Transforming Event Planning: The Aisle Planner Journey to Empower Wedding Professionals
Company profile
Company business details
Motivation to build the product
The founders were motivated by the need for a more effective and user-friendly technology solution in the wedding and event planning industry, recognizing that many professionals were still relying on outdated methods.Problem that their product solves
Aisle Planner solves the problem of inefficient event planning processes faced by wedding and event professionals. The end users are wedding planners and event coordinators who need a streamlined way to manage their projects, communicate with clients, and handle payments. Solving this problem is crucial for these professionals to enhance their productivity and improve client satisfaction.Their unfair advantage
Aisle Planner's unfair advantage lies in its focus on user feedback and continuous improvement, ensuring that the platform meets the evolving needs of its users in the event planning industry.Strategies
Pre-Launch (Product Development & MVP)
Community Engagement and Storytelling
Before launching Isle Planner, Rob and Christina focused on building a community around their product by engaging with wedding industry professionals and influencers. They shared their story as a husband and wife team entering a traditionally female-dominated industry, emphasizing their commitment to advocating for wedding professionals. This approach helped them create a narrative that resonated with their target audience, allowing them to build relationships and gather insights on what features were most needed in their software. They utilized social media to share their journey and foster connections, which laid the groundwork for their eventual product launch.
Community Engagement through Feedback
In the early stages of developing Aisle Planner, Rob and Tina engaged with their community of wedding professionals to gather insights and feedback on existing project management tools. They held conversations with colleagues in the wedding and event industry, discussing the challenges they faced with current solutions. This direct engagement helped them identify specific needs and pain points, which informed the development of their software. They noted what worked and what didn’t in existing systems, which ultimately shaped the features of Aisle Planner.
Launch Stage
Community-Centric Approach
Rob Farrow and his wife, founders of IO Planner, built their business on a community-centric approach. They recognized the importance of supporting the wedding and event industry, which was severely impacted by COVID-19. They engaged with their customers, understanding their needs and pain points, and made it a priority to empower the industry rather than just taking from it. This approach helped them maintain strong relationships with their customer base, which is crucial for long-term success.
Democratic Development
During the launch stage, Rob and Christina adopted a 'Democratic Development' approach, which involved actively seeking feedback from their early users to understand their needs better. They realized that their initial product did not meet the market's expectations, so they pivoted to focus on what their customers truly valued. This led to a series of rapid iterations on their product based on user feedback, ensuring that they were building features that would drive customer satisfaction and retention. This strategy not only improved their product but also fostered a loyal customer base that felt invested in the development process.
Brand Development and Visual Identity
As Aisle Planner prepared for its launch, the founders focused on creating a strong brand identity. They collaborated with Stacey Nomura, a wedding invitation designer, to create a logo that was simple, elegant, and timeless. This logo became a cornerstone of their brand, reflecting their mission to provide a beautiful online workspace for wedding professionals. In 2019, they refreshed their brand to better capture the modern essence of Aisle Planner, ensuring that their visual identity evolved alongside their business.
Learn more about Aisle Planner
Happy Hour With a Founder - Featuring Aisle Planner CEO Rob Farrow
Husband and Wife Team Built Popular Software for Wedding Planner Pros – Rob Farrow - #105
