Tags: Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Today Show, Audi, Infiniti

It appears that Cadillac is moving its global headquarters from Detroit to New York City, the “epicenter of sophisticated living.” Marketing and sales executives will occupy a “multipurpose brand and event” loft space in the “heart of a city renowned for establishing trends and setting standards for the global luxury market.”

“There is no city in the world where the inhabitants are more immersed in a premium lifestyle than in New York,” said Johann de Nysschen, the business unit's new president, in a 9/23 GM news release. “Establishing our new global headquarters in SoHo … allows our team to share experiences with premium-brand consumers and develop attitudes in common with our audience."

In other words, they hope that being in the more wealthified air of New York will rub off on their brand image as they seek to "pursue growing opportunities in the luxury automotive market with more focus and clarity." 

But what the brand may need even more than new digs and a shift upmarket is a shift in its mental address – perhaps even to rename itself.   “Cadillac” these days may sound as passé as “Detroit” in the minds of its "sophisticated" prospects.  Clearly, the brand means different things to different people, even (or especially) on the high end.   But that may be too bold, even for Johann de Nysschen .

A Cadillac dealer once told me he despaired whether the brand would ever lose its fuddy-duddy image.  That was in 1989, a year after the Seville Touring Sedan first appeared in Cadillac showrooms.  The big slab-sided Coupe de Villes still dominated, but the STS was performance-oriented and hinted of promise.  It had an honest look, without pretense, and was more sanely sized.  It didn’t claim to be something it was not (Cimarron and Catera).  And it clearly marked a new path for the brand, one I hoped they’d stay on.

They did.

GM gradually repositioned Cadillac more as a luxury/performance brand than something the local bank president's wife would drive.  The big Caddy sedans hung around for a good while (in time morphing into the DTS) as smaller, more aggressive performance models eventually were introduced (CTS, ATS).  By  2004, STS had lost its Seville designation and got discontinued entirely in 2012, when Cadillac introduced the premium front-wheel drive XTS flagship to replace both STS and DTS.   And, of course, now there's also the ELR plug-in hybrid, SRX crossover and the big Escalade SUV.

Next step for the brand? 

2015 introduction of an “elite class of top-level luxury cars” that Cadillac hopes will compare favorably to Mercedes-Benz' S-Class, Lexus LS, Audi A8 and BMW's 7 Series.  Model name for the big rear wheel drive sedan: CT6. 

But back to Cadillac’s New York state of mind.   Should they also change the name “Cadillac” while they’re  making their geographical move?   Consider the possibilities!  

• They could re-name the brand after Henry Hudson, since Cadillac was initially named after the man who established the fort that  grew up to be Detroit.  Although “Hudson” does have an outdated ring to it.
• What about Zephyr?   No wait – that was a Lincoln!  
• Eldorado?  A huge car with a locked-in image.  Same for Fleetwood. 

Back in 1921, Cadillac advertised a Type 61 roadster, “the ultimate in buoyant, restful travel.”   In 1940, there was the luxurious Cadillac 90.  Plus the Series 62 and Series 75 Fleetwood (1960).  Then it was mostly word names until the STS came along in 1988.

Don’t know about you, but I’ve become bored (even confused) with letter names for cars.  Do you know the difference between Lincoln’s MKC, MKZ, MKX, MKS and MKT?   I don’t – and don’t care to learn, even though I might like the products.  Cadillac's three-letter names can be confusing, too.

So what fresh new model names should replace Cadillac's t-i-r-e-d old ones?  Their newest naming scheme supposedly will combine letters with numbers.  “CT” means it’s a car.  “6” means high up in the Cadillac model hierarchy.  Thus: CT6 (although I've also seen the new rear-wheel drive car referred to online as the LTS).

However, I suggest a scheme that combines the best of both worlds: words + numbers.  The CT6 would become the CAD-6.  Sure, “CAD” has double meanings, but every sentient soul on Earth will know what CAD means when it comes to cars.   The mind stretches readily over CAD-6 -- nice and easy. 

Now all I’ve got to do is contact the marketing upper echelons at Cadillac and convince them of the total wonderfulness of my idea.  I’ve heard it costs millions of dollars these days to come up with a good brand name, but the truth is, I'd settle for, oh ... half that.  And while they’re at it, why not throw in a CAD-6!  I’ll be delighted to show up at their new digs to claim it. 

