Studio Home hits it out of the park

We had one of those great marketing wins when you have proof that it really really works. Studio Home Designs, an interior design showroom in San Anselmo, has magical accessories and furniture. Every time I walk into this store, I want to live there. The owner, Robin Barnato, has that style thing. Whatever 3-dimensional object she puts down brings harmony and charm to that space.

We love working with them—my company designed the logo about six years ago. I’m always hoping that style will rub off on me.

We pitched an online marketing plan. It was pretty good. I really like my presentation, so I felt confident. And Robin asked all the smart questions. I sent her a proposal and she was, like, “Whoa Nelly!” And I was like, “Okay, what about this?” And she was like, “That’s more like it.” (In some circles, this is called negotiation.)

The Studio Home team and the Ardentio team met to hash out an online marketing plan. It was fun. We imagined her prospective clients—what they looked like, where they shopped, what kind of car they drove. Then we asked ourselves, What would they like to receive in their inbox from Studio Home? And we decided that they wanted unique, stylish, and affordable. Okay! We can do that. We created a one-year online marketing plan. It was so fun! It was so fun that the Studio Home team looked at the Ardentio team and said, “We are really excited now.” Which is all that the Ardentio team could ask for. Because money follows excitement.

And it did! We sent out an e-mail notice to the Studio Home list of interested parties (Can I just take a minute to point out how smart that Studio Home team was to keep the list up to date, and segmented in a relevant and helpful way? Way to go, Mara!) and voilà! People were coming in, interior designers were oohing and ahhing… and buying! Other people were e-mailing saying, Nice blast!

The upshot? Big purchases. Because, of course, once they saw the Studio Home collection they—like me—were enchanted, bewitched, suffused with longing. That’s really how it is in there. Don’t go unless you are prepared to confront your own yearning for charm and elegance and beauty.

So Ardentio can say something preposterous like, “Because of our online marketing, Studio Home had a 10,000% increase in sales.” Nobody would believe it. So I’m not going to say it. But I am going to spend some time jumping up and down. Because it works. It really works.