Twelve Brownies

If you know anything about me, you probably know I refer to my dad as the original feminist. As I'd leave the house as a kid, he'd remind me, "Be Julie!" as a way of saying goodbye and as a reminder to stay true to myself and my beliefs. Dad believed in me, and in who I was, and helped me believe in myself, too.

One year, as my birthday approached, my dad asked what kind of birthday cake I wanted, and I told him I didn't want a birthday cake. Everybody gets one of those. When my birthday rolled around, what did my dad bring me? Twelve brownies, each with a single candle. No birthday cake.

What would be the equivalent of birthday brownies for your brand? Is there something you're doing because it's, "the way things are done," or because someone told you, "We've always done it this way"? Quieting the "we've tried that" noise in your own head (and coming out of others' mouths) will enable you to hear new ideas and innovative solutions, and to keep your company growing and changing with the times.

Tradition can help things run smoothly and efficiently - because sometimes you've tried lots of ways to do something and found the way that works. There's some wisdom to the adage that if it isn't broken, don't fix it. But routines work against companies' growth and profitability when they're followed automatically or unquestioningly, without evaluation or re-evaluation. The procedures that worked in 2018 or 2019 may not work as well now - it's a different world than it was.

Think of Kodak's response to the invention of digital cameras in 1975 - an event that proved as disruptive to photography as the pandemic has been to foodservice. Once one of the most innovative, cutting-edge companies in the world, a driving force in making accessible, portable cameras that everyone could afford and use, Kodak chose, at that pivotal moment, not to move from what it had always done. They were the leader. Why should they? The story assuredly would have ended differently if the company had maintained the spirit of innovation and leadership that initially set it apart from the competition.

Make sure someone asks what your company, and its customers, want and need. Gain an inside perspective from your people and save "the top" perspectives for last. Listen to your team, to consumer data, and to your customers with intentionality, as if your company's livelihood depends on it - because it does.

Even older, well-established companies can gain insights and reinvent themselves in ways that resonate with a dynamic marketplace, if they're willing to make themselves vulnerable to change and differing perspectives. Think of the way Hershey's - established in 1894 - has expressed its social passion for supporting and empowering women as a modern brand with its HerSHEy campaign and limited-edition packaging.
Hershey's Celebrates Women With Limited Edition SHE Chocolate Bars (forbes.com)
Think of the way the JM Smucker Company - founded in 1897 -- has rebranded itself to maintain its nostalgic feel but respond to and reflect the future it sees coming.
Smucker Away From Home

Someone must push against the status quo and wonder. If you took off all the guardrails, all the limitations, and anything were possible, what would really suit your company and its needs best? We are the only animal on the planet that ignores our instincts -- listen to your gut.

Hiring a consultant to offer your company a fresh pair of unbiased eyes can help liberate your team to think differently and perhaps even to make changes and operate differently. There is no one-size-fits-all, in business or in birthday celebrations, so whether your team evaluates and recommends internally or brings someone in from outside the company, make sure your strategies and procedures serve your goals.

Take an honest look at what's working and not working for your company or hire someone to come in and take that look with you. Then dare to do something different, something that suits your company best - because as I always say, wherever you are, it's what you do next that matters.

Julie spent 25 years in sales and marketing for the French's Food Company and McCormick, and then just over 4 years as a broker in senior & executive leadership roles across sales, marketing, digital & business development. She has interviewed over 100 potential manufacturers - she knows what she's talking about!