This is a transcript for an episode of Branding Love Letters, which is available wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Five Golden Rules For Small Brands (From Big Brands) — Growth Advice For Startups, Charities, Creators And Other Developing Brands
Sam Thorogood (00:00): Let's say you're a startup developing an app that will incentivise people to waste less food. Or an NGO launching a fashion line that's a social enterprise. Or a content creator in the bubble tea niche. I.e. you're not a massive brand. At least, not yet. You might be tempted to look up at brands that have 'made it' and think, what can they teach me? Well, ultimately, big brands are still aiming to connect with individuals. Yes, their audiences might be made up of many more people, but it's still about people. And if Branding Love Letters has taught me anything, it's that individual connection that makes all the difference. In this, the final episode of the year, I'm going to distil these conversations, into five golden rules. Five rules for small brands from big brands. You're going to learn from the likes of Netflix, Annie's, IKEA, the BBC, and even J.Lo. And by the end of this episode, I believe you will feel more empowered in your own branding. Whether you're a business wanting to better connect, a charity struggling to garner support, or a branding professional just needing encouragement, this is the episode for you. I'll be back at the end to share some updates. But now, Tommy boy, play that sweet, sweet music.
(01:41): Golden Rule One: build a community around your brand. This first rule comes via entrepreneur Chantal Gagnon. Her love letter, back in January 2023, was to the British vegetable delivery company, Riverford.
(02:06): When you were contemplating getting these deliveries of organic vegetables, were there other brands that you were considering, or was it always going to be Riverford?
Chantal Gagnon (02:16): Yeah, there were definitely other brands. There were ones that would very much advertise wonky veg, or organic veg, but also seemed a bit more bougie. And stuck up. There was something about Riverford where it just kind of felt like, here we are. It wasn't trying to sell you on it. It was sort of like, I think they have the confidence that their vegetables are so good that once you try it, you're not going to want to turn back. And that's exactly it. And I think because as well, like as someone who was living in London at the time, if you knew about their pub, that was a really good way for you to have a taster of it. So there was all these different aspects where you could get yourself introduced into the Riverford community. At the pub they even would do these dinner sessions where they kind of invited the people who would order the boxes, but it was also the customers of the pub as well, where you could book and have a three-course meal. And they'd give you the recipes to all of the meals. They'd kind of talk you through everything. And you just sit with all these people that you didn't know, and everyone would be kind of eccentric and a bit weird. And it was just, it was so much fun. And it was just all about enjoying like really good produce, which is so simple. But when it comes to food and trying to get people to eat healthy, it is just about like a really good carrot. It's not about making the carrot and hiding it in your food. It's about like, no, you can, like this carrot can be like the star of the dish because that's how good it is.
Sam Thorogood (03:56): Brands have the power to create bonds that make people feel like they belong. Just listen to podcaster Steve Folland sharing this nostalgic memory of the BBC in last month's episode.
Steve Folland (04:10): And this is how I remember it anyway. And then either the six o'clock news or hopefully we'd be able to spin the TV round. We actually had to wheel it round from the lounge so that we could see it in the dining room. So that our mum would let us watch Star Trek or Quantum Leap or whatever was on that night while we cooked. Yeah, you had that, quick, it's on and everybody would pile down the stairs. Because if you, you know, you couldn't pause it, you couldn't, you weren't recording it. So you had to get really good at saying no, no, no, no, this is what happened. This is what I've gone to a planet and this has happened. Oh, no, he's woken up in Quantum Leap. And suddenly he's a circus trainer. And, and then you'd be. Yeah, all sitting around having dinner watching these shows like it's so I don't know why our house... It feels thinking about this podcast, chatting about the BBC, that we must have grown up watching the BBC much more than watching ITV. Like, I don't know why. There wasn't even that much choice was there. But it feels like all the radio we listened to was the BBC. We weren't listening to like Capital FM, because we were close enough to London to listen to it. But we weren't it was always the BBC, always BBC TV, it seems.
