I would like everyone to take a look at the ad I have included for a few moments. While it is normal for you to ignore ads most of it really take it in. It’s okay I’ll wait...
 Just like practically everyone in the state of Colorado I have driven by Wow! hundreds of times as it sits just off I-25 just a little north of Park Meadows mall and never considered going inside. Not once.
 My lovely wife Jane is the owner of Snob Interior Design and is in the car with me on those trips past the store. She also has never paid attention (until recently) to Wow!. Her friends in the business have not paid attention to the store and her clients who are in one stage or another of redesigning and refurnishing their homes have also not paid attention to Wow!.
 After talking to several of my wives friends and clients about the store the first reason they do not consider Wow! even though they have an incredible location is simply the sign on the building. Not to put too fine of a point on it but the logo screams low end children's furniture.
 Additionally, it could be said that the mascot has.. um ... let’s just say a certain Freudian aspect to it, but that’s not entirely the reason it’s being ignored. The branding or personality Wow! conveys to the public is essentially the same as a candy or an ice cream store. That does not appeal to the Cherry Creek or Broadmoor crowd but also does not appeal to those in their 40’s who can finally afford something better than American Furniture Warehouse or Ikea.
 Here is the tragedy. Underneath the penus in a tuxedo and the candy coated logo is simply the best furniture store in Colorado. I am not talking just a little better, I am talking about the best furniture by a WIDE margin.
 We initially went to Wow! because we finally got around to checking out the new Ikea. With no more thought than “What the hell” we finally walked into Wow! with our expectations low. We ended up spending more time in Wow! than we eventually did in Ikea. We simply could not believe what was inside because it was so badly advertised and branded on the outside. The outside sign told us to expect a Baskin Robbins and we found a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse inside.
 So this weekend when my wife forwarded me the ad I have included it made me shake my head at another missed opportunity
 Here is a little bit of free advice for Wow!. You have something very special and something incredibly unique. You have found the perfect niche above Ikea and American Furniture Warehouse but below the really expensive furniture (although you can compete on that level just fine). Running ads that proclaim discounts are going to hurt you. Your discount is directly under the words “Next To Ikea”. Really? Do you really think you can compete on price with that juggernaut?
 Branding is nothing other than accurately conveying your companies true personality to the public and in the case of Wow! if they did it properly it would have an incredible effect on their business. Focus your message on your strengths and uniqueness, but most of all start shouting to the mountain tops who you really are. Stop trying to be Avril Lavine when you are Angelina Jolie or Sandra Bullock.

 There is nothing worse that someone who complains without bringing a solution to the table. So here is my solution for you. Show-N-Tell will provide you with a free subscription of our Dialed In software for your website so that you can see exactly how your marketing, branding, pricing, sales and online efforts are viewed by the public. Use this tool for 60 days and we will come back and follow up to see if the people in my little world are the exception or the rule?
 What do you say?