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Experience
Branding" ? How to Survive as an Online
Retailer |
by:
Jake
Gorst |
"Are
You Experienced?" asked guitar player Jimi
Hendrix 35 years ago. Jimi wasn?t talking
about e-commerce ? but his question is appropriate
to today?s economic climate. These days
many retailers, including online retailers,
are discovering that their business suffers
if they do not implement an "Experience
Branding" strategy. What is that?
"Experience Branding" is a way to describe
a method of linking an identity to a business
or product that involves customer interaction.
In the long run, this method leaves a longer,
and in most cases, LASTING impression on
the consumer.
Here's an example:
100 years ago, a person would buy coffee
beans and grind them himself. Then came
along pre-ground coffee. Eventually, you
could go to a vendor and buy a nice hot
pre-made cup of coffee. Today, companies
like Starbucks not only give you the hot
coffee, but they provide you with a nice
comfortable soft chair to sit in, a paper
to read, music to listen to, and an eclectic
setting to enjoy these things in. They provide
an EXPERIENCE. This is why people are willing
to fork over $4.00 for a cup of coffee!
An early case of this branding method put
into practice was the Macy's Department
Store Leisurama homes of 1963. Back then
you could actually go to the 7th floor of
the Herald Square store in New York City
and see a full-blown house - completely
furnished. You could buy the house there
- then 3 months later move in (these were
built in Montauk, New York). The finished
house was furnished right down to the toothbrush
and everything was included in one single
price. This method of experience branding
was so successful that, down to this day,
the owners of many of these houses still
own the towels, dishes, etc. that came with
the house. They enjoyed the experience and
wanted to preserve it.
Today, this method can be applied to anything
- including web based businesses. An online
vendor can give an experience to the viewer
that will make a lasting impression. Some
provide games for their viewers to enjoy.
Most find that providing special information
- an article giving the background of a
given product presented with a human-interest
slant ? is sufficient. Viewers can be invited
to "register" - giving them access to an
area of the site that the general public
does not, where special information can
be presented. This gives the viewer the
feeling that they are part of something
special - a private club.
One example of this method of online "Experience
Branding" is WeightWatchers.com. A registered
user has access to message boards and a
special catalog of diet recipes. A registered
viewer becomes part of a community. It's
an experience that will keep them coming
back!
"Experience Branding" is also helpful to
non-profit organizations. JohnTaylorGatto.com,
an alternative education resource, provides
an online discussion forum that attracts
teachers and parents, encouraging them to
debate educational topics and share war
stories. The Odysseus Group, the organization
that owns JohnTaylorGatto.com, reports that
interest in their web site skyrocketed when
the forum was launched.
So what do we learn from this? Gone are
the days of impersonal service. If you want
to survive ? offer your customers an experience!
About the Author
Jake Gorst is a writer, film maker, and
president of Exploded View (http://www.explodedview.tv),
a new media advertising and design company.
He also is a frequent contributor to various
trade publications on topics related to
Web site and architectural design psychology
and trends. Previously, Gorst served as
Vice President and Chief Creative Officer
for E-Media Publishing, Ltd. and as an
Internet content developer for Citibank
and other Long Island based corporations. |
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