Is anyone there?
Those are the words I thought at 5:20 a.m., shortly after I dropped off a friend at the Nashville airport.
Exiting BNA, I used the moment to rationalize an excuse to get some protein-rich fast food before I drove to the gym.
Transparency. There are several humble-brag moments going on here: Taking someone to the airport and preparing for a physical workout… all before 6 a.m. But the backstory is important to the developing StoryFinder moments.
The food options were Wendy’s and McDonald’s. So I went with the #1-branded choice…McDonald’s.
Temptation is Tempting
But the car line was at least ten cars, and I considered it a sign to keep driving and avoid the 26g of tasty fat in the Sausage McGriddle.
However, the Wendy’s next door had no line. Temptation is tempting.
As I whipped into the parking lot, my first thought was, “Is it open? Is anyone there?” The interior lights were dim, and there were no cars in line. No life. It didn’t FEEL open.
I pulled up to the Drive-Thru ordering box, waiting for the distorted audio response. Clear audio and a kind person on the other end. It’s a good morning so far.
Why were there ten cars at McDonald’s and zero at Wendy’s during breakfast? The quick answer is brand awareness and category dominance.
Fair and accurate. But there was another reality. The Wendy’s wasn’t looking for me.
“The light’s on but nobody…”
If we’re competing against the #1 brand, we better start with the basics: Let them know we’re here (don’t use “no marketing money” as an excuse).
It’s not enough for the lights to be on. It has to be brighter when we’re fighting a dominant competitor.
We’ll stay with the fast food restaurant example, but any type of brand is applicable.
Are my brand and specials flags flying the messages of our differences? Is there an employee in the parking lot waving the breakfast sign or walking through the competitor’s lot saying, “Avoid the lines and get better food?”
If the lights are on, are they the right lights? What would it look, sound or taste like if we reduced these lights and increased those?
We might have a good brand, even a better one than the top competitor, but we can’t attract the audience if it doesn’t feel like we’re open for business.
By the way, the Wendy’s Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant was amazing. There’s no way I worked off those 33g of fat at Planet Fitness.
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