by Flickr member Petrov Escarião
This is a story of the power of word of mouth…online.
Anyone from the Canadian Prairies will tell you there isn’t a lot of motivation for spending top dollar on a raincoat. It does rain in the Prairies, and hard, but compared to the West Coast, it’s infrequent enough that you’d be fine with a big ugly *cheap* poncho that you can replace every few years. A winter coat on the other hand, you buy wisely and spend freely if it keeps you warm (and alive!) at minus 48 with a windchill.
When I moved to Vancouver in 2001, I still had this mindset. I continued to acquire cheap raincoats, wimpy umbrellas – and fabulously warm winter coats.
Believe it or not, it has taken me 9 years to resist the urge to purchase an expensive winter coat. It was time to instead use the money to buy a quality raincoat.
I wanted something stylish, not sporty. I started my quest, not by hitting the stores, not by Googling, but by direct messaging some fashion-forward friends on Twitter for advice.
Within minutes I had several options. Within a week I purchased THE BEST raincoat I have ever had or even seen from a little bustling store on Alberni Street. It was expensive but when it pours I am covered – literally. And judging by the quality and versatility of the coat, I will have it for years to come.
What’s interesting about this line of outerwear is it has never marketed its products in a traditional way (newspaper ads, magazine ads, TV commercials, etc..). That is to say, according to the folks in the Vancouver store, and my friend who recommended them to me, m0851 didn’t feel traditional marketing was worth the money. Online marketing appears to be another story as they have a Facebook Page, a blog, and a website.
What this speaks to, in my opinion, is a belief that if you sell quality, people will notice and then talk – and that is the most powerful advertising of all. Add to that the steroid effect of talking online.
m0851 has 7 stores on 3 continents. I think the word is getting out.
Erin Garrity
Sr Web Producer
Tags: advertising, facebook, marketing, Vancouver
