My Question is about innovation in advertisement of a retail cloth shop ?
I’m a businessman. I opened my shop before 3 months. I want to promote my shop so that new customers will come to my shop. As Variety in my shop is more than any other shop in city and prices are very less in comparison to others. Please suggest me some new way of advertising.
Mithesh
First of all congratulations on starting your own business. It must feel wonderful to be your own boss….
Now as far as promoting your retail cloth shop, first of all do a detailed market survey & dont forget to involve all your friends & family in this exercise 
1. I do not know which city you live in, but ask all your friends & fly to visit all the large & small retail units in your city. They should also go to huge enterprises such as shopper stop or similar such retail gaints.
2. Ask them to rate these shops in terms of the first impression, ambiance, the user friendliness of the staff, the quality of products, price, the discounts, the variety, other recreational facilities (play areas for kids, need not b big, just a black board in one corner with different coloured chalks for them to draw)
3. Now see which shops rate the best and why.
4. Once you get the why, see where ur shop rates next to it.
5. Try to use the best points and promote these in your shop.
Giving an advertisment is important, but more important is to identify a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) for your shop. That means, what makes your shop different from others.
Once you find your USP, then address each segment of customers differently
For Eg:
1. Housewives: Take picture so all the latest products for adults & children in your shop, make a small booklet and distribute it free to all the residential areas near your shop.
2. College Students – Stick a lot of "DO YOU KNOW" posters around colleges (do you know the latest trend in fashion: Angelina Jolie seen wearing ________ then show pictures of collection of cloths you have in similar fashion)
3. Office Wear
4. Formal Wear
You can create your own advertisements for each of these which will invariable showcase the variety you have at the same time target traffic into your shop.
Since you seem internet savvy, why dont you promote your shop through the net. Create your own blog or group on yahoo and encourage all your customers to become members in this group. Write information or put articles on fashion (easily available on the net) and have competitions, where if school, college children give some interesting write ups on fashion you can give a discount to your shop.
The most important thing is to know your strengths and highlight those strenghts.
All the best!!
March 1st, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Mithesh
First of all congratulations on starting your own business. It must feel wonderful to be your own boss….
Now as far as promoting your retail cloth shop, first of all do a detailed market survey & dont forget to involve all your friends & family in this exercise
1. I do not know which city you live in, but ask all your friends & fly to visit all the large & small retail units in your city. They should also go to huge enterprises such as shopper stop or similar such retail gaints.
2. Ask them to rate these shops in terms of the first impression, ambiance, the user friendliness of the staff, the quality of products, price, the discounts, the variety, other recreational facilities (play areas for kids, need not b big, just a black board in one corner with different coloured chalks for them to draw)
3. Now see which shops rate the best and why.
4. Once you get the why, see where ur shop rates next to it.
5. Try to use the best points and promote these in your shop.
Giving an advertisment is important, but more important is to identify a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) for your shop. That means, what makes your shop different from others.
Once you find your USP, then address each segment of customers differently
For Eg:
1. Housewives: Take picture so all the latest products for adults & children in your shop, make a small booklet and distribute it free to all the residential areas near your shop.
2. College Students – Stick a lot of "DO YOU KNOW" posters around colleges (do you know the latest trend in fashion: Angelina Jolie seen wearing ________ then show pictures of collection of cloths you have in similar fashion)
3. Office Wear
4. Formal Wear
You can create your own advertisements for each of these which will invariable showcase the variety you have at the same time target traffic into your shop.
Since you seem internet savvy, why dont you promote your shop through the net. Create your own blog or group on yahoo and encourage all your customers to become members in this group. Write information or put articles on fashion (easily available on the net) and have competitions, where if school, college children give some interesting write ups on fashion you can give a discount to your shop.
The most important thing is to know your strengths and highlight those strenghts.
All the best!!
References :
March 1st, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Yes, good point. I agree with most of what was said!