Who knows, maybe we can even get on the Today Show!

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner

Brian Faulkner is a content writer and Key Message expert.  He helps clients come up with words to set their businesses, brands and products apart and attract the customers they want most.  His strategic insights (and the words that go with them) have made a significant, often immediate difference for client companies over many years.  His "sweet spot" is smaller to moderate sized consumer products, retail, service and manufacturing companies that may have struggled to find just the right words to position their business, brands or products to competitive advantage:

>  blogs to establish you as the thought leader / authority in your business category
>  case stories that communicate your sales successes and invite prospect inquiry
>  testimonials that showcase customer / client satisfaction in 1-2 short sentences
>  positioning statements to guide business development & marketing
>  landing page copy to set your business or brand apart in a compelling way
>  tagline development to attract the interest of your most qualified prospects

Brian also is a three-time Emmy award-winning Public Television writer / narrator.  He is principal writer and narrator of UNC-TV’s popular "Our State" magazine series, on the air since 2003.  His distinctive sound has been heard on many hundreds of radio spots and client videos since the 1970s.  People say he has a “Mercedes voice” and sounds a bit like Charles Kuralt, which Brian considers a welcome ... but happy ... illusion.

Tags: Godiva chocolate, Chocolatier, Trufflelata, Bose Acoustic Wave, Target

When I traveled for business more than I do now, I’d occasionally come across a Godiva boutique and add a small purchase of their memorable chocolates to my personal expenses. 

It was a pleasant surprise to turn a corner in some upscale mall or market and spot the luxurious Godiva logo.   No matter where my thoughts had been, they immediately shifted to “chocolate” and the stolen moment I was about to experience.

I always picked the simplest dark piece from among the tempting individual choices and array of gold boxes – nothing fancy, just the one I imagined would deliver the purest Godiva experience without complicating it with other flavors.  After enjoying one (maybe two if I wasn’t in a hurry), the rest of my purchase got packed away for the trip home. 

Now flash forward to news that Godiva has launched a temptation called Trufflelata™, a creamy soft-serve shake made right there in the boutique with your favorite truffle blended in: Chocolate Lava Cake, Salted Caramel, Strawberry Crème, Hazlenut Crunch -- even Oreo Trufflelata.   Take your delightful pick.  

The alluring Trufflelata description and photography reminds me how good Godiva is at making us crave their products -- the same for their line of GODIVA Liqueurs announced earlier this year, including a Dark Chocolate offering they describe as “a delicious full-flavored indulgence with less guilt.” 

From way back in 1926, when chocolatier Joseph Draps first opened his Brussels shop, Godiva has been superb at crafting words to describe their “extraordinary richness and design, a collection of passion and purity” (his words).  Today’s wordsmiths describe Godiva as “a sought after name with the timeless quality of passion, style, sensuality and modern boldness.”  Their corporate boilerplate proclaims GODIVA Chocolatier as a brand that “consumers universally associate with prestige, elegance and quality …”

I am taken with Godiva’s consistent ability to describe itself in words that haven’t strayed far at all from their founder’s original pronouncement -- many of the same “notes” are there.  It’s a perfect example of  Marketable Truth©, the authentic difference at the core of a product or service that speaks to its enduring competitive advantage.  When you couple their words with the product experience, it’s clear their “decadent offerings” deliver.  You can taste Godiva's truth.

How well regarded is Godiva among chocolate aficionados?  Very well, you’d think.  But chocolate purists often take exception with Godiva’s vaulted reputation and have been known to make unkind comments when comparing the maker to those whose chocolates they consider more sublime (and perhaps more rare).  So maybe Godiva isn’t the best chocolate in the world.  I clearly am no judge, because I could easily believe they are as I enjoy my very occasional Godiva experience (like a fine wine or great beer, that first taste can be heavenly).

Meanwhile, Godiva Chocolatier continues its global growth – the company now is Turkish-owned after 40 years under the Campbell Soup corporate umbrella -- and has 450 worldwide boutiques, although their $500-million or so in sales is a drop in the bucket compared to the $75-billion worth of chocolate sold globally (U.S. sales estimates are $18-20bn, about 25% of which is the premium market).    

