Marketing the Luxury of Interior Design

Book excerpt: The traditional business of interior design has been disrupted in the face of growing competition, arising from retailers moving upscale with more sophisticated design resources (RH, Crate & Barrel), offering complimentary design services (Ethan Allen, Pottery Barn, West Elm), and emerging new-age internet etailers and services (Wayfair.com, Havenly.com). Complicating matters further, consumers are increasingly taking a do-it-yourself approach to home design and decorating challenges, encouraged by HGTV and other sources of information that portray a oversimplified and unrealistic picture of home improvement projects. Designers dedicated to providing customized, professional interior design services need new marketing strategies to succeed in today's competitive and complex market. To win in this new marketplace, designers must be exceptional marketers as well as exceptional designers. This book is a designer's guide to marketing success. Based upon research that author Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, is known for, this book identifies the best clients for interior designer services and reveals how to reach the target customer with branding and marketing that connects. With a foreword by Cary Kravet, President and CEO of Kravet Inc., a leader in to-the-trade design resources, this book helps prepare interior designers to be more proficient and effective marketers as they confront today's changing market for professional interior design services.