Playing With the Big Boys
Ashley opened a posh, little gift shop and decided that the best
way to advertise was a 15 second spot on one of the local
television stations. Her commercial emphasized that people
should stop by for the grand opening. When her shop first
opened, it was visited by a steady stream of customers, many who
came by because they had seen the commercial.
After her shop had been open for several weeks, business began
to taper off. Ashley visited several of the larger, chain gift
shops in town and found that business was booming.
Ashley couldn't figure out what the problem was. She felt that
her products were unique and stylish. She thought customers
would be intrigued by a shopping experience that was more
personal than that in stores like Pier 1 Imports and Pottery
Barn.
In her advertising, Ashley emphasized that people should come by
for the grand opening, but she figured the shop would sell
itself. She didn't understand that people might fail to see the
benefits of shopping in her store if those benefits weren