This week a friend and I crashed – ur – visited the Whole Foods vendor show. Lots of local and small vendors pitching their passion. Everything from vegan seafood (yes, vegan) to salsa. Such events make me smile – and not only because I love food. Foodie folk give me hope for the human race. The organic farmers. The family-owned companies. The young entrepreneurs. All full of hope and possibilities, helping make the planet a better place – one larrupin’ concoction, bee, goat or granola bar at a time.
One vendor in particular made me break into a big ol’ cowgrrrl grin – White Girl Salsa. (Name’s just a little edgey, heh?) I didn’t even taste her product. Nothing against WGS; I’m sure, based on the kudos she’s received, it’s good. But I’ve been eating (and making) salsa most of my life; there are only so many variations. And, here in New Mexico, every other person has “their” recipe. (I’ve got one, available over at All The Single Girlfriends, in Why Life is Like Leftovers.)
So, if I didn’t taste the salsa, why did White Girl make me happy? Several reasons.
She isn’t afraid to stand out from the crowd. There she was, dressed like a retro hipster cowgirl (loved the funky straw hat), with a big ol’ smile on HER face. How could you not smile back?
The logo shows creativity…makes me smile.
The story on the web site (which I visited after the event) makes me smile yet again.
A young woman having the chutzpah to go for it…well, that makes me smile again.
Starting to see a pattern here? :-) If your marketing isn’t making people feel good – just what is it doing? Making someone smile is a great first step in building a great relationship. And, if we women love you, we really love you. We’ll even go out of our way to tell people about you, if you “simply” pique our interest. (Flip side, we’ll also go out of our way to tell people you done us wrong.)
You don’t have to take my word for it. As another marketer, Mary Adams, says (posted on the WGS web site),
Every foodie will argue over the merits of natural ingredients, unusual recipes and trendy products. White Girl Salsa has these and more. First of all, this start-up has great Branding–with a capital “B.”
Let’s start with the name: White Girl Salsa. It makes you smile, it’s intriguing, it invites questions. To play off the name, Juli, the power behind the products, had a friend design a logo for her that is spot on. The combination of brand elements of name and logo create personality, attitude and a consumer expectation that this is not a cookie-cutter product from New York City (remember the old Pace Picante Sauce commercials?).
I so LOVE it when someone groks marketing…and that branding ain’t just a logo. I swear I didn’t read Mary’s post, re smiling and all the rest, before writing this one. Really. Great minds and all that. We Marys know our stuff.
(No, White Girl Salsa isn’t a client; I just enjoy promoting such people and companies. I can also appreciate the effort that goes into promoting a food product. A former client of mine is Cannon’s Sweet Hots, which has a downright cultish fan base all over the world.)
Oh, and that story? This from the web site:
Why the name, White Girl Salsa? Before living in Colorado I was very close with a Hispanic family and attended all their family gatherings. I was the token white girl. One holiday, I was invited to add my bowl of homemade salsa to those crafted by the women of the family who made wonderful, authentic red salsa. My green, tomatillo salsa was immediately devoured and the family lovingly dubbed it “White Girl Salsa” in the fun spirit of our close relationship.
Now, since I’ve written this – I feel compelled to go buy some salsa. Gee, wonder which one I’ll get? :-)
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
