I want to introduce you to two people today.

One of them is real, one is entirely fictional. Both of them are highly successful, and pull in hundreds-of-millions in revenue per year.

The best part? They use completely different approaches to grow their thriving empires.

The main reason I wanted to talk about these unique business models is that they are both thriving in the downturn.

They both sell higher priced clothing. And they both target a more affluent type of buyer.

First, meet Harry Rosen: http://www.harryrosen.com/

Harry Rosen is a Canadian Icon with 55 years in business. Harry has turned his initial $500 investment into a $250 Million dollar empire and continues to thrive in the current economy. Harry Rosen now proudly owns 35 percent share of the national market in high-end men’s wear.

One of the BIG reasons Harry has done so well?

“Most companies are faceless but I’m the face. Like me or dislike me, it’s what you get,” he says.

Direct from the master: You MUST have a face in front of your company.

Simple …
yet ignored by 99% of businesses out there.

Do YOU put your name and face in front of all your messaging?

Do you make sure people understand that you are there for them, and that you will make sure they get the attention they crave?

It is one of the most critical skills to master in a buying environment like this.

People are desperately seeking out companies that are different. Companies who have something unique about them. Companies that give them a good story they can share with their friends and associates.

Harry does this.

Guess how Harry Rosen got his start?

A little know fact about Harry is that he was an outstanding copywriter who hand wrote out long “quirky” little letters to the top CEOs in Canada. He would hand pick who he wanted as a buyer, get their address and hand write out these “odd letters,” as he called them in an interview.

Despite what many people think: Those executives not only received and opened his mail; they read it top to bottom and came in to order some finely tailored suits and clothing.

Hand-written … long copy … no photographs.

The TOP business leaders would respond with credit cards in hand. (I did ask him if he kept copies of them … unfortunately he said no).

They continue to sell to the affluent professional.

The up-and-coming executive who must make the right first impression. The new manager who needs to look good in the boardroom, as well as after hours at the company party.

While Harry no longer hand writes those letters, they still continue to use advertising campaigns that bring people in the door.

One way they do it is through their Ask Harry Column. It all started with an ad they ran that told this story…

“This is Harry. Harry has a store. Harry sells suits. Harry’s suits are all naturally tailored. Harry calls this lean, unpadded styling the Cambridge look. Harry specializes in the Cambridge look. If you like the Cambridge look, remember his name, Harry.”

“Right from the moment it ran, it was very successful,” Rosen says. “We had customers coming in from outside of Toronto, from around the country, in fact. That was the beginning, although I didn’t understand it at the time, of the branding of Harry Rosen.”

Anyone could ask Harry any question they wanted about clothing, dressing the part, or even how to act in social situations they are involved in.

You can ask Harry “Can you wear a French-cuffed shirt and cufflinks with a sports jacket, or only a suit?” and get an answer.

Some of the random things Harry helps men understand through his Ask Harry column:

• Changing trends in the men’s fashion world -http://www.harrymagazine.ca/en/notebook
• How to pick a wine with confidence
• How to tie a tie – also one of the top applications on Apple’s iStore
• How to pack a suitcase
• How to choose and wear your denim

Harry still spends every Saturday in his flagship store with a tape measure and piece of chalk in hand. He does the same thing at his other stores across the country at least a couple of times a year.

This is a man who has become a Canadian Icon in the business world, and a major success in the world-fashion scene.

His new breakthrough advertising campaign features prominent Canadian Business Men in their element.

Each ad is like a case study with the customer’s photo, their name and credentials, and their story of how they became a devoted Harry Rosen fan.

Some of the titles he gave his customers:
The Influencer
The Guru
The Entrepreneur
The Visionary

(The actual ads have more copy than on this picture though.)

How did Harry continue to thrive in an economic disaster?

They introduced a new campaign: “Welcome to The New Confidence”

“Our experience has been that the surest way to bolster the economy is to inspire confidence, the kind of confidence conveyed by dressing in a manner that underscores the fact that you are the right leader for the task at hand. Your personal brand is your biggest asset today.”

Harry Rosen is an exceptional business man and his use of his photo, his name, and his values in their marketing is one of the big reasons they have done so well.

