Dear ,

Last week I was on Madison Avenue in the low 60s,
I walked past Barneys.

Its must-see shopping windows wore “Going Out Of Business” signs.

I felt a tug at my heart.

Across the street was the building where my dad’s “Mad Men” office had been.

Barneys had been a client of my dad’s mid-size advertising agency.

Started in 1923, Barney Pressman stocked his store with brand name suits. He acquired showroom samples and overstock items to sell at a discount.

Additionally, he offered free alterations and free parking. This attracted free TV and radio PR.

Then Pressman added radio and TV advertising. The first campaign slogan was “Calling All Men To Barneys”

Before major consumer package goods (aka: CPG) companies standardized branding in the 1950s, Pressman understood the power of advertising.
 

 

In the 1970s, his son, Fred Pressman, transformed Barneys into a high-end designer showcase and added women’s wear.

Fast forward to October, 2019 when Barneys filed for bankruptcy.

Despite the decline in in-person shopping experiences, Authentic Brands Group bought the Barneys brand.

Why?
Because they believed the abstract value of the Barneys brand will remain important to the future of retailing. (New York Time article, 10/15/2019.)

BTW–Authentic Brands Group spent 271.4 million on the remaining assets.

Since the value of branding remain difficult to measure for most businesses, you might want to share this fact with your boss!
 

According to Barney Pressman:

“The best value you can offer a customer is personal attention to every detail, and they will return again and again. Ultimately, the customer cares most about how he or she is treated.”  (my bold).

This customer insight reminds true today. It’s the reason to improve your customer experience.

Actionable marketing Tip:

• Use mystery shoppers to assess the shopping experience your business provides. This is particularly true for small businesses.

 

 

As many of you know, I’m an avid knitter.

When Lion Brand, a popular price manufacturer, opened its studio on West 15th Street, I was intrigued.

The Studio’s first manager, Patti Lyons, transformed the space into a must-visit experience. The studio hosted regular talks and book signings with well-known knitters like Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed.

They also offered a broad range of classes taught by crafting rockstars.

And my favorite was monthly movie nights. They showed films containing a knitting or crocheting scene.

While Lion Brand wasn’t my first choice of yarn, I regularly purchased there and attended activities.

When I visited the studio last week, I found the space had lost its mojo. Instead of a "wow customer experience", it was just another yarn store.

Don't forget! You still have time to access Agorapulse's Social Success Summit. Even better, the Social Success Summit 2.0 is FREE. Act Now—The sessions are only available until December 13th!

 
If you're starting to plan your 2020 conference calendar, here are 2 conferences to consider attending. (Note: these are affiliate links. TIA for your support.)

• Social Media Marketing World. Get the inside scoop on the latest Social Media approaches.
  
   
• MAICON 2020. This is THE conference to attend to get up to speed on Marketing Artificial Intelligence.
  
  Use code:  ACTIONABLE100 to save $100 when you register.

 

If you’re running an event that you would like me to speak at, please let me know. (Just hit reply to reach me.)

Shout out to new readers: and . Welcome and thank you for joining our community.

Happy Marketing,
Heidi

PS: Do you have a friend or colleague who would benefit from reading the Actionable Marketing Guide newsletter? If so would you please forward this email to them?

FEATURED ARTICLE: Blogging

Want your marketing to succeed?

Of course you do!

Then put a blog at the heart of your owned media and publish content on a regular basis to grow your addressable audience.

Here is the research, tips and examples to help you.

 

FEATURED ARTICLE: How To Build Share of Audience Attention To Improve Your Marketing Results

Want to break through seismic marketing shift?

Use Share of Audience Attention to increase trust and content distribution with consistent content.

Share of Audience Attention (or SOAA for short) helps solve your marketing conundrum.
 

 

FEATURED ARTICLE: Influencer Marketing ROI

Use influencer marketing to attract new visitors.

Follow these 5 steps to increase your return on your investment.

BTW—Did I mention that there's data to impress your boss?  

 

Heidi Cohen Around The Internet

• Heidi Cohen was featured in Onalytica’s Complete Guide To B2B Influencer Marketing. It’s jam packed with useful information you can use!
   
• Talkwalker also spotlighted Heidi Cohen in their Social Media Trends for 2020. Personally, I love what Jay Baer says about social media in 2010. To paraphrase, social media returns to its personal communication roots. (Translation: Away from mass marketing.)

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The fine print:

• Unless noted otherwise, all photos are ©2019 by Heidi Cohen
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