Stephanie Stuckey: Key Insights on Refreshing a Brand

How does a 1937 brand thrive in a digital age?

Stephanie Stuckey told her story of revitalizing her family’s Stuckey’s brand during a recent Speaker Series event at Miller Zell. What became clear is that her successful brand refresh is about more than business decisions. It’s about storytelling around a brand’s essence.

“You’re not selling a product,” she said. “You’re selling an emotional connection to a brand.” 

It also became clear during her informative and amusing presentation that she’s laser-focused on what she wants to accomplish. 

“We want to be the go-to snack brand for pecans in this country,” she said.

It was a fun presentation, but it also provided plenty of tangible takeaways for retailers focused on optimizing their brands, according to event organizer, Tina Chadwick, Miller Zell's SVP of Strategy & Creative.

She noted, "Stuckey’s started back in 1937 yet there are two pillars of their brand that are still hyper relevant for retailers today: Be authentic to your brand and run your company with purpose."

Key moments from the video

03:48      What is your brand essence?

04:23     Our brand is about the road trip

06:30     Enter the New York Times

09:56     Stuckey’s backstory: Road trip retail

19:14     What happened? The downfall

21:19     Stephanie buys the family brand

25:00     Brand purpose: “Every traveler is a friend”

29:30     The Chick-fil-A story

35:30     Q&A: Rejection, Tractor Supply, The Gap, choosing brand partners, Wawa, social media engagement, leadership