If the EEE Shoe Fits—Sell It!
As you are well aware, one way you can stand out and gain market share is to “niche”—meaning you focus on one small segment of the market … carve it out for yourself … and own it.
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For a product, you can niche in any number of ways relating to the product itself, including:
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Energy efficiency.
Ease of use.
Maintainability.
Interoperability.
Reliability.
Lifecycle.
Sustainability.
Options.
Accessories.
Portability.
Flavor.
Color.
Styles.
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For apparel, one proven niching strategy that has worked well is to niche by size—in particular, cater to a size range.
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For instance, in?new home construction, “tiny houses” – typically 600 square feet or smaller – are all the rage.
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The appeal: less house to take care of, extremely affordable, and small enough to be moved.
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One of the most common retail examples of size-range targeting is Big and Tall Men stores.
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A big winner in size-range targeting is Hitchcock Shoes.
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For many decades, Hitchcock Shoes – now rebranded as wideshoes.com to be found more easily online -- ?has been doing this with great success.
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They dominated a segment of the shoe market not with design, style, or branding.
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But with size: Hitchcock specialized in selling extra-wide shoes for guys with big, flapping, galumphing feet.
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The headline of their classic print ad is "Wide Shoes for Men: EEE to 8E."
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It works for 2 simple reasons.
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First, guys like me have long had trouble buying our extra-wide shoes retail—as stores naturally carry only a limited inventory of shoes – and in many models don’t even carry E width.
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Second, Hitchcock/wideshoes.com branded itself as the EEEEE mail order shoe company.
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So if you needed a particular shoe in E to EEE or wider, you knew Hitchcock was the place most likely to carry it.
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Pre-internet, I always had a copy of the Hitchcock catalog in my office for quick reference and ordering.
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Today,?a newer company, Pepper, is applying the same size-specific niche strategy to bras, also with considerable success.
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Their online advertising says: "Everyday bras, perfected for small boobs--AA-B cups."
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The About page on the Pepper website says: “We’re creating a community and products for woman with small chests who have been overlooked. We believe everyone deserves to feel good in their own skin.”
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It goes on to note that traditional bra brands cater to women who have or aspire to have—often through an “unnecessary” boob job—a bigger bust. ?
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Note how,?like Hitchcock, Pepper’s headlines state the specific sizes – AA-B cups—they are tailor made for.
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Pepper bras seem to be a runaway hit, popping up on my Facebook and email inbox many times each week.
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And I don’t even wear a bra:
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About the author:
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Robert W. Bly is a freelance copywriter with 4 decades of experience in direct response and business-to-business marketing. He has written copy for dozens of clients including IBM, Forbes, and AARP.
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Bob is the author of 100+ books including?The Copywriter’s Handbook?(St. Martin’s Griffin). He can be reached by email [email protected] or?phone 973-263-0562.
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Want to gain more of Bob Bly’s marketing knowledge at no cost? Sign up for a free subscription to his e-newsletter … and claim 4 FREE Bonus Gifts worth over $100 -- here: www.bly.com/reports
Freelance Direct Response Copywriter
1 年As always, a great post. But a tip of the hat to the sly reference in the photo. It's just another reason I love to check out Bob's posts: You never know when he'll make an inside joke. The only thing better than good advice is good advice with a side of humor.
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1 年https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7123607275360948224?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android
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1 年Valuable info and examples on niches. Thanks Bob!
As a hobbit-footed guy, I've been a Hitchcock customer. Sierra Trading Post doesn't brand or market itself for wide shoes, etc. but I've often found dood deals on wide shoes there. Brooks has a great niche with its Beast model which is a sneaker that is so stable it's very unlikely that you'll turn an ankle while wearing them ... and comes in wide sizes. Often recommended for active, older people.
Band director and private trumpet teacher
1 年I would like to find a women's store for my wide hobbit feet