I Did the Whole30. What Your Brand Can Learn
Several months ago, I took the challenge I had been dreading - the Whole30. For anyone not familiar with the program, you avoid processed food, sugar of nearly any kind, and dairy - basically, nothing fun to eat for a month. While it was indeed miserable to watch friends chow down on delicious (and in my case, prohibited) foods, I discovered quite a bit about their brand and how other companies could benefit from what they do.
Since the Whole30 program is a huge deviation from the way most people eat in a given day, I received plenty of sideways glances and questions to my food choices. When I would reply “I’m on the Whole30” virtually everyone knew what I was talking about, and why I made the choices that I did. You would think that knowledge of their brand would be limited, but to my surprise, virtually everyone from all walks of life knew what I was talking about. With this experience in mind, I noticed just how great their branding is - and why it should be the envy of any business.
Anyone who has tried to build a brand knows what a challenge it typically is, especially in a digital age like ours. Nielson lists more than 500,000 brands worldwide - a stunning number to compete with as businesses goes to market. So very much goes into crafting a brand, from the messaging, logo design, values of the business, artistic concepts, and other pieces too numerous to list. The goal of a brand is to be recognizable in the community & to then build trust with potential customers. Some have done an amazing job creating & promoting their brand, and others have tried and failed (leading to broader failures in their marketing). Often, the success or failure of marketing a business can hinge on the foundation of its branding.
With this in mind, the Whole 30 has a brand that is wildly successful. As a marketing professional, I couldn’t help but notice what made their branding so different than most - and how it became a household name. In light of my experience, I took note of a few things any brand can learn from the Whole30 program.
Purpose: While I’m certain the creators of the program intended to make a living from their work, I’m confident their work had a much larger purpose than financial gain. Their program has actually changed lives for the better; Google “Whole30 Transformations” to see what I mean. Brands that have a bigger purpose than their sales go a long away amongst consumers. Embrace your purpose as a company and incorporate it into your brand. Not sure where to start? Find a few customers which you helped in a time of need, and find out what made you different, and go beyond what made the sale.
Emotional Pull: Similar to the point above, their branding has an emotional pull behind it. Many would argue that their challenge has changed numerous lives for the better, and this transformation is contagious. Content that elicits emotion is most often that which is shared via social media and other formats, helping to share what they do and ultimately drive their messaging. Find the emotional pull you have with your customers and incorporate it into your brand.
Simplicity: The Whole30 brand is wonderfully simple, for as complex as the program itself can get. Many of the people I talked with knew the basics of the program without having ever looked it up online. The nature of their brand is a concept that all walks of life can understand and resonate with, encouraging a deeper dive and possible pursuit of the program. Research shows that simple brands often win in the marketplace, and work to crowd out difficult to understand brands. Be simple but powerful with your personal brand.
In the end, the Whole30 is an exceptional program that has impacted many people for the better. Your business can find a similar pull and purpose and can be used for your brand - ultimately showcasing how you serve your customers. Embrace what you do.
