The Grouch, the Mole, and the Beetle

One of the undiscovered truths about marketing is the need to show some vulnerability—a weak spot that ends up underscoring the many virtues possessed by a product or a company. This point was brought home to me recently when I heard about the town of Palisade, Colorado's annual Grouch Festival.

This friendly, agricultural town is known primarily for its succulent peaches and other fruit. But according to the Grand Junction Free Press, "the grouch tradition began in the 1970s when the Palisade Tribune publisher and Palisade Mayor Bill Lorenzen began writing articles about how wonderful Palisade was, adding that the population was 850 people and one grouch. The chamber liked the slogan and had a sign erected off the I-70 exit, 'The Palisade Chamber of Commerce welcomes you to Palisade. Peach Capital of Colorado. Pop. 1,700 Friendly People Plus One Grouch.' ”

The emphasis on the one grouch magnifies the friendliness of the town in a winsome bit of reverse logic. It's that little flaw that makes something or someone unique and memorable—two attributes of a great brand. Too often, insecure brands try to look like everyone else and lose their distinctiveness in the process. Think Cindy Crawford without that little mole above her lip. (She actually considered having it removed to fit the traditional view of flawless beauty, yet it became the "flaw" that magnified her beauty.)

Those of you old enough to remember Miss Kitty from the TV western Gunsmoke know what I'm talking about.

Volkswagen has this vulnerability thing figured out. One of the best billboards ever was a picture of a Volkswagen Beetle and the headline: "Zero to 60. Yes." A charming understatement that makes you drop your guard and consider the car's simple but compelling virtues.

That's why when we help build brands for clients, we begin with a process of discovery: asking what fans and foes alike say about a company or a product; what employees, customers, even competitors say with conviction about the brand. In that heap of information is a diamond waiting to be discovered. And that's what great branding is all about: not fabricating a chest-thumping persona that believes its own PR, but rather an authentic discovery of what is undeniably true about the brand, including a weakness or two.

It keeps things real.

This refreshing bit of honesty is what consumers, voters and other types of customers are looking for. It breeds credibility in a world where virtually everyone is trained to filter out marketing-speak. Whether you're playing off of the "geekiness" of your highly qualified tech team or emphasizing that health food nuts won't be comfortable at your BBQ restaurant, find a flaw and explore it for leverage with your audience.

OK guys, you can stop thinking about Cindy Crawford now…