Wouldn't it be incredible to have one of your products go viral? Assuming you have the infrastructure to support it, of course. Now that social media marketing is becoming a powerful method of reaching target customers, countless brands have found themselves under the unexpected strain of viral demand. And if social media can make you look awesome, it's more than capable of doing the opposite if you aren't ready for it.
RFID tech could be a fantastic way to get your inventory in order, forecast potential demand, get ahead of ordering turnaround times, and stay on top of things. Our experts show you how…
The perks (and dangers) of social media virality
Social media can be a great way to reach your target customer. But do you know just how good it really is? According to a 2024 social commerce study, 82% use social media for product discovery and research. In terms of the split, YouTube is the frontrunner for product research (52%), followed by Facebook (45%), Instagram (38%) and TikTok (34%).
It’s not all about research either — consumers are also using social media to make purchases. 40% of Gen Z respondents said they’d purchased on TikTok in the last 6 months, and 53% of Millennials purchased on Facebook. One-third of Gen Z and Millennials even expressed complete trust in social media influencer marketing.
The numbers look fab on paper, but if you aren't prepared for the onslaught that viral customer demand can bring, it could be a disaster for your brand. It's wildly unpredictable and can cause massive backlogs with ordering and bury your customer service team in emails. Whether you're courting virality or want to prepare for it just in case, RFID retail tech should be your go-to tool.
How RFID can help you own your viral product moment
Getting to grips with your inventory
Your ability to survive and thrive after a viral social media moment all depends on the strength of your inventory accuracy. The last thing you want to do is keep selling SKUs long after you've hit a stockout, creating a vast backlog and some very angry customers with access to social media.
In our experience, RFID can get you up to 99 percent inventory accuracy, which can revolutionize how much transparency you have over your stock volumes across every touchpoint. Furthermore, it can help you break into the omnichannel retail model, essential to serve modern-day shopping habits, especially when consumers are skipping between shopping on their phones, desktop, and in-store.
Smarter ordering, better planning
After their "Offline Real Me High Waisted Crossover Leggings" went unexpectedly viral on TikTok in 2020, American Eagle Outfitters-owned brand Aerie did numbers. They received a whopping 130,000 emails enquiring about the products, snagged 700,000 product searches on their site, and moved so much stock that they struggled to order enough. That’s the true power of virality, right there!
RFID can give you more accurate data — an essential ingredient for better forecasting and lightning-quick commercial action. Because let’s be real: your AI and machine learning models are dead in the water without good quality data. Better yet, RFID delivers this accurate data in real-time, so you can restock fast-moving SKUs, amp up customer service resources, and channel more power to your servers. Forewarned is forearmed, and all that!
Quicker replenishment in-store
Brick-and-mortar stores like Target and TJ Maxx regularly have viral products that prompt customers to queue outside the stores before opening. Intelligent labeling like RFID can quickly show you which SKUs are moving fast. You'll have all the real-time info you need to capitalize on the trend, so you can re-merchandize, adjust your ordering volumes, swiftly source from local stores or online warehouses, or replenish from the back room. After all, if it’s not out on the shop floor, customers can’t buy it!
Getting started with RFID
There are tons of ways to approach an RFID project. Your route will depend on your budget, turnaround time, the number of SKUs you'd like to tag, and whether you want to approach it as an 'evolution' or 'revolution'. That's before you get to the vast number of inlay options and application methods. And that's why we'd recommend working with RFID and apparel labeling experts rather than attempting it solo.
Experts like ours have loads of experience with RFID project planning, rollout, and support. We’ve also got the resources and smarts to design (and make!) custom RFID inlay solutions and help you choose the best option for your goals and KPIs. Your viral moment is a challenge we’ll happily accept — we’ve had similar experiences when helping our partner brands navigate difficult stocking situations after COVID and assisted with noodling out dynamic stocking across multiple stores. Plus, you’ll benefit from our worldwide presence; no matter where your teams are, we have local people on the ground, ready to train, support, and implement. So, let’s do this!
Want to ‘viral product proof’ your brand? Get in touch with our team today and tell them what you have in mind. We love a challenge (especially if there are TikTok dances involved).
