Seductive Branding
Yesterday, Sam, Pete and I visited Tami of Dough Girl. While sampling her newest creation (a key lime cookie), she told us about how she got started.
The whole thing began when her competitive nature got the best of her. She described it as a competition with all the other Mormon moms she knew. It was an unspoken cage match to see who could rock the kitchen and Tami was absolutely sure she could put these poor suckers to shame with her confectionary prowess.
She got started with a humble but not completely typical chocolate cookie (she added cinnamon to the dough) and got more daring as time went on. Eventually she parlayed this daring into her new business.
All this drive came from her competitive nature and passion for all things sweet. In fact, in our conversation she said, “I once went on a diet and all I lost were two good weeks.”
But drive and passion is not enough on its own.
Flirting With Success
One of the most fascinating things about the Dough Girl story has been the sheer amount of buzz around this small, upstart business.
Dough Girl was one of only two times I’ve ever solicited work from a potential client. On visiting the shop, I was totally enamored by the whole vibe I got. From the quirky pinups and cookie names to the retro vibe and attitude, there was clearly something special about this place.
The best part was that I wasn’t the only person who called. Tami has been approached by photographers, printers, restaurants and a whole host of other local folks who have offered their services at a discount and often for free, just to be part of what she’s doing. It’s inspiring to watch.
While it certainly played a part, it wasn’t Tami’s personality alone that did this. It was the passion that her brand inspired.
Even before she hired a designer, even before she did any marketing, she had a vision.
She didn’t do focus groups or market research. She just put a unique spin on what could have been a simple cookie shop. She made a clever, tongue-in-cheek play on the relationship between our two favorite passions: food and sex. And what’s more, she did it in a classy way that plays to her Utah audience perfectly. The notion of the interplay of the sweet and the seductive pervades everything she does. And people respond.
In Which We Sum Up
A brand is not a logo. It’s not a slogan. It’s not a product.
A brand is the soul of who you are and what you’re doing and it pervades every aspect of your business from your attitude to your interactions with customers. A great brand inspires other people with its passion. But you knew that already.