Sam Thorogood (05:25): As you navigate the path of brand growth, remember the importance of cultivating a community. Like Riverford, your brand should aim to create authentic relationships with your audience. Consider platforms where your audience spends time and initiate meaningful conversations there. This might mean understanding your audience's interests and preferences, then crafting content that entertains, informs or educates them. By applying this golden rule, you can build a community that not only supports, but also advocates for your brand. Remember, the aim is to get people like Chantal and Steve in your audience, shouting about why you are so great.
(06:12): Golden Rule Two: simplicity is your best friend. The second rule comes from someone I trust more than anyone. And not just because he's my brother. In April, media producer Thomas Thorogood shared his love letter to the British pizza chain, Franco Manca.
Thomas Thorogood (06:36): Yeah, it's family life. And it's, you know, you're invited in and it feels like you're being invited into someone's home. And yes, there may be some kids playing around. You know, it's a bit messy. But hey, it's family, it's real, it's raw. And we have good pizza, it kind of is made from the heart. That for me has always been the feel of it. And I think you're absolutely right that the logo does help present that. I mean, it looks like something that someone has scribbled on a napkin with a biro, which again is what I love about it. I always go for exactly the same order. I go for the number six pizza, organic tomato, cured chorizo and British mozzarella, small bottle of organic lemonade, which they make themselves, I believe. So it comes in a little glass bottle with a stopper and it has little brown grains floating in it. I think that's nutmeg that they use to season it. But the reason I mention that is that's what the pizzas are like in the menu. Pretty much all of them can be summed up with less than five ingredients.
Sam Thorogood (07:41): Are the pizzas, so they're numbered? Each pizza has a number. Do they have a name as well? Or is it just, I'm going to get the number five?
Thomas Thorogood (07:48): Yeah, it's just the number. So yeah, the menu will say something like, six, organic tomato, cured chorizo and British mozzarella. So again, I kind of like that. Just the simplicity of a number six, please.
Sam Thorogood (08:03): This simplicity works because it's applied so consistently. Here's Thomas again.
Thomas Thorogood (08:10): Franco Mancas have a very consistent interior design. I mean, more consistent than, than probably any other restaurant chain I can think of. So you come in, there's exposed ventilation pipes on the ceiling, mirrors on the walls, blackboards on the wall with the specials. There's a sign that says LOOS, L-O-O-S, pointing to a door which goes to the toilets, which I always found quite funny because LOO, the term LOO to me feels like a very British phrase for talking about toilet. But all of them, all of them have that kind of sign that looks like it's hand-painted. I don't think it is. I think it's a, it's something that's been printed on the wall, but it says LOOS. There's a wooden floor with patches that are tiled and bits of broken tile of the same design are used to form a mosaic on the pizza oven. This is genuinely, every Franco Manca has the same mosaic on the pizza oven. Open plan. So you see the pizza oven, you see the chefs preparing the pizzas behind the bar. So everyone's in the same room, where the food's being prepared, where you sit, where you pay. It's all in the same place. You come to your table. There's a menu on each place on the table, which doubles as a placemat for the course of your meal, normally. It's a double-sided sheet of A3 and there are eight sourdough pizzas to choose from. Used to be six from my uni days, but they've, they've increased it to eight now and you can get sides, you can get starters, you can get desserts, but there's no pasta dishes, no lasagne, anything like that. It's not an Italian restaurant. It's specifically a pizza oven. So they do a very small number of things, but they do them well.
Sam Thorogood (09:52): So why is simplicity your brand's best friend? For one, it allows you to focus on your core offerings. Franco Manca's success is largely down to its simple menu, concentrating on a few high quality items. For your brand, identify your core offerings that resonate with your audience and streamline your products or services accordingly. This focus not only simplifies choices for your customers, but also allows you to perfect and become known for these key offerings. Ask yourself, what's the equivalent to the eight sourdough pizzas? I'll have the number three, please.
