Sushi Surprise For true marketing inspiration, head for your product's home turf.

In the age-old quest to get good products the attention theydeserve, sometimes you have to turn to your market instead ofracking your brain.

Before
Denver-based Brand Management Inc., a food branding consultancy,recently got the nod to help a local supermarket chain improveconsumer awareness of its prepared sushi offerings. The mainobjective of the project was to convince potential customers thatthe supermarket's take-home sushi is as good as restaurantsushi.

During
Brand management'spresident, Shultz Hartgrove, and team started the way they oftendo: conducting focus groups and branding strategy sessions in anattempt to come up with a new name and "presence" for theproduct. Result: a lot of heat but no light. What did they do?Break for lunch. Recalls Hartgrove, "My partner and I stoppedat a local sushi bar, and every few minutes we'd hear a sushichef shout out, 'Sushi ready!' to alert waitresses theirorder was ready." The partners had a mutual lightbulb moment:"That's it-Sushi-Redi!" Then they spied the sushimenu board. Why not hang one like it at the supermarkets forauthenticity? Not a bad branding session for $15 plus tip.

After
Brand management had one last task-ad support. Their idea: PlopSushi-Redi ads in the restaurant sections of local papers with theheadline, "No reservations? No problem," furtherimplanting the idea that the sushi is restaurant-quality. Theresult? The grocery chain's sushi business improved byone-third in the first six months. The lesson? Get out of theconference room and into the marketplace.

Jerry Fisher, afreelance advertising copywriter, is also the author ofCreating Successful Small Business Advertising.

Contact Source

• Sushi-Redi, (303)293-8373