The company-owned store: An immersive brand experience

  M & Ms 
  Originally uploaded by Pete Kim.

Whenever I walk through Times Square, I'm amazed to see the number of brand-owned flagship stores there.  After dinner last night, I went into the M&M's store at Broadway & 48th.

This is a great example of how a brand - one that you may not think needs its own store - pulls off an immersive experience for enthusiasts and those who are just plain curious.  For example, the wall upstairs has tubes filled with M&Ms of all different colors - over 22, many of them exclusive to the store.  You pick out a bag and fill with whatever colors you want, $9/pound.  And yes, while that may be 2 - 3 times more expensive what you may pay at your local CVS...it's the experience that counts.

In a world filled with complex distribution and trade operations, the company-owned store is a manufacturer's best option to maximize presentation of a brand on its own terms.

p.s. this applies to your website, too...