Your UVP and Marketing Magic – The Conclusion of Tip #1
Welcome back to the blog series, “Change Your Message,” and the conclusion of Tip #1: Pinpoint Your Unique “-EST”-ness, “From to EST UVP in Action.” (If you missed the first part of Tip #1 click here or the second part of Tip #1 click here).
From to EST UVP in Action.
A few years back, the food truck craze seemed to hit overnight. But what really played out was the perfect dramatization of the importance of understanding your Unique Value Proposition in order to survive.
At first, there were a couple of wildly successful trucks roaming about, updating their ravenous fans about their whereabouts via Twitter. These trucks had very specific, often-never-before-seen fusion menus that had fans following them around town daily. The proprietors of these trucks had nailed down their UVP and carried it out in force, making sure every offering on their limited menus was infused with their signature style.
Before you knew it, though, there seemed to be hordes of food trucks all over. Demand was still high – but so was supply. It wasn’t enough to simply have unusual sounding cuisine – every other truck offered fusion features.
At that point, survival depended on having a truly unique proposition that made the truck stand out from a very large crowd, often full of somewhat similar offerings. Yet, on the other hand, that UVP had to not be drawn so narrowly as to appeal only to a very small demographic.
Case In Point: The Grilled Cheese Truck
The original Grilled Cheese Truck (GCT) has undoubtedly proved one of the most successful stars to come out of the food truck craze.
With appearances on the Cooking Channel’s Unique Eats and Food Network’s Unwrapped among many, many other TV shows, the GCT has even become a tourist destination for L.A. visitors! After a wildly successful 2009 launch, the enterprise has expanded considerably, with five trucks operating throughout Southern California, three in Phoenix, and two in Austin/San Antonio.
Chef/owner Dave Danhi launched the first truck after entering his now-signature Cheesy Mac and Rib Melt in the 2009 Grilled Cheese Invitational and seeing just how many hardcore grilled cheese fans existed. His timing was spot-on – the food truck scene was ascendant – and the GCT proved very popular right out of the gate.
By 2011, however, the food truck market had become saturated and – to many critics – “watered down.” Instead of good food and solid business planning, every Tom, Dick, and Harry seemed to think of a food truck as easy money, clogging the marketplace and creating an unsustainable industry bubble.
This is where early timing and strength of message came into play for the GCT. Jumping into a growing scene early gave a high-demand/low supply advantage, but more importantly for long-term success, the breathing room to establish a strong brand identity with consumers. Key aspects of the GCT formula included excellent food, local food sourcing, and social interaction with customers.
But the GCT did survive – and, as the continuing expansion shows, thrive. Now, it seems that the biggest challenge facing the GCT team comes from dealing with the flip side of brand awareness. Customers new and returning have high expectations about both the food and the experience. To truly take the enterprise to the next level through national expansion, they will have to deliver consistently excellent food and customer service to keep the positive buzz alive – and customers coming back for more.
Watch for the next post of this blog series, “Change Your Message” with “At Your Service: How To Distinguish Your Services.” Have you downloaded Olga Mizrahi’s UVP Worksheet? Click on this link, other goodies or visit ChunkofChange.com and get started on becoming “unique”!
