From Once Upon a Time to Happily Ever After: People Love Stories.

ICONIC Road Stories: How to Market without Marketing

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.

How SBD Creates a MOTHER of a Marketing Campaign for You

Secrets of How SBD Works Like a MOTHER for You Revealed !

We understand that when facing challenging economic periods, one must plan for the worst to keep their business stable and moving forward. However, while recessions present challenges, they also create opportunities. Companies that stay consistent and strong in their marketing and branding throughout challenging times, have proven to win bigger in the long run.

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to do photo styling. It all started back in my 20s, my first real job out of college (I'd had a cool internship at the design agency, Nemo before that) was as the Creative Design Manager for Papa Murhpy's Pizza. Not only did I get a fancy title for a graphic designer, I got to attend the commercial video and photography shoots. It was during this time that I realized photo styling was something you could do professionally. And since that, I've always felt it was something I enjoyed and wanted to do more of.

As we mumbled behind masks in person, 2020 became the year for digital communications, including websites, which assumed an even greater role as the primary public face for brands – from Mom & Pop sized shops to larger companies. Here are a few of the websites we built or rebuilt this year, along with the brand strategies behind them.

At SBD we know that the design elements you see are just the tip of the marketing iceberg. For instance, that font we choose for you? That’s not just another pretty typeface.