In researching this story, I came across this tidbit: that women buy more chocolate than men.  Should that be a surprise?  Oddly, certain women’s voices play in my mind when thinking about Godiva chocolates (perhaps because of my other life as a TV narrator).  They are soothing voices: Meryl Streep narrating The Velveteen Rabbit.  Julianne Moore saying just about anything (except when she tries to sound like Sarah Palin).  And Annie Bergen on New York’s WQXR ( Purrrr … ) although I don't hear her as much these days . 

Then there’s another type of comparative flattery, the kind that will help get you everywhere: when your name describes the pinnacle of excellence for an unrelated product line.  I’ve heard the Bose Acoustic Wave audio system referred to as the Godiva of Music.  The DogPacer Treadmill is the Godiva of Treadmills.  Even this: Booja-Booja, the Godiva of the dairy-free chocolate world (it’s an organic UK product whose Easter  truffles come packed in a highly decorated wooden egg at Easter time).  

Clearly, the Godiva brand still commands considerable cachet, despite their apparent quest for more mass market distribution in recent years -- these days you can buy their chocolate bars at Target for around four bucks (“Expect More. Pay Less”).  Similarly, when the economy got crunched, the company introduced a line of tiny Godiva Gems chocolates wrapped in colored paper for sale in food and drug stores.  Which makes me wonder whether making the brand so universally available in the short run risks watering it down in the long run. 

It used to be that if you couldn’t afford $20,000 for a new car you could treat yourself to 10-bucks worth of Godiva chocolate a couple of times a year -- if you were fortunate to find one of their boutiques or specialty retailers.  An important ingredient of their marketing was scarcity, which made your $10 purchase seem a bit like found gold.    

So, while you’re savoring your Godiva truffle, sipping your Godiva liqueur or relaxing with a cup of Godiva coffee “inspired by our finest flavors”, think about where the brand lives in your mind these days.   Godiva has insinuated itself into your being for a long time now and is likely to stay there in spite of its latter-day distribution adventurism.  The brand retains its set-apart image largely because of Godiva's exclusive positioning over many years, making it a brand that “consumers universally associate with prestige, elegance and quality.”

Frankly, I'd hate to see Godiva become a product so common that you can buy it almost anywhere.  It just doesn't seem so wickedly worth it when you buy it at Target.   

TakeAway:  If you sell a premium brand, plant its exclusivity deep in people’s minds.  And don't try to grab somebody else's customers by going down market when things get tough.  Keep your brand promise.  Your patience will be rewarded.

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner

Brian Faulkner is a content writer and Key Message expert.  He helps clients come up with words to set their businesses, brands and products apart and attract the customers they want most.  His strategic insights (and the words that go with them) have made a significant, often immediate difference for client companies over many years.  His "sweet spot" is smaller to moderate sized consumer products, retail, service and manufacturing companies that may have struggled to find just the right words to position their business, brands or products to competitive advantage:

>  blogs to establish you as the thought leader / authority in your business category
>  case stories that communicate your sales successes and invite prospect inquiry
>  testimonials that showcase customer / client satisfaction in 1-2 short sentences
>  positioning statements to guide business development & marketing
>  landing page copy to set your business or brand apart in a compelling way
>  tagline development to attract the interest of your most qualified prospects

Brian also is a three-time Emmy award-winning Public Television writer and narrator of over 100 segments for UNC-TV’s popular “Our State” magazine series, on the air since 2003.  

Two of my daughters are nuts for Apple iPhones and have been lobbying me to get one for some time.  They figure that if I join the Apple crowd we can talk and perhaps even see each other more often by way of Apple FaceTime.  Not to mention have “in-person” conversations with my young grandchildren, who are spread out way too far.

If I’ve almost arrived in AppleLand, the truth is that I’ve been there before. 

Back in the mid ‘80s, I traded in my ancient MS-DOS word processor (which itself had been traded up from an IBM Selectric typewriter) for a Mac Plus.  It was slick, but compared to today’s devices had the storage capacity of a gnat.  Even so, I could not only type and re-type on it in any number of fonts but also make charts and draw pictures and publish my work right there on my electronic “desktop” (thanks in part to a very expensive, very hefty Apple laser printer that I still have stored in my basement). 

Being aboard the Apple train not only made for greater efficiency, it also made me feel just a little bit cool, which no doubt Messrs. Jobs and Wozniak would have been pleased to know had they been able to see into my little office on Fourth Street.

