Following up on last week’s column, we came across another reminder that if you’re not willing to be creative, someone is going to come eat your proverbial lunch. [level-members]
We came across this February article from the New York Times which describes how Amazon is using Seattle as its own real-world retail laboratory. Clearly, none of us have that kind of marketing budget, but creativity doesn’t always take budget to execute. It takes good ideas and a willingness to do some things that aren’t going to work out.
Because not doing anything is a choice as well, and even though doing nothing requires $0 budget – literally – it’s a guaranteed path to losing more money than a few failed attempts at reshaping your business.
We’re not talking about betting your future on, say, the sure-fire popularity of becoming the world’s only all mead shop. Most people aren’t even going to know what mead is, much less prefer it to the wines with which they are familiar.
But you can make retail more interesting by watching what the big retailers are doing, reading what the marketing trade magazines are reporting, and adapting it to fit your budget, your sensibilities, and your market.
Your market will notice, especially if what you try is focused on their needs. More than any gimmick or publicity-worthy change you make, giving people a better experience will always win you more business. [/level-members]