Communications strategy isn’t everything. There are also oysters. And scallops – raw in a shell, with a pinch of salt, pepper, a dash of olive oil and some lemon. We call them “Scallops Franck”, and we love them.
So, why am I writing about this in a marketing blog? Well – besides the fact that Franck has the best oyster bar in town, the story also contains a lesson in honest marketing.
This very special oyster bar is located in the entrance of the award winning restaurant Pontus!. Franck personally buys his products from the very finest producers in the world (like David Hervé) and is utterly picky about his quality. Last night I watched him throw away several oysters and scallops and even a bottle of wine that weren’t up to his high standards, products that would probably pass as sellable anywhere else. Watching him hand pick everything to achieve top quality is worth talking about. And people do.
Secondly he is very passionate about his work. His knowledge about oysters and Champagne is exquisite, but he is still as interested in what you think as in what Mr Hervé or other oyster celebrities have to say. Franck listens.
We go to Franck’s bar every Thursday, and every Thursday we see the same people hanging out in the bar. What we see are real relationships built upon real love. Sure, Franck could probably churn out way more product and keep better profit margins in the short term, but in the long run the brand equity of Francks name is what is valuable, and he’s building it without even realizing it. His mind is on his oysters, as it should be, and the word of Francks bar is spreading on its own. See – viral marketing isn’t about videos on YouTube, it’s about real value and a story worth telling.
Now, don’t even think about taking my seat by the bar on a Thursday. I have a standing reservation.
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