This morning I shared with Guy and Ryan some of the treats I made yesterday. We actually had this big discussion over the ingredients which led to more thoughts about brands and branding.
The recipe included dark chocolate, mini marshmallows, and honey flavored Teddy Grahams. That's it.
This led to a discussion of how the best treats are often the simplest ones.
And that has everything to do with branding...
Your message can't be complex. People are busy. They're brains are overloaded (I know mine is). You only have a brief message to grab their attention and draw them in. When you do draw them in, recognize that they've honored you by giving you attention. Don't wear out your welcome.
The message must be focused. Not so long ago there was only one phone company (no kidding...I'm not making that up)...and AT&T (the original phone company) came up with 10 digit phone numbers because that's the most numbers people can hold in their heads.
Pick a target and direct your messages to them. If other people respond, yahoo. But focus on the target. The recipe I used (from the nice people at Kraft) calls for Teddy Grahams. I was actually going to use Honey Maid Graham Cracker Sticks but they didn't have any so I went with the Teddy Grahams (there's a point here...stay with me). Teddy Grahams were right for this for many reasons. So while the Teddy Grahams market is people with small kids (which is not me), other people can be brought into the Teddy Grahams' circle. Now that I've used them in a recipe I'll probably buy Teddy Grahams more often. And that's how prospects become customers and customers become more engaged in your brand.
An additional lesson in this for you is if you've got a staffer who wants to work from home and you're resisting allowing that because you think they'll just sit around doing other stuff all day, you might want to think twice.
Inspiration can be found anywhere. And if you're nice, maybe they'll share Teddy Graham treats with you.
And here's the oh-so-simple recipe:
Teddy S'More Bark
2 pkgs (16 squares) Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 cup Teddy Grahams
1 cup miniature marshmallows (Kraft makes Jet-Puffed brand)
Microwave chocoate in microwavable bowl 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for up to an additional minute and stir to melt it the rest of the way (I encourage you to do this in increments...do NOT burn the chocolate!).
Stir 3/4 cup of the Teddy Grahams and 3/4 cup of the marshmallows into the bowl with the chocolate. Spread the whole thing on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Decorate with remaining bears and mallows. Let cool. Refrigerate until firm. Break into pieces and enjoy.
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