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Money in the bank
September 17, 2008
This weekend I had an epiphany about one of our industry's target demographic--the tween.
If a company, be it retailer or manufacturer, could manage to morph Abercrombie & Fitch, Build-A-Bear Workshop and Webkinz together it would make money hand over fist and it would market itself.
Why am I so sure of this? Because Heidi, my 11-year-old, cannot stop talking about either brand. She started middle school this year (Lord help me) and her school has a dress code. I thought it was a super idea--khaki or navy pants, collared polo solid colored shirts--it would surely eliminate the drama of brand names and peer pressure right? Nope.
Now the kids pay attention to the little emblems on the polo—the emblem for A&F is a moose in case you were wondering.
I am not a mall shopper—I can count, on one hand, the number of times I’ve been in a mall in the last decade. However, we capitulated this weekend and took the kids to the mall (yeah, all that walking around after all that walking around at ABC was JUST what I wanted to do).
The stores Heidi wanted to see were A&F, Build-A-Bear and a Hallmark store (because they carry Webkinz). I had never been in an A&F before. Let me tell you, it was an eye opener.
There is mood lighting. Everything is monochromatic. There is an undeniable A&F scent in the air. And, at the entrance (to the kids side no less) there is a HUGE black and white photo of a young man’s torso. Now, while I might be able to appreciate the beauty of the photo, my 11-year-old doesn’t (at least she better not!). All of these details were lost on her, she just cared about the label.
I’m not ready for her to enjoy that type of shopping environment anyway, but if you could harness that peer-driven viral marketing for your store/product I’d buy a franchise (or two).
***Oh, and don't think the allegory between the stores/brands she likes and this being a milestone/cross road year in her life escaped me.
Posted by Lisa Casinger on September 17, 2008 | Comments (1)