1984 had promised to be a whole lot more creative with arrival of the Mac – presaged as it was by Apples I, II and III and Cupertino's late ‘70s pronouncement that “Soon there will be 2 kinds of people: those who use computers and those who use Apples.”  Thirty years on, it still seems that way.  For the best part of two generations Apple has managed to maintain the notion that people who use their products are more creative, more spontaneous and a whole lot more fun than the comparative Neanderthals who don’t use Apple devices.   In a genius twist of advertising, Apple painted a picture of Mr. Gates’ PCs as clunky, boring, unstable and prone to catch whatever virus happened to be going around that week.

After a few years, shifting circumstances introduced a PC into my business, which gradually claimed the bulk of my writing and publishing work.   In time, my Apple Plus got used only by my children to play Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?   Then became a dust-catcher.

Flash forward thirty years, to the relentless campaign pursued by two of my daughters to get me back on board the Apple Train.  They have iPhones and iPads and iWhoKnowsWhat. They perceive me as a modern day Luddite (my battered old flip phone works just fine, thank you – except at home, of course, where AT&T’s signal strength couldn’t blow the wings off a mosquito).  A few months ago, I almost bit for a 5S but got entranced with Nokia’s superior camera quality and deliberated between the two phones as if my immediate future depended on choosing the right one but ended up doing nothing. 

My four kids then got together and bought me an iPad for my birthday.  They also bought their mother one, which she has filled to overflowing with apps and videos.  I have not.  I use my iPad to check email and the news some nights before falling off to sleep – and as a stand-in camera when I need to take pictures like the one above.  I can’t imagine reading a novel on the thing or on a Nook or a Kindle or any other sort of e reader.  You can’t fold the pages back on them, underline memorable passages and stuff bits of paper between their pages.

The whole digital-or-die-back dilemma makes me feel like my Dad, to whom being technologically progressive meant switching from black-and-white to color TV sometime in the '60s.  One of my brothers still laughs when I inquire whether he’s got any of the newest gadgets, but then again he doesn’t have to because his wife (a retired science teacher) takes care of all that stuff.

Do my daughters have reason to be discouraged about my stubbornness?  After all, the iPhone 6 is due out in a few days, and it actually has a screen that’s big enough for me to see.  The answer is “Yes.”  Because I am a procrastinator -- not because the iPhone 6 isn’t “perfect” for me.

I noticed while flipping through my iPad last night that Apple sales have barely made a dent in Latin America, which is dominated by Android devices, many of which have larger screens more suitable for watching movies.  That may be a big untapped market.  But I don’t think it holds a candle to the unaddressed sales potential represented by people like me.

Who knows?  We just might respond to an advertising campaign that nags at us -- like a pair of lovely and well-meaning daughters.  I can see the headline now:

 “Apple is for the Rest of You.  So Get Serious!”

If I were you, Mr. Cook, I’d get right on it.

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner

Brian Faulkner is a content writer and Key Message expert.  He helps clients come up with words to set their businesses, brands and products apart and attract the customers they want most.  His strategic insights (and the words that go with them) have made a significant, often immediate difference for client companies over many years. His "sweet spot" is smaller to moderate sized consumer products, retail, service and manufacturing companies that may have struggled to find just the right words to position their business, brands or products to competitive advantage:

>  blogs to establish you as the thought leader / authority in your business category
>  case stories that communicate your sales successes and invite prospect inquiry
>  testimonials that showcase customer / client satisfaction in 1-2 short sentences
>  positioning statements to guide business development & marketing
>  landing page copy to set your business or brand apart in a compelling way
>  tagline development to attract the interest of your most qualified prospects

Brian also is a three-time Emmy award-winning Public Television writer and narrator of over 100 segments for UNC-TV’s popular “Our State” magazine series, on the air since 2003.  

Heard the other day about a WWII vet from New Jersey who was selling his automobile collection.  Six cars, every one of them a Ford.  Not a Chevy in the bunch.  He was lifetime loyal to the Ford brand, so much so that “If you had a Chevy you didn’t come in my driveway.  You park out on the road.”

The choice used to be that simple for those of us who came of age in the automobile saturated culture of post-war America – especially the full-bore 1950s, the decade of classic cars and classic rock (neither of which were deemed classic at the time).  Ford and Chevrolet were the butter-and-bread choices of Americans 50+ years ago, before the car market got choked up with so many different brands and models – not to mention the infinite variants of those brands and models. 

