Brother International Corporation annual dealer event brings attendees “Back to Business”

Billed as “Back to Business,” Brother International Corporation’s recent annual dealer event lived up to its no-nonsense, bottom-line focus, but the retail adrenaline was definitely racing. Brother’s newly-announced licensee agreement with hit reality TV’s Project Runway, its exciting line-up of new machines and the conference’s motivating seminars had dealers rejuvenated and eager to try new ideas, show new products and increase and strengthen customer ties.

More than 140 independent dealers and education representatives gathered in Denver this summer to be a part of this profit-inspiring mix. Dealers were also excited about what Dean F. Shulman, Senior Vice President of Brother International Corporation and head of the company’s Home Appliance Division, said as he unveiled the company’s new marketing campaign and new products, including the new Duetta™ 4500D sewing, quilting and embroidery machine.

“We’re ‘driving Miss Daisy’ back into your store,” he said of Brother’s comprehensive $1- million plan for public relations and media plan for the coming year. “We want new and younger sewers to walk into your facility and say ‘I want that!’ ”

Shulman also introduced dealers to his concept of “constructive deconstruction” as a strategy for freshening and sharpening a retail shop operation.

“Change is the basis of growth and success,” he said, “and it’s the hardest task for business owners to accomplish. The worst precipitant of change, though, is crisis.”

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is no longer a good business strategy, he explained. Smart business owners need to break their own habits before those habits break their businesses.

“For continued success and new growth, you must reinvent yourself and your business and how you think about it,” Shulman emphasized.

Brother officials sharing the lectern in other presentations included Tadashi Ishiguro, Brother International Corporation President, and Sean Katayama, President of the P & H Company, who celebrated the company’s long history as an innovator and talked about its 100-year anniversary coming in 2008.

New Products, Alliances Announced
Dealers were also treated to a measure of Hollywood sizzle, with a high-fashion flavored launch of new products, including a bona fide lighted runway and camera-flashing “paparazzi.” The new “Do it All” machine -- the Duetta™ 4500D, an advanced sewing, embroidery and quilting machine -- was introduced and well accepted by dealers. Its premier sewing, embroidery and quilting features and technology are intuitively integrated and engineered for precise performance on any type of project placed under the needle.

Also in the spotlight was the excitement over the recently announced licensee agreement with the Emmy-nominated hit fashion design competition television series, Project Runway. To highlight this achievement Brother will be introducing exclusive limited edition series of Project Runway sewing machines to its extensive line of sewing, embroidery and quilting products.

“Brother has aligned itself with this fashion-oriented hip brand to appeal to a new generation of designers who are inspired to create and designs like those on Project Runway,” said Shulman.

Brother’s new limited edition Project Runway machines will be branded with the Project Runway logo, and their release will coincide with the airing of the show’s fourth season.

‘Focus on Value, Not Price’
Brother dealers also got a hefty dose of practical marketing ideas at the “Back to Basics” conference, including wisdom from John Jantsch, author of “Duct-Tape Marketing.” In his keynote presentation, Jantsch talked about how effective marketing can eliminate or minimize price competition. “Focus on value, focus on education and price goes out the door,” Jantsch said. Identify your ideal client -- the ones whom you wish you had about 200 more of -- and then use those customers’ demographics, desires and sewing-related interests to shape your marketing messages, he advised.

Jantsch asked Brother dealers to identify what their product line in terms of what it means to their customers, and then invited audience members to share their thoughts. All the answers were a far cry from the basic “I sell sewing machines,” Jantsch said, and that difference is where the profit lurks. By identifying product benefit, it’s easy to shift the marketing message away from product price and toward the benefit that means the most to your ideal clients.

More Common-Sense Marketing
Four other marketing seminars shared the docket, including presentations about how to attract younger sewing enthusiasts, how “branding” your dealership can forge a bond with customers, and how to get good results from in-house special events for Anita Goodesign and Brother’s business-starter machines such as the PR-600.

The speakers were Sew Simple editor-in-chief Amy Stalp; Chris de Ross, national representative for Anita Goodesign; Sam Herskowitz, chief marketing officer of Emerging Vision Inc.; and Michelle Gilmartin, Brother’s PR-600 series specialist.

‘Brother Sews’ Focuses on Demo Skills
Dealer principals and education representatives also had the opportunity to sharpen their demonstration skills on selected Brother machines in classes presented by Brother staff educators in the “Brother Sews” portion of the event. Instructors included Director of Education June Mellinger, Charles Sweeten, Sharon Taylor, Carol Bell, Verna Erickson, Barbara Jones, Cindy Hogan and Lana Bennett. Via webcast, Brother educator Lana Bennett also demonstrated how to use webcasting to provide demonstrations and training for customers in remote locations. The Brother Sews seminar line-up also included a session on how to improve special in-store promotional events, and the announcement of a revamped Brother Embroidery Club, featuring a “project-of-the-month” focus.

Whether veterans with years of experience or newcomers to the Brother brand, Brother dealers got what they sought in at the Denver event: solid marketing and education help, new product information and demonstrations and a concept of the company’s new brand marketing activities. Judging from bursts of applause during various presentations and overall response, dealers also left with a bonus: even greater confidence about Brother’s ongoing day-to-day support for the challenges of today’s sewing machine market.

Reprinted from SQE Professional, October 2007