I trained today for FAO Schwarz Essentials, including a little history, a little policy, a little tour, and a little selling strategy. I am so. so. excited.
I knew working for FAO Schwarz was going to be pretty cool. What I didn't know was exactly the kind of company I was going to be working for.
Did you know that FAO Schwarz, until this year, has never done any advertising since its inception? No television. No radio. Think back on your own personal experience: do you remember ever seeing any ads for FAO Schwarz in any newspapers or magazines?
Yet it's a household name, isn't it? Most of that is word of mouth: 99% of customers say they would recommend FAO Schwartz to another person. A lot of it is free publicity, its use in famous films like Big and its profiling in consumer, business, and child-rearing magazines. Everybody has heard of this company, but it's never had to advertise in more than a hundred years. I find that pretty impressive.
FAO is also not some big faceless corporation interested in taking all the high-end shoppers' money. Yes, the toys are more expensive. But the reason is that FAO is interested in the best quality toys, the most well-made, the most eco-friendly, and there are rigorous standards and checks for making sure all the manufacturers are ethically up to snuff. I would say that there's a difference here between expensive and overpriced.
I might quit Lion King. Or maybe I'll try and work both through the holiday season but just go to Muppets after the New Year (FAO is heavily populated all year round, there really is no slow season, but it gets MOBBED during the holidays). I need the monies. I need to monies to pay for the glorious apartment in Harlem I want to live in.
Anyway. I'm off to eat the chocolate and play with the miniature puppy I won today in training. Have I mentioned how pleased I am with life at this very moment?
No comments:
Post a Comment