Have you been thinking about turkey and pumpkin pie since early Fall when every single product that could be pumpkin flavored hit the market? Me too.
And if you’re like me, you probably plan to eat waaaaayy too much food, even though you look forward to it all year long. Get ready to loosen your belt, slip into a turkey coma and wake up with a sugar hangover. Yeup, Thanksgiving is upon us!
(And if you are outside the U.S., insert any holiday meal that involves a massive amount of casseroles, calories and courses.)
A Thanksgiving feast doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a step by step process with many pieces and contributing factors. Transfer this into your business and the same can be said for your branding and marketing strategy.
Butterball understood this concept and ran with it when they launched the Butterball Turkey Talk Line over 33 years ago helping millions of Americans to save their holiday feasts.
Although they weren’t sure anyone would call, the line got more than 11,000 calls over that first holiday period, and one of marketing’s most effective one-on-one consumer relationships was born.
33 years later, Butterball’s turkey line, which takes more than 200,000 calls each holiday season, has become a holiday institution. The line has established Butterball as THE expert on all things turkey-related and the preferred brand for millions of households.
So, what 5 branding lessons can you learn from your Butterball?
1. Stick To What You Know
Think about what your company knows better than anyone else and promote it through every available channel.
2. Be The Expert
If you want to be perceived as an expert, hold yourself out as one and never underestimate the value of thought leadership.
3. Look For Market Voids You Can Fill
Are there needs – tips for better performance, common misconceptions, easier ways of doing business – you can address? If so, take the lead.
4. Make It Personal
The battle for brand loyalty, both on the consumer and business-to-business sides of marketing, is a battle for hearts and minds. Establishing a personal, one-on-one connection with your buyers or prospects goes a long way. Are there opportunities to connect that you might be missing?
5. Think Big And Be Willing To Try New Things
It is possible that the folks at Butterball thought their PR team was crazy, but they were willing to entertain the possibility that this audacious PR stunt could work, and they gave it a shot. What risks has your company been afraid to take that might pay huge dividends?
Thanks for spending some time with me today!
Katy Geary
Owner + Creative Director
Geary Graphic Design
