Swarovski’s Marketing Plan: Create the Ultimate Tourist Trap

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I went to Milan, Italy last week and asked the lady at the front desk at my hotel for a map. Below is what she handed me.

My Italy Tourist Map

Notice anything weird about this map?

It shows me a BIG swans of exactly where the Swarovski stores are located.

Do you think Swarovski is in the map business? No, they are in the expensive crystal business and they want to target tourists to come and buy crystals from their store. This is deliberate tourist attracting marketing from Swarovski, here is what I’m thinking there train of thought was:

1. Our best customers are tourists
2. Tourist need maps
3. Maps are handed to tourists in hotels
4. Lets give “Swarovski” maps to all hotels so they can give it to the tourists

If you want toursits to find you – Just Give Them a Map!

Pretty Brilliant, right?

So, Why are Tourists their best customers?

1. Tourists have money – If you have money to go on vacation, you have money to buy crystals

2. Tourists have time, they don’t have really anything to do

3. Tourists want to shop, and bring back a “souvenir”

What do you think of this strategy? Love it… or hate it. I wanna know – tell me below.

PS. Swarovski wasn’t the only one using maps. Your good ol’ pal McDonalds was too.

8 Comments

  1. Awesome post!

    I think their target customer is actually Female tourists. I found myself in one of those stores on vacation too. Thanks to my wife 😉

  3. Love this strategy!

    It’s expensive to go out and get your own customers. Much cheaper to market to your partners’ customers.

    In order to do it right:
    1. Need to add value to your partners’ customers, so you make your partner look good
    2. Need to make it really easy for your partner to implement

    This is a good example of how to do it right… 🙂

    Pete

    • Pete! Awesome two points.

      I need to repeat both of those

      MAKE YOUR PARTNER LOOK GOOD
      MAKE IT EASY TO IMPLEMENT

      Partners are busy. Make it easy for them to add you in.
      The only thing your partners care about is their business (not yours!). So make sure they see some value too!

      Awesome comment Pete – thank you.

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