A Duck Story

Meet Grandma Willow.

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time with her; in the garden; in the kitchen. And she had this bottom drawer in her kitchen that I’ll always remember. It was for collecting old, dry, stale bread. When it was full enough, we’d pack it up and head down to Lake Washington, to feed the ducks. 

Business leaders know this: your stale brand is for the birds.

As a designer-writer-producer I tell my clients’ multi-million dollar stories in different ways, so I have a good pulse on what’s happening. Current economic challenges aside, 10-20% of revenue should be set aside for that marketing budget to keep your brand oven hot. Customers have an attention deficit disorder that could be overcome if your company would just produce fresh baked stories about what your team is up to, what you care about, who you are, and so forth. I recommend at least doing something to have a fresh-from-the-oven presence. Fresh picked content from your garden? I can still taste those peaches btw Grandma! Something new to share will eventually attract the right attention from the right audience.

New story “content” should be treated as critical business infrastructure in your office, so it needs a plan and needs management. If the Pandemic taught us nothing else, we know the need to keep essential services running at all cost. Your “100% word of mouth” strategy may be hot now, but time will cool things off.

If you’re not setting out fresh-baked content, you’re brand appears stale. And before long, it’s headed for the bottom drawer and out to the ducks.