Learning about a brand can take you places you never thought you’d go like in front of the camera, instead of behind it.
I had the opportunity to get sassy with a group of dynamic women from SSI that’s St. Simons Island. We swaggered and swirled in the exquisite selection of apparel and accessories from Planters Exchange in Redfern Village. What did I learn about the brand?
It supports women and the women who wear it support each other. It goes against the small town cliques of bygone eras. Yes, there’s still a bit of that anywhere; however, the glimpse of honest support is what makes shopping at Planters Exchange much more inviting.
We all know local boutiques can offer personal attention the big box stores can’t. What I witnessed at Planters Exchange is that they welcome you in after others have locked their doors. Everyone on the floor gets involved in the customer selection process. Friends are made and relationships built.
There are supportive sizes, fits, and styles specific to their international, globe trotting, coastal cruising clientele. While other boutiques might be able to taut similar superlatives, not all of them can offer the agility and flexibility this shop does. Planters Exchange is owned by a Global CEO who understands the needs of his customers. He offers accessories that can take them from travel or professional ware into an elegant evening with a wrap of a scarf, handbag switch, or a quick and simple necklace pendant exchange.
I realized he’d tapped into a vital component that facilitates not only the selection process, but also the way his clientele likes to shop. His customers aren’t always permanent residents. They are also vacationers who come in store when they are on the island and shop online when they get home. The ease of it has attracted women and their gift-searching husbands who have never been to St. Simons Island.
As marketers and promoters of a brand, it’s so easy to stay on our side of the lens. It’s important to remember being on the inside or on the other side of the camera is where we discover that point of difference we need to find. The information isn’t earth- shattering. The emotional experience is, and that is what gives me the stories only Planters Exchange can tell.