Wednesday, December 12, 2007
I probably mentioned a while back that a few successes in our cosmetics department has helped my career. The cosmetics we distribute are along the lines of the rest of our merchandise: Luxury. Those purchasing on the first floor of our stores fall into two basic categories, eyeliner tourist customers and serious customers obsessed with aging. The later spend nearly $3k a year on creams, lotions, eye products, and makeup. (Picture her, fourty-something beauty that has a rich husband and is potentially competing with the 20-somethings for her spouse.)
With a few major analyses under my belt with one of our top vendors, La Prairie, I was invited to their office a few blocks down on Fifth Avenue to view their marketing strategy for 2008. So we leave our building for the meeting, navigating the droves of tourists in awe of the snowflakes, our “snow people” campaign, a hundred snowflakes that dance to music on our building across from the Rockafeller Center tree, to the offices of this Swiss company that extracts elixirs of youth from caviar, seaweed, and God knows what else. Many of their signature creams can be purchased for ~$900.
Walking into the office we were greeted with a civility that would make Emily Post proud. “Let me take your jacket.” OK, here it is. “Thank you for coming. Please, it is this way to the meeting room.” And we are taken to a divine space adorned with orchids and with a plate of fruit and pastries along with sparking water and just about anything your heart could desire. “Please, make yourself comfortable.” And it is there that products promising to be customers’ fountain of youth are presented along with marketing materials for our best customers. Beauty events ranging from presentations from Jacques Cousteau’s wife to elephants coming down one of our entrances on Fifth Avenue are suggested and planned for. Our cosmetics buyers pour over details before presenting to us who they want to invite to these events.
A reality set in that these people know nothing of their customer besides what we tell them. And it was there I discovered my power. They wanted analyses done. Not bull shit, but real analysis done on why customers come into Saks and what else they are buying in the store, how frequently they visit, and suggestions on what marketing strategies they should employ to engage them.
Being mostly on the agency side, it was nice to be on the other side for a change. They gave us samples, totally had their shit together, and made every attempt to forge a partnership with us to understand and execute solutions to their problems. By the end of the meeting, they were eating out of our hands and gave us samples of their products as “gifts” for coming. I am now cleansing my face with something caviar, Christ! I could get used to this.
And it was then that in departing a meeting that their VP of sales grabbed my hands and kissed my left, then right cheek. “We are really looking forward to working with you on what we think will help drive our business, and yours.” I was stunned.
That was the first time I’ve ever been kissed after a meeting, and my crash-course introduction, awkwardly, into the world of fashion, beauty, and merchandising.
I WAS KISSED, FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!
With a few major analyses under my belt with one of our top vendors, La Prairie, I was invited to their office a few blocks down on Fifth Avenue to view their marketing strategy for 2008. So we leave our building for the meeting, navigating the droves of tourists in awe of the snowflakes, our “snow people” campaign, a hundred snowflakes that dance to music on our building across from the Rockafeller Center tree, to the offices of this Swiss company that extracts elixirs of youth from caviar, seaweed, and God knows what else. Many of their signature creams can be purchased for ~$900.
Walking into the office we were greeted with a civility that would make Emily Post proud. “Let me take your jacket.” OK, here it is. “Thank you for coming. Please, it is this way to the meeting room.” And we are taken to a divine space adorned with orchids and with a plate of fruit and pastries along with sparking water and just about anything your heart could desire. “Please, make yourself comfortable.” And it is there that products promising to be customers’ fountain of youth are presented along with marketing materials for our best customers. Beauty events ranging from presentations from Jacques Cousteau’s wife to elephants coming down one of our entrances on Fifth Avenue are suggested and planned for. Our cosmetics buyers pour over details before presenting to us who they want to invite to these events.
A reality set in that these people know nothing of their customer besides what we tell them. And it was there I discovered my power. They wanted analyses done. Not bull shit, but real analysis done on why customers come into Saks and what else they are buying in the store, how frequently they visit, and suggestions on what marketing strategies they should employ to engage them.
Being mostly on the agency side, it was nice to be on the other side for a change. They gave us samples, totally had their shit together, and made every attempt to forge a partnership with us to understand and execute solutions to their problems. By the end of the meeting, they were eating out of our hands and gave us samples of their products as “gifts” for coming. I am now cleansing my face with something caviar, Christ! I could get used to this.
And it was then that in departing a meeting that their VP of sales grabbed my hands and kissed my left, then right cheek. “We are really looking forward to working with you on what we think will help drive our business, and yours.” I was stunned.
That was the first time I’ve ever been kissed after a meeting, and my crash-course introduction, awkwardly, into the world of fashion, beauty, and merchandising.
I WAS KISSED, FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!
# posted by otas : 8:29 PM
