Comments on: If Gap Needs a Niche

By: Ponn Sabra

Ponn Sabra — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Thanks John for your post. I shared with my fellow women entrepreneurs that the #1 place I started creating a niche online was article marketing, particularly at one directory. For details: http://empowerwomennow.blogspot.com/2007/02/17-whats-your-niche.html

A loyal reader,
Ponn

By: Kevin Hillstrom

Kevin Hillstrom — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Now try carving out a niche while Wall St. demands that you grow sales and profit at the same time. I’ve been in enough board rooms and executive meetings to know that leaders talk about these things all the time, they aren’t dumb.

Trying to get 35,000 employees to all act in a consistent manner, selling product that 500 merchandisers all agree is targeted to the exact same niche, while preventing further comp store sales decreases, now that is where the rubber hits the road.

By: John Jantsch

John Jantsch — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Kevin,

Great points – throw in SARBOX and you can see why so many firms are going back private.

By: Greg Stielstra

Greg Stielstra — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Way FM, the Christian music radio network, targets a specific, imaginary, 26-year-old woman named Jennifer who personifies their listener. They know that if they focus on Jenny, they’ll get her friends. If they focus on Jenny and her friends, they’ll get neither.

Spread the fire. GS

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Gap is not only missing a niche, they are missing leadership. It is the leadership, that can not only find a niche, but then exploit it.

Australian department stores have had to do this over the last 5 years and the turn around in the companies has been astonishing.

By: Jodi Kaplan

Jodi Kaplan — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Our senior senator in NY, Chuck Schumer, has just done essentially the same thing as that radio station. He’s written a book talking about the problems of his target voters/customers, and has given them names, professions, a home, opinions, etc. He said his staff calls them his “imaginary friends”, but he’s essentially created a profile, targeted a niche, and built a strategy in the book for how the Democrats can best reach those voters and win elections.

I guess we’ll know the results next year!

By: Ron Elizondo

Ron Elizondo — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Although this wasn’t really carried or published in some major newspaper before, this has been discussed for quite some time. It’s rather weird to me that Gap Leaders and managers had not seen this.

IMO they’ll be hitting the hard truth in the next couple of months, where I believe sales will start to decline. They’re offering nothing but the conventional, that just doesn’t make it anymore.

Great Link,
Ron.

By: Christina

Christina — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Caroline took the words right out of my mouth – The Long Tail by Chris Anderson talks about niche business in his book and on his blog – He also focuses on how the web has enabled the niche business to blossom. How actually the web has driven niche business.

Love the topics covered on your blog! Every single one is relevant to the now and what’s hot on the table.

Christina