Risking Vulnerability Is Part of Authenticity
I just read of a very smart move by the Chipotle restaurant chain to sponsor free screenings of the newly released documentary film, Food Inc. By doing this, the company is supporting the broader education of consumers on the responsible and healthy food movement. This effort also demonstrates to restaurant customers the authenticity of their own mission. Of course, Chipotle is also risking the likelihood that super-educated consumers might call them on anything else they might be doing that isn’t quite to the highest expectations in that realm. Here’s a bit about where Chipotle may be coming from, as noted in the Hollywood Reporter article I read:
Chipotle says that 35% of the beans it uses are organically grown and that it serves more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant worldwide.
“I hope that all our customers see this film,” said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. “The more they know about where their food comes from, the more they will appreciate what we do.”
Now, why would a brand bother to do this sort of thing, given so much risk in opening consumer eyes to what may not yet be up to par in their own work?
Well, if we consider marketing to women the standard for best practices of serving all consumers well (as we should), there are two elements of marketing wisdom exemplified within this Chipotle “strategy”:
1) Admitting they are on a journey* toward a greater goal. Chipotle’s healthy/fast food market segment is a very tight, focused consumer niche. The brand’s executive team must feel confident that the sophistication level of such restaurant-goers will bear out. They expect, and likely will get, goodwill points for all their efforts in the positive direction, AND they’ll get more patience from consumers regarding any less-than-perfect business practices thus far. Consumers trust a journey – because it is human-scale. Consumers don’t trust an “all and perfectly done” proclamation, because that is truly impossible.
2) Choosing to rise above competition as an industry educator. Rather than figure out new ways to exclude themselves from the fast food industry, Chipotle is doing some learning and then deliberately sharing that with the competition as well as their customers. It is incredibly counter-intuitive to share knowledge/content/ideas – but those that do often become shining stars. Consumer education efforts may not garner a brand the big press or glamour of fancy promotions or quick and astounding sales growth, but it is an i-n-v-e-s-t-m-e-n-t that a more holistic consumer brain can really see (and that so many consumers are now looking for).
The Chipotle team is very upfront about all of this – which should be a model for other brands in pursuit of the more sustainably-minded consumer. That person is either 1) a woman or, 2) is thinking a lot more like one today (using right with left brain to make decisions).
Authenticity actually can’t happen without vulnerability, scary as that sounds. However, the right customers (your core market) will appreciate and reward you for it. So, take the risk so few brands can manage and see what happens!
* My next quarterly newsletter (should publish in the next week or so) is on the process of the “journey,” rather than any particular end goal in marketing to women. If you haven’t yet subscribed (and you get a free download of the first chapter of Don’t Think Pink with that) – you may want to. Also, if any of you have stories of how your brand risked vulnerability in a similarly pitched, consumer education manner, I’d love to hear about it: andrea (at) learnedonwomen (dot) com.
P.S. MediaPost just published a story on this Chipotle/Food Inc. connection too, if you are interested in more.
