Why you’ve got to give to get
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"We got involved in the community in any way we could from the bottom up," Ken says. Talking to customers, giving away tons of free food samples, and becoming a charitable partner at events in the community was the key to his early success. "If a non-profit organization was having a function, we'd be there early giving out bagels, coffee, cream cheese and literally putting our products in people's mouths."
This entrepreneurial concept quickly took hold. Being seen and tasted at all kinds of events, it was the ultimate marketing test: people loved the food and then talked about it. That's how it translated to measurable sales at the stores which began cropping up everywhere!
"People told their friends and we just became more and more busy!" Ken says. In fact, he attributes 50 percent of Panera business to these word-of-mouth early samplers.
Another charitable strategy that made responsible sense was to give unsold bakery products (at the end of each day), to area food banks. Ken couldn't stand to throw good food away due to his humble upbringing. He lived for many years in a small apartment over a store.
Selling quality, freshness, and a new healthy casual-eating option, Ken strategically chose the ‘give to get' marketing approach, and it worked on many levels. Reporters wrote valuable articles in area newspapers which streamed more people into the restaurants and they brought friends.
Now, 22 years later, Ken's bread and restaurant business is a true success story. Rising faster than yeast on a warm stove, freshly baked bread is coming out of more and more stores that have literally dominated a strong presence all across North America.
Ken is now a grandfather, but hasn't slowed down much. He still runs all the Colorado and Southwest Ohio bakery-café chains. Sipping his coffee and polishing off a family-inspired salad, he says, "The enjoyment of watching people succeed and be happy to work for the company that I started is a wonderful thing; you not only give them an opportunity, but a good, warm, and friendly place to work."
Moral of the story: starting, building, and growing any business is done one relationship at a time. You've got to "Give to Get" in this consumer-driven world. And while we may not all have tasty food products to hand out, we can all come up with a good cause or giveaway to attract the attention that becomes your business foundation. Whatever you do, remember to also utilize your website to continually generate articles of interest virally.
Remember Ken Rosenthal's motto: "Have a vision; see it in your mind; then go make it happen!"
HERE'S OUR VALUABLE GIVE TO GET! WIN A FREE-LUNCH & LEARN Workshop! Hughes & Stuart Marketing President Melanie Goetz and Creative Director Esty Atlas will customize their 40-minute presentation to help your company win more business. ($950 value - up to 20 employees) Email us at info@hughesstuart.com and tell us why your company should WIN the FREE "Lunch & Learn." Entries must be limited to no more than 250 words and be sent in no later than November 15th, 2009. Can't wait? Then email (info@hughesstuart.com) or call us (303-798-0601) to schedule your own "Lunch & Learn today.
Melanie Goetz is coauthor of "Roadrunner Marketing: Strategic Secrets You Wish You Knew," and president of Hughes & Stuart Marketing. She was executive director of the NGMA from 1996 to 2006.
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