Have you ever had the dreaded moment of wearing the same outfit as your frenemy? You are not alone! Luckily there’s a new online solution to help solve this teenage fashion dilemma by letting girls reserve a look for the most important day of their high school years -- prom.

Now that we have avoided that travesty and the dream dress is reserved, let’s focus on being the belle of the ball. How can you ensure your consumer feels like Cinderella at her prom?

Stay on trend. Be there or be square.
Searches for prom dresses have steadily increased since January and will peak in late April according to 2010 prom dress search volume.















Advertisers can reach prom dress seekers this month by emphasizing unique styles and one-of–a-kind looks.

Go short or go home.
Short dresses are in demand according to the top searched items associated with [prom dresses]. Feature shorter dresses on landing pages to reduce bounce rates.

Accessorize their look.
Feature accessories that will give personal flare to the chosen dresses. Offer pairing suggestions and deals to increase cart size. If you sell the perfect shoes, jewelry or hair accessories, say so!

Offer deals.
Every perfect look has its price, and in this case it better be cheap! Top searches for [prom dresses] include several bargain-hunting terms such as [cheap prom dresses] and [cheap dresses].














If you have a look for less, capitalize on this by investing in key deal terms and leveraging bargain language in your creative.

This is an important day for teens everywhere. It is a great opportunity to have them experience your brand while building an emotional connection. By making your customers prom dreams come true, you can build a loyal customer for life!


Posted by Keri Overman, The Google Retail Team

Each year, more than 8 million high school students attend prom. With the night costing anywhere from $150 to $3,000, the prom dress industry generates an impressive $1 billion in sales annually. [1]

As Google Insights for Search shows – it’s never too early for teens and their moms to start shopping for this very important rite of passage. As seen below, “prom dress 2010” is the second most searched term in the US shopping category. Additionally, searches are up 23% from last year, begin to uptick as far back as September, and are forecasted to peak in mid-March based on 2009 trends.

Analyzing rising searches in the prom dress category indicates that shorter dresses will be this year’s must have item and affordability is top of mind. Designers are accommodating teens with collections geared toward this trend and within various price ranges.

Dress stores and e-commerce sites around the country are stocking up on inventory and preparing for the rush of girls looking for their local dress store and affordable brands. Are your online campaigns ready? Be sure to broadcast discount messaging and availability of shorter dress variations this season.

Source: "Outlook Bright for Prom Dress Sales Despite Recession, Retailers Say," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 14, 2010.

Posted by Keri Overman, the Google Retail Team