The Marketing Shift: From Straight Lines to Circles
OMJ Clothing
Experiential Clothing Brand // Charlotte NC // Helping inspire confidence in men and women through what they wear ??
Late last year, we committed...to get better in every area of our business. Not just a little better, but significantly better.
From operations to customer experience, we wanted to push the boundaries of what’s possible. One area we’ve been especially focused on is marketing...rethinking how we attract, engage, and build long-term relationships with our customers.
The Industry Standard: A to Z Thinking
In our industry, the marketing playbook has been the same for decades.
Point A: Get someone to schedule an appointment. Point Z: They come in, make a purchase (off-the-rack or custom), and we deliver a great experience.
That’s the formula. It’s simple, it works, and it’s how most businesses in custom clothing operate. The best in the game differentiate themselves by providing a more refined experience—better service, stronger relationships, and smoother processes.
But at its core, this approach is transactional. It assumes customers follow a predictable, linear path. And while that may have worked in the past, today’s world doesn’t operate that way anymore.
The New Way: Marketing as a Circle
Marketing isn’t a funnel. It’s not a pipeline. It’s a circle.
The best brands across every industry know this. They don’t just try to “convert” customers as quickly as possible. They build GRAVITY...attracting people into their world, keeping them engaged, and creating an ecosystem where customers want to be a part of their journey.
That’s the shift we’ve made at OMJ. Instead of just driving people to “book an appointment,” we are focusing on creating a strong, engaging presence that provides value before a sale ever happens. That means:
- Engaging social content that sparks conversations and makes people feel like they’re part of something bigger
- Incredible in-store experiences that don’t just sell suits but create lasting memories
- YouTube engagement (not just long-form, but the short clips that make an impact)
- Sharing expertise and knowledge to build trust over time
- Giving out as much value as possible...for free because real relationships come before transactions
- Referrals and reputation that naturally follow when you genuinely take care of people
Instead of focusing on a destination (the sale), we’re focused on building a world people want to step into.
The Gravity of Relationships
This shift has changed the way we think about growth.
We’re not here to push products. We’re here to help, educate, and create incredible experiences. We’re here to build relationships...because we know that one day, whether it’s tomorrow, next month, or years from now, if we’ve built that trust, you’ll book that appointment.
And when you do, we’ll be ready to welcome you in!
Make sure to check out our new landing link for The World of OMJ. We have links to everything, and constantly update it. What once pointed to our website points to our growing list of links and resources...from our podcast to recommended podcasts and magazines...and of course a link to schedule an appointment as well :)
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My Weekly Recommendations
Read: If you are a James Bond fan, this GQ article is a great read on the state of the Bond franchise now that it is under Amazon!
Also, Read/Watch: Our Mad Men recaps have a permanent home now on Substack. Feel free to follow along and subscribe separately if you are so inclined!
Listen: This week's listen is a?podcast that is long but so good. Coming in at 5 hours, this is the quintessential podcast on all things Rolex. It goes deep and is such a great listen. If you are into watches in any capacity, I encourage you to give a listen...even if it takes a few weeks :)
AI: Every week, I share insights on Artificial Intelligence (the good and the bad) and how we or other businesses can leverage it. This week, I have been playing around with video AI makers. Honestly, it is wild! Check out this video I made in five minutes by writing a few sentences of copy. While it isn't something I would use, give it another 6 months and this will probably be 10x better and perhaps something I may consider. Every month I am more and more amazed!
Watch: It's the 50th anniversary of SNL (Saturday Night Live), and they are showing a lot of their best skits. Who else remembers this great Jos a Bank one about the suits being so cheap they are used as paper towels? Back when it originally aired, it was one of the first times I realized marketing anything like they were (buy 1 get 3 free), was the fastest way to the bottom. You see, the suits aren't actually terrible quality (they aren't great by any means, but not terrible like the skit suggested), but their marketing strategy made it easy to joke about it, and well...reputation is everything!
Best,?
Bradley Rhyne, CEO
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Client Spotlight
This Lake Como wedding was amazing. A big shout-out to Moving Mountains Studios for sharing this stunning video!
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Reviews and Referrals
Reviews: If you have had a great experience, we would love it if you would leave us a nice review on Google!
Referrals: If you refer someone who buys custom (suits, jackets, shirts, etc), you will receive a complimentary custom shirt (up to $225 in value).