Guest Columns

Perspective:
Dairy Marketing

Your brand: It’s worth it to do it right

Norm Monsen

Norm Monsen is vice president of the agriculture division of Creative Business Services/CBS-Global, Green Bay, Wisconsin. He worked for many years at the Wisconsin Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) as well as serving as a liaison between DATCP and many industry organizations.

The late Dan Carter, a true champion of cheese, once said: “Those who own the brand own the market.” With Dan’s words in mind, it is worthwhile to take a look at what a brand might be worth.

It’s always helpful to start with a story, so here goes: I have an acquaintance who had a distinguished career with the Spalding Sporting Goods company. He always has good insider stories from the sports world.

His best, and my favorite, is how Spalding hit a home run and enjoyed amazing success with one product whose name became the gold standard for that category of the industry. The category was — and is — golf balls. The name Spalding selected at the time for their newly developed golf ball was: Top Flite.

Over time, the Top Flite golf ball became the gold standard — the go-to golf ball for everyone from professionals to the weekend duffer.

Choosing the name was genius because what golfer wouldn’t want a ‘top flight’ ball? However, here is a fair question: Was the value of the Top Flite brand due to the performance of the ball itself, or was it because of its name? The story of the Top Flite golf ball has lessons for anyone in business, no matter what you’re selling.

The name of a company or a product alone has value, and how much value might be shocking. It isn’t uncommon for an individual or company to make an acquisition not for a company’s facilities, equipment or talent, but rather for the brand or product name.

While there are surely examples of successful randomly chosen brands, there are more stories of names that didn’t work and perhaps assured defeat when a company or product was introduced.

In short, dedicated effort is a good investment when choosing a name. Rewards can be had in day-to-day operations, as well as when an owner wants to capitalize on value. By the way, do you know who markets and owns the Top Flite golf ball brand now? Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Here’s another story about choosing a brand name from the dairy industry. Two decades ago, a businessman purchased a dairy farm, and over time, started producing his own cheese. The man’s vision was to make one and only one cheese that would reflect and represent his farm, his family and the region where the farm was located.

Through hard work and many trials, a cheese was created: an incredible and award-winning cheese. Over time, it has become the go-to cheese for high-end markets, white-table restaurants and those who only want the best.

The name of the cheese is memorable and valuable. Its name isn’t “Mike’s Cheese” or “Andy’s Cheese.” Its name is “Pleasant Ridge Reserve.” A perfect name for a perfect cheese that over the years has captured Best in Show at several national contests. (Thanks to Mike and Andy for allowing part of the Pleasant Ridge Reserve story to be shared.)

• Choosing a name

There can be a long list of considerations when choosing a brand or product name. Considerations may include names of the owners of the company, where the product is made, the style of product, who makes the product, the intended markets, the ingredients of the product, the heritage of those who developed the product and so on. It can be confusing. Time invested in seeking outside counsel and direction will pay rewards over time.

Steps that might be part of the process include:

• Make a list of adjectives or attributes the name might capture.
• Next, start making a list of possible names. When you wake up in the middle of the night with a name, write it down.
• Bounce possible names off friends, co-workers, family and customers.
• Talk to those who own the markets and get their opinions.
• Engage professionals (public or private) for their opinions and possible assistance.
• Conduct professional or informal focus groups, depending on your budget.

Finally, when you are ready for market testing, be ready to put your ego aside and pivot as necessary if initial feedback isn’t what was expected. At the end of the day, what’s important is that you always, always strive to ensure that the quality and uniqueness of your product is never compromised. One slip or mistake will immediately flip the value of a brand. And, most importantly, protect your brand. Seek and use counsel from available public or private legal resources.

• One last story

A young Wisconsin farm couple decided a few years ago they would like to start a direct marketing business selling the beef, pork and poultry they were raising on their farm.

From experience in their professional lives, they knew the brand name they chose would have a crucial role in the success of their venture. After much thought, testing and showing names and logos to people they respected, they chose a name that is both memorable and personal. Most importantly, it captures their family and their unique family farm business: “Little Farmer Meats.”

They paired it with a professionally designed logo of their toddler pulling a little red wagon and the tagline: “Little Family. Little Farm. Big Dreams.” They knew it didn’t matter their son would one day grow up and not be the little boy in the logo. What mattered was the representation of their farm and the family legacy they were building. What mattered was that their product live up to the quality of the brand name. Today, through endless hard work, they enjoy a successful business because they took the time and necessary steps to come up with and protect a brand. At the end of the day, their name is their brand, and it’s worth protecting. That’s true for us all.

CMN

The views expressed by CMN’s guest columnists are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Cheese Market News®.

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