I just received a retail catalog in the mail. You know the kind – the one with trashy jewelry, unbecoming apparel, and nick knacks to help clutter your home in easy installment plan payments. It made me wonder who would buy this ugly stuff! And then I remembered the old adage, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This retail store has an audience that has kept them in business for decades.
There’s a lesson to be learned here: you need to stick with your audience. Whatever products you market, you need to know who you’re selling to and why they’re buying it. If it isn’t the beauty of theitem, what is it? A connection they make with the product? A usefulness that goes beyond the design?
Fastcompany.com has a great article on “Why Ugly Sells” and the author says, you need to “understand the emotional sources for taste so that you can appeal to them.” Read Article…
Elliott Cunningham is a Business and Marketing leader with the ability to identify and capitalize on unique opportunities to drive revenues and superior customer loyalty. He is able to successfully manage multiple, concurrently-running environments, evidenced by a track record of achievements including CMO of the Year from the Nashville Business Journal.