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