A lot of designers automatically dismiss the concept of niche marketing because they’re afraid of turning away business. But it’s important to understand that the design business has changed dramatically over the past decade and in particular over the past few years.
We live in a Design Economy, with consumers able to design their cars, their daily soundtracks, their clothing and accessories, etc…, all with the help of interactive tools that provide nearly instant gratification. At the same time, product access and sourcing information has been opened to the public through design websites, magazines and changes in showroom and mart policies.
Yet, while good design is now more public, more evident—and to a great degree—more accessible to consumers, achieving it has also become infinitely more complicated. For every project there are hundreds of products that can be specified, and for every product there are now thousands of possible choices and options from which to choose. As for the business itself, there are dozens of design specialties that barely existed even five years ago. As Lloyd Princeton noted in a recent seminar, “Being a designer isn’t distinctive, even if your design is.”
Sometimes it takes a semi-outsider to recognize a niche. Brynne Rinderknecht, a set designer and stylist for Playboy Magazine found herself answering all kinds of questions from friends and friends-of-friends about creating sexy, seductive bedrooms. A few years of this, combined with the enthusiastic response she received from readers who wrote in to ask about the lamp, the throw, the wallpaper, and not the model(!) in the picture, and Rinderknecht, realized she was on to something. The result is Bedrooms by Byrnne, a luxury boudoir design service. The purpose is “to create tasteful and seductive stories for the bedroom that improve the quality of your days and nights.” It’s proven to be a very successful market position.
Rinderknecht’s experience reveals the hidden opportunity in defining your niche. We find that the resistance to niche marketing often comes from the belief that you’ll be labeled or put in a box if you focus your business too narrowly. But when you give people a category to put your products or services in, it is easier for them to get a handle on what you do and to remember it. It’s also much easier for them to distinguish how you differ from other professionals in that category. In other words, by defining your niche, you create the opportunity to stand out because your abilities, qualifications and experience are more clearly recognizable.
In some markets it’s easier to gain immediate recognition than in others, but it’s still about recognizing a need and developing an appropriate response that fits you and fits the niche. Chris Plantan, a practicing architect, was dismayed by the bland, and in many cases, downright unattractive office supplies she had to choose from to complete her designs. So, Plantan started Russell + Hazel with the idea that office products can be personal accessories. The stylish, well-designed organizational systems she produced have been featured in many fashion and design publications and websites, with sales in 2006 reaching $2 million after a little less than three years in business.
It may sound trite, but the maxim that you can’t be all things to all people has never been more true. Whether it’s unfocused communication or projects that don’t relate to your core business, the cost of not defining a niche is prohibitive…unfulfilling projects, dissatisfied clients, unnecessary stress, and diminished productivity. Yet, in our largely female industry, we find this is often a very difficult step for many designers to take because it means saying “no” to people, projects and clients that don’t offer the correct fit.
As a designer, your perfect niche is one that makes you the most visible and accessible to those that are most likely to benefit from your specific skills. This audience should not only include prospective clients, but also potential collaborators, partners and associates who share similar values and goals. This is the paradox of defining a niche: by narrowing your focus you become more able to broaden your outreach
Where to Start?
Take a sheet of paper and write down your answers to these questions:
- What products /services generate the most revenue for you?
- The most profit?
Surprised? Impressed? Dismayed? Or did you know the answers without looking at
your books? Your reaction will help you answer the following:
- Do these answers fit your description of your company?
We find that it’s too easy for small business owners to drift away from their original goals and plans. A client calls, a project beckons and before you realize it, your business is in a different place. It may be a welcome change, or it may be a distraction from what you really want. Either way, a marketing plan will help keep you on track.
About Deb Barrett and Susan Schultz:
Deb Barrett is principal of Window Dressings, Inc. a custom window treatment and soft furnishings firm near Chicago, Illinois. Barrett is an award-winning designer who has built a reputation for cutting-edge couture treatments, as well as a professional speaker, columnist and author. Her work regularly appears in leading industry publications. During her successful tenure in design she has had extensive experience in a broad range of areas. Her fascination with what’s around the corner and the constant search for inspiration has led her to her current role as a trend strategist for Grace McNamara, Inc.
Susan Schultz is a principal in Space Downtown, a home furnishings design, product development and marketing firm based in New York City. Throughout her successful and diverse career as a design professional, Schultz has become known for her insightful observations and analysis of new opportunities in design. Schultz’s passion for discovery is now focused on emerging design talents from around the globe; introducing them to the US market through her firm and in her role as trend strategist for GMI.