Back to the Grind delivers out-of-the-box inspiration and great coffee in Riverside, CA. Creative people visit because the atmosphere facilitates great storytelling. Likewise, the bistro projects a brand that encourages eclectic coffee drinkers to congregate and nurture new ideas. With minimal marketing, the place grinds away promoting a diverse, intellectual, counter-cultural environment that happens to serve awesome coffee. This establishment enjoys success because it is completely faithful to its vibe, moreso than its audience. True to its name, Back to the Grind routinely produces fresh ideas, and unexpected results for customers. This relationship works because it predictably delivers to its regulars unexpected outcomes every visit.

Storytelling
Ramping up meaningful business growth requires several steps. Building an inviting story is a good start. This step requires creativity, then tenacity. Creativity drives curiosity leading to sampling new experiences. Tenacity pushes necessary effort to capture attention, which then drives buying decisions. Effort is never a singular event. Consequently, marketing tactics demand trying different actions until one or more works. Stories, in turn, create the emotional connection for outcomes to be memorable. For example, Tab had to tailspin into oblivion before Diet Coke emerged with brand clarity, paving the way for diet cola to be sexy.

Optimally, raving fans connect with stories about the products that they eventually love. It once was called word-of-mouth. Now, it is called influencer marketing. Regardless, consumers adopt stories which become drivers for new products, services, and experiences that capture imaginations resulting in the next star brand. Marketers who seek the next mandatory possession inevitably endure mistakes and missteps. Yet, marketers who keep grinding toward a product or service with an irresistible story ultimately win. Amazon bled cash until its story evolved from online book seller, into mind-numbingly easy shopping for everything through technology. Business success is delivering a story that customers want to hear, understand and share!

Branding
While telling a great story launches interest and excitement. Creating a story that begins to tell itself is the key to legendary results! Great brands speak clearly for their products and businesses in their absence. Stopping at Starbucks with the risk of being late to work is one story. Standing in line, outside Krispy Kreme, after midnight, because you absolutely believe its hypnotic red light is shining just for you, is a different story altogether. Obviously trading hot, Original Glazed donuts for an hour of sleep is a reasonable sacrifice for Krispy Kreme’s raving fans. More importantly, the customer will repeat the late-night-run story to others.

Great brands are always on the grind, because their customers continuously work hard for them. Whether a business calls their best customers a tribe, followers, or fans, their influence on a product’s success ties directly into the brands ability to communicate value. Operating with integrity and consistency is essential to any brand’s success story. Literally, great brands take no days off. They must repeatedly deliver on promises and expectations, or customers will find a substitute that demonstrates more fidelity. The grind only matters if standards are high, and only survives if execution is consistent.

Takeaway
Businesses grind so that their brands can demonstrate their superiority. Superior performance leads to growth. Growth opens doors to scaled profitability. Repeating the process results in success. Why should a successful business continue to grind? Grinding engages the marketplace’s unyielding appetite for superior performance and kept promises. Legendary results emerge when engaging the business’ audience, then communicating its success. Household brands still grind because customers actually want to continue aligning with superior performers and proclaim their success. The brand is bigger than any individual. Customers enjoy the social benefits associated with brands’ performance results. The business enjoys the financial benefits. That is the purpose.

By Glenn W Hunter
Managing Director of Hunter And Beyond, LLC