Recharge Your Brand With Strategic Networking and Simple Systems
How a two-person business and an intern saw golden opportunities to recharge their brand with strategic networking and systems. One became one of the biggest corporations in the world. And the other..
There are two primary types of brands in the world - corporate and personal.
A strong corporate brand provides direction and purpose for a company.
While personal brands have recently exploded in popularity with the surge of solopreneurs and influencers, the boom of social media, and the phenomenon of viral marketing.
Today, I’ll do a deep dive into two very different stories that have epitomized not only the importance of one’s brand but the networks and systems that are needed to build them.
CORPORATE BRANDING: 🍟McDonald’s
McDonald's is one of the most valuable brands in the world with an estimated brand value of about $191 billion in 2023.
What many people don’t know is that it took strategic networking and simple systems to help make one of the world’s most recognizable brands successful.
Strategic Networking 🤝
Ray Kroc, the “founder” of McDonald's (that’s a whole other story) was originally a milkshake mixer salesman.
He didn’t know the McDonald brothers but he knew they were on to something when they placed an unsolicited order for six mixers for their San Bernardino burger stand.
That’s when Ray Kroc, a master networker, decided to connect with them.
First, he took the long trip out to California to meet with the brothers and learn more about their systems and strategies.
Next, he bonded with them and built rapport to nourish the relationship.
And lastly, he collaborated with them while sharing expertise and knowledge to build one of the world’s strongest brands.
The Simple System: A “Speedy System” 🏃
Simple does not mean easy.
The simpler a model is to understand, the more difficult it may be to do.
For McDonalds, the goal of their “Speedee Service System” was simple …
“Serve orders in 30 seconds instead of 30 minutes”
But it wasn’t easy.
Working on a tennis court and going through the motions, they figured it out.
Still, it takes more than a flawless system to build a brand.
In “The Founder” movie, starring Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, Mr. Kroc makes the bold statement:
“All other restaurants … they lack that one thing that makes McDonald’s special…”
“… and it’s not just the system … it’s the name. That glorious name … McDonald’s.”
In 1961, he bought the McDonald brothers' share of the business for $3 million and in 1965 the company became the McDonald's Corporation.
Today, McDonald's has more than 36,000 restaurants in over 119 countries.
The Takeaway
As Scott Cook, co-founder of Intuit profoundly once said, “A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is—it is what consumers tell each other it is.”
The McDonald's brand story provides us important lessons that we can learn from and how building the right network of people and a proper system in crucial.
Areas to focus on include:
People - Connect with the right people
Outreach - Expand your network with valuable contacts, even if you have to work extra hard for it (travel long distance, incur high expenses, etc.)
Communicate - encourage open communication to nourish relationships
Persistency - There will be obstacles. Never give up!
Value - Always offer value to your network of contacts
Today, the McDonald's brand and systems are built around the QSC&V model - Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value (QSC&V).
PERSONAL BRANDING: 👩🔬“Nicole The Intern”
Building a strong personal brand is more important than ever in today's competitive world.
Meet Nicole the Intern…
She is an intern with a mocktail company called "Mixoloshe."
Her quest?
To prove to her boss that she can create a better marketing plan for the business on her own and grow the business through social media.
On April 13th, her first Instagram post read “If I don’t hit 500k followers by 6/10 I’m fired 🥴”.
The video depicts Nicole smashing a can with a baseball bat and text that reads “60 days remaining to prove to my boss that smashing this can is more effective than his entire marketing strategy.”
Under 60 days, she reached her seemingly impossible goal of 500,000 followers.
How did she do it?
Strategic Networking 🤝
Nicole the Intern built up quite a network.
But they’re not just connections, followers, and peers.
They are her “biggest fans”.
The “Smash Squad”, “Smash Army” and others jumped on board to help her complete the mission.
Her secret?
She simply asked for help.
The Simple System: “Smash the Can” 🔨
Nicole the Intern had a simple system.
Smash one can a day to prove she has a better marketing strategy than her boss.
Brilliant.
This strategy led to record sales for the company and a 5x increase in web traffic.
Still, her boss, Mike, had his doubts.
No, Nicole, I don’t think your can smashing IS the brand.
I think YOU are the brand.
Way to go.
After reaching the 500k followers, Nicole turned down the promotion from Mike and requested that she retain the title “Nicole the Intern.”
The Takeaway
Nicole the Intern tapped into something deeper than just brand awareness.
She tapped into people’s emotions.
Someone to root for against the “bad guy” boss.
A hero (the intern), the villan (the boss), a conflict (getting fired) and … a happy ending?
We are living in exciting times to create a brand for one’s self.
And if your branding strategy doesn’t work the first time, don’t be afraid to pivot.
A “rebrand” is always an option.
RECHARGE YOUR BRAND
For the big or small, branding allows you to build relationships with your audience, which can eventually turn them into loyal customers.
Are you strategically networking and building a system to build your brand?
Have a great weekend!
- Mike
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