Ford and Chevy were the Big Two, and you could get either one with a radio and without (AM-only), two doors or four, V8 or six, stick shift or automatic and maybe whitewall tires, which were a big deal back then (blackwalls were boring).  Same for Dodge and Plymouth, which were perennial also-rans, despite a few years of truly iconic cars (see http://tinyurl.com/moylm9v for my take on Chrysler Corporation’s The Forward Look).  Regular folks could – and did – buy mostly Chevys or Fords, both of which “worked hard at winning the hearts of middle class America, including families and farmers,” says long-time marketer (and classic Ford aficionado) Ron Denny. “Both brands stood for family, dependability and value -- an honest day's wage for an honest day's work.”

Those on their way up bought Pontiacs, Buicks, Mercurys or DeSotos – even Chryslers, “but the ultimate statement of affluent arrival was a Cadillac,” notes Denny. “It was the Standard of the World.”  With Cadillacs for the well-to-do, Fords and Chevrolets for the everyday folk and steppingstone brands positioned between them on the ladder of desire, it was clear that the auto manufacturers had the car buying hierarchy figured out (thank you Alfred P. Sloan).

My buds and I were interested in all kinds of cars, even the odd looking Henry J driven by the guy who lived at the end of our street and was plenty odd looking himself.  But mostly we hankered after Chevys and Fords, especially the white-over-pink ’55 Ford Crown Victoria owned by a friend’s brother. 

“I can understand why a '55 pink and white Crown Vic would smite you,” Denny told me as we exchanged adolescent car experiences.  “It was so cool and oozed the glitz and promise of the 1950's – and by the way, the darker pink was called Tropical Rose, the light pink, Coral Mist.”

Of course, we didn’t know Coral Mist from Lustful Pink at fourteen and fifteen. We just wanted to drive THAT CAR and plotted to make it happen (vs. just sitting in the thing and playing the radio).

Soon it became apparent that my friend’s older brother (in his mid ‘20s and still living with his parents) would take a nap some afternoons.  But not before exhausting himself with operatic arias.  He would wail along with the hi-fi (another object of our envy) while the two of us waited on the screened porch below his bedroom for the guy to sing himself to sleep.  Ten minutes after “all quiet” we had filched the keys and opened the door to our dreams.

Not being complete and total dummies, we rolled the car back ‘til it stood in front of the house next door and cranked it up there (presumably out of earshot).  However a problem soon surfaced that would cut our maiden voyage short: the Crown Vic had a stick shift, of which we knew the rudiments but lacked the practice.  Lurching and cursing, we arrived at our destination in short order: back in front of my friend’s house, where we abandoned our quest, returned the car keys to their hiding place and retreated to the porch to discuss the errors of our way and invent excuses in case older brother had awakened and found us out (he hadn’t, and he didn’t).   

Predictably, my first car was a seven-year-old ’55 Ford, a Country Squire station wagon that set me back $350.  It had “wood” on the side and was an essential tool for a delivery job I’d taken while figuring out what to do between college and the Army.  To this day I can’t see a ’55 and not think of the old Squire, not to mention summer days spent scheming to drive that tantalizing Crown Vic that lived down the street.  And while I still prefer Fords from that era, the truth is that more Chevys were sold back then than Fords.  Think of the ’55 Bel Air and the classic ‘57s, the first year of Chevy tail fins -- not to mention the Corvette, which prodded Ford to create the T-Bird.  My friend Ron reminds me that the T-bird wasn't a true sports car like the Corvette but did usher in a new type of "personal car" that was more luxury than performance oriented.  The ‘58 four-seat Thunderbird later begat cars like the Riviera, Mark III, Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, etc.  I’ll cede Ron his point, but never again did the T-bird set hearts to racing like the two-seaters of ’55, ’56 and ‘57.

These days, the Ford-Chevy mind battle seems mostly limited to pickups (with a slight tip of the hat to Camaro vs. Mustang).  My long-time mechanic is a Chevy man and wouldn’t dream of owning an F-O-R-D, which he says stands for Fix Or Repair Daily (vs. the similar treatment for Chevrolets: Cheap, Hardly Efficient, Virtually Runs On Luck Every Time).  And, of course, there are Ford fans who’d sooner walk ten miles without shoes than hitch a ride in a Silverado after their 25-year-old F-150 gives up the ghost on some lonely road.  Dodge Ram, interestingly enough, has worked itself in between the Ford-Chevy rivalry and is selling very well.

