Because we shop at Safeway (sometimes in Anthem and other times in Prescott Valley or Prescott, even on occasion in Cottonwood, Arizona) for much of our family’s food needs we have experienced first hand much of what this BusinessWeek story speaks of concerning the new look and feel of Safeway stores.
“Safeway wanted a fresher, healthier image. The first step was to become fresher and healthier.”
Apparently, when Safeway began feeling the crunch from so called “big-box” stores from one side and upscale specialty stores from the other they began to take action to change not only their image but also their offerings. According to the story their plan and their implementation of the plan has paid off and their earnings have increased accordingly.
We are going to look at what the folks at Safeway did to stop their decline and increase their earnings and how home stagers (or other entrepreneurs) can benefit from the example. The people from Safeway who developed these strategies understand that marketing is NOT just advertising – marketing is the total package of who you are and what your company does to serve your customers. [Some people call it branding, but because I’ve been in on a few round-ups and because just thinking about the branding of the cattle recalls horrid smells for me I try not to use the word branding too much.] I’m smiling; are you?
"We [needed to] differentiate our offering from other conventional supermarkets."
Find your niche. Here are some good posts found right here on ActiveRain which will help you know more about choosing a niche
Here is a whole group devoted to the essence of creating a niche.
“. . .the company used what management gurus call authentic marketing: the art of telling consumers a story they want to believe, then delivering the products and experience that make the story real.”
Put together a marketing package which tells the true story of who you and your business are. If you are a more staid check-off-the-list business person like Sandy Dixon then let that show in how you market yourself.
If, on the other hand, you are exciting, excitable and excited like Melissa Marro by all means show that to your potential clients.
Or you may consider yourself, like yours truly, to be a mixture of these personality types. The type of client you desire will be the type of client you will most often receive when they are alerted through your marketing materials what type of business person you are.
Your marketing package should include everything which you put on the internet and anything you create on paper. For example the agreement we use at rooms b.y. root is only a few pages long, has NO small print, shows our logo, is easy to read and easy to understand. (See, I told you we’re are a blend of check-it-off and lets-have-fun!)
Speaking of showing our Logo
The rooms b.y. root logo is designed to show a bit of whimsy while at the same time being easily readable, identifiable and “rememberable.” Another point of interest about the logo is that people often ask about the punctuation in the middle. We are able to tell the story of how the b and the y with the periods after each of them came about and give our potential clients another connecting point.
"Safeway committed to spend $1.6 billion a year over six years to remodel all 1,775 of its stores."
Well if you have $1.6 billion a year to spend over the next six years then give me a call and we will work out a deal. If, on the other hand you don’t; then make plans for spending as much as you possibly can towards development, growth and marketing. If you are not willing to take a risk with your cash, your retirement plans, your network of friends or even your basic routines then you are much less likely to discover a way to grow your business. This post by Xan, titled You have to spend money to make money. . . pretty much shows it all.
“The company also resolved to pare back labor costs, which led to strikes and lockouts.”
Understand there will be obstacles and setbacks as you move along your path towards success. Gosh, if it was easy, then just about anybody could do it; right? You sent emails, snail mails, you showed up at open houses, you baked cookies till they were taking over your life, you vowed to call “your real estate contacts” every Wednesday and still you have yet to find a viable client. Do Not give up. Try a different tactic like becoming a member of your local home builder’s association or a networking group; offer to teach classes about décor at your local library; continue to show up at the open houses and this time take house specific information to the lonely real estate agent. Working through the problems will make your business more healthy and ready to take on the market, your competitors and even yourself when the time is right.
"We were very careful not to talk about quality until we had stepped up quality,"
Deliver what you promise. You are much more likely to grow your business when your reputation as a business person who gives more than promised precedes you. Here is an example of (Kathy Nielsen)
and a lesson concerning (Chris Pollinger)
giving more than what was promised.
"The moral of Safeway's tale? A compelling story is key to authentic marketing."
Have you found your niche and learned how best to serve within that framework? Does your marketing material tell your story? Have you made a business and a marketing plan and are you willing to take some risk? Are you prepared to deal with the obstacles and setbacks you are certain to encounter? Do you deliver what you promise and more?
Most importantly -- What is your compelling story?
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Yvonne - I enjoyed reading this post. And yes, I'm smiling about the branding comment (smile). In order to grow, one must always evaulate and re-evaluate their service offerings. Your Safeway analogy is a great example of how important it is to review your strategy and if need be, redefine.
Kathy