(10:36): Golden Rule Three: experiences activate your audiences. Have you heard of the 'IKEA effect'? Three Harvard researchers coined this term in a 2011 study. It turns out we overvalue products that we build ourselves. We are experiential beings, and IKEA have built an entire business around this. Just listen to strategist Anneli Hansson talking about her country's most famous brand in this clip from October.
Anneli Hansson (11:13): I think it's something like that because I've always been very, very into fiction, and I love kind of story, like sagas, like Narnia and, you know, Harry Potter, fantasy world like that. And for me, IKEA was a little bit like that. It was like coming to a world of experience. And you're kind of guided, like you said, to different rooms, different experiences. And it's not just the furniture. It's like the whole experience of, you know, you have your meatballs, maybe a coffee even. You walk around like it's an entire full-day experience if you want to. And I just thought it was so amazing to be inspired and then at the same time have the ability to actually buy something. And I also like the idea of buying it right then, you know, when you're there in the store. I'm kind of spontaneous and I like that. I like to bring it home right away. And you know, I always liked the vision. So I think what I often say is that IKEA's vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. And I think that says so much that it's actually more about, it's not just about furniture for me. It's to create this home, to help people create a home. And when we feel safe at home and we have somewhere we can be together, that makes most people feel safe and happy, you know, so it is a better everyday life. And I think there's much more than just the furnitures.
Sam Thorogood (12:58): Remember, the path to engaging your audience lies not just in the products and services you offer, but in the experiences you craft around them. Take inspiration from IKEA. As we hear from Anneli, they have transformed furniture shopping into a memorable, almost magical experience, like stepping into a storybook. Why not follow IKEA's lead by turning every interaction with your brand into an engaging experience? If you have a physical space, why not design it to captivate and intrigue? For digital spaces, ensure that your website or app is not just functional, but also an enjoyable journey for visitors. Remember, it's often the small, thoughtful details that leave a lasting impression.
(13:54): Golden Rule Four: don't fear experimentation. For the fourth rule, we turn to two rule-breakers. First up, Netflix. This was marketing CEO Usman Sheikh's chosen brand in February 2023.
Usman Sheikh (14:16): So right now, like initially I'd mentioned, you know, they got into original content and became a production company. They had enough supervision, enough cash, that they actually started producing their own content. They got the, you know, equipment, they got the environment, they got the actors, the writers, what have you. And they produced art that was original and that was revolutionary at the time for a streaming company to do. Now they're getting into different types of experiences. And I'm sure with artificial intelligence and VR and AR, they're gonna get into even more, more different types of experiences. They've gone ahead and, you know, they started playing around with new games and ways to create. Now the games aren't working out from what I have been able to research and I've tried out their games, but I like the fact that they're doing it. I like the fact that they're experimenting and finding new ways to keep the experience different and unique and engaging on their platform. You know, I also do like the fact that they invest because they're producing so much content and there's so much need and hunger for good content. They're investing in local communities in the arts sectors to bring in original programming. And a lot of the shows are coming from, you know, independent films that Netflix has subsidised or invested in, sponsored in to build a unique. So Stranger Things was an example of this, right? There was the two brothers that really didn't have their names, but they didn't really have much going for them. They did some indie films and basic screenwriting and it gave them a platform to go ahead and explore and create something beautiful. And how powerful was that for the brand? And there's been a lot of different types of programming like that and story-building that they've been able to do because they've taken such a collaborative approach in creating great art. That's powerful.
Sam Thorogood (16:02): I love what Usman says about Netflix's gambles not always paying off, like the games that they've explored. Experimentation won't always pay off, but why is it necessary? Let's hear from future of work expert, Connie Steele. Her episode, also released in February, was a love letter to an unexpected brand, Jennifer Lopez.
Connie Steele (16:29): She fundamentally understands the importance of re-invention, evolution, iteration. But for me, I think the key point is going broad across industries, across roles, and this idea of talent stacking. Building on what you have, not staying in one lane, will push you to exercise the different parts of you. It will help you uncover and unleash potential that you might not have known you've had.
