The “pleasure” principle of branding

by Brittney Clerico, VP of Operations

I was grocery shopping in Publix this past weekend when I came to the realization that my frugal self was spending much more money shopping at Publix rather than a Winn Dixie or Kroger. I had to stop (literally in the cereal aisle) and ask myself, “Why?”

I have always been the person who does everything the cheap way: I dye my hair a darker blonde color so I don’t have to get it done but four times a year; I buy my vegetables whole and not precut; I limit my driving around town to save on gas. So why, in this case, was I completely okay to pay two times as much for an avocado at Publix?

It finally came to me (right when I was hitting the bakery aisle) that Publix focuses their advertising not on their competitive prices, but on the family oriented, pleasurable experience they have created.

Who has seen the 2008 “Holiday Surprise” Publix commercial and is man enough to admit they got a little choked up? This girl right here can! All of their commercials center around family gatherings where the food is the element that brings everyone together with laughter and happiness. It’s genius really when you think about it: Even in the busiest of families, what is usually the one time of day when they all sit down and just talk freely about whatever? That’s right, over the dinner table. Publix realized that connection between food and family and capitalized on it.

Even more important than their marketing technique is the fact that they deliver on the messaging. For a company’s tagline to be “Where Shopping is a Pleasure,” they have a lot to live up to. Publix promotes the fact that all their employees are courteous and knowledgeable, and then trains them to back up this brand. Your marketing should lure customers in your door, but the your service products will, of course, be what keeps them coming back.

Competing on price alone, as a business, is always a losing proposition; someone can always come in and undercut you. You have a better story to tell. Publix has proven that even if you don’t have the most competitive prices, if you market yourself in the right way you can still be the leader in your industry. If your business is not the most cost-effective option in town, what is it about your company that sets you apart from the rest? Need help telling your story? Let us help!