What are we going to do? Rock the house. This must have been said in the meeting when Vans, known for their signature checkerboard skateboarding shoes, finalized their House of Vans ideas for their permanent London location. House of Vans is the ultimate skater hangout for three simple reasons:
Keeping these three points in mind, we will delve into why House of Vans rocks the house in the Experience Economy.
Before you even step foot into the House of Vans, you feel like you are discovering a hidden world. There are five tunnels in total located under Waterloo station, each with a special purpose. Reserved for art projects, the first tunnel has the classic checkerboard design in the floor and an arched brick wall and ceiling. Tunnel two displays the history of Vans and houses a cinema as well. A concert stage and dancefloor are provided in tunnel three. Food and beverages can be purchased in tunnel four, known as the kitchen, also has a bowl area attached so people can show their skills. The fifth and final tunnel is the indoor skatepark complete with section you could ever want.
All the events hosted by House of Vans falls under skate, music, art, and community. Basically, all of the major interests of their target market are represented. There are shred sessions, girls skate nights, and even “skate skool” to begin gaining loyalty in the smallest and youngest skate fans. Their London concert stage has seen the likes of Metallica, Foo Fighters, and smaller more local bands to support the community. Curating more local artist, House of Vans put on a “street market” to have more touchpoints in the community.
A non-profit community project, the main goal of House of Vans is creating connections Rarely do you see Vans shoes for sale other than if they have one of their street markets. After reading that you probably are wondering why Vans is even putting in so much time and effort into a project if not to sell their products. The attendants will become partial to Vans due to an emotional connection or a memory from one of the events. We cannot stress enough how point of sale is a thing of the past. Companies who refuse to accept that experiences and forming relationships with their customers is the future will not survive the Experience Revolution.
