YES, A $19.9 MILLION PRIVATE ISLAND ISN'T FOR EVERYONE, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT. AHALIFE FOUNDER AND CEO SHAUNA MEI SHARES HOW BUILDING AN AMAZING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WITH A HEALTHY DOSE OF SHOCK VALUE MAKES ONLINE SHOPPING SING.
Shauna Mei isn’t your typical MIT grad.
After graduating with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering, Mei dabbled in finance before transitioning to the world of luxury retail and design. She now serves as the CEO of AHAlife, a luxury e-commerce website that gives customers the opportunity to discover high-end items not commonly available online. Mei believes that her willingness to take risks with bold, dream-worthy products sets AHAlife apart from the crowd.
Shauna Mei MIT grad and CEO of AHAlife, a luxury items ecommerce website (Click Image To Enlarge)
She says.
"I think there are too many shopping sites that will only put up what they absolutely think will sell. I think what we believe in is building an absolutely amazing customer experience."
In the retail frenzy leading up to last Christmas, Mei launched the AHA100, a list of the most-sought-after--if slightly unorthodox--products in the world. Customers could, were they so inclined and deep enough of pocket, purchase a $20,000 treehouse. Or, if they were even deeper of pocket, a $19.9 million private island, featuring a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house on the property.
Click Images To Enlarge
She says.
"Those are ideas that we just kind of threw on there because they are really cool. We didn't think anyone would buy them."
Surprisingly, at the end end of the promotion, the treehouse had sold.
"When you give people a dream or a product that's amazing, there is that customer out there that will buy it."
Bottom Line: Experimenting with your product offerings can draw in unlikely customers
COMMENTARY: In a blog post dated October 1, 2010 titled, "8 Innovation Secrets From Apple CEO Steve Jobs," and a blog post dated October 6, 2011 titled, "How Steve Jobs' 'Digital Hub Strategy' Made Apple Into One of the Worlds Greatest Technology Companies," I commented Steve's innovation principle's for successful technology innovation. One of those innovation secrets was "Sell Dreams, Not Products." You can read about Steve's 8 innovation secrets below:
Shauna Mei is correct when she says too much emphasis is placed on selling products to your target customers instead of offering an insanely different and amazing customer experience. In a blog post dated June 14, 2013, I wrote about the five ways to build engaging customer-driven experiences, and I highly recommend you read it.
Courtesy of an article dated May 29, 2013 appearing in Fast Company
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