Sam Thorogood (17:04): As you cultivate your small brand, take inspiration from the stories of Netflix and J.Lo, both exemplars of daring experimentation. You see, Netflix started as a DVD rental service, but didn't hesitate to pivot into streaming, revolutionising entertainment consumption. Risk-taking doesn't mean going in blind. It means making informed decisions that may go against conventional wisdom, but have the potential for high rewards. Remember, the heart of experimentation is learning. Each attempt, whether successful or not, provides valuable lessons that refine your brand strategy. Don't fear experimentation. Embrace it as a pathway to innovation and growth.
(17:58): Golden Rule Five: your mission is your guiding star. Simon Sinek teaches us to start with why. He says, "companies often try to sell us what they do, but we buy why they do it". Strategy consultant Kathy Guzmán Galloway made this clear in March 2023 with her love letter to American organic food company Annie's.
(18:30): Have they done anything that's really surprised you? Have they brought out any products or done anything in the way they've presented or positioned themselves over the years that have really shocked or surprised you?
Kathy Guzmán Galloway (18:41): Yeah, they are very surprising and shocking in a great way in that it's rare to find a brand at retail, at traditional retail, at brick and mortar in the United States that is fully and wholeheartedly committed to an ulterior purpose. For them, their purpose and their mission statements are around cultivating happier and healthier worlds. And typically, when brands are talking about that kind of space and looking to do more natural products, they tend to just focus on that end consumer benefit. We want to give you something that is lower in sodium or has no artificial ingredients or it's organic, fill in the blank, whatever that is. They stick to kind of those functional benefits. But what Annie's has done is gone so far into their purpose. They are so committed to this purpose that we have found, that I shouldn't say we have found, but I have found that they've recently launched a product that was developed with two farmers that is creating products with regenerative agriculture practices in their farming, you know, in their farms, I should say. And that level of commitment to a purpose, it's just rarely seen in the space, especially when we're talking about macaroni and cheese. If you spend some time looking on their website, you'll see these two particular items that they're working on. And they're not mass available. You can't find them everywhere, right? They're just sort of starting at that. But over the years, you have seen them continue to push the envelope of what does it mean for us to commit to this purpose? What does it mean for a brand like ours in the centre of the aisle that we're traditionally, you're not seeing as healthy as food products? What does it mean for us to be committed to a purpose? And that level of commitment and specificity about how we get there eventually led them to regenerative agriculture. They could have stopped at saying we're going to, you know, invest in that. We're going to support farmers who do that. But they took it even further and actually developed products with the farmers that are actually implementing these practices with the goal that eventually more and more, if not all of their products would benefit from these practices in time. And it's just, you just don't see that. You just don't see that kind of commitment, especially when the brand is now owned by a huge food conglomerate, right? And they're still able to commit to these principles, these values, as well as their purpose. It's surprising in a really great way.
Sam Thorogood (21:34): What does this look like in practice for your brand? Just like Annie's, it's crucial for your brand to have a clear, defined set of core values. These values should resonate with your target audience and reflect what your brand stands for. Ensure that every decision and action taken by your brand aligns with your mission statement. This consistency, key word again, will build trust and loyalty among your audience. Your mission is not just a statement, but it really is a guiding star that shapes every aspect of your brand. By staying true to your mission, you can create a strong, authentic brand that resonates with your customers. A brand that doesn't just offer a what or a how, but a why.
(22:28): As you journey with your beautiful, wonderful, small brand, remember these golden rules drawn from the wisdom of big brands. First, nurture a community around your brand. It's not just about selling products or services, it's about building relationships and fostering a sense of belonging. Keep it simple. Complexity can cloud your message. Clarity and simplicity in your brand's design and communication make it easier for people to understand and connect with you. Embrace the power of experiences. They're the heartbeat of engagement, turning passive observers into active participants. Don't shy away from experimentation. The landscape of branding is ever-evolving and staying true to your mission is the key to your brand's success. Don't shy away from experimentation. The landscape of branding is ever-evolving and staying dynamic keeps your brand fresh and relevant. Above all, let your mission be your guiding star. It's the essence of your brand's identity and purpose. When decisions get tough, let your mission illuminate the path.