A new study by IHS Automotive, which provides information and sales forecasts to automotive industry clients, contains good news for both Ford and Chevy.   With brands like Nissan, Toyota and Hyundai earning top 10 marks in this quarter’s IHS brand loyalty study – names that could neither have been imagined nor uttered by 1950s America,  Chevrolet ranks #5 in brand loyalty (in part because of 2014 Impala sales and despite GM’s recent financial challenges and callbacks).  Ford, however, sits atop the brand loyalty list with 64% of their sales to returning customers, based on a wide range of models like Mustang, Fusion, Escape and F-150, the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. (car or truck) for the 32nd year. 

which are not cars but taste great crunched up in tomato soup.  James Richardson, SVP of Hartman Strategy, advisors to worldwide food and beverage companies, calls Ritz a “branded fortress”, comparing them to any number of private label crackers that would like to encroach on their business.  But it’s “hard to mimic a Ritz” – or dislodge them from people’s minds, for that matter, where they reside quite comfortably, thank you!

Likewise, it’s hard to mimic automobile brands like Ford and Chevy, embedded as they are so deeply in American culture. 

“George Lucas' classic film, ‘American Graffiti’, was the ultimate Ford vs. Chevy Americana movie,” recalls Denny.  “It featured cars as memorable as the young actors who starred in the low-budget classic that started the nostalgia craze of the 1970's.  The storyline revolved around Ron Howard's '58 Chevy Impala, the mystery blond in the white '56 Thunderbird, and the film's finale drag race between a canary yellow '32 Ford Deuce Coupe and a hot black '55 Chevy.”

So, the next time you fall into talk about whether Chevy is best or Ford is best, remember this: that whichever brand you believe holds the short stick, it remains virtually impossible to dislodge either one from the American heart – or, in fact, to separate these great-grandfatherly brands from the products they produce in the 21st century.  Today’s Impala is just as much a Chevrolet as a '57 Bel Air coupe or '58 Nomad wagon was a Chevrolet.  And today’s Taurus is just as much a Ford as a ’55 white-over-pink Crown Victoria was a Ford.  And in a day when brands sometimes get stretched into meaninglessness, that’s one heck of an achievement.

TakeAway:  Does your brand connect?  Is it important to your customers?  Does it add something to their lives or businesses?  Can it become a Fortress Brand?

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner
Ron Denny is a financial marketing consultant who will as readily converse about classic Fords as successful bank marketing strategies.  Contact him here:  rondennymktg@gmail.com 

Brian Faulkner is a content writer and Key Message expert.  He helps clients come up with words to set their businesses, brands and products apart and attract the customers they want most.  His strategic insights (and the words that go with them) have made a significant, often immediate difference for client companies over many years.  His "sweet spot" is smaller to moderate sized consumer products, retail, service and manufacturing companies that may have struggled to find just the right words to position their business, brands or products to competitive advantage:

>  blogs to establish you as the thought leader / authority in your business category
>  case stories that communicate your sales successes and invite prospect inquiry
>  testimonials that showcase customer / client satisfaction in 1-2 short sentences
>  positioning statements to guide business development & marketing
>  landing page copy to set your business or brand apart in a compelling way
>  tagline development to attract the interest of your most qualified prospects

Brian also is a three-time Emmy award-winning Public Television writer and narrator of over 100 segments for UNC-TV’s popular “Our State” magazine series, on the air since 2003.  

How do you brand something as ordinary as fresh vegetables?  If you’re a grower who sells veggies to grocery store produce departments, how do you make your product stand out over competitive brands (few) and unbranded produce (many)? 

Back in 1927, the fresh produce industry was about to take an early step toward branding.  Of course, branding had been around ever since some enterprising Neanderthal decided to claim rights to a tool he’d made with by scratching his unique mark on it. 

And these days, most everything gets branded, from cattle to cars, soap to cereal – and with the advent of social media, even ourselves.

