How to Market Like a Girl — an American Girl…

Around the turn of the millennium, when our twins were six, Melissa took them to American Girl Place in Chicago.

Maddie had a small family of American Girl dolls — Molly, Kirsten, and Samantha. Molly was her favorite, so she tagged along on the Chicago adventure.

American Girl Molly

(I skipped the fun and went, instead, to Wrigley Field for the Cubs-Cardinals game).

The American Girl adventure went something like this: Tea and cucumber sandwiches in the Cafe, followed by a visit to the Salon for hair and makeup.

Next came the play — a medley of American history featuring all the American Girls come to life.

After that, a visit to the Doll Hospital because Molly had a broken arm that needed mending.

Then came the store (it always ends with a trip to the store) where Maddie got a hair and makeup set for her girls (we got off easy).

Fast forward 20 years and those dolls are collecting dust in Maddie’s old bedroom closet. But Melissa and Maddie still remember the experience fondly (Maddie’s twin brother, Jake… not so much).

I recalled all of the above this week while reading “The Experience Economy” by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore.

American Girl Place in Chicago was the company’s first in 1998. After that American Girl Places sprouted across America.

“It’s hard to call the American Girl Place a retail store,” Pine and Gilmore write in Chapter 1 of their book. “because it is indeed a business stage for experiences. Certainly you can purchase (merchandise). But the merchandise proves secondary to the overall experience, at which guests average (average!) more than four hours per visit.”

“A business stage for experiences”

That’s a big, hairy, audacious idea. Successful companies don’t sell products and services. They deliver experiences. The better the experiences, the more they sell.

This applies not just to retail giants like American Girl. This applies to me… and you. If we want to stand out and be the ones people choose to hire, we must create a better experience for our audience.

I do it in a variety of ways — including by writing entertaining emails every week day. You’re sitting in the audience right now, staring at MY “business stage for experiences.”

What about your business? How can you create “experiences” for your audience that create a lasting bond and inspire them to hire you.

“The Experience Economy” answers that question.

That’s why Ted Prodromou and I chose it as this month’s selection for the Mastermind Book Club.

Each month, Ted Prodromou and I choose one book for the Club to read and discuss. On the fourth Thursday (5/23 at 2:30 p.m. ET this month), we meet live on Zoom to discuss the book.

The Club and meetings are free to attend. But you have to join the Club in advance to get the meeting notices and Zoom link.

See you on Thursday, I hope.