http://disqus.com/by/kateo/enWed, 29 Oct 2008 11:00:32 -0000http://blog.grokmedia.com/2008/10/22/anatomy-of-an-ad-1-great-harvest-bread-co/#comment-3363070<p>Hi Captain Digital! Great Harvest actually has a brand platform that's based on customer feedback from across the nation. Formerly a lot of decision were made using gut reaction. Sometimes that was right on. Other times...it was off the mark. God bless brand platforms. Great Harvest tends to attract college-educated, health-conscious men and women 35+ in the middle-to-upper income levels. The most important attribute about Great Harvest products according to those surveyed was taste, followed by the authenticity of how the bread is made (freshly milled premium wheat blended with ingredients you'd feel good about putting in your body) and the genuine customer experience (i.e., customers don't feel like a transaction...they are treated like valued friends). Great Harvest learned that, unlike Captain Digital, many customers didn't realize we purchased wheat from family-owned farms and ground the premium wheat everyday in the bakery to achieve the flavor Great Harvest is known for. There's an opportunity to reinforce why the whole grain breads taste amazing. A freedom franchise is a beautiful thing on so many fronts. The ad campaign you spoke of was produced by a local television station for an owner who has an incredibly good sense of humor. On paper, the concept may have looked clever and funny. Yet, you are spot on that a brand platform should provide the guiding light when navigating through marketing decisions. Great to "blog" with you! </p>Grateful BreadheadWed, 29 Oct 2008 11:00:32 -0000http://blog.grokmedia.com/2008/10/22/anatomy-of-an-ad-1-great-harvest-bread-co/#comment-3351583<p>Amen! No Great Harvest "bigwigs" involved in this ad campaign. Great Harvest is a freedom franchise. Basically that means bakeries are independently owned and operated and owners have a lot of freedom when it comes to running their neighborhood bakery – with the exception of the outstanding quality of the bread. That's a blog unto itself (fresh, pure &amp; simple ingredients, etc.).</p><p>Bakery owners do not pay the franchise a fee for national or local advertising. Thankfully, Great Harvest's best advertising is its fresh-and-flavorful products. Also, the company attracts community-minded folks. Therefore – through their generosity in the community, their products, and by providing a solid customer experience – bakery owners generate terrific word-of-mouth advertising. The franchise office does provide photos and artwork for the creation of printed pieces and suggested text for marketing purposes. It's very much in keeping with a tone appropriate to people who love really fresh, scratch-made bread and sweets. I'm glad one ad won't scare you away from Great Harvest. It's a one-of-a-kind, non-cookie-cutter organization. Your posting is a good reminder about the importance of nurturing a beloved brand and its loyal followers.</p>Grateful BreadheadTue, 28 Oct 2008 17:48:35 -0000