What nuggets and orange trucks taught me about branding
My Grandma Hazel (who passed away in 2014) was very active in her church. She was one of the most faithful women I have ever known and was the type who prayed for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren every day. Some of the oldest cousins and I got to go on special road trips with Grandma & Pappy so we spent a lot of time on interstates traveling to various destinations in their conversion van.
I remember vividly her telling me about some missionaries to their church whose last name was Schneider. They encouraged people to remember them (read: their brand) by saying a quick prayer for them anytime they saw an orange Schneider truck on the road. For years I would see one on the interstate and would say “God bless the Schneiders!” I don’t see as many of them as I used to so that tradition has faded a bit over the years.
Photo source: Schneider.com
Do you see where this is going?
For me, the lobster 🦞 is a silly thing from college (and Friends) that has grown into an entire brand identifier for me. Yes, it’s goofy, and yes, I am in landlocked Illinois. But you know what? IT WORKS.
I literally get messages every week from people (some I know, some I don’t know very well or at all) who see something lobster in person or on the internet and they send me a link. Or they snap a pic and say “I saw this lobster and it made me think of you!”
You know what that is? That is BRANDING. And that is staying top of mind… which is my MO these days in my career.
It’s Nugget Time!!
Another example is something you’ll know if you’ve been to an Illinois football or basketball game in the past few years. If the opposing team misses a field goal or 2 back-to-back free throws, the crowd earns a free 6-piece nuggets from area McDonald’s restaurants.
“I saw this lobster 🦞 thing and it made me think of you!”
The crowd chants “NUG-GETS, NUG-GETS, NUG-GETS” while the other team is going for the field goal or free throws. And it’s even carried over into road games, bowl games, and neutral site games—even though the nuggets promo doesn’t work there! It’s a fan distraction tactic that works great for crowd engagement & camaraderie.
Yes, McDonald’s could be giving away thousands of free nuggets the next day. But do you know why this works?
It’s two-fold: 1) every person in that stadium or arena is now thinking about a trip to McDonald’s. (ooh, some hot, fresh fries sound really good right now!) and 2) it’s basically a loss leader—sure some people will go to get only the free nuggets (as it’s no purchase necessary), but most people are going to make a meal of it… or they’re going to get extra nuggets for their other children, partner, etc. Me? I’m probably getting nuggets for the kids and a crispy Diet Coke for me. 🥤 Because, duh.
What’s your “special sauce”?
Now, your brand doesn’t have to be something as kitschy as a nautical lobster in the midwest. But you should have a THING that differentiates you from your competition and those around you. (And I’m still all for #communityovercompetition) Maybe it’s a special color or color combo, maybe it’s your large personality, maybe it’s a unique service or product that no one else is offering. It could even be your logo, tagline, or website.
In the business, we sometimes call this your “special sauce.” I ask about your special sauce in my brand session questionnaire and in my brand & commercial discovery calls. I want to know what it is that makes people remember you. What is it that triggers someone to mention your name when someone asks for a referral in your industry? What are people saying about you when you’re not in the room? What’s your lobster?? 🤔
So, bottom line?
Schneider trucks = God Bless the Schneider missionaries 🚚
Lobsters = Holly & Holly Birch Photography 🦞
Missed free throws & field goals = a trip to McDonald’s is in your future 🍟
Hop over onto my socials and tell me what your “special sauce” is! Or if you aren’t sure… book a free disovery call and we can start hashing it out and develop your brand with a brand photography session.