Life still feels light years away from the way it was four months ago, doesn't it? We hope everyone is well and safe. Here at Huff Harrington, we're open but very cautiously, carefully and with plenty of sanitizer and masks for everyone. Thanks to all of you, our wonderful clients and friends, who have all been so supportive. It's such a joy to be back in the business of home, design and art.
We're open!
When it all shut down in March, we were pretty much like everyone else: deer in the headlights and trying to figure it all out, minute-by-minute and day-by-day. As business owners, there was immediate pressure on all sides to "pivot" our business and quickly change our model to keep things going. Truthfully, we felt a little frustrated trying to figure out what our pivot was supposed to be.
Well, as life often happens, it turns out our pivot was right in front of us and we'd been using it all along: hello, Instagram, our new (and old) best friend!
Hello, Insta!
We were searching for a powerful platform to reach all of you during quarantine and decided to ramp up our presence on good old Insta. We'd been using it for years because it's so visual and brand-friendly. But now it was time to get really serious about Insta so our fabulous marketing team wasted no time focusing their laser beams on our account.
It turns out we're having a blast on Insta - and we think many of you have, too. Since our doors were closed during quarantine, you weren't able to see our latest goodies from a container (that arrived just before we shut down) or the freshest, springiest vignette that our designers snuck in to arrange for us (yes, with gloves and face masks, of course). Insta came to all of our rescues with pretty organic and natural photos that make our clients feel like they were standing right there in the store.
Ann measuring a newly arrived gate-leg table.
We'd post and you'd respond with questions like, "how much?" or "does that come in other fabrics?" or "ooooh, I love that mirror. Tell me a little bit about it". Whole conversations happened on the comments tab of Instagram, just like we'd be having in person, in the store. Instagram has felt like a little tiny bit of normal in a world that has been turned completely upside down in past few months and days.
We wallpapered our new wedding registry area just before we had to close. We were so excited to share it with everyone - and we did, thanks to Insta.
Our designers offered up some fun decor tips, like how to style a coffee-table, via Insta.
Meanwhile, over at the gallery, we were inundated with emails from our artists: "what can we do to help?" "I want to donate work if it will help people in need" and "we're on board with whatever ideas you come up with to help." Mackenzie, our clever assistant gallery manager, came up with a brilliant idea: an art auction to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank - on Instagram!
We ran the art auction on Instagram and it was a big success - we raised $13,000 for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
Andrea Costa, one of our wonderful artist, offered this beauty up for the auction.
We loved the idea and so did our artists - in fact, so many of them wanted to participate, we had to add a second round of bidding. The Instagram auction raised more than $13,000 for the Food Bank.
I guess we're a little bowled over by the positive power of Insta. But we know one thing: It's been a lifeline from us to you during this strange and upside down time - and we are beyond thankful for all of you who follow us @huffharrington.
Ta ta.
P.S.: new to Insta and want to see what all the talk is about? It's easy: on your phone, go to www.instagram.com. Enter your email, create a user name and a password. Click sign up and follow. Voila! You're on Insta!
