What would a garlic brand need to do to convince you to:
- Choose them
- Pay a little bit extra
There are three things that I believe they would need to do:
1 – Features & Benefits
They would need to convince you that their garlic is different or better in some meaningful way. They could say their garlic has a functional properties, has a unique flavour, a different texture, it lasts longer, it’s cleaner, non GMO, its healthier, its larger, etc.
2 – Story
They would need to tell stories that connects with you in some kind of way. By bringing more emotion in it, showing people use the product, talking about their values…
3 – Presence
They need to be visible in enough places for long enough so that you develop a familiarity with the brand. They could run commercials, take out full page ads in magazines, be on billboards, have celebrity endorsements, sponsor cooking shows, have in-store signage, be featured on print mailouts…
All this would amount to trust.
The Power of Branding
Let me show what the power of branding can do for a commodity.
First, what is a commodity?
A commodity is something within a category that is interchangeable with another product of the same type.
When we go to the grocery store and buy garlic, we don’t care about the brand behind it, we just buy garlic.
Garlic is garlic, apples are apples, rice is rice… these are commodities.
But what if we put the power of branding behind a garlic brand.
Could we apply some storytelling, design, values, pricing strategy… to elevate our brand and connect more with consumers?
Let’s find out.
Brand Values
Upon some research to determine what our ideal customers value, we may come up with something like the following:
We are committed to sustainable farming practices that protect the environment and support local communities. Our garlic is grown without the use of harmful chemicals, ensuring a healthier product for you and the planet. When you buy our garlic, a portion of the proceeds will go directly to support small farmers across America.
Brand Voice
We believe that great meals start with the best ingredients. That’s why we’re dedicated to bringing you the freshest, most flavorful garlic to enhance your culinary creations.
Brand Story
Our garlic is sourced from a family-owned farm established in the late 1800s in the picturesque countryside of Gilroy, California, known as the ‘Garlic Capital of the World.’ It all began with John Garlic, a visionary farmer with a passion for garlic, who planted his first crop with just a handful of bulbs and a dream. Over the years, John’s dedication and hard work paid off, and his farm flourished, passing down the tradition of garlic cultivation from generation to generation.
Today, John’s descendants continue his legacy, hand-picking each bulb with the same care and expertise that he instilled in them. We are committed to preserving the quality and flavor of our garlic, ensuring that only the finest bulbs make it to your kitchen. When you choose our garlic, you’re not just getting a premium product – you’re also getting a taste of history.
Price
Whatever generic garlic costs, our garlic will be at least 30% more expensive. On the packaging, I would label it as ‘Premium Organic Garlic.’
Brand Design
I would use earthy tones like green and brown for packaging (yes, I would have packaging) to convey the natural, organic nature of our garlic. I would incorporate a simple, yet elegant logo to make our brand recognizable.
I lot of people think branding is just about the logo, or the colours, or the packaging… so much more goes into it than these elements.
I could go on about the different ads, commercials, partnerships… that I would do.
As you can start to see – we are making some deliberate choices that could separate our brand from others in our category.
If we’ve done our job right, ‘John’s Family’ would become a household name and synonymous with premium quality. We will have aligned our values with our consumers and have them join our tribe.
The Importance of Branding
Branding is more than just a logo or a name; it’s the holistic representation of your business’s identity, values, and promise to customers. It’s the spirit or essence of the company. It’s the story you tell, the emotions you evoke, and the experiences you create. Effective branding sets you apart from competitors, builds trust and credibility, and fosters loyalty among customers.
It’s the cornerstone of your marketing efforts, driving recognition, preference, and ultimately, growth. Investing in branding is not just about creating a memorable logo or slogan; it’s about crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience and creates lasting impressions.
A brand is the sum of all the experiences, emotions, and associations that people have with a particular company or product.
A strong brand is built on a foundation of trust, consistency, and differentiation. It represents the values, personality, and promise of a company, and it helps to differentiate it from competitors. A well-managed brand can evoke positive emotions and loyalty among customers, leading to increased brand equity and long-term success.
An investment into branding will allow you to scale back on your ad spend over time and allow your name to attract customers.
Continue reading: So You Want to Be a Growth Hacker?
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If you follow us on social or read our blog, you may have noticed that we talk A LOT about the branding, the importance of branding, how branding is like gravity, how you either have a commodity or a brand…
We also talk a lot about storytelling marketing – in fact we have an entire page dedicated to it as it’s one of our core services. We go on at length about why brands need to tell stories (so that consumers can align their values to the brands they support), and dispelling the myths about storytelling marketing.
We also talk about how consumers don’t buy products, they join tribes. Check out some of our related posts.
