Page 49 - Visual Marketing

“We use videos, blogs, and
photographs (online and offline)
to promote our business,” says
Judi Townsend, founder of
Mannequin Madness.
Why It Works
Mannequin Madness’s website
is intriguing and appealing to
the eye: Each section of the site
is identified by a correspond-
ing mannequin part (including
the famous leg lamp from A
Christmas Story). Videos from the
company and CNN plead to be
watched on the side of the home
page.
Besides the appropriate use of
bright colors and solid layout,
the website (and blog) offers a
plethora of information about
mannequins and their history,
how the company recycles its
mannequins (something most
of us didn’t know was possible),
along with links to social media
and Yelp reviews. It has all the
elements of a great website.
The company really found its
niche by going beyond the
traditional supplying to retailers.
Trade shows often need man-
nequins for a conference, and
buying them can be too costly
for budgets. Artists want manne-
quins for art projects, and muse-
ums and theatrical productions
also have the occasional need
for a mannequin. By expanding
its target audience and offering
rentals, Mannequin Madness
found the formula for success.
Success Metrics
• The company’s recycling efforts
have landed it contracts with
Gap, Bebe, Nike, and Kohl’s.
• Videos about the company
have appeared on CNN, on the
MUCH MO RE THAN JUST A W E BS I TE 28
in-flight enter-
tainment on
British Airways
flights, on TV
shows about
niche businesses
and green busi-
nesses, as well
as on YouTube.
• Flattering or not, Mannequin
Madness has been so successful
that its competitors are using its
trademarked company name in
their Google ads.
Takeaway Tip
No matter how arcane your industry or how
boring you think your niche is, a website can
take you from being technical and indus-
trial to a business interest story the world
wants to know about. Have fun with it. Use
a tongue-in-cheek name and logo. Include
visual jokes and puns. The media will pick up
on it. It will be a powerful marketing tool.