David Kiley brought up what I thought was an interesting point about branding. In an article about the world’s best vodka he points out that vodka’s taste notes are so subtle that people make their choices based on bottle and label design, country of origin—and brand story.
I agree with him, good branding counts in this world. “The brand imagery, billions of dollars, and hype surrounding Grey Goose, Absolut, Ketel One, and of course even Trump Vodka, have all created very definite preferences for something that is meant to be odorless, colorless, and tasteless. If Perrier and Dasani can do it, why not vodka?”
It doesn’t matter what your product is, if you can drive it with a good compelling story you’ll hit a homerun. I can’t stress it enough. Think about it, people will go out of their way and pay a lot of cash for something as commoditized as water or as “neutral spirit” as vodka because they’re “buying” the story. In your business, what story are you selling?