A Wider Perspective

I walked into my first Comm 296 class, a week and a half ago, thinking that marketing was only about posters, advertisements – and selling products only through these select channels.  But then it struck me that these aren’t the ONLY channels of marketing.  There are lots of times I stumbled upon a product or store and decided to purchase based solely on the appearance.  A prime example of this is Anthropologie – a store that I first came across a few years ago during a visit to Las Vegas.  Being a truly Vancouver based shopper, Anthropologie, even being quite  large retail chain, was a foreign brand to me.  But their prime location in Caesar’s Palace’s Forum Shops caught my eye right away – their window displays was full of detailing.  And within seconds of entering the store, I was mesmerized by the homey appearance and layout and the soothing fragrances that filled the store.  The clothes and the decorations complemented in each other.  The clothing section was like being in a huge walk in closet, the baths section was like being in a fully equipped bathroom.  In sense, the store felt like an elaborate version of what I dream my house to be in the future.  And with some further research, I learned that Anthropologie doesn’t have a marketing budget.  Rather, the money that would go toward marketing goes toward store decorations.  And that really confirmed the point that, marketing IS indeed everywhere.  It isn’t just posters or ads, its about finding anything about an item or service that has selling value.