divided, with contradictory headlines such as
‘How Shinola Went From Shoe Polish to the
Coolest Brand in America’ (adweek.com) and
‘The Real History of America's Most Authen-
tic Fake Brand’ (inc.com) doing the rounds.
Caudill says the transition from retail to hotel
is ‘especially relevant to Detroit and other
cities like it, where an outstanding hospital-
ity experience may not have been present
before, but knowledge of a brand like Shinola
was’. One thing is certain: the company has
clearly adopted the strategy of the experi-
ence economy outlined by Daniel Newman
for Forbes: ‘Yes, you’re selling your goods or
your services, but... can you fulfil a need they
didn’t ask you to, or maybe even one they
didn’t know they had, somewhere within their
interaction with your brand? Accomplish this,
and you’ll have the loyalty of a mobile, social
generation of consumers who can’t wait to
share their experience.’ ●
shinola.com
gachotstudios.comDetroit be heavily represented. ‘We knew
Shinola Hotel would become a meeting place
for many people from throughout the city as
well as a stop for visitors from all over the
world. We wanted to showcase what the city
has to offer.’
Shinola founder Tom Kartsotis has
famously stated he’s not out to make a profit.
But it’s clear that the brand’s prominent local
presence is only enhanced by the launch of a
longer-term experience. While a retail store
offers shoppers the chance to look and to
touch, hotels provide the opportunity to use.
Visitors spend an intimate night with some
of Shinola’s goods, including audio products
and leather care items. Branching into the
hotel field also meant Shinola could expand
into the homeware space, developing the
likes of blankets, candles and leather pil-
lows. In her review of the hotel for The New
York Times, Jennifer Conlin says she found it
fascinating to discover a price list of almost
every product in the room ‘should we want to
buy it or be charged if it went missing’.
Conlin sums up her experience by
saying that if ‘you like the Shinola brand
you will love the hotel’. Opinions seem to beABOVE The hotel features a slew of F&D venues, from a
fried-chicken shop called Penny Red’s to Italian restaurant
San Morello to Brakeman, a beer hall.
OPPOSITE According to Daniel Caudill, creative director
of Shinola, the hotel allows them to offer ‘customized
experiences that align with the lifestyle their brand already
caters to’.
While
a retail
store offers
shoppers
the chance
to look and
to touch,
hotels
provide the
opportunity
to use
FRAME LAB 155