Oftentimes in business knowing what we do and how we do it isn’t always enough to produce the results that the business is ultimately seeking to achieve. Is it enough to produce products that will sell or are we seeking to do something more with our brands?
As a fresh produce marketer, I believe that today the most important question we should consider asking ourselves if we haven’t already is, “WHY” we do what we do. Perhaps the reason fresh produce marketers are still struggling with a clear path to brand success is because we are still trying to fully grasp why we’re growing and packing fresh produce to begin with.
Surely our motive for working at the mercy of an unforgiving Mother Nature has to mean more than a quest for world domination and wealth beyond our wildest dreams? Certainly the reason why we produce food has more to do with ending world hunger, fostering a healthier lifestyle for busy Americans, carrying on a family legacy or because there is a passion that runs so deep, other people might be willing to carry on our legacy for us for generations to come.
In the book titled, Start With Why, author Simon Sinek provides leaders with a “guide to focus on and amplify the things that do work.” What is working for your company? How will you capitalize on your 2016 successes in 2017 and maybe take your brand and marketing to the next level? Perhaps this book is for you.
If you’re a Marketing Director, it’s possible that you may not have all of these answers directly available. If that’s the case, I would recommend posing these thoughts and questions to the C-suite and engaging in a productive conversation from there. I might even go so far as to recommend that you take time to assess that you and your executive management team are on the same level relative to these very important key points by asking yourselves to define:
- What we do?
- How we do it?
- Why we do it?
You see, asking “why we do it” begs more answers than the previous two questions. When we ask the question “why” – we take our thinking and consideration of others to a whole new level. We focus less on ourselves and we focus more on the people buying or consuming our products. We think less about the meaning of our brand and more about the reasons that motivate us to provide higher quality, different varieties, better flavor and safer products to eat. Why? Why do you do it?
Through this exercise, you and your company’s leadership might uncover hidden messages that may be the key to differentiating your brand in 2017.
