As I sit here facing the Atlantic from a balcony of my condo at the Palmetto Dunes resort at Hilton Head Island, SC, it’s very apparent that the developers of this island and the resorts that occupy it had a unique vision when they started building some 50+ years ago. Having visited beach resort cities from Maine to Key West, I have always been disappointed how the developers and communities seem to think that tacky and overcrowding were the prerequisites for appealing to the tourists that support their economy. Hilton Head risked being different—to the point that if you drive down the main street of the town (HWY 278), you wouldn’t even know that there’s one of the east coast’s most beautiful beaches just a couple blocks or more away. No tall skyscraper condos or 3-star hotels, no neon signed surf shops, no strips of fast food or lousy food restaurants, no billboards. Sure there are businesses, but they have substituted taste and design in making this a pleasant drive despite the traffic. Just like other successful brands, Hilton Head sought to differentiate itself golf resort with beaches and tasteful homes for people who really want a relaxing beach vacation. Great restaurants are tucked away with the golf fairways and retail blends in with the many trees that shade an otherwise hot and sunny beach resort. This is a brand that works and the lodging and resort rates attest to its appeal—even in the off-season.
That brings me to Black Friday! Once again this year, retailers have abandoned any semblance of building a brand prior to the holidays in favor of the biggest sale of the year (or so they say). Even the name—formerly a trade description for the sales and profit potential of the day after Thanksgiving—is nothing more than a big clearance type of event. And it’s not just the retail stores. Black Friday is a good time to buy a car, clean your carpets, get your teeth whitened and just about any other business that is trying to get more customers at this time of year. Don’t have anything more to say about Black Friday? Just open the store even earlier…like Thanksgiving am or maybe even Wednesday pm. As a student of retail marketing, I admit that I went through every circular in the Thursday paper and didn’t find one that really stood out. Kohl’s and JCP outweighed the others but the messages were lost in the Black Friday shouting and screaming. Kind of like driving down the Grand Strand at Myrtle Beach or A1A in Daytona. Ycccch! The broadcast was equally boring, although Target dared to be different with some silly carolers that turned me off after the 6th time of seeing the spots (in one night). It’s time to give customers a reason to shop and then have a sale that means something other than a day of the week.
Finally, CBS News had interviews with the Ron Johnson of JCP and Bruce Nordstrom of my favorite department store this week. Essentially, they were asked if there is any hope for department stores in the retail marketplace. They cited the many names of stores like Wanamakers, Marshall Field and Dayton’s that have disappeared. I have to give credit to Johnson for sticking to his guns about the changes at JCP despite declining revenue, profits, and stock prices. I have to admit that their circular still is the most appealing of all in the paper and their store changes really do make sense. As both of the CEO’s said, the department stores have to give people a reason to come to their stores by way of experience rather than just price. Nordstrom has been doing that for years and now has the technology in the hands of its associates to enhance the experience even more. Johnson says there is not alternative but to succeed. It’s all risky, but as Randy Gage points out in his new book—Risky is the New Safe—taking the easy road of emulation and following the competition is not the way to build a successful business today.
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