How do we create iPad-like fervor in our industry?
Lissa Wyman, Rug Editor -- Furniture Today, April 12, 2010
What do Apple, Inc. and the rug business have in common?
Absolutely nothing.
When it comes to marketing, Apple is off the charts on the plus side and the entire rug industry is off the charts on the minus side.
Perhaps the easiest way to define marketing is that old chestnut about “selling the sizzle, not the steak.” My husband has a more elegantly simple definition: “Marketing is creating a demand for something.”
Lately, Apple’s marketing geniuses created a huge thirst for something that has just been released: The iPad. News and commentary about the iPad in the media and on the Internet started building at the beginning of the year and is reaching such a frenzy that I am hyperventilating as I write this. I. MUST. HAVE. ONE. NO. TWO.
Back to the rug business. Maybe rugs are not as sexy as electronic gizmos, but they have the power to create a psychologically safe haven and beautify our homes.
Our business is still in very deep trouble, even with some signs of economic recovery. We need marketing. Desperately. There are hundreds of rug vendors churning out thousands and thousands of rugs. There are colors and designs to fit every taste and prices for every pocketbook. At every price point, rugs deliver super value.
Sadly, we have fantastic products but lack the marketing skills to build a demand for them. I am not talking only about consumer demand. We do a lousy job of marketing to retailers. Who can blame them for making buying decisions based on price and whether or not they like the sales rep?
Very few rug companies know how to differentiate their product from the rest of the pack.
There are some glimmers of hope, however.
In January, the Sphinx division of Oriental Weavers introduced a totally reversible hand-tufted rug that has created a real buzz in the business. Using the same color palette, one side of the rug might have a transitional design and the other side could have a contemporary design. It’s a great idea, you’ve gotta admit. The consumer can change out the look of a room with a simple flip-flop. At $599 (all wool) or $799 (wool with viscose highlights), this amounts to two 5-by-8 rugs for the price of one.
I also like what Safavieh is doing with its Couture program, a series of collections from top interior designers. With personal appearances and book signings at markets, this program has helped Safavieh rise above the mundane competition and establish itself with the design community.
I’m very happy that marketing is not completely dead in this business, but I wish I had more good stories about creating demand for our beautiful products.
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