An American tycoon who revolutionized marketing and public relations
I have a special fondness for world history, which leads me to seek out historical or period dramas. Not only because they show us the events or moments that shaped civilizations, but for the lessons we can learn from our ancestors. From how they thought, acted, dressed and ate, to the decisions that affect us today — history is an endless source of lessons we keep living alongside.Browsing Netflix, I found the series Mr. Selfridge, a story based on real events that tells the story of Harry Gordon Selfridge, an American tycoon who arrived in England in 1908 to revolutionize how the English shopped.
In the early 20th century, London was a fairly conservative society with very strict moral codes, which was also reflected in its department stores, gloomy and somber, where you weren't allowed to enjoy the shopping process, let alone engage your senses. So when a customer came looking for a product, the clerk would strictly offer exactly what was asked for, with no option to browse or touch other items. The phrase “I'm just looking” was synonymous with no sale, or a waste of time.
Selfridge was an innovative, visionary, ambitious and daring businessman who spared no money or effort to seize every opportunity that came his way to close a sale and grow his business. He capitalized even on moments of crisis to keep engaging and communicating with the London public, who were eager to be part of the style, glamour and theatrics this new shopping trend offered them. As Selfridge would say: “Let's have some fun.”
And it's precisely part of that fun that lives on today in our department stores, which pick up — perhaps without knowing it — the marketing and public relations techniques this figure left us.
• Entertain to communicate, or communicate to entertain.
At Selfridge's, communication was geared toward entertaining customers, especially the bourgeois ladies who wanted to enjoy fashion and shopping. The place became a new concept where they were the main characters who could make their dreams come true. Harry turned the beauty department, long relegated to the back corner, into customers' first point of contact with the store. They could take in the scents and textures of the products the moment they walked in, just as happens today. In this way, they became part of a sensory experience that evoked memories, places and nostalgia — reasons more than enough to make a purchase.• Sales are welcome here.
No store in London in the early 1900s would have imagined running a “one-day-only sale” to attract more customers and boost sales. Products had a fixed price that had to be honored, always. However, this businessman studied his customers' behavior and put himself in their shoes to offer them an appealing deal: pay less for an item, just for one day — could that be enough to get them moving? Of course. People flocked to the store to grab deals, and also to buy items they probably didn't need but that, if displayed and their qualities shown off by well-trained sales staff, why not take them home?• The press will always be a friend to me and my store.
Selfridge saw that an effective way to get free publicity was constant contact with journalists. If a reporter asked him about his business, he was always happy to talk and provide the information requested. He invited important figures of the era, such as Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, King Edward VII, Ernest Shackleton, among others, to visit his store to enjoy a new retail concept, because he knew these personalities would draw the press. A perfect news hook to earn a media mention at zero cost, which would attract even more customers who wanted to feel as exclusive as the distinguished visitors.• His employees, the best spokespeople.
Harry Selfridge saw talent where no one else noticed it. He was convinced that trusting his staff was the foundation for them to identify with the company and, “without even realizing it,” keep giving more of themselves. He listened to his employees, believed in them wholeheartedly, and gave them feedback to spark their creativity. He was empathetic and unafraid of change, since anyone who joined his business could grow if they worked hard and pursued excellence.• Opportunity is born from crisis.
A critical moment can be perfect for generating a positive brand mention and grabbing public attention. When Harry's partner, Mr. Waring, decides to abandon him before construction of the store even begins, in the middle of a press conference, Selfridge feels all the effort collapsing. However, he acts quickly, thanks Waring for his support, and turns back to the journalists, who notice his discomfort and tell him: “We're in a hole on Oxford Street,” to which he replies: “It's not just any hole — it's a million-dollar hole.”• Technology and business.
After World War I ended, the tycoon wanted to come up with something that would help the English forget that terrible period and bring a fresh feeling. To do this, he chose a tool that's still with us today: technology. He displayed in his store the technological milestones of the era, such as the plane Louis Blériot used to cross the English Channel (1909), and the first public demonstration of television in 1925. With these constantly changing news hooks, he'd call in the press to announce the trends that would define the season — something that would obviously feed his business's growth.Able to entertain his customers and seduce them with fashion, luxury and glamour, this figure showed us that in business, creativity, perseverance and innovation are powerful ingredients for energizing a brand, growing it, and positioning it beyond its own time, just as his stores in London still do today.