Before you start looking into advertising on TV, Radio news paper or magazines compare what are the advantages in advertising on TV and Radio!
All of these avenues in advertising fall in the term of Target marketing.
With Television the advantages of advertising is visual, something you can do in Radio is a business chooses Radio over TV or TV over Radio. Both of them are free to the public but not to local businesses who have to pay to advertise on their station. .
Some people might say It’s a bit better to advertise on TV because there is a bit of everything on TV, a business can target people they want to reach just by running an ad on a channel at a certain time!
Example: Let’s say I belong to a record company and my job is to help sell a Hip Hop Group in California. I would run ads on MTV, BET and MUN2! I’m targeting a group of people that my product will appeal to, or let’s say I work for a TOY company, I would want to run my ads on the Cartoon Network, Nick and Disney and run the ads only when cartoons are playing because I know kids will be watching! ! This will reach the group of people I’m trying to reach!
The benefit I will get with TV is 1. They can see what my product looks like,
2. They can hear it if I choose to include any audio my product has,
3. TV works in time slots and they have a certain type of people at those times and it will be easy to reach the group I want to reach!
4. It’s easier to pitch a point to a consumer on TV with an AD Vs Magazine or Radio because just alone with a 11 second example of what my product can do will get the point across to the consumer so they can buy it, Example: Let’s say I’m a car company, Most car companies highlight the fantastic qualities my model has VS the competitions within the first 11 seconds of the commercial. I don’t have to say too much, I’ll let them see it for themselves
Magazines and News papers all have an advantage too!
1. Not too many people have time to watch TV now and days either they don’t have a TV or work too much, This group of people only Read Magazines and News Papers.
2. In print ads Less is More, Most people the read that still read Magazines and News Papers look for deals that don’t seems to complicated or only have a small amount of time to speed thru the ad’s. Most businesses only Include a picture of an item and a Price right next to it. It’s a bit easier get the point out with ads like these!
3. It cost much less to advertise a News Paper and Magazine VS TV! I don’t have to say too much!
4. I’ll be reaching a certain group of people I’m trying to reach! Most businesses that advertise Magazines are targeting people with Money! Example: Cell Phone Companies, Car Lots and Jewelry companies still maintain a visual in Magazine and News Paper Ads because they know the type of people that still buy and read News Papers and Magazines read them because they are looking for these types of deals!
WEB advertising is Key in today’s Business world!
1. Most companies want to advertise on the web because they know in today’s place of business if you’re not on the web, you don’t exist! Believe or not, that’s how people think now and days! Ask yourself, how many times you’ve looked up a local place of business on Google to find out their number or to see if they have a website? Most people now and days feel this is a way to determine a business legit, funny huh!
2. Again I’m targeting a certain type of people! Remember some people only like to shop on the net because they can’t find a better deal in their local market. Example: EBAY,Craigslist.org, AMAZON, ITUNES, and don’t forget deals that Best Buy, Wal-Mart and FYE Music only offer to their on line shoppers!
3. Most businesses that advertise online like to create a shopper database or a call list! They do this by asking for e-mails or your address and even phone numbers so they can later do a follow up by sending you information about upcoming deals and events they have, which can lead to a following and more sales!
4. The advantage from WEB over TV, Magazines and News Paper is…TV, News Papers and most magazines only reach local markets and target local business! With the web, you can do a nationwide campaign for cheep!
Example: Say I own a Street Apparel clothing line, it’s a fantastic line and most people that see my line love it! It’s ideal for a clothing line like ECKO, CK Jeans and even Sean Jean to advertise on TV, News Papers AND Magazines but they all conduct their business on the WEB!
WEB IS KEY in today’s business world! This is the most important avenue in advertising today’s business world! Look at all their ads when you get a chance and tell me if you don’t see a listed website!
Me as a small apparel company can display an online catalog and can somehow create product awareness and generate sells in Japan! Hey it’s happened!
Another Example: Blockbuster Video stores! B
References :