Humanize Your Brand

We've heard how consumers don't trust the big brands, especially restaurants. Local is the way to go. Local is who you can trust. Local is better because my dollars go back into my community. A primary complaint is that corporate companies are faceless. The big brands become logos because there is no personality to what's otherwise a very local location. Here lies the opportunity. Here is where we can humanize a big brand.

The phrase "Think Global, Act Local" has often been used to expand the purview of the independent to embrace their impact on the broader world. It's converse would be for a big brand to tend to their big ambitions, but to identify values that bring them into each community in which they operate. The obvious opportunity is local ingredients: honey, beer, produce, baked goods. Another idea is to add a local signifier to any brand such as "Applebee's on Post Street" or "Panera at Park and Preston." This approach connects the big brand to the rhythms of a town and gives it local flavor that's colloquial. Continue to support the local volleyball team and your veterans, but integrate their role in your restaurant beyond a Vistaprint poster in the foyer. Hire vets. Throw events. Conduct tastings. Get out into the community so that Local Store Marketing your local outreach rather than a line-item expectation of your corporate office. To humanize your brand, you must humanize your people.

It starts with leadership. I always loved visiting the restaurants when I worked for TGI Fridays because Operations made my team's ideas come to life. What started out as a concept turned into pride of execution by the team members and into communal experiences for the people gathered around our food & beverage. The office meant nothing without Operations, literally. One of the best compliments I ever received came from a cook in Virginia who thanked me for listening to him. After characterizing a few other executive visits in unflattering terms, he said "you came and asked what I thought instead of just telling me what was wrong." No brand will thrive if they don't recognize and celebrate the humanity of every team member.Servers, managers and bartenders become the face of your brand but how much freedom do they have to invest their personalities or their connections into each transaction? A big brand will typically require that servers greet the table in 30 seconds... upsell the beverage... recommend an appetizer... identify a promotion... market a contest or events... etc. Their function is marketing rather than connecting.

Similarly, how many restaurants provide their BOH with the opportunity to take pride in their work? Cooks have become the faceless machinery rather than living, breathing, loving people. If we're looking to humanize our brands, what better way than to share how your Broiler cook works to support her family or how your Prep cook scoops every avocado by hand? Social media and POP generally feature beauty shots of food and fake smiles rather than identifying the real people making the magic happen. This is how we go about connecting a big brand to its human roots.

Every restaurant employs local people. Every restaurant serves as a host to many a fantastic life event. A great brand knows how to become a storyteller. Find each story, forge a connection, and own the fact that even the biggest brand is local in execution. Be humane.