This issue is top of mind for our Home Furnishings Council Marketing Committee. Let's divide the list into what we might control versus what does not appear to be under our control. As you can see, there are a reasonable group of controllable influences. We can begin to get an idea of the kind of image we project, as well as how well we communicate specific information, by taking a close look at our advertising. We can form an even more refined image of how the consumer perceives our products and services by examining how designers and sales people in our stores and at home shows interact with customers.
Newspaper advertising leaves an image impact each week.
It reaches thousands who will only glance at our offering if they are not yet in the market, but it clearly will bring them to our door if our message gets their attention and offers them something they want. Too often we simply use this medium to offer special promotions and an array of items for sale. The consumer will look at the ad and rate your store as first class or not, based on both the appearance and content of the ad. Our chances of influencing both positively and negatively are great. These are the exact same questions we asked about newspaper advertising but, in my view, television has a greater ability to build image.