What a Stack of Pancakes can Teach Us about Branding
By Mary Louise Rubin
We all know what a brand is; we buy, use, experience, consider and often do our best to ignore them countless times a day (multiple sources from a quick google search say we see at least 4,000 ads a day). Yet the word “brand” itself is still somewhat challenging to define. Many definitions exist from textbooks, articles, and a wide range of thought leaders in the world of branding. Two of my favorite definitions take very different approaches – one practical and specific and one more metaphorical – both coming from two well-known marketing minds. Let’s consider the first one from NYU Professor and L2 Inc. Founder Scott Galloway:
“A brand is all the emotional and tangible touchpoints surrounding a product [or service].” 1
Nice succinct way to explain how a brand extends beyond the literal and physical product or service being offered. The second definition is from Scott Bedbury, Founder and CEO of Brandstream and author of A New Brand World:
“A brand is a story that is always being told.”
Good stories have value in themselves, and no one needs to be convinced that brands must tell full and authentic stories to attract attention. When building or re-positioning a brand, we are inspired to draw from these two definitions in tandem – defining what attributes and emotional benefits a brand delivers and crafting the story that led to their creation, keeping in mind that the story evolves, or is “always being told,” as Bedbury reminds us.
Storytelling is no easy task on your to-do list. Depending on your product or service, it can feel hard to define exactly why your brand or company is different from competitors, especially in highly crowded categories with many choices that deliver the same basic benefits. Sometimes your brand may even feel like a commodity -- how different can it be from all those other options?
This brings me to pancakes. Inside any given box or bag of pancake mix you will find many of the same ingredients – flour (wheat, alternative or a blend), eggs, sugar, maybe milk/buttermilk, maybe oil, leavening and salt). Granted, today there are many varieties that deliver different benefits and address specific dietary needs. Personally, I look for the kind that packs an extra protein punch so I can feel good about enjoying my favorite carb-load breakfast. Even in that sub-category of “high protein pancake mixes” I am faced with many options: similar ingredients, slightly different nutritional values, but at a high level the same functional benefits and great taste (if it doesn’t make delicious pancakes, it will never survive!). It’s not just the ingredients that overlap; the emotional benefits are related too. Feeling nostalgic as you think about pancakes? That emotion, according to my non-scientific exploration of the back labels of pancake brands, is a common one associated with the appeal of a stack of hot, fully pancakes.
So how do brands like Kodiak Cakes and Birch Benders differentiate themselves? They tell authentic and distinct stories that reinforce all the reasons people choose their brand over another. Conjure the playful spirit of swinging on a tree branch in your childhood versus an adventurous exploration of the American West and you will begin to discover the difference. Kodiak Cakes describes itself as “meant for those of us who, like the rugged pioneers exploring the untamed wilderness, require nutrition, energy and great taste to successfully navigate today’s frontier.” Everyday adventures tied up in a nostalgic pancake! So, while both brands, along with many others, deliver the promised satisfying breakfast, they may leave you with different reasons, both tangible and emotional, to come back again.
A discussion with a potential client brought this to mind: you may think you sell a commodity, but unless your work involves actual commodities like the wheat inside the pancake mix or gold sold on the exchange, chances are you don’t. In this case, it was plumbing supplies. The next distributor 20 miles or less away sells basically the same very complex inventory of plumbing parts, not to mention what you can buy on Amazon. True, those parts and pieces and the “commodity” prices they command don’t really mean much on their own, but when presented in a “package” that includes a commitment to finding exactly the right piece, understanding the specifications of the job itself and problem solving when things go wrong, the company starts telling the story of why they do what they do. The company has a story to tell that has much more to say than simply describing their complex inventory of items. They will find that taking the time to develop it and tell it well will lead to new opportunities.
We help small and medium-sized businesses uncover the story about their brand that no one else can tell. We listen carefully, to both the client and the consumer, to craft that story authentically and create clear and distinct positioning. Contact us to learn more about our team of CMOs who can help you further define your brand and reach your growth goals.
1 Prof G Micro Class: Band Strategy, March 1, 2018
2 Scott Bedbury, Brandstream