If you haven’t read my post about the Elephant Poop Hats, make sure you do (it is part 1 of the 2 part series)
Well, Richard Osiowy found a unique way.
In 1997 he moved to Calgary and went on a mission to find the perfect pizza… and was sadly disappointed in what he found.
So, he did what any entrepreneur would do… he came out with the best darned pizza creation possible.
And Coco Brooks was born.
(I love their tag line – it says a lot about what they stand for: A People Company Serving Pizza. )
That's a lot of copy for a pizza box!
800,000 pizzas in 3 years and some very unusual concoctions like Egg ‘n Bacon Pizza, No Cheese Veggie Pizza, Louisiana Chicken Pizza, Banana Bread Pizza and Pizza Fruta.
But one thing he does that I have always found unusual was the use of long copy on his pizza boxes.
A combination of stories, quotes from famous people, advertisements for their store, and coupons to get them back… printed on every nook and cranny on their pizza boxes.
People love his pizza boxes as much as the pizza!
I know people that have photo copied the boxes. Collected them. Yet few if any pizza companies I know have copied them.
Opportunity I would say.
One story covers the entire bottom of the pizza box
Some pictures are attached here so you can see the sheer volume of copy on his boxes.
His customers love the copy – and on any given day you will see his restaurant packed and people head deep in reading the newest pizza box stories.
Quite an amazing sight.
And quite the unusual (yet effective) use of copy.
How could you use either the Coco Brooks approach on your packaging or website… or the Tilley use of elaborate details and stories of clients?
There is ALWAYS a way… when you think it through.
Both of these businesses sell products you can find anywhere… but they used the power of stories to stand out from the crowd, and to engage their clients to keep them coming back for more.
To your success,
Rowse the recruits and get them to write your copy for you
Troy White
PS: Don’t forget… the price on the Story Selling Coaching program goes up October 1st at 5pm. You won’t find a better value with a guarantee like that and 2-3 actual campaigns written during the event! Details for the Story Selling Coaching Program.
PPS: These articles were also posted on my weekly post at Clayton Makepeace’s site – Small Business Mastery
Even their menu reads like a magalog
18 pages of copy
Loved the pizza box guy. Got me thinking about the story selling approach I want to use in your upcoming story-selling seminar series Troy. PhotoArt People is all about photos and the stories behind them. One person told me that if their house was on fire the first thing they would grab is the photo canvas we made for them. Then go back for the kids (LOL). But its really hard for people to show you their photos without having stories to tell you about them.
Bill
Thanks Bill. Amazing how a simple little tool like stories, something most of us take for granted, can end up being the greatest marketing tool available.
I have written extensively about Kinjo Sushi.
http://www.blog.smallbusinesscopywriter.com/kinjo-sushi-and-chocolate-goodies%E2%80%A6-secrets-of-success-in-a-recession/
He gives people a GREAT story to tell when they visit. As he expands his business (opening a new 200 person Izakaya, or Japanese Pub, in Calgary in a month), he will need much more use of story selling. And that is how I am starting to help him.
Funny thing was – I just loved his food and his story. I had no ulterior motive when I wrote the first article about him.
Once I showed it to him, he was all over me to help him expand his business.
The more I get to know about him, the more potential I see.
Stories are GREAT. Use them in abundance. People love it. Thanks for sharing. Troy
Good stuff. Reminds me of a couple other successful restaurants…
Cracker Barrel has a menu that reads like a story. Lots of copy and “hand-drawn” pictures.
Then there’s The Salty Dog Cafe. Last time I was there a couple asked if they could buy the parchment paper place mats to take home as souvenirs. Each place mat, there are at least 5 versions, tells a story about The Salty Dog that saved the restaurant owners life and still saves sailors to this day.
Anywhere you go in the south and it’s hard not to see at least one Salty Dog T-shirt during the day. Quite a success story.
I have written about a cereal company, Nature’s Path, that used to line both the inside and outside of their boxes with powerful copy around sustainability. Like you, Troy, they’re in Canada.
Wow, great idea,
I think i’ll steal it and use it for a direct marketing campaign for myself and my clients.
Boxes are about 50 cents each a few buck to mail loaded with marketing offers.
COuld be a winner, worth testing anyways.
I’ll let ya know what happens
Sandy Barris
http://www.FastMarketingPlan.com
Thanks for the great contributions all. Sean and Shel – those are great examples! My research spidey senses are going off and I plan on looking those ones up this weekend – the more great story examples the better.
Each of these examples has something in common – they are BUSY places. People love to go there and spend their money… because the place gives them a good story to enoy and to share with others.
A big part of the reason I am so keen on Kinjo – people love it as much as I do once they check it out. Then they tell friends. And they tell friends. And so on. THAT’S how to grow a thriving business with word of mouth.
Thanks again – keep those suggestions on story sellers coming!
Troy
From your write-up on Peter, it sounds like he is the “dinner entertainment”. The way you described your experience there was 95% about Peter and the “complete experience”, and only 5% about the great food. Good food is the basic expectation people bring to the restaurant, but it was wacky Peter that makes them come back and tell friends…the differentiator.
In San Diego we used to have a hypnotist show (Dr Dean, World’s Foremost Hypnotist). He was a strange looking guy with hair like a Brillo pad and an ego-maniac. It was held in this place that reminded me of what a Las Vegas brothel would have as decor…red velvet wal paper, red lights on the wall, seriously out-dated. But he would pack them in because his show was so hilarious. Every time I had out of town visitors, Dr Dean was on the list of to-do’s. Everyone had a story about how one of their friends made a complete fool out of themselves. I miss him…
Hey Bill.
You are correct – Peter is the wacky sushi guy that waves around his big knife – with chocolates in the other hand. Adults love him. Kids love him.
And now Peter is training his replacement
)
They are expanding to a new location soon and the challenge is to make his mini-me as entertaining as Peter is. I have no doubt it will be a huge success – and the new guy gets to do it in his own way, with his own personality.
That is the biggest challenge with a face-to-face, personality driven business… expansion. But I am confident Peter will pull it off and do wonderful. I will be there helping on the marketing side – can’t wait! Thanks for sharing. Troy
I love the pizza box Troy! It kind of reminds me of the Dr. Bronners soap bottles–which I love–that are packed with all kinds of crazy quotes, tips, ideas for using the soap and whatnot. Only this takes it one step further by changing the content regularly and including coupons. Thanks for sharing.
Stacy
When I first heard the concept of long copy I thought the idea was ridiculous. After all, why would I bother to read something that was essentially a sales piece when I have more productive things to do?
Then I realized that I…
… usually read the silly cartoon that comes with Double Bubble gum
… have stopped and read the full page article at an Overwaitea store and found out how they got their name
… usually read through any sort of print that is on a tray liner or place mat at a restaurant
And more
As always, Troy, I very much enjoyed the article.