Stoking Your Marketing Fire with Story
Will a cat in your store window incite purchase? The answer is probably no unless you’re a pet store, or perhaps Bromwell’s.
Founded in 1819, Bromwell's claims to be the oldest business in Cincinnati. It sells “luxury fireplace design and accessories.” Last year it completed a $1 million renovation, but its downtown store window has always drawn attention.
Two cats, Cinder and Heidi, are a big reason why. They are Bromwell’s mascots and have free reign over the store. You usually see one or both of them in the store window, curled up in balls sleeping or padding through the window vignette as if they were in your own home.
A cat in this unconventional setting will incite interest. Cinder and Heidi purring in the window of the city’s oldest business makes you warmer than another log on the fire. It gets people talking. It stops people as they walk past. It’s Bromwell’s story. It’s the story that differentiates them from the suburban super store that sells truckloads of fireplaces and accessories -- along with bar furniture and pool tables.
We all know a cat will not incite purchase. Bromwell’s knows this too. It’s why they had their store remodeled. It’s why they offer products you can’t find anywhere else. It’s why they provide great service. And it’s all of these reasons I will be going there to purchase fireplace accessories in the fall. But while I’m there I’ll definitely introduce my kids to Cinder and Heidi.
tags | advertising | marketing | Cincinnati | brand
Aww. Too cute. There's a furniture store in Nashua, NH that has two cats roaming around in it. I've never purchased anything there, but every time I walk by, I go in to see the cats.
They look so comfy all curled up on the furniture, which is surprisingly fur-free.
I cannot say the same for my furniture...
Posted by: Jen Zingsheim | Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 01:20 PM
A compelling story is certainly better than mere numbers! Rock on
Posted by: Brian Siegel | Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 01:46 PM
Cats will lure me into ANY store, ANY time. I'm particularly partial to bookstore cats...
Posted by: Termeh Mazhari | Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 09:58 PM