Adventure Afoot at Christiane Millinger Rugs
Jun 21, 2023 | by: Peter Herring
Christiane Millinger Rugs (CMR) is one of the best, most internationally connected, and most knowledgeable purveyors of widely diverse styles of fine handmade rugs in Portland and the nation. Christiane’s passion for rugs and her extensive knowledge of the history, natural materials, and techniques of hand weaving, plus her personal connections with international weavers and renowned designers, drive the brand.
But the CMR website did not convey this. As well, Christiane said that she was losing sales to other rug sellers in town who were more trendy, though they lacked CMR’s diversity and depth. Also, CMR is the exclusive dealer in the Portland area for several international designers, and this information was downplayed on the site. While the company has walk-in and online business, as well as a small dedicated group of interior designers and architects who bring their clients to CMR, many designers in town turn to other purveyors.
We did initial qualitative research with Voice of the Customer (VoC), one-on-one interviews with a mix of customers and professional designer clients. VoC research tells us, in the customers’ own voices, what triggers their search for rugs, how they search, how aware they are of the product qualities, experiences they seek, and other valuable information that helps us develop strategies and the correct voice and messaging to use in marketing the company.
Adventure Afoot at Christiane Millinger Rugs
Christiane Millinger Rugs (CMR) is one of the best, most internationally connected, and most knowledgeable purveyors of widely diverse styles of fine handmade rugs in Portland and the nation. Christiane’s passion for rugs and her extensive knowledge of the history, natural materials, and techniques of hand weaving, plus her personal connections with international weavers and renowned designers, drive the brand.
But the CMR website did not convey this. As well, Christiane said that she was losing sales to other rug sellers in town who were more trendy, though they lacked CMR’s diversity and depth. Also, CMR is the exclusive dealer in the Portland area for several international designers, and this information was downplayed on the site. While the company has walk-in and online business, as well as a small dedicated group of interior designers and architects who bring their clients to CMR, many designers in town turn to other purveyors.
We did initial qualitative research with Voice of the Customer (VoC), one-on-one interviews with a mix of customers and professional designer clients. VoC research tells us, in the customers’ own voices, what triggers their search for rugs, how they search, how aware they are of the product qualities, experiences they seek, and other valuable information that helps us develop strategies and the correct voice and messaging to use in marketing the company.
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Birthday Sparks
Photo By: John Doe
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City skyline
Photo By: John Doe
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Birthday Sparks
Photo By: John Doe
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City skyline
Photo By: John Doe
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Customers and clients alike told us that they loved the knowledge that Christiane brought, including the stories and sense of adventure that attached to the rugs they bought. From designers, we also learned that CMR was not seen to be as "hip" as other purveyors in town. The new website we developed was built on updated technology and improved SEO coding. We chose images, videos, and a copy tone that evokes rich history and adventure. And we highlighted the exclusive lines that CMR carries.
We used the same approach in the initial social posts we created for CMR, creating a template that CMR's in-house staff could follow.
Part of our approach with CMR is to transfer attributes that customers love about Christiane to the brand. This is a good approach for companies that seek growth or to sell and need to transcend the limitations imposed when the founder is the main attractor. So on the new website and in social posts, CMR, the company, becomes knowledgeable, connected, and adventurous—the place to come to find the best curated collection of international fine handmade rugs.
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City skyline
Photo By: John Doe
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Birthday Sparks
Photo By: John Doe
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City skyline
Photo By: John Doe
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Birthday Sparks
Photo By: John Doe
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- With the new site, we drove 30k impressions and 502 new website visitors in a two-month period.
- For social, we started with an A/B test to identify market response to creative and copy, which led to 23,327 impressions and 363 new website visitors (link clicks) with an above-average ad ranking and a $200 ad spend.
- In two months, SBD put 53,000+ eyes on the CMR brand and created 865 unique clicks to their website.
The future looks to be a very fulfilling adventure for Christiane Millinger Rugs!
