What bacon salt can teach you about branding
By Jean-François Major on Wednesday, January 6 2010, 05:00 - Permalink
Have you ever heard of bacon salt ?
I asked around the office and got mixed reactions. Many were outright disgusted, several didn’t particularly care. But two people were very curious about the product, and said they’d try it anytime.
By reaching this small, specific crowd, Justin and Dave – two Americans who knew nothing about the food industry, but believed they had a good idea – launched J&D’s Bacon Salt. How did they succeed?
Justin and Dave built their bacon empire by scanning social networks for bacon enthusiasts: serious bacon enthusiasts. These people quickly became product ambassadors, people who feel an urge to share the fun with others. This small group’s love for an unusual product quickly spilled over mainstream newspapers and television, making bacon salt a success no one could have predicted. Overnight, the crazy idea had become a brand. Bacon Salt’s Facebook page now features over 10,000 fans.
Justin and Dave’s vision has evolved into an established company, one that produces 4 flavors of bacon salt, bacon mayonnaise, bacon-flavored popcorn and bacon ranch dip.
Identify and spoil your brand ambassadors
The idea is to find this elite group of potential clients who truly believe in your brand and feel the urge to talk about it. In this era of geotracking, online purchase recommendations and social networking, it’s fairly easy to reach a small group of fans, and focus their word-of-mouth to leverage brand notoriety.
Once you’ve found your fans, nurture their passion by giving them even more excuses to talk about your brand. Justin and Dave use their Facebook page to give away cocktail and cuisine recipes: yet more opportunities for their brand ambassadors to entertain guests and reveal the surprising secret ingredient.
Who are your brand ambassadors? How can you help them spread the word?
Note : Can you believe these guys even came up with bacon-flavored envelopes?!