How many blondes does it take to light a barbecue?   That’s what I was asking myself this weekend as a friend and I were trying to spark up a piece-of-crap grill at a girls’ soiree – right before the click-click-click of the dead starter turned to the WOOF of a propane-fuelled cloud of fire.  We both still had our eyebrows but as the unmistakable whiff of singed forearms hung in the evening air… followed by some painfully slow, uneven cooking… all I could think was I LOVE MY WEBER.

A humble Barbecue Bon Vivant, I grew up grilling in backyards, campgrounds, on beaches and boats.  Since then I’ve grilled up great meals, made charcoal of others, enjoyed authentic southern barbecue in Memphis, Tennessee and right here in my home-town at Memphis Blues Barbeque House, a fantastic restaurant chain founded by some talented friends. 

Barbecuing is like a slice of life… know what I mean?  There’s something about the sauce-slathering sound of searing, the smell of the sizzle when heat and meat meet, a gathering of friends and family, a liquid libation in one hand, flipper in the other (sigh…you get the gist).

A burgeoning cooking trend fuelled by Boomers wanting better, faster and healthier, the age-old tradition of grilling has evolved into a full-on sport.  One that’s clearly gender-neutral with more and more women happily wielding the tongs (and no, we don’t really care about the BTU measurements… please pass the wine).  

From cook-offs and cook-outs to grilling cookbooks, cooking shows and restaurants, barbecuing is a trend with serious traction. 

Grills range from knock-off, cheap and cheerful (stand back!) models to Cadillacs complete with wood chip shelves, warming drawers, even on-board computers (whoa)… but the best known brand of outdoor barbecues in the world is Weber.  “Everyman’s barbecue” so to speak, Weber is positioned as a mid to high-end, quality gas and charcoal grills with stylish, functional grilling accessories. 

Whether you’re a grill greenhorn or an iron-chef Weber.com is an eye-opener:

Fun basics – tons of recipes online and emailed weekly, free downloads, shop for cookbooks, accessories/apparel, tools and replacement parts, easy registration and online manuals.

1.800.GRILLOUT – available 7 days a week/364 days a year, barbecue experts are ready to assist with grill troubleshooting, cooking tips, food prep, etc.  (I test-drove it and had a great chat with Jean who told me all about the art of grilling fruit!?)

iPhone app – On the Grill is a “mobile grilling companion” with 250+ recipes, grocery lists, grilling tips and a cooking timer.

Dealer locator – an easy “where to buy” worldwide directory.

More?  You won’t believe Webernation.com – “The site for real people that love their Weber grills” you can join the Weber Nation and get free, exclusive access to online grilling classes, audio/visual podcasts and forums and an interactive recipe box with other grilling fanatics (aka “Weberheads”).  

All this and you haven’t even cooked on your grill yet!

MY SOAPBOX:  A full-scale Web 2.0 brand experience, Weber has created a community of close to 33,000 Facebook followers and umpteen thousand Weber Nation members sharing stories, recipes and photos.

They have made it fun to own a Weber by building a brand strategy around an interactive platform for raving fans to pitch the brand for them using positioning statements like:   “Weber grill owners always say they’re the ones who truly sell our grills, and we totally agree”. 

And with Weber owners posting comments like “Friends don’t let friends buy cheap barbecues”… I’d say it’s working.

baby boomer trends, brand experience, brand strategy, branding, cooking trend, grilling, grilling cookbooks, smd marketing, smdmarketing, susan dore, weber, weber nation

When my old vacuum recently started to blow vs. suck, it was a little problematic.  Decided it was time to invest in a dirt-sucking solution that was built to last.  I’ve been fascinated by Dyson… how can you not be?  Hip commercials with casual, cool James Dyson talking about how he was frustrated by vacuum cleaners that clogged and lost suction – so he invented Dyson cyclone technology:  The first vacuum that doesn’t lose suction.

Like me, you’ve probably seen those Dyson ads and thought… this IKEA kind of dude built a business around vacuum suction?  I can assure you that you can’t fully appreciate the problem/solution here until you see dust bunnies forming a funnel-cloud in your living room because your vacuum blows.  Literally.

Research – I start with Dyson.com and was not only drawn in by what I can only describe as sexy looking machines, I was seduced by the story behind this brand.  Turns out James Dyson built 5,127 prototypes (what??) before he was satisfied with his powerful, bag-free technology.  Described as “a man that likes to make things work better”, all I can say is this guy was focussed!  Since then, the Dyson brand has broken through bag brainwashing and patent nightmares.  Now in over 15 million households, you could say Dyson has sucked up some serious market share.

Purchase – Next step, Home Depot where Dyson had decent display real estate and easy-to-follow point of sale material.  This is where the price-point comes in.  At $500+ a Dyson is an investment, however, strategic yet approachable brand positioning makes you feel like you’re buying the Jaguar of vacuums (psst!  Dysons don’t just come with operating instructions, they come with Owner’s Manuals).

Thought I’d need to recruit some muscle or at least a dolly to get the box to my vehicle…but it was so lightweight complete with a handle, it was no sweat.

Test-drive – Back at the ranch, assembly was effortless with 3 easy-snap pieces in a well-packed box with negative cardboard cuts.  I was vacuuming on all floor surfaces in no time flat, easily getting into nooks/crannies with a festival of built-in attachments… all while enjoying music that I didn’t need to blare to hear.  And light?  This unit is so ergonomic and easy to manoeuvre it feels like a dance partner.  (I can’t believe I’m romanticizing household cleaning but dragging around a heavy, awkward vacuum?  Well it sucks.)

The comprehensive collateral kit directed me to register online for my 5 year warranty – took under 2 minutes and the follow-up emails since then have been all about “me and my experience” vs. up-sell or intrusive side-offers.

And at the risk of sounding ridiculous, when I “parked” my shiny new Dyson in the closet… I smiled feeling a sense of pride in a worthwhile, well-executed purchase. 

And isn’t that what a great brand experience is all about?

MY SOAPBOX:  From easy-to-empty to easy-to-push, the Dyson brand has harnessed innovation in its quest to engineer “a new way to clean”.  And from worldwide industrial design awards to exhibits at modern art museums, Dyson has invented a euro-hip brand that’s reinvented the “category” of vacuums.  But that’s just the beginning.  In recent months I’ve seen/test-driven Dyson hand-dryers popping up in major North American airport washrooms.  Same technology – reverse application.  Guess what?  They blow vs. suck!  And just as brilliantly.

brand efficiency, brand experience, brand innovation, brand leadership, brand performance, brand promise, brand strategy, branding, branding continuity, dyson, dyson.com, innovation, smd marketing, smdmarketing, susan dore, vacuum technology, vacuums