Aspirations Can Be Inspirations For Buying

Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.

Finance Raising Funds
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070101/finance-elevatorpitch.html
Apparel company Sistahs of Harlem has creativity, buzz, and attitude to spare.

Though I don't have enough to invest in anybody's business, this article caught my attention, when I saw "Elevator Pitch." I don't like the term "pitch" applied to sales since a pitch is intended to be delivered to a small area, but thrown in a way, so a batter can't hit the ball. We should want prospects to hit home runs with what we deliver.

Aspirations Can Be Inspirations For Buying
"Investors React" is a good reality check. I agree with the panel. I think I have a resolution for the Sistahs. It seems they're appealing to aspirations. Not everybody who wears the Bessie Coleman collection will be a pilot. But flying doesn't have to be literal. "Flying" can be when we're feeling & doing our best.

I wonder how much J. Peterman-style personality is on the clothing tags.

Though I don't know their target market precisely enough, I think the age range is too wide as it's stated. Females, ages 15-50, may not have enough in common to form a cohesive market. In reality, the age range may be highly accurate.

Other than the obvious gender & racial traits, what do the 15-year-olds & 50-year-olds have in common? Do they aspire to be like women in their early 30s?

Teens typically want to be perceived as mature as (as they feel) they are. Middle-aged people typically want to be perceived as vibrant as (as they feel) they are.

In "Bottom-up Marketing," Jack Trout & Al Ries wrote, "The target is not the market." Preteen girls aspire to be more mature teens; some read Seventeen Magazine. But few 17-year-olds read Seventeen Magazine.

In a case like these fashions, the Sistahs need to get their styles worn by 30-35-year-old women, so 15-year-olds & 50-year-olds will wear their styles. If most customers are teens, middle-aged women might think, "No! Those are something my daughter would wear." If most customers are middle-aged, teens might think, "No! Those are something my mother would wear."

What may happen later is what I call reverse-aspirations. More women in the mid-30s may wear those fashions when they see their role models wearing these. They may think, "Oprah looks good in those clothes." If they want to feel & appear younger, they may notice 25-year-olds wearing these styles.

The key is to focus on the target age group, but let the desired market feel the benefits are in their reach.

First, to make this work, they should appeal to the group with the strongest desires & biggest budgets. Teens may not have as much money as women, but women tend to have more financial demands. Which group feels they "gotta have it?" Does this group have the money to get it?

Also, why do they feel they "gotta have it?" Is it for social settings or careers? This should be integrated also, so the market knows those clothes are ideal for certain situations.

Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.

Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/