I think I need to write a book about the process of writing a book. What a ride! Branding Basics for Small Business can be preordered if you email preorder@norlightspress.com with your desired qty. All the juicy advice on building an irresistible brand you can stand – plus case studies & anecdotes galore. Here’s the delicious book cover – thank you to Bridget at TRAYcreative (@TRAYcreative for Twitter folk)
Here’s a peek at a case study that will be featured in my upcoming book, Branding Basics for Small Business, due out this Spring/Summer:
A strong brand strategy does not remain stagnant; it can evolve to adapt to changing demands and dynamics while still staying close to its roots. Sharelle Klaus, Founder and CEO of DRY Soda Company (www.drysoda.com), has evolved her strategy while still staying true to her mission of creating a new soda category. Sharelle saw a market need for a modern non-alcoholic beverage when she was pregnant and couldn’t drink alcohol. As a food and wine lover, she grew frustrated with the lack of options available to pair with fine meals. Sharelle hoped for a drink that was simple, all-natural, caffeine-free, low in sugar and made with the highest quality ingredients – a beverage that could complement great food or act as a light refreshment on its own. DRY Sodas come in seven flavors: cucumber, vanilla bean, juniper berry, lavender, lemongrass, kumquat and rhubarb. DRYs brand is modern, all-natural, well-designed and sophisticated and this is conveyed through their gorgeous bottles, their visual identity and the fact that DRY is found in high-end restaurants, stores and at food and wine events.
As the brand grew, they protected it by carefully choosing high-end distribution partners and initially did not want to mass market it in any way. However, consumers’ beverage choices are changing and wellness has become a bigger priority to everyone, not just the higher-end market. People are cutting down on sugar and First Lady Michelle Obama has unveiled an initiative to fight childhood obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine asked soda companies to lower their sweetness level and DRY Soda was the only one that met the requirement. In keeping with their brand as a “modern soda company” they had to evolve the strategy to meet consumers where they are today. So they increased their flavor choices to include more mainstream preferences, decreased their price point to stay competitive, and opened up distribution channels. They are looking to begin selling through Target in 2011, a mass market brand but one with cache and sophistication that aligns well with DRY.
They are staying true to the brand by still choosing those distribution partners carefully. Partners that do not align with their carefully cultivated brand values will be turned down. As they open up distribution, DRY is finding which “brand levers” work in different markets. But they stay on course to the original brand values of all-natural, sophisticated, modern and well-designed so as not to alienate their early adopters.
“We still need to build the brand customer by customer even though we are expanding our reach,” says Sharelle. “We always want any new consumer’s first experience with DRY to be consistent with the brand and you tell your brand story by where people can find you. We build our brand region by region so people can develop strong emotional attachments– and that approach influences how we roll out the product in each new market.” DRY Soda can be found throughout the United States and Canada and in limited international distribution.
I love it when I find cool new branding while I’m out and about. Case in point: my neighborhood Tully’s has been promoting their new bakery items, which are supplied by Seattle’s Pink’s Original Bakery. With the colorful pink striped banners hanging up in store, I just had to grab their brochure. And when I opened it, I found another example of what I mean when I say “delight your audience.”
Pink’s was started in 1987 by two “babes” (as they say) Molly and Anne. Their story is on the inside of the brochure, which also includes fun photos and clever captions of fresh fruit, cows – even a Polaroid of said “babes.” The vibe is casual, playful and a touch irreverent. Fresh, organic goodness does not have to be so serious and poignant all the time.
From the captions written in retro typewriter font, to the colorful comic “talk bubble” coming out of the cow’s mouth (“Moo!”), to their closing line of “We promise to keep working hard to brighten your day with a taste of goodness that can only come from using the best local ingredients and a ton of chutzpah” – you get that these gals are bold, funny and real. So many bakeries look and sound the same (cue epic music while wheat fields quaver in slow-mo in the early morning sunlight….) so Pink’s stands out. They took the personality of their quirky founders and parlayed that into a quirky brand that made me smile. And made me buy their product.
Delight. That’s the stuff that gives me goose bumps when I experience branding done well. Yes, I’m a marketing geek, I know.
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