One of my favorite blogs is “Never Eat Alone” by noted networker KeithFerrazzi. A few weeks ago he posted a conversation with Marc Matheiu, former CMO of Coca-Cola. They discussed the concept of selling your brand with a “story”.
Since that post, the concept has been fermenting in that dark, moist place that is my brain. With generous helpings of horrendous economic news, and global poverty and conflict, it finally rose to the top this morning: so THAT’S how they sell Coke…with a compelling story that defines the brand!
Seriously, if you are not already associating your brand with a non-product message that resonates with your customers, you will find it harder to differentiate your brand from competitors. If it’s merely a product-centric message about your performance, a competitor can duplicate that advantage with some effort. But if your brand’s concept is baked in its DNA, duplication by your competitors is not an option.
Mr. Matheiu outlined some tips to find your “story”…
Look for truth in origins:
Often the most obvious story is the historic one. Many companies have a founder’s story that can be developed into your brand’s identity. What is its “truth”? These truths have evolved or may have a different reality in today’s known context. So it’s that opposition between the original DNA and the current context of the world that can be interesting and relevant.
Have a point of view:
“Very often brands stop at the level of a product’s attributes. Or maybe they go to a product’s benefit. But very rarely do they elevate us to that common ground of a real point of view: something about the state of the world, something that connects back to an ultimate human truth. Let me give an example. If you were to talk about men and women, you could say they are walking intelligent apes. Or you could say they are social, emotional, mammals. Or you could say they are driven by progress or by doing good. One is about attributes, one is about benefits, one is about real point of view. Very few companies go to level three. Very few have a point of view that elevates the human race.”
Don’t focus too much on the end goal:
“If you want to tell stories, tell stories. Very often people go through the process of writing a sales story, but they don’t really tell one – instead they tell a strategy. You should just tell the story. If you try too hard, you end up focusing too much on form and not enough on substance. When you tell a story, what do you do? Combine words and images; write chapters… think about the essence of storytelling. Going back to the DNA, add your point of view, and then tell it like it is. You CAN be too strategy driven.”
Recognize that the best storytelling is collaborative:
“Bring people along. The best stories are those that go on and on and are modified and changed by people as they take ownership of those stories and bring them to life. Let people into your stories instead of dictating your stories to them.”
SO…how should this concept affect our brand building efforts in foodservice? Our “stories” are often dictated by the fragmented distribution channel in which we participate. But these filters should NOT prevent us from creating a story we can use in our product literature; our websites; and most importantly, with our salespeople and agency reps.
Go beyond your product, and create “your story”. That story can, over time, develop a social network with your customers that your competitors will have great difficulty penetrating effectively…if at all.
Think about it.
“Brands offer us mental shortcuts, helping us cut through the clutter of everything we buy and enabling us to communicate certain concepts quickly and easily."--- Lucas Conley, author of "OBD: Obsessive Branding Disorder"