9. Quaker Oats & the “Snapple Lady”
• Bought in 1994 for $1.7 BILLION
• Sold in 1997 for $300 MILLION
• “Official” causes of death: logistical issues, bad
bottling contract, undeveloped distribution network
0
500
1000
1500
2000
1994 1995 1996 1997
Snapple Market Value
10. Quaker Oats and the “Snapple Lady”
(What REALLY happened…..shhh!!!)
Which one do YOU know, like and trust?
22. Authenticity is a quest to be real and to
communicate this sense of being real with
customers in a way that is compelling,
relevant, and, above all, true.
31. Authentic marketers don’t just
sit and wait for people to come to
them. They seek them out.
They are generous about sharing great
information— and have a give to get attitude!
Think about the relationships you have had over the years and the ones that have lasted! It is not what makes them special in the beginning that creates loyalty; rather, it is what keeps them special over time
that matters. What are those things? They are communication, reliability, honesty, and the feeling that both sides are there for each other and can count on each other to be who or what
they really are. The problem is many brands do not get this. I see campaign after campaign focused solely on likes, views, fan acquisition, and other quick-hit statistics.
If your intent is to build a strong brand, your authenticity and integrity are critical to your success. Don’t think you can get away with trying to be something you are not. People can sniff
out a fake in a heartbeat today. Bottom line: Somehow, someway, the real you will always shine through. These days the need for brands to be authentic is more important than ever because of the rise of social media. It’s not that social media has changed the definition of authenticity; it is just
that there are now more and easier opportunities for not just the company, but its customers to influence a brand’s image.
A mismatch between the things you do and the things you say is evidence of being inauthentic, and being inauthentic is something most people do not tolerate online anymore. In the past, the offended person would fade away and not do business with you anymore. Now the person uses social media to tell everybody he or she can about how you treated, or didn’t treat, them. In a matter of hours, viral dings to your brand image become a real possibility.In short, people want their favorite brands to be authentic so they know what to expect from them, what they can count on.
Wendy Kaufman is best known for being the spokesperson for Snapple.
At Snapple, when she realized how many people were trying to connect with the company, she took it upon herself to answer all the letters. She quickly became "The Snapple Lady".
When it was discovered that Kaufman had been answering Snapple fan-mail in her free time (because nobody in the office wanted to do it themselves), their brand new advertising agency, Kirshenbaum & Bond, developed a campaign around her energetic personality. She appeared in television, radio, and print advertising until 1994 wherein she answered letters written to Snapple with witty responses. Kaufman's 1990s Snapple ad trademark was to appear on camera with her head barely peeking out over the Snapple reception counter, giving the viewer the impression that she was incredibly short. She would begin each commercial by saying in a thick New York accenet that she received a letter from a particular Snapple fan, who would then be included in the commercial.
Kaufman's humorous Snapple ads were well-received and she was partially responsible for a jump in Snapple's sales from 23 million dollars a year to 750 million a year in 1995.[
She was sacked in 1994, upon Snapple's sale to Quaker Oats. However, when Quaker sold Snapple to Triarc brands in 1997, they reinstated Wendy as the Snapple goodwill ambassador.
A whopping 1.4 BILLION lossWendy Kaufman - However, when Quaker sold Snapple to Triarc brands in 1997, they reinstated Wendy as the Snapple goodwill ambassador.
This glaring inauthenticity was apparent to Snapple’s customers, whose loyalty began to wane. It seemed Snapple’s so-called amateur marketing was part of its appeal. Once it was gone,
so was the devotion of the people who were committed to it for this very reason.
Being authentic as a marketer means you ensure the content of your brand's story is consistent with the feelings you are trying to evoke in telling the story of your brand. Staying true your roots trades in on previous good will, it’s a reason to believe and BUY, it can validate a price premium and it creates an emotional connection with your audience.Starbucks
These are the Starbucks Facebook timeline Twitter covers. The points” They make a great first impression. They are original, simple, clever, tell a visual story and are consistent with what their customers would expect to see.
Consumers are savvier today and they don’t accept at face value anymore. They have access to more info and they are searching and connecting with others around products that they want to purchase. It is rare that someone makes a buying decision based on the features and benefits of a product. It is not about the price point, it is not about the advertising channels, and it is really not
about the facts. It is about the stories the brand tells and the emotional connection that people make with the product or service being marketed. There is a huge sense of distrust with the big and fake so quality and authenticity are becoming the keys to actual sales.
It was the simple result of failing to leverage that brand history and tell the a story of the brand. It didn’t share what made it unique in the marketplace, much less what better than its competitor in every kind of comparison between the two brands.
Business 101
Don’t be this person.
These people on the other side of your computer screen are real people, with real lives and interests besides your product or brand (hard to believe, I know). Don’t be afraid to engage with your customers about hobbies, interests, or topics that are not related to your business. People will connect with you on a personal level before they connect with you on a business level. Are your customers sports fanatics? Do they tend to gravitate toward classical music? Do they eagerly await the next Apple product launch? Ask them about their passions. When you take the time and effort to truly understand the needs and values of your customers, great things start to happen. Your products, services, and marketing strategies begin to develop organically because everything is done with the customers’ needs in mind. Your presence in social media naturally becomes more about building connections and providing value, and less about generating leads or making sales.
Ask yourself: What is the primary purpose of my content on social media? Is it to come
across as an expert in my field? Is it to make sales or gain leads? Is it to attract search engine
traffic? Or is it to genuinely make life easier for my customers?
Constantly be thinking about how you can help others. Be generous about sharing great information—give to get!
When people see that you are present and engaged on a continual basis, their trust in you slowly builds. Trust isn’t something you can win through one great marketing campaign or
promotion. Trust must be earned over time.
Think about someone—maybe a family member, friend, or neighbor—who only comes to you when he or she needs something. When you see this person’s name on the call display,
your stomach probably sinks because you know he or she wants something from you.
Marketers who only communicate and engage with their community when they want something will quickly earn the same reputation. Instead of their fans or followers looking
forward to their updates or tweets, they’ll begin to dread them. (“Oh, no—is he trying to sell me something again?”)
But when people get the sense that you care about them, listen to them, and want to be part of their world, their trust in you will begin to grow. This is when bonds begin to form,
relationships form, and community begins to grow.