REMEMBER: FINE = DIFFERENT.
“Our fancies are always tickled by the unexpected or serendipitous — in-store photo booths, really unique ad campaigns, $200 interior build-outs (that look amazing) — things that make a business stand out from all the others.”
One of my editors wrote that during an email conversation about the America’s Finest Optical Retailers contest. It got me thinking about the many conversations I’ve had with business owners about what exactly our judges are looking for.
Which in turn got me thinking about some of the standout features of our past winners. Here’s a list of 5 Cool Things about some of the stores that won or placed in our America’s Finest contest:
A novel aesthetic. Oakland Vision Center’s entire business is a good example: whimsical frame backdrops, selfie cards to inspire clients to post pictures of themselves wearing their new eyewear to social media, fun eyewear motifs placed strategically throughout the business.
One striking element. Eye Candy Optical of Westlake, OH, has a color and decor scheme that evokes a hip nightclub far more than an eyecare business.
New twists on how to sell eyewear and eyecare services. Like LaFollette Eye Clinic and the Eyewear Gallery of LaFollette, TN, where the entire business is structured to serve as a “Celebration of Vision.”
Consistently stepped-up customer service. Not to minimize them, but we’ve heard a lot of stories about driving through a blizzard to deliver a pair of glasses on time at this point. Those stories are great, but what’s really cool is when a business builds a better approach to service right into their system, every day. Ulla Eyewear doesn’t charge visitors for eyewear adjustments. Instead, they are encouraged to make a donation to Combat Blindness International.
Interesting event ideas. We love both slightly out-of-the ordinary in-store events and other marketing efforts that draw attention. Take Urban Optiks Optometry for example. Instead of a small trunk show inside the business to celebrate their seventh anniversary, Urban Optiks held a mega-trunk show with 13 top vendors at a nearby nightclub. Epic.
Now, by no means were these the sole defining factors in the success of these businesses in the contest. Nor does this mean your business needs to have features like these to win — indeed, by definition, we’d like to see something different. But these unusual and engaging ideas should give you an idea of what really turns our cranks.