There is a beautiful marketing lesson to learn from a local sandwich shop that has lasted more than thirty years in Raleigh, North Carolina and is closing at the end of 2019.
My regular order is almost like my mantra that a transcendental meditation guru once whispered into my ear.
I’ll have a half a chicken salad on toasted sunflower seed bread with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mustard, and mayonnaise. And a bag of salt and vinegar chips. Ommm.
When I first moved to Raleigh and went to work at GoodMark Foods (the Slim Jim Folks), my friends George and Andy and I would eat there at least once each week. My daughters, Sarah and Fanny, would go for lunch frequently after school and had to get a side order of ranch for sandwich dipping. Even Lindsay, who cuts my hairs, was sharing with me how much she loves to go with her kids and husband too and especially enjoyed their crushed ice.
When was the last time someone told you that one of the things they loved about a sandwich shop was the crushed ice?
The Test of Time
Why does a local joint like Boondini’s stand the test of time? What is the secret sauce that makes it special? What do they do that keeps customers coming back and talking about it with friends?
They aren’t pretending to be anything. They are Boondini’s.
The owner never hired a marketing agency to market the business. The brand is true to Billy; the 68-year old owner is a part curmudgeon and part Luddite. He just wakes up each day and comes to work and makes great sandwiches and talks about college sports and fishing with his clientele. No pretense. Nothing splashy.
His original Boondini’s, named for a step-niece, was downtown and moved to North Raleigh in the late ’80s.
How To Boondini
- They write orders on paper and pen, nothing digital about this place.
- The food is consistently excellent.
- Boondini’s has a simple system for ordering and sticks to it.
- They don’t run dopey promotions that seem to fail or fall flat. Occasionally they’ll have a deal where you get soup with your half sandwich. Nothing out of character.
- The décor isn’t special. It is just the sandwich shop’s décor. No one comes for the ambiance, yet everyone comes because of the comfortable, inviting ambiance. They have some old children’s books and Highlights to distract the kids.
- It hasn’t tried to keep up with the time. It is throwback Thursday before that was a thing.
- Each sandwich is overstuffed without worrying about cost control. Billy and crew want people to get plenty to eat. Prices are reasonable, in fact, I always thought he underpriced what he sold.
Your Inner Boondini’s
When a brand knows who they are and doesn’t try to pretend to be something different, people come back for more and tell their friends.
Marketing and branding aren’t something you force onto a product, service, or establishment. Your efforts need to resonate with an audience, and then the trick is a wash, rinse, and repeat – for thirty years.
When Billy’s told the public that his lease was up, and the place would close at the end of the year, I was both sad and filled with joy. I like brands that live and thrive because of an individual. Not everything needs to live on in perpetuity. You can read more about Boondini’s in my daughter Fanny’s cookbook Orange, Lavender & Figs where she regals the joy of chicken salad sandwiches.
Like a unique person, a business can reflect the life and peculiar ways of one human being. That helps define the brand and makes it special and perfectly different.
The marketing lesson – don’t be afraid to be weird and reflect who you are through your brand. You’ll attract people who want a side of quirky with their chicken salad.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com The conversation is free, and we can explore working together.
Photos by Jeffrey Slater
