Dixie Outlet Mall is using virtual reality to attract back-to-school shoppers.
From Aug. 12 to Sept. 4, the Mississauga, Ont. mall is hosting the VR Adventure Lounge, featuring the new Samsung Gear VR. Each week, the lounge will offer a different adventure theme including underwater exploring, jungle safari and “thrills and chills.”
Cristina Avila, marketing director at Dixie Outlet Mall, said the objectives were to expand the mall’s customer base and offer current customers a new experience.
“We’re close to downtown Toronto, so we wanted to attract more of those Torontonians east of Mississauga who can easily come over to Dixie Outlet Mall and take advantage of amazing deals,” she said.
“[Secondly], we love our existing customers and we know what appeals to them. They love new experiences, they love capturing deals, and they love free stuff. We wanted to complement their daily Dixie Outlet Mall shopping experience with something new and exciting, and just really wow them.”
The idea behind the adventure theme is that after shoppers have a wild experience with the technology, “they’ll come to realize all the amazing wild things they can find at the mall,” said Avila. “And when we refer to wild, it’s usually the savings.”
To promote the Adventure Lounge, Dixie Outlet Mall is running digital, out-of-home, radio and print advertising, developed by London, Ont.-based Red Rhino. Ashton Marcus Public Relations is handling PR including a media event on Aug. 10. On Aug. 12, The Edge 102.1 will do a live radio remote at the lounge from 2 pm to 6 pm.
To encourage new visitors from downtown Toronto, Dixie Outlet Mall has partnered with transportation services Uber and Enterprise Autoshare. New Uber users can use a promo code to receive $15 off their trip to the mall, and members of Enterprise Autoshare will have access to dedicated parking spaces.
All VR Adventure Lounge guests will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a $500 back-to-school shopping spree at the mall.
