Death of a Salesman: How Store-To-Store Is Making A Comeback
For all the “influencers” in the world, it seems like it takes monumentous effort to make waves in the digital marketing world
There are a lot of influencers in the world, but not a lot of actual influence happening in the long run. It’s easy for good, well-meaning businesses but easy to get lost in the “skinny tummy teas” of the digital world.
Even some mainstream internet shops have the decrepit,, hollow feeling of the modern mall: flailing to maintain relevance, shamelessly consumeristic, and just out of touch. AKA, not a fun place to hang out (at least, not anymore).
So are we stuck with the soulless Amazon clones of the digital world?
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People WANT community, and they want it to surround the things they choose to spend their hard-earned money on. After all, what they buy shows what they care about. That’s why many of us are going vintage: selling shop-to-shop.
Trying Something New (By Trying Something Old)
“But Dip”, I hear you say, “isn’t selling door-to-door a relic of the past, left to Kirby salesmen and elementary school fund raisers?”
Here’s the thing: EVERYTHING makes a comeback (except low-rise jeans, PLEASE, we beg you), and in typical fashion, you take the good and leave behind the ick.
Mass distribution works great for profit, but not for people. Storeowners and shoppers alike have no personal connection to the product in this model, so manufacturers need to rely on marketing gimmicks (like crazy packaging, or sometimes ludicrously exaggerated claims to stand out among the rabble).
And that’s just what’s on the surface–there’s also the oceans of palletized plastic to consider, among other environmental concerns.
Dip Does It Differently
So what’s the other option? You all know Dip does it different, so we tried a slightly different model:
- Start small–small business, that is. We set our sights on the actual movers in the environmental space, which are usually small businesses that already have ties with the people around them & support our shared values.
- Network with those small businesses on the forefront of the sustainability industry, including refill stores (refill is the new record store, after all!) This is where you find the community.
- Connect with storeowners one-on-one (putting names to faces is a crucial step!)
- Arrange store visits so we can hype dip up to local communities
- Welcome feedback, enjoy the community, and continually grow inside and out.
Does this take time, energy, and a ton of grit? OH yeah.
Is it worth it? Absolutely.
Digital marketing still has its place...But we truly believe that meaningful change need to be rooted in something more tangible in order to move the needle. That means we are putting a lot of trust in consumers to dip out of the mainstream and support their local businesses....but that's ok with us, because we think the tide is shifting in that direction.