Are you telling the right story?

I ran into a fellow business owner the other day (let’s call him Matt) and he made me think about brand stories and the value they convey. He was saying that the number one complaint they get in their cake shop is that their product is too expensive.

For those of you who have experience in the food industry, you’ll know just how frustrating this kind of sentiment is because it doesn’t acknowledge the sheer costs involved in the cost of goods, production, service and also tax - and this is before you consider the quality of the ingredients.

What I realised when he said this, is that while Matt has a very popular social media following and a strong brand presence in the local food industry, he’s failing to convey a number of things to his customers that result in the kind of frustration that people feel when they come to the shop and that he feels when they give him this feedback.

Who’s your market?

Social media is a powerful marketing tool that allows brands and businesses to tell their stories readily and easily - and to share a platform with thousands of potential customers. It means we can bypass the middle man and create an online presence quite quickly and cost-effectively. It also means that we can command a presence and draw the attention of followers, who have the potential to convert to customers. But for it to be effective for businesses, it’s important that what we’re saying and how we’re presenting ourselves reflects what we do and our brand’s value.

Let’s go back to Matt.

His business specialises in a homely style of cake - something that your Nana might have made, or you have fond memories of baking with your folks in the kitchen. When he promotes himself he’s often focusing on this homely and welcoming atmosphere as well as this sense of nostalgia (reflected in the vintage decor). However, homely and nostalgic don’t translate to premium pricing, resulting in a discord from new customers.

Is there value in your story?

In Matt’s case, there’s a whole story behind the pricing. There’s overheads and staffing - but in addition that there’s the choice he’s making to use premium ingredients to make his cakes. Great! Except that his brand story doesn’t convey this information.

It doesn’t mean he has to keep telling his customers how much things cost, etc etc. That kind of storytelling puts people off. But what he can do is tweak his brand story to focus on the premium side to his business. Add value to his story, which translates to the value of the product and the pricing. Less explaining, more appealing to customers who know the value of premium ingredients and fewer complaints.

Is there a gap in your story?

Day to day it can be tricky to see this discord. We’re busy as business owners doing all the things all the time. Sometimes we overlook the very things that can cost us.

It can be really helpful to work with someone to look at your work as a whole - what you do, how you do it. where you do it and who you sell to - to create a coherent message that appeals to the right audience.

Interested in knowing more? Let’s chat!