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