This is why you’ve never seen a commercial for Anthropologie
Have you ever seen a commercial for Anthropologie on television? Or when flipping through an issue of Vogue or Cosmopolitan, have you stumbled across their advertisements? Of course, the answer is no, because Anthropologie doesnt advertise. Its just not something they need to rely on. “We believe that by starting a conversation and interacting directly with our customers … we are more effective at understanding and serving their fashion needs,” the company wrote in its April 2015 SEC filings.
Additionally, Anthropologie believes that their blogs perform the same function for other businesses as traditional advertising does. They continued, “Not only do our blogs let us share what inspires us, they also let our readers share what inspires them.
Anthropologie also sends out emails, posts on social media, and relies on its window displays to draw shoppers in. They also publish an old-school catalog, though they dont refer to it that way, according to Susy Korb, chief marketing officer of Anthropologie. “We dont call it a catalog,” she revealed in a chat with The New York Times. “We call it a journal.” Of course they do.
This is why the store is called Anthropologie
It goes without saying that when someone spends two years thinking up a store, the name they choose is crucial. Richard Hayne, the company’s founder, decided on the name “Anthropologie” because he felt it perfectly captured what he wanted to say.
Wondering just how the name came to be? According to Lehigh Valley Life, Hayne graduated from Lehigh University in 1969. And while you may be tempted to think that he spent his time at the college majoring in business, given his successes in retail, Hayne actually got his degree in anthropology. That perspective informed how he built Anthropologie, which is simply the French version of the word. And the name is fitting, if you think about it; the store definitely conjures ry of college students discussing cartography while sipping strong, black tea and wearing colorful maxi dresses.
Hayne made the right choice in giving Anthropologie a name because it went on to turn the store into a well-known brand.
You’ll likely find Anthropologie in old buildings
Its clearly evident that Anthropologie is hyper-focused on the customer experience, and that they very much want you to spend time in their stores. Thats why youre more likely to find an Anthropologie in a historic building instead of at the mall, according to former Executive Creative Director Kristin Norris. “Our visual philosophy is to make the store feel as if its a one-off, to feel like its the only one,” she explained to SFGate. “We capitalize on existing architectural elements.” She added that every store is similar to each other, but none of them are precisely the same, like The Gap or Abercrombie & Fitch might be.
Furthermore, Anthropologie is aware of regional variations, which may influence what a customer wants to buy. Norris continued, “We want each store to have a distinct personality and serve the customer. “The customer in Miami is not the customer in Seattle. ” She does have a point, to be honest.