The Style Setter

When mall giant Simon Property Group sent out a call for bloggers last year, the company received more than 700 applications for 40 positions.

To engage its online audience, Simon established a pilot blogger program called Style Setter at 38 of the company's 326 retail properties, including one at Coconut Point mall in the south Lee County area of Estero.

The idea is to provide a local opinion on fashion and beauty, enticing visitors to various shops at Coconut Point mall. “Our job is to drive shoppers into the mall,” says Stephanie Jenkins, assistant vice president of digital marketing for Simon Property.