OMBRE DIGITAL

Blogger and the Brand Shop at Vera Bradley Recap

Marcus Campbell

The day was Wednesday, May 31st, a day forecasters predicted would be beset with rain and clouds, but the sun prevailed. Right up until the minute the sun set, the weather was picturesque: a warm, sunny 75 degree setting for avid shoppers and brand enthusiasts. The highly instagrammable New York City flagship of Vera Bradley in SOHO provided all the other aspects of a welcoming and chic boutique, as the home of the first Blogger and the Brand Shop. A twist on the original Blogger and the Brand influencer networking events, Blogger and the Brand Shop saw local influencers working hand in hand with a local boutique to drive engagement, new customers and media attention to what would otherwise be a slow evening of business.

Vivien Gutbrod and friends at Blogger and the Brand Shop
Vivien Gutbrod of I Am Vivien Tatham posed for this picture alongside gorgeous friends as she enjoyed hosted the first ever Blogger and the Brand Shop.
Influencers Who Promoted Blogger and the Brand Shop at Vera Bradley
Five of the seven bloggers that promoted the Blogger and the Brand Shop event at Vera Bradley. From left to right, Tatiana of We Shop in Heels, Bianca of The B Scene, Mary of Layers of Chic Blog, Alexandra of Alexandra Chloe and Vivien of I Am Vivien Tatham.

The inaugural shopping event included seven young bloggers in its promotion, Mary Gui of @layersofchicblog, Alexandra Chloe of @alexandra_chloe, Vivien Gutbrod of @iamvivientatham, Bianca Diwa of @thebscene, Melanie Sutrathada of @melaniesutra, Meghan Nicole of @yourdarlingstyle and Tatiana Pujol of @weshopinheels. Their first commonality was a strong sense of aesthetic and confidence in themselves as female leaders, which ran complimentary to Vera Bradley’s mission and active ItsGoodtoBeAGirl social campaign. Combined those young women reached almost 600,000 New Yorkers, encouraging their audience to shop the latest of Vera Bradley with them.

Mary Gui Layers of Chic Blog with Guests at Blogger and the Brand Shop
Mary Gui of Layers of Chic Blog snaps a pic with guests and followers at Blogger and the Brand Shop.
Vera Bradley Gift Bags at Blogger and the Brand Shop
Vera Bradley had some very chic swag bags for all those in attendance.

Sip and shop was definitely an accurate assessment of the night’s festivities. In addition to shopping the amazing new styles of crossbodies, saddle bags, totes, satchels and chic rolling backpacks, attendees were delighted by complimentary massages, touch ups and beauty consultations courtesy of the Aveda team at Scott J Salon as well as Prosseco and Rosé courtesy of Domaine Select Wine and Spirits. That’s not including the fabulous goodie bags guests received courtesy of Vera Bradley. The mixture of bubbles, great tunes and better company kept the energy high throughout the night, as noted by fashion blogger Meghan Nicole of Posh Du Jour.

Tatiana-Pujol-Enjoys-Massage-from-Aveda-Team
Tatiana Pujol of We Shop In Heels enjoys a massage courtesy of the Aveda team.
Alexandra-Chloe-Enjoys-Massage-from-Aveda-Team
Alexandra Chloe enjoys a massage courtesy of the Aveda team.

Between the glasses of wine, massages, store-wide specials and perfectly attentive staff at Vera Bradley, guests were made to feel as pampered princesses (and princes) as they walked through the beautiful space taking in the latest Vera Bradley had to offer. The influencers worked in tandem to encourage their friends and followers to purchase the looks, spurring others to follow suit. The gracious discount right after Memorial Day certainly helped those looking for new summer pieces.

Celeste Change Wins Exclusive Vera Bradley Gift Set
Celeste Chang, Digital Marketer & Luxury Travel Curator won an exclusive gift set with $250 worth of swag from Vera Bradley.

Giveaways and raffles were also a part of the evening’s merriment and continued as the night went out. Luxury Travel Curator Celeste Chang was the biggest winner with over $250 worth of goods graciously provided by the Vera Bradley team, including a fun yoga mat, duffle and matching water bottle.

Alexandra-Vivien-Mary-Influencers-Blogger-and-the-Brand-Shop

Beautiful-Guests-Having-Fun-Blogger-and-the-Brand-Shop

Bianca-Diwa-Tatiana-Pujol-with-Guest

Alexandra Chloe, Vivien Gutbrod and Tatiana Pujol at Blogger and the Brand Shop

Tatiana-Pujol-with-Guest-Blogger-and-the-Brand-Shop

Alexandra-Chloe-with-Guest-Blogger-and-the-Brand-Shop

Alexandra-Chloe-Wearing-Vera-Bradley-Headress

Good times, great laughs and better company permeated the night and in total almost 220 people came and went, many of which stayed until the very end. The first Blogger and the Brand Shop married influencers and boutiques in a way most events don’t, a testament to the power of influencers to drive traffic both online and off.

All photography by Crystal of The Musing Lens.

Marcus Campbell

Co-Founder, Ombre Digital

Marcus is the co-founder of Ombre Digital. With over a decade of experience in advertising, analytics , ecommerce, email, search, social and traditional marketing for startups, small and medium sized businesses, Marcus guides clients to greater profitability. When not developing or executing digital strategy, Marcus pursues a passion for basketball, exploring the city and learning more coding.

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