... competitors can replicate products and programs but they can’t replicate people.
It’s the people that matter more in creating a brand than do products or programs. - John Moore, Brand Autopsy Blog, in his post Mimicking Whole Foods Market.
John uses the example of how competitors of Whole Foods Market are doing their best to mimic them. Frankly, he could have found examples of the herd mentality in any industry. Sports comes to mind for me. Each year in pro sports a new champion is crowned. And inevitably comes the herd of followers who try to mimic the latest system that brought a championship. And it's not the offensive schemes or the defensive schemes...it's the people. Great talent with great leadership makes great things happen. Ask the USC Trojans. They had better coaches. They just didn't have the players to make it happen in last year's college football championship game. Ask Coach K. Hall-of-Fame Coach...but only brings 6-7 players to a game to compete with teams who bring 10 players of equal talent. Guess who wins every year in the Men's NCAA b-ball Regionals for 3 years running now. It ain't Duke, 'cause they couldn't run...they were run out.( I digressed a bit.)
Slapping on a green-label/brand name for grocery stores, adding an organic section and hoisting up an automated latte' machine...is as transparent to the employees you expect to shout yippee, we're organic now, as it is to the customers you expect to shout Yippee, Safeway has organic 'taters!
And as John says:
I’m certain this same fate of falling short will be the outcome of the grocers listed above trying to mimic WFM’s success.
Why am I so certain? It’s simple … competitors can replicate products and programs but they can’t replicate people.
John should know. He's not only done the marketing thing at Whole Foods but also at Starbucks. I'm going to continue to quote him:
WFM understands the power of a knowledgeable, caring, and passionate workforce in creating highly satisfied customers. They’ve created a company culture which connects with their team members (employees) and they in turn, pass that connection onto WFM shoppers.
If one were to take the WFM team member out from its business, Whole Foods Market would not be the successful company it is today. Try saying the same thing for Wal-Mart. You can’t. Right?
Music to my eyeballs. It makes me want to jump out of chair and dance a little Texas 2-step. This quote, this post, is such a great way to end the week. Thanks, John.
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