Brand, like a trademark, is not only a symbol of a company but “a consistent pledge” from that company to its customers, a “bridge to a relationship” with them that associates that brand with “only one origin or source,” according to Robert Payne, a partner at intellectual property firm LaRiviere, Grubman & Payne, LLP of Montery, CA (quoted this month in Western Grower & Shipper magazine).

Oddly enough, however, most fresh produce remains unbranded.  But not vegetables and fruit grown by D’Arrigo Bros. Company, of California, pioneers in produce branding.

Back in 1920, two Sicilian immigrant brothers discovered the fertile land of central California and thought it would be perfect for growing broccoli.  It wasn’t long before their 28-acre crop was almost  ready for harvest.  But who would buy it?  California was still in its start-up phase, so the two looked East, where they knew they could sell that much – and a whole lot more.  So Stefano D’Arrigo filled a railroad car with broccoli and shipped it to Boston.  Eight days later, brother Andrea unloaded the crop – still fresh after 2,800 miles – and sold it at a profit.

That was the way it would go.  One brother grew the broccoli in California and the other sold it in Boston, along with an ever-increasing variety of other fresh vegetables.  As competitors caught on, it soon became necessary for the D’Arrigos to set their produce apart.  Thus was born the Andy Boy brand, a highly visible logo with pink lettering and a picture of Stefano’s then 3-year-old son Andy on it.  Their brand still leads the way today, emblazoned on bright pink skirt ties that dress their broccoli rabe for sale. 

“Shoppers have told me that Andy Boy products really stand out in the produce section,” says David Hinkle, Southwest sales manager for Package Containers, Inc., the Canby, OR company that makes the skirt ties.  “The pink tie attracts people’s attention and invites them to buy.”

Frank Ratto, VP of marketing for Ratto Bros., Inc., whose company farms more than a thousand acres of herbs, fruits and vegetables in the Central Valley, likens branding agricultural products with twist ties to a handshake.  “They’re a stand-in for you,” he says.  “They give your product an identity.  They communicate brand value -- value in the Ratto Bros. name, the knowledge that people get fresh and tasty vegetables every time.“

He says that most produce is sold ‘naked’, so when a shopper sees the Ratto Bros. logo with its distinctive horse and wagon illustration (a picture of Frank’s grandfather delivering produce back in 1905), she knows she’s chosen quality and can serve it to her family with confidence. 

“We brand 23 out of 45 products" with PCI's Identi-Ties®, he says, counting them off one by one – “from basil to watercress.  They’re an important tool in the presentation of our products -- especially in northern California, where our brand means something.”

“The produce department is one of the most demanding sections in a grocery store,” notes Package Containers’ Hinkle.  “Clerks are always having to straighten up the displays after people pick through the produce.  I’ve noticed, however, that there’s less of that with Ratto Bros. produce,” because their branded presentation works so well.  

It may sound amazing that something as simple as a branded twist tie is so effective at differentiating one produce brand from another (or from unbranded produce), but it does.  Just ask D’Arrigo Bros. Company, of California and Ratto Bros., as both third-generation companies extend the invitation for consumers to choose their branded produce, well into the 21st century. 

TakeAway:  Communicate your product’s uniqueness with a brand that’s tangibly and authentically “you.” It can make a real difference – right away and way down the road, too.

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner

Tags: D’Arrigo Bros. Company, Andy Boy brand, Package Containers, Inc., Ratto Bros., Inc., Western Grower & Shipper, LaRiviere, Grubman & Payne, LLP

Brian Faulkner is a content writer and Key Message expert.  He helps clients come up with words to set their businesses, brands and products apart and attract the customers they want most.  His strategic insights (and the words that go with them) have made a significant, often immediate difference for client companies over many years.  His "sweet spot" is smaller to moderate sized consumer products, retail, service and manufacturing companies that may have struggled to find just the right words to position their business, brands or products to competitive advantage:

>  blogs to establish you as the thought leader / authority in your business category
>  case stories that communicate your sales successes and invite prospect inquiry
>  testimonials that showcase customer / client satisfaction in 1-2 short sentences
>  positioning statements to guide business development & marketing
>  landing page copy to set your business or brand apart in a compelling way
>  tagline development to attract the interest of your most qualified prospects

Brian also is a three-time Emmy award-winning Public Television writer and narrator of over 100 segments for UNC-TV’s popular "Our State" magazine series, on the air since 2003.