We’re a small boutique located in the downtown of a city of 115,000. We sell business fashion to both men and women, and our average customer’s age is between 35 and 55. We rely very heavily on word-of-mouth and have a number of loyal customers who have been coming back for 20 years.

We’re nearing our 30th anniversary of the store’s opening (in about a year). This is a great milestone that we wish to leverage. We have two post-secondary institutions in our city and have ran a few seminars for the business classes on how to dress in the workplace. We’d like to target a younger audience and are searching for other ways to market to them. Our budget is not yet defined however I would greatly appreciate ANY suggestions on how to make the most of our upcoming anniversary!!

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Jay’s Answer: Ultimately, workplace dress is mostly about success, not to make a fashion statement (for most businesses). Therefore, teach how purchasing clothing from you is really a financial investment. Conduct surveys (or find them) that show how better dressed people in the workplace get more job offers, better job offers, better pay, better professional networking, etc.

Go to where your target demographic hangs out – whether it be the local gyms, coffee shops, library, or sports arena. Connect with them there. For example, co-market with the local gyms. If people care enough to work on their body, then how much better would they look with the right business clothes?