Nobody goes where its crowded

STEVE SMITH

This story is part business lesson, part sociology lesson and a lot

of a marketing lesson.

It concerns a very visible multimillion dollar business that, with

the economic boom that has been part of Orange County for years,

should be setting record sales goals. This business should be so busy

that no one has time to complain about it.

But this business is not doing well, and people are not just

complaining about it. They are avoiding it and telling their friends

to avoid it.

But before I tell you about this bungled opportunity, you need to

know why I am qualified to discuss it.

One of my two careers is in marketing -- people, products and

businesses.

My experience stretches back almost a quarter of a century and has

a deep background in retail sales and marketing. I have worked with

several of the nation’s largest chains as well as with mom and pop

operations all over the country.

I love what I do. The problem is that I tend to see everything

from a marketing point of view. I even did it with the El Toro

airport when there was still a chance it was going to be built.

But I predicted then that the El Toro airport would not fly

because it was not being properly marketed to the people of the

county. El Toro proponents made classic marketing mistakes, including

a failure to properly assess their competition, lack of a brand

identification and an almost total failure to answer the three

questions in the mind of anyone whose decision you want to influence,

particularly when you want to change the status quo. They are: “So

what?” and “Who cares?” and “What’s in it for me?”

Every one asks these questions unconsciously several times a day.

But this is not about the airport. That’s merely an example of the

power of good or bad marketing.

This story is about a mall, one that was plunked down years ago on

one of the busiest intersections (actually, three of them) in Newport

Beach or Costa Mesa. A mall that was opened with high hopes, hopes

that flew even higher when it landed the Yardhouse restaurant, an

outstanding place to eat.

The mall is Triangle Square in Costa Mesa, which quickly disproved

the theory that “if you build it, they will come.” Over the years,

businesses have set up shop, then disappeared, prompting me several

years ago to label it the Bermuda Triangle Square.

The mall had a rocky start when one of it anchors (that’s a store

that is usually big, is usually there from day one and is usually

counted on to attract shoppers), the Virgin Megastore, opened for

business by answering the phones, “Virgin Megastore Newport Beach.”

Virgin thought it was being clever, but it made a mistake. My

guess is that Virgin was aware of an old marketing axiom -- that

consumers will shop “up.” That is, they will travel to an area of

higher socioeconomic status to shop, but they will not shop “down.”

There are exceptions, of course, but day in and day out, that’s the

principle.

In the belly of Triangle Square was a Ralph’s supermarket. To get

to it, one had to drive underground one level. I loved that store

because it was always empty. I could park close to the doors and get

in and out of there quickly.

Unfortunately, empty stores do not stay open long. That location

was filled by a Whole Foods market, which I tried, but which did not

have a lot of the products I need each week, such as fudge-covered

Oreos. I need fudge-covered Oreos.

Whole Foods came and went faster than you can say, “Mallomars,”

and now that spot is empty. A while back, someone suggested it for a

nightclub, which I still think is a very good idea. No noise issues

and lots of close parking so patrons won’t have too far to stumble.

Parking at Triangle Square seems to be an issue, though I’m not

sure why.

The best and easiest way to park there is to drive down to the

lower level, not up where the crowds are supposed to be. We park

there and take the elevator up to the Edward’s 8 Cinemas. It’s a

snap.

Yes, there is a movie theater there, and many times when we’ve

been shut out at Metro Pointe, which we like because of the stadium

seating, we’ll get in at Triangle Square because it’s empty.

The movie is frequently followed by a visit to the Barnes & Noble

bookstore on the street level. We like it there, because it’s always

empty, too.

Now, the mall has lost the North Face store and is losing

Niketown. That Niketown store’s layout was kind of a struggle, but it

was a pleasure to shop there, because everyone else thought it was

more of a struggle than I did. So, it was always empty.

Over the years, all of the reasons for shopping at Triangle Square

have not been properly promoted. At the same time, the mall continues

to take hits without much of a response. That’s too bad, because it’s

really a nice place to shop.

One of these days, Triangle Square will get its marketing act

together.

It will be busy. And people will quote Yogi Berra and say, “Nobody

goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.”

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and a freelance writer.

Readers may leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at

(714) 966-4664.