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Building The Food Brand Of Your Consumer’s Dreams

By Zainab Amoo
31 May 2020   |   9:00 am
Every now and then, we have food businesses spring up and Poof!! It’s all gone. They have failed to meet the mark. What’s this mark you might wonder? Well, it involves waving their wands and creating magical recipes that people believe and then working on telling the best food stories that align with their worldviews…
Nigerian Jollof Rice

Nigerian Jollof Rice | Photo Precious Core

Every now and then, we have food businesses spring up and Poof!! It’s all gone. They have failed to meet the mark. What’s this mark you might wonder? Well, it involves waving their wands and creating magical recipes that people believe and then working on telling the best food stories that align with their worldviews and this is where the Abracadabra happens.

Recipes! Food! Magic! Business! Stories!

It all started in the beginning. For where there were stories, great stories told under the moonlight, food was always a huge part of it. And from one generation to another, these stories were passed down with food, or special delicacies were made in remembrance of the stories.

Still wondering how food business missed the mark? Here is a question you need to ask. How can you build a food brand that does not only meet the needs of its consumers but inspires them to carry along their cultures and traditions wherever it is they go and still remain loyal to your brand.

Amala and Gbegiri

Amala and Gbegiri | Photo The Nerve Africa

It’s simple:

Tell the stories that resonate with them. Brands all over the world have moved beyond just providing products and services to being a part of their consumer’s everyday life. So much so when a consumer thinks about the family, they think about food or shall I say your brand. When they think about culture, sex, friends, they think about your brand.

Food stories, not just products or services make it easier to understand the world. Stories are the best ways to make your brand that cool kid around the block.

Can you imagine what happens when people come in contact with any of your brand elements or strategic communications and it touches core areas of their life? Here is what happens, they become curious, intrigued, fascinated then they want to be a part of it and affiliated to you.

If this tool storytelling does not build a vibrant community of food enthusiasts and in the long run give you sales then I am not sure what else will.

Masa

Masa | Photo Legit

WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS

Food stories always succeed because they are able to capture the imaginations and attention of the right audience.

WHERE DO YOU START FROM

Like I said, from the beginning, look at your food brand or product and see what unique stories or folklores that can go best with it. Drive this narrative in as many communication forms as possible or content types. Give your consumer your why which happens to be their beliefs. Stay with me, I promise not to make you get lost.

Here are a couple of examples

What’s your favourite luxury car? My guess will be a Mercedes and if not, you are probably one of the many few.

Why do people like Mercedes Benz? Because they sold them on a story.

What story? Lifestyle and Inspiration in core areas of their consumer’s life which is not farfetched from what every average individual would aspire for.

So Mercedes Benz keeps reinventing themselves to keep up with your beliefs and the stories they have sold you on. If they stop telling these stories you no longer become interested, you are no longer inspired and so you no longer aspire for their product and boom!! They are out of business. It’s no wonder why storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world.

Egusi

Egusi | Photo SisiYemmie

Here are a few things to consider when telling your food story. These are principles from the Harvard Business Review which remain valid to the food industry.

  • Consider your audience — choose a framework and details that will best resonate with your consumers
  • Identify the moral or message you want to impart.
  • Find inspiration in life experiences.

Seth Godin said this which I find absolutely relevant. “Many things are true because you believe them”.

This means that consumers will find the experiences and stories you share true because it aligns with their world view.

Remember to tell awesome food stories that are part of the magical recipes you will need to build the food brand of your consumer’s dreams.

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