Zapping through the airplane media system on my last trip
back from Asia, I stumbled across an episode of "Iconoclasts", an
inspiring Sundance Channel/Grey Goose Entertainment production that filled in
heart and mind the last few hours of my flight.
The show pairs people of different creative realms sharing a
day in each other's lives, with minimal production in an intimate setting. The
episode I watched featured Christy Turlington Burns and Tory Burch as the
face-to-face "iconoclasts". In a straightforward conversation between
two articulate, intelligent and beautiful women discussing the ideals that have
driven their successful careers it became apparent to me that the simplest
measure of a creative leader is the fact that they live extraordinary lives by
instinct.
The title of this post paraphrases Christy Turlintgton (she
says that Tory Burch's success derives from "meeting women where they
are"). I found these words to define the essence of a true philosophy for
life and work - I paused the video and listened again and again …
There are so many zingers thrown around these days to
explain what companies need to do to attract clients and gain market share.
From re-naming consumers "product guests" to the ubiquitous
labeling of every product as an
"experience", consumer driven companies seem to be all too
often more focused in achieving an intellectual differentiation from their
competitors than in just addressing their market with the honesty that most
people want.
My daily exposure to
the hospitality & leisure world provides me with plenty of examples of
brand gimmickry. It can be the over-use of adjectives like ultra-luxurious (FYI
to all hoteliers: just plain, simple and real luxury is fine when delivered
genuinely!), or brands so scientifically tailored to a particular sub-demographic
that by the time they come to market that niche has morphed into another and
the brand runs on empty, or even tag lines that can be exceptionally good
examples of language flexing but fall short of expanding the expectations of those
for whom they are suited - a particular favorite of mine is Las Vegas Cosmopolitan's
great tag line "just the right amount of wrong".
A poster advertising the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan Hotel
And that is why the
simplicity of "meeting people where they are" resonated so much with
me. It is a worthy motto, and a philosophy of living that I feel inspired to
pursue.
Opposite Ms. Turlington Burns’s more reflective view was Tory
Burch's pragmatic but sensitive approach. I have always liked the
style she has fashioned - it is elegant, it is current and it is genuine. I
think she has harnessed the best qualities of creative fashion with the reality
of modern women's lives. And I also like the design of her shops - they always
seem to stand out in a row of storefronts. There is the lacquered orange for
which I also share a passion and the tasteful mixture of furnishings that make
them so inviting. So it didn't surprise me when she said that the design was
based on the idea of creating "a shop where people would want to come to
and spend time in". What better way to sell products than to make your
clients feel like welcome guests and let them naturally belong in the place
where they are shopping! However conscious, this effort is coherent with the
brand and clearly a determining element of her success.
So: "meeting people where they are" and "making people feel like they want to spend time where your products are". Two pretenseless, powerful and appealing ideas that can definitely improve our life and our businesses.
They also prove that more than relying on ad campaigns, if you know what you are doing success will eventually follow.
(The "Iconoclasts" series is available on Amazon.com - you can find it on My Recommended Amazon products on the side banner of this blog).
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