Story.

Story is vital for most small business simply because word-of-mouth advertising is their number one method of spreading the word about their business. And story is an incredibly effective vehicle for this. Every song on the radio is a little story; every thin joke we tell is a story. What do we share with our spouses when we go home at night, if not little stories about our day?

Earlier we reviewed one critical lesson from Vincents Legendary Brands: the story we create must interact with our customers own life story.

And your companys Package can play a huge role in this. Look at how many people still go to the movies, twenty years after the VCR arrived in everybodys home. The experience of the theaterthe big screen, the popcorn, the excitement of going somewhere, the energy generated from our fellow movie-goersall these contribute to the continued popularity of the movie theaters. You just cant achieve that same movie-house feeling at home, no matter how big your home entertainment center is.

Think for a moment how the movie theater Package affects the senses. The smell of the fresh roasted popcorn, the familiar feel of the seat with its armrests and gentle rocking-backwards motion as you settle in, the hush of the audience as the lights dim; all these impact our senses and have become an integral part of the familiar experience that movie-goers the world over have come to expect when they go to the movies.

Your business package needs to emulate the movie experience when possible. Use anything you can to reinforce your companys story through the use of all of the customers senses.

Is the type of music you play on the overhead speakers sending them a message thats congruent with the story you are trying to tell? Does the entrance to your shop reflect the way you want them to feel about your brand? Wherever possible, seek out and enhance how you use Package to enhance the brand story you are delivering to your customers.

Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your Face to the Customer) + People (customers and employees) = Marketing Success.

2006 Marketing Hawks