Monday Marketing Musings coming to you on Tuesday after Labor Day — praise God for the great gift it is to get to do this work for Hm!

My husband and I have terrible luck with restaurants.

It's a running joke now that we can only go to chain restaurants because no matter where we go or how highly it's rated, we will have a terrible experience.

So our go-to since our dating day? Cracker Barrel.

(So much so that we went there after we got engaged and almost had our rehearsal dinner there.)

It's consistent — you know what to expect each time: homey atmosphere, yummy comfort food, not crazy expensive. My kind of dinner out.

Until a few weeks ago, that is, when Cracker Barrel decided to reveal their new brand, basically the opposite of everything they were known for, and the internet lost its mind.

I watched with interest as both a marketer and consumer as the drama unfolded.

Finally, last week, Cracker Barrel switched everything back — because they "heard their customers" and definitely NOT because they lost almost $100 million as a result of the switch.

So, what can we learn from this as Catholic marketers?

1. Listen to your people and get feedback.

This entire fiasco could have been prevented if Cracker Barrel had just taken the time to run a few focus groups and do market research.

In my higher ed days, we ran a few focus groups with students, and let me tell you, watching them actually interact with our marketing materials was invaluable. Seeing and hearing their real-time reactions made all the difference — and as great as survey can be, nothing beats those real impressions.

I think that's part of why God became human (aside from, you know, salvation) — to tangibly experience the human condition so He could relate to us and solve our problems.

If we don't do the same with our brands, even if they're at smaller scales than Cracker Barrel, we risk looking past instead of at our people and going way off track.

2. Lean into free advertising.

If you DO have something happen that's controversial or getting you some mentions, positive or negative, don't be afraid to lean in a bit.

When's the last time that Cracker Barrel was a national conversation?

But changing the logo originally got TONS of people talking about them and all the memories they had there, and changing it back not only helped stocks to rebound, but now put dumplings on the brain.

Jesus didn't shy away from controversy, and it actually fed His popularity. Sure, did it anger the Pharisees? Absolutely. But taking a stance helps to be noticed, and for the people who love you to LOVE you.

I wouldn't engage in controversy or try to create it just to foster rage or results.

But if you're willing to be flexible and dexterous, the old adage applies: All press is good press. You just need to know how to use it.

3. Be different.

​We talked last week about leaning into your difference, and this just proves it.

Cracker Barrel wasn't just trying to change their logo — logos are so much more than design elements — they were trying to change their entire brand positioning. They were essentially trying to erase what made them stand out, which turns out is exactly why people loved them.

People weren't looking for a new Panera, though. Cracker Barrel missed the mark when they rebranded instead of trying to remind us why we love them in the first place and why that's still important.

It can be so tempting for us to try to emulate other successful businesses and ministries, but instead of learning from their strategy, we end up trying to become them — and all we end up becoming is generic and unmemorable.

When I first started out, there was a large Catholic marketing agency that I tried to emulate. I'd look at their site, trying to figure out how I could be more like them, since they had the large team I dreamed of growing.

The problem was that I was trying to BE them, just with a Gloriam spin, instead of building something unique.

It was only when I leaned into what made me different that growth happened naturally because I was no longer trying to fit a mold I wasn't called to fill.

Success doesn't come in being like everyone else; it comes by being who God made you to be.

So this week, could you talk to your people, even just one person, about how they see your brand? Could you lean into what makes you different?

And then watch as the Lord amplifies those elements in beautiful ways for His glory.

Anyway, off to go dream of chicken and dumplings!

For His greater glory,

Emily

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