(23:45): So, there we go. That is the official end of the episode. Feel free to stop listening now if you want, but if you've made it this far, I just want to use this opportunity to give thanks for a few things and to look forward to 2024 as well. So, I'm recording this just before the episode goes out. The day is the 12th of December, I believe. Yes, the 12th of December today. And it's crazy to just reflect on this last year, 2023, and the journey that I've been on, but also the journey of this business. I started this year in France. I spent Christmas in France and I was there all the way up until the summer. And then I went to Portugal for the month of, well, kind of July, August. And I was helping with a big Christian youth festival. And so this year has been a, you know, a different one for me. And so the business, I guess, has been on the back-burner, at least until August, September this year when I moved back to the UK. And for me, that move back to the UK really marked a new chapter in my life. And I'm just in a real place of thankfulness as I try not to trip over this long grass in this park where I'm walking. I'm in a real place of thankfulness, I think, as I end this year for all that I've learnt this past year and kind of where I am just in terms of the business, my life, my future. I'm very, very grateful. And I'm very, very grateful to you as well for choosing to listen to this podcast. I hope that it's served you in some way, that you've appreciated the episodes that you've listened to and I hope that it's helped you. And my hope going forward is that I'm able to use this podcast really to help small brands. That's the vision is that small brands, whether those are startups, whether those are charities, eco projects, people creating something, content creators, churches, church plants, that these brands are able to be empowered and equipped to really share their message and to bring others onto their journey. And that's really what I hope the podcast does and will continue to do and I think I'm getting better as I go at defining that and defining what the audience for this is and how I can serve that audience. So yeah, really excited to continue hearing from different people from different backgrounds about the branding that they really connect with because I think ultimately, as I said at the start of this episode, whether you are IKEA or whether you are a local coffee shop, at the end of the day the aim is to connect with people. I'm really grateful to all of the guests that I've had on over the last year. You know, from so many different sectors, different countries, but yeah, really, really grateful for their time and for their insights and for their vulnerability as well in sharing these love letters.
(27:34): And I just wanted to flag up as well a couple of other things that if you have enjoyed this podcast, appreciated it, found it valuable, you might also be interested in a newsletter that I write every other Tuesday. And that really is, like the podcast, aimed to empower and equip small brands to use the power of design, harness that power and use it for their good and for the good of the communities and audiences that they serve. So, it's a very simple newsletter. It comes out via the Substack platform. You can subscribe to it and get those delivered straight to your inbox. And I spend a bit of time really thinking about what they look like, given that it's a newsletter about design and the power of design. I try to design the newsletter to visually be very appealing and use imagery and layout to really kind of practise what I preach in the newsletter, which is saying that design is powerful and by applying fairly simple design techniques and design philosophy, actually, you can make a huge impact and really yeah, set your brand apart. So, that's called Pocket Pilgrimage Design, and it comes out every other Tuesday and there's a link in the description if you're interested in subscribing to that. And then the other thing, of course, is that the bulk of my business is brand identity design. I'm very grateful to be working with a client on a fantastic brand identity design for a really interesting project and I'm excited to be launching that in January, hopefully. But that's, like I say, that's the bulk of the business and I really enjoy the client work and I really enjoy the opportunity to come up with visual solutions that will connect them with more people. Yeah, if you are interested in finding out more, you can, you can visit www.pilgrimage.design and there's a link in the description as well.
(29:59): I really appreciate you and I look forward to connecting with you in the new year in 2024. Have an amazing Christmas, have an amazing New Year celebration wherever you are in the world and I will, I'll speak to you very, very soon. Bye-bye.
