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Denise Lee Yohn - Brand as Business™ Brief

10.11.11 vol 039

Hello Friends and Colleagues!

What’s a store for these days, really?

Practically anything that can be sold is sold on the Internet, so why bother with retail locations?

The future of the retail industry rests on retailers’ answers to this question.  And this month’s brief presents three remarkable retail concepts that provide insight into what the answers should be.  I've included my audits of:

-  77kids style lab
-  Starbucks 3.0
-  Central Market


I’m also including an article of mine published in the Consensus Retail Consumer News newsletter earlier this year, We’re Not in Kansas Anymore --  highlighting the ways retail is undergoing a complete transformation.

Even if you’re not a retailer, these pieces should spark plenty of ideas for how to engage your customers in new and meaningful experiences.

Finally, check out two of my service offerings for retailers:


I’d love to hear your feedback, questions, and ideas – please reach out.

Denise

Remarkable Retail Experiences

What makes a retail store “remarkable” – meaning, an experience so compelling customers will tell others about it? 


Three answers emerged from my recent audits of retail concepts:
 
  • interactivity – The 77kids style lab in NYC’s Times Square engages its target with high interaction
  • a personal and local feelStarbucks’ newest stores bring a sense of intimacy to the behemoth chain
  • strong editorial voice -- Central Market in Dallas uses a clear voice to make endless choice a good thing

If you’d like to audit best in class and/or emerging retail experiences like these and apply the learnings to grow your business, sign up for a Brand Experience Day.

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore

Oh my!  The business of retail has certainly changed, hasn’t it?!   It seems a tornado of technology has landed us in a place that seems strangely familiar but so fantastical it could only be a dream.

The complete transformation of retail means:
 

  • Retail is no longer a location; it’s an experience
  • Value isn’t created by purchase; it’s created from access
  • Customers no longer want to own; they want to subscribe
  • Stores aren’t just categorized by product type; experience type matters too
  • A purchase isn’t just a transaction; it’s a communication
  • Mobile phones aren’t simply devices for talking; they’re the Swiss Army knives of sales enablement
  • Facebook isn’t just a social networking site; it’s a platform for commerce


read the full article

 

Service Spotlight:  Retail Offerings

This brief’s featured services are: 

Presentation Topic:  Build Your Brand with a Cohesive Customer Experience
Book me to speak to your organization about how to optimize, prioritize, and unify all of your customer experiences.
download an overview

Brand Experience Day
Get your team out of the box and into the field to experience best in class and/or emerging retail concepts, reflect on what works and why, and plan how to apply the ideas to your business. 
download an overview

Contact me to learn more about these opportunities or check out how my other “brand as business” services help business leaders achieve their brand and business objectives. 

  In This Issue
 
What is Denise Doing?
 
  • launching a new format for my QSR Magazine column – If you are a QSR owner, operator, or company executive with an issue or idea about brand-building, complete the question form and I’ll respond in an upcoming column.
  • responding to reporters’ request for expert quotes – check out what I had to say about Kodak in Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s article, Kodak Tries to Bring Its Digital Revival into Focus
  • wrapping a 13-session program that engaged a client’s entire field organization with the company’s new brand direction ("an incredible experience," the VP of Operations observed)
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Denise Lee Yohn has been inspiring and teaching companies how to operationalize their brands to grow their businesses for over 20 years. World-class brands including Sony, Frito-Lay, Burger King, and Nautica have called on Denise, an established speaker, author, and consulting partner. For more information, visit www.deniseleeyohn.com
Denise Lee Yohn

denise lee yohn, inc.
917-446-9325  |  @deniseleeyohn
mail@deniseleeyohn.com  |  www.deniseleeyohn.com