Last month I blogged about Taking a Stand for Your Brand and the importance of differentiating yourself in order to really connect with your ideal customers. If you haven’t already, read it first.

An important point to remember – your brand is more than a logo, it’s the entire experience you offer; it’s what makes you memorable, and the reason why your ideal customers choose you.

Taking a stand for your brand requires commitment and consistency. It’s not a fluffy mission statement. A strong brand penetrates everything from corporate culture, to hiring choices, look and feel, quality, price and every aspect of your marketing plan!

A strong brand connects on a personal and emotional level. Customers will actually seek you out because they want the experience your promise…and they know you consistently deliver it.

• Think about Disney World and their promise of fun and family-togetherness,
• Staples promises to make shopping with them easy,
• Home Depot promises expert help with your home renovation projects,
• Rolex promises to make you feel successful,
• Bose promises excellence in sound quality,
• Walmart promises the lowest prices.

Your brand is your promise.

What is your promise? Think about that…if you know what it is right away, do your customers also know? If you aren’t sure, it’s time to mark ‘figuring it out’ as priority business!

If you’ve ever taken one of my workshops, or worked with me, you probably noticed that I often explain by giving examples.  I also love highlighting local companies…local for me is the East Coast of Canada; innovation lives here and I’ll share about it in this blog whenever possible!

So now I bring you Relish Gourmet Burgers.

Relish absolutely epitomizes what I mean by “Take a Stand for Your Brand“.

“When everybody else zigs, we zag,” says Rivers Corbett, prez and cofounder of the restaurant franchise. “We want your burger experience to be really unique. We’re a destination, not a convenience.”

Relish isn’t your typical burger joint. They promise gourmet burgers, and a unique experience…and they don’t miss a beat! The ‘Relish experience’ plays out at all customer touch points.

The moment customers walk through the door they are met with a big group welcome by all the “burger ambassadors”.

“It’s like a big warm family greeting,” says Corbett.

When ordering, customers are asked what they “relish,” when the food is ready all the “burger ambassadors” tell the customers they are “relished,” and the group interactions and play-on-words with the restaurant’s name continue until they leave.

But that’s not where it stops.

The Relish commitment to a ‘gourmet burger experience’ is evident in everything from their menu, recipes and toppings, to the ambiance of each location.

It’s also evident in the price. Relish doesn’t offer a non-gourmet, regular burger menu to compete with places like Burger King and Wendy’s.

By offering a different product, and a different experience, Relish makes a unique connection with their customers and avoids competing in a segment of the burger market that is already very saturated.

Around here, Relish has created a whole new segment.

To experience more of Relish, visit their website, check them out on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Or, own a franchise!

How can your company apply the concept of ‘taking a stand for your brand’?

Relish Gourmet Burgers isn’t the only East Coast company with a strong brand. Two others, prominent in my mind are COWS Icecream and Magzy’s Kettle Korn. Have any you’d like to add?