Next, my friend Tommy Bahama

I say friend because I feel like I know Tommy, even though he is a fictional character. I am actually wearing one of Tommy’s shirts right now … and I love Tommy’s clothes. They are right up my alley (an ex-suit who despises wearing a tie anymore … I was a Harry Rosen Shopper and have now moved to the Tommy side).

It is very interesting to me that both Harry and Tommy target similar demographics … upwardly mobile, more affluent types of buyers.

Yet their clothing styles are dramatically different. The sales approach they use is even more different. Harry sells you on looking good and knowing how to act in a professional situation.

Tommy sells you on the way of life that many of us strive for.

From their site:

ABOUT TOMMY

There is a warm westerly breeze rustling the palms, the lulling roar of crashing waves – it’s a celebration of island living, courtesy of Tony Margolis, Bob Emfield and Lucio Dalla Gasperina.

In 1992, our fictional Tommy Bahama character became the inspiration behind the experience of traveling to exotic locales where the food is good, the beaches are hot and the mood is relaxed.

Tommy Bahama and his tropical adventures command the finer things in life: casual, comfortable sportswear, golfwear, swimwear, footwear and accessories for men and women.

As the purveyor of island lifestyles, Tommy Bahama, has created a world where life moves at a more relaxed pace, where the enjoyment of the good life is the norm, rather than the exception.

Not sure about you, but I can hear the waves, and see myself there on that beach. It is what I strive for … and there are a lot of people out there who have a dream just like that.

And the Tommy character is just what the doctor ordered.

For the beach lovers out there … you can visit Paradise Nation and travel to exotic locations with
Tommy http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/ParadiseNation.jsp

They have also expanded into the restaurant business now, and, although I haven’t had the privilege of frequenting one yet, I know people who have and they absolutely loved it.

Tommy Bahama also knows that those who aspire to an island lifestyle want more than just the nice comfortable clothes to go with it; they want to completely immerse themselves in everything to do with the beach bum life.

They now sell luggage, furniture, bathroom accessories, bedding and bathroom goods, rugs … even ceiling fans.

By the time you are done with Tommy’s store, you are completely decked out from head to toe and from doorway to bedroom.

You can even pick up a bottle of Tommy’s finest Tropical Rum for your afternoon cocktails out on the patio set you bought from Tommy.

You ARE living the Tommy lifestyle … exactly what you wanted.

So what does all this have to do with you and your business?

Pay close attention to these two businesses.

They both use a personality front and center. One of them is a real person, the other is fictional (but real in the customer’s mind).

The personality is used everywhere, and it becomes the main reason why people buy … they aspire to be just like that person they hear so much about. They want to live the same lifestyle … look the part … be that person.

This is a secret of success that is soooooo rarely used.

For example, a new client came on board last year.

He has a successful business in the horse training business. He lives on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. And people from all over the world seek him out to get lessons with their horses. They fly him all over the world to teach his classes.

And he wants to take his business to the next level.

How would he do it?

He would model what Harry and Tommy have done.

He would give his clients an insider’s view on what it is really like to be a cowboy.

To work with horses day-in and day-out.

To ride deep into the mountains on a three-week trip.

To be at one with nature and live off the land like real cowboys used to.

And we build his personality into everything that he does.

I will share with you what happens as we get this rolling.

Much like the lobster story I have shared here, the key to success in business today is giving people a unique story they can tell their friends and family.

The lobster brothers send out DVDs with every product shipment.

Pop the DVD in and watch your dedicated lobster-fisherman telling you about their family, about how they catch your lobster, and about what it is like working on a fishing boat for a living.

Those brothers built a million-dollar business in just a few months using their personalities as the main selling point.

In a business that was traditionally a price-based decision.

No longer.

So the question for you is …

… Do you want your customers to think of you like a Tommy?

… Or a Harry?

Both work.

One is more wild and free … living the ultimate lifestyle many of your customers aspire to. The other is a professional … works hard and plays hard.

Do your customers want to:

“Escape the troubles of the modern world in favor of a place that’s relaxed and worry-free … where life is one long weekend …

Or

“Live in their own New Confidence in a New Economy?”

Which person are you targeting?

How are you giving them what they want?

How can you?

What can you do to give them the lifestyle they want?

How can you tie your personality into it so they will NEVER forget you?

What one thing could you do in the next month that would get them talking about you to their friends, family and associates?

I would love to hear your ideas.

Thanks again.

To your success.

Troy