Grassroots Marketing

If you are a grassroots organization serving the needs of your local community, you should be getting out pretty regularly discovering what is currently going in and letting people know about the work you are doing.

A central and very inexpensive tool in this process is your business card, which this article from Fast Company examines.

An excerpt.

“I heard a story that a few years ago Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Ikea, happened to drive past one of his stores. In passing, he noticed something wasn't quite right with the characteristic blue stucco. So, he pulled over, parked, and went in search of the local manager. Needless to say, the manager was a little taken aback when the head of the company asked why this store had chosen to use this type of plaster. The manager proudly explained that this store had saved Ikea literally half the amount of money the company would ordinarily spend by using cheaper stucco of a far greater quality. As the story goes, Kamprad said: "I don't care how much it costs--whether it costs more or less--it needs to be removed." Within weeks the stucco had been replaced with the more expensive, yet poorer looking plaster--all in order to send the right message to the Ikea customers: We're careful about how we spend our money--even when it comes to our choice of stucco.

“I'm often asked why some brands succeed and others fail. Ikea's ability to stay on message and maintain focus on its core vision is one of the secrets. They have an induction process. When any senior manager begins working at Ikea, they're shown to their new office. Much to their surprise, the office is empty. There's not a chair or a bookshelf in sight, let alone a desk. Within minutes, a few warehouse workers arrive with a stack of boxes containing all the components of an office--a desk, some chairs, bookshelves, and lamps. Attached to the packaging is a welcome message inviting them to personally sample the company's wares.

“When a brand truly lives its vision across every touch point and in every possible scenario, predictable as well as unpredictable, it becomes clear how well managed the brand is. I have a simple rule of thumb: If a brand can describe its core values and philosophy on its business card without resorting to a detailed description, then the brand becomes a full representation of its vision.

“A company that lives its vision will indeed be able to communicate its vision on its business card without having to explain it. If you're puzzled about how this would be possible, then think of what an Ikea business might look like. Bear in mind that Ikea is all about DIY--do it yourself. How do you think their design philosophy translates onto their card?

“Well, at first glance, the business card looks kind of normal. It features the iconic blue and yellow Ikea logo. But when you look for the usual contact details, what you'll see is NAME….. EMAIL….. PHONE…. Under each feature there's a blank line, leaving a space for the bearer to fill in their personal contacts. DIY from another angle.

“My mantra when building any brand is that a company must live their vision and stay true to their philosophy. Ideally, every core value that they have should be able to be expressed on a business card. If you're able to crack the business card challenge--you'll be able to crack every touch point your brand have with its customers.”