I wanna talk to you today about tacos. Yep, seriously.
I promise I’m not going crazy (there are definitely worse things to talk about than tacos). It’s just that I really want to showcase some businesses who are ROCKING the whole brand clarity thing. And I immediately thought of a perfect example.
Ok, back to tacos. I’m a massive fan of all things Mexico. The country, the waves, the food…. and although I’ve been lucky enough to spend a good chunk of time there, I’m always stoked to find a hit of Mexico somewhere not so far from home.
Let me introduce Wahaca….
An awesome little collection of Mexican restaurants scattered around London. Their food is epic….. authentic, fresh Mexican…. but eating there is just one part of the experience. From the moment you walk in the door, you know that the team have taken the time to think about the details.
And that’s what I want to talk to you about today. The details. The little things.
When a business has brand clarity, the little things become an integral part of the experience. What do I mean by brand clarity? Well, I’d break it down into 6 key elements:
Purpose — your why, Story — the journey People — your customers/clients Product — the problem that you solve & the way you solve it Identity — your visual identity Experience - how you do what you do
Without these things, you remain unclear about what makes you stand out, fuzzy about which direction you should go & totally baffled as to how on earth you’re going to get your work out into the world (and actually get paid !).
But when you get it right? Your customers/clients know, without a doubt, that they belong in your business, that you are a match made in heaven. Happy clients = happy business.
I wanted to case study Wahaca today because these guys have nailed it. How do I know? Because when I look at all the elements that make up brand clarity, they tick all the boxes. This allows them to create an experience for their customers that seriously rocks.
As you walk into Wahaca, you immediately get a sense of what it’s all about. From the funky decor, to the hip & friendly staff…. not to mention the fact that the restaurant I’m in, is made out of recycled shipping containers.
There’s a bowl of what looks like freebie matches by the door, but on closer inspection, I realised they’re actually chilli seeds, branded in their signature bright colours, with a recipe for the perfect guacamole on the back (I’m in love with this place already). #Identity
The whole place is fresh & bright and buzzing with energy. It’s hip without being too hip (do you know what I mean?). This Wahaca is called the Southbank Experiment. It’s a popup restaurant, and they use it as a place to experiment with new dishes. I get this awesome, slightly rebellious vibe from them. It’s clear that they don’t want to follow the same old rules when it comes to typical Mexican restaurants. #Experience
I haven’t even ordered any food & I already feel like I belong.
As I check out the menu (fresh, seasonal, locally sourced — tick, tick, tick), the waitress tells me what her favourite dishes are. She’s super friendly and we end up chatting for a while. It’s so freaking obvious that she LOVES her job. #Tribe
I flick through their cool little newspaper, Ola, and read all about the story of Wahaca & their mission. #Story
There’s pics from a recent staff trip to Mexico City (yep, now I know why the waitress was so stoked on her work), alongside recipes, an article about how they source local suppliers and a whole bunch of other interesting stuff to read.
My takeaway from this? How much they freaking care about this business. #Vision
Have you noticed that I haven’t even talked about their food yet? It’s insanely delicious, really well priced and super authentic. #Core Business
Did you notice that I’d already fallen in love with the place before I’d even eaten ? Sure, if the food had been bad, I wouldn’t be writing this right now, but the fact is, they’ve realised just how important the ‘unimportant’ can be. It’s easy to think that if you’re a good chef, then you’re automatically going to have a successful restaurant. Or if you’re a great coach, you’ll suddenly have heaps of clients.
Sorry to break it to you, but it doesn’t work like that.
This is where having brand clarity enables you to shine. Knowing who your ideal customer is and creating an experience that you know will blow their socks off.
Brand clarity means your customers become ambassadors. Insanely loyal ambassadors. It means you’ll end up with brand strategists writing articles about tacos. That’s how much they’ll love your brand.
So I want to challenge you this week….. spend a little time looking at the ‘unimportant’ aspects of your business. The details. Start by picking one element (maybe it’s how you reply to emails or the colour of the cups you sell your coffee in)….. and align it with your brand.
Now, go eat some tacos ;)