Having a successful company isn’t necessarily about having a good product- it is more so about having a good brand. Finding that inch of difference and your company’s position within the marketplace will help you to define your vision statement and lead to a plan to execute it. Companies like Chipotle and Apple have proven this. While Chipotle’s food is great, they are selling a customer experience. Apple has really good products but they are selling the idea of innovation. Although it might take some time to find your place, doing so will lead to success.

Key Takeaways:

• Nick Powills describes proper brand positioning as defining the one inch difference that sets a business apart in the marketplace.
• In his opinion, that one inch difference is rarely attributable to experience, legacy, or even the brand product.
• He describes it as more of an overall ambiance, a consumer experience, such as how Apple’s connection with innovation through technology imbues all of its products.

“Data, a willingness to change and more data will help guide you to an opportunity at defining your positioning in whatever crowded marketplace you occupy.”

Read more: http://www.restaurantnews.com/99-percent-of-brands-dont-have-this-vital-growth-ingredient/

A study conducted on Stanford University students has shown that people will eat veggie dishes if they are labeled with terms focusing on flavor and not the health benefits. There was a 25 percent increase in students choosing the same dish that used indulgent descriptions over the same dish labeled with basic health information. This study was inspired by similar findings out of the UK. Stanford hopes to go forward by increasing healthy eating using this labeling system in the future.

Key Takeaways:

• Diners are heavily influenced by the labeling of dishes on a restaurant menu, being more likely to order an item if it is creatively labeled.
• Integrating healthy options with the rest of the general menu items leads to people eating healthier options rather than the menu being segregated.
• By leveraging what people unconsciously use to decide what to eat, we can lead people to healthier choices by using colorful language and labels.

“So Stanford Dining developed a new menu labeling system that still provides detailed nutritional info while using flavor-centered language to nudge diners toward healthier choices.”

Read more: http://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/consumer-trends/indulgent-language-sells-more-vegetable-dishes