Jim Nicholson was already a Baltimore Ravens fan, but he’s got an even greater rooting interest in one of the NFL team’s biggest stars.
If Pro Bowl linebacker Matt Judon signs a new contract with the Ravens, Nicholson’s Gladhill Furniture in Middletown, Md., may get to keep a very good customer.
Judon’s agent called Nicholson a few months ago with an offer: The player and his wife, BreighAnn, would provide a social media testimonial in exchange for furniture. That sounded like a deal to Nicholson, who owns season tickets to Ravens games.
The Judons worked with a Gladhill designer and ended up with a very large sectional made by Smith Brothers – about a $4,000 value.
“I was not going to give a 250-pound guy a sofa that’s going to fall apart in three years,” Nicholson said. Gladhill carries other high-end brands and offers custom furniture and design services.
The Judons delivered on their part of the bargain. They sat for a video interview and expressed genuine appreciation for their experience – which is part of what distinguishes Gladhill from many other stores.
Design services made an impression
“We actually got to design our own couch; I’d never done that before,” Matt said. “We got to design the texture of the couch, how it sits in our living room, and we have four throw pillows and two different designs on them. And I picked out the throw pillows.”
Delivery was “really fast for being all custom-built,” BreighAnn added, and she received frequent updates on where it was in the process.
Designer Catherine Christopher played a key role.
“She really helped a lot, especially with the fabric“, because we didn’t know what fabric would look good in the house,” Matt said. “This store is so huge. She walked all five floors with us, with a smile on her face the whole time.”
[Seldens produces compelling testimonial video]
‘Definitely a statement piece’
“We had a lot of people come to the house. They really liked it and asked where we got it,” Matt said.
“Definitely a statement piece,” BreighAnn added.
How would they rate Gladhill? “It was definitely a 10. We already have more furniture picked out,” BreighAnn said.
But Matt is at a crossroads in his NFL career. After four seasons, he is a free agent who is expected to command a multimillion-dollar pay raise – but from which team?
Nicholson hopes it’s the Ravens, who were 14-2 during the regular season but lost in the playoffs.
‘He owes me a signed Ravens jersey’
“If he signs a new contract, I’ll ask him to do another Instagram post,” Nicholson said. “And he owes me a signed Ravens jersey.”
The video was shot with a cellphone, but Nicholson spent a few hundred dollars having it edited. Whether or not he recovers the expense, he found the experience worthwhile. The Judons were friendly and down-to-earth, and his staff enjoyed the time the couple and their daughter spent at the store. Along with Nicholson’s grandchildren, she “jumped from bed to bed to bed,” Matt said.
Nicholson would do it again.
“There’s not a tremendous amount of profitability we can trace to it, but we had a lot of fun,” he said.
This is one in an occasional series of posts about effective or unusual HFA member videos. Send me yours!
