I Bought a Tie at Brooks Brothers!

I bought a tie at Brooks Brothers! Brooks Brothers! Now for those of you who know me, you know how shocking that sounds. I've never been a Brooks Brothers kind of guy. Rarely have ever even stepped foot into one of the stores and have never even seen a catalog or web page.

I've been traveling a lot lately, and I've been in a lot of airports. Newark, LaGuardia, JFK, LAX, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, etc, etc, etc, ... just like a lot of you business travelers. I've noticed a common element at these airports -- a Brooks Brothers store right at the gates.

I wasn't happy with the shirt I had packed for my new business meeting so I decided, almost without thinking, to pop into one of the stores. Although it was clearly still the Brooks Brothers I knew, I did find a shirt and tie that I liked better than what I had packed. So I picked them up.

This little experience made me realize that there are many ways to become relevant as a brand. By Brooks Brothers becoming incredibly convenient to business travelers, the brand is staying relevant to their current consumers, and perhaps to new consumers like me as well. Being in the right place at the right time, adding value to a consumer's life -- that's a great brand experience. Even for someone who wouldn't normally step in.

What's your experience? Jim.