Word Association

Let’s play word association for a minute. When I say your establishment’s name, what is the first thing that pops into your head? When your customers hear your name, what is the first thing that pops into their head? Is it a menu item? It is service? Is it food quality? Is it something negative? What is your brand recognition? Do your word associations match what your customers’ are? What goes into a brand development?

Let’s think of different brand successes and failures. People wait for over a half hour night in and night out at the Outback Steakhouse located in my town. Thousands of people stand in line for 15 minutes to buy an expensive fast food lunch from Portillo’s 7 days a week. I had my first Gene and Jude’s experience recently and I was floored when I realized that at 2:30 in the afternoon I stood in line 20 minutes to have a tiny hot dog served to me standing up with only 3 condiments to choose from. BMW comes out with a new car, and we automatically associate it with quality. Why do tourists from all over the world come to Chicago and eat at Ed Debevic’s just to get insulted? The Cubs (this kills me) sign someone new and we automatically assume that they will take a turn for the worse. Why? Why are these brand associations so ingrained in our minds? How did they get there? What did the brand owners do to bring about this reputation? How do these associations get started? What can you do to capitalize on this kind of marketing?



What are the qualities associated with the successful brands I mentioned earlier? What do they all have in common? Consistency and predictability. Time after time the customer is going to walk away from their meal with the same feelings about their dining experience. They don’t want a surprise. They want to know what they are getting for their money. The experience is repeated and eventually it becomes an expectation, once it becomes an expectation, it becomes branded. Once branded, the task turns to reinforcing the expectation and then it takes on a life of its own.

I was talking with a friend that travels a ton for work, and I asked him where he eats when he is out of town and why he eats there (hardly a scientific study – but I think there is still value here). He said that he eats at national chains about 75% of the time. Why? He said it exactly like this: “My steak in Palm Beach will taste exactly the same as my steak in Palm Springs.” He just wants to know that he is going to walk away from his $40 meal with the same relative dining experience that he had previously. McDonald’s Restaurants are all over the world. Why? Because wherever we are, we want to know what we are going to get. Think of your own dining habits – let’s say some old friends are in from out of town, where do you take them for dinner? Why? What is it about that place that draws you back? Is it because it is the cheapest? The closest? The biggest? Probably some combination of all of those qualities and more – but more likely because you feel confident that you are going to get a meal like the last one you enjoyed there.

Outback Steakhouse doesn’t serve Prime beef, they don’t even claim to sell all Choice cuts…..they have carved out their niche selling Select and No Roll. However, there is a line to get in every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Doesn’t make sense does it? What do they do to perpetuate their success?

Gene and Jude’s doesn’t sell the biggest hot dog. They only have like 3 food items on their menu. They don’t give you a place to sit. They don’t even offer ketchup! Yet at 2:30pm I waited 20 minutes to get my meal. Doesn’t make sense does it? How did they take such a simple concept and turn it into a Chicago institution?

Portillo’s sells fast food hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, brats and French fries just like every other fast food establishment. Yet they charge a couple bucks more than the others and have us all standing in line for 20 minutes. Doesn’t make sense does it? How did they evolve from a small hot dog cart to such an impressive success story?

What does this tell us? The consumer is interested in perceived value. Period. What is the perceived value? Their brand name recognition. These establishments found the right combination of quality food, quality service, the right atmosphere and consistency. You too can have that kind of brand recognition. It is within your grasp.

Check in next week to see how to develop the kind of consistency and predictability that will set you apart from your competition.