How’s this for a business plan to pitch to investors: a storefront of frosted glass which obscures the products for sale, an almost-invisible door, and no sign. That’s right, NO SIGN! How did they get the funding? The owners pitched something different.
Click here for the original article from CNNMoney.
The name of the store is RSole, and it features high-end sneakers. Like for $500 a pair. The strategy was to treat the sneakers as pieces of art, and this is reflected in the gallery-like sales floor. The idea was to make the sneakers look exclusive, and apparently they succeeded. Some people wait outside all night for first shot at new styles. RSole doesn’t sell; it lets people buy.
The other part of the strategy was that obscurity would pique people’s interest. That’s where the peepholes and lack of sign come into play. I tried a Google search, and couldn’t even come up with an official website (I would have posted the link if they had one). But I did find many sites that raved about the store. This word-of-mouth advertising made the store successful, despite the anonymous appearance.
Have you ever encountered a business with a similar anti-marketing strategy? It flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Which is precisely what the owners of RSole wanted. I’ve never been to RSole, but I wonder if they have a “Don’t Shop Here” sign when you walk in.
For further reading on anti-marketing, check out Reverse Psychology Marketing by Indrajit Sinha.
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