with our Gen Z shoppers. With our KPI of conversion in mind, the JOIN Web Stories activation was very successful! For results, we looked at the revenue generated, conversion rate and the add to cart with and without Web Stories. Through the A/B tests we have results showing clear wins: engagement of UGC content is higher than brand content, and the disruptive and visually impactful vertical format show uplift in conversion and revenue!
