our world is flatbread
introduction
The words ‘our world is flatbread’ stood clearly and proudly on the façade of the shop, clarifying to all passing footfall what purpose the business served. The words left absolutely no doubt in my mind what their core business was, who it would serve and why they were doing that business activity. The slogan most certainly reinforced the motto ‘less is more’, clearly communicating their all-important message in four easy words.
Wearing my business consultancy hat, this precise positioning stopped me in my tracks. I wanted to jump up and down and shout from the rooftops ‘see, business doesn’t have to be difficult’, but instead I took one easy snapshot with my ever-ready phone camera. This was bound to become an example I could use time and time and time again, in so many parts of the planning process, be that the vision, the purpose, the positioning statement, the competitor analysis or many others. I could see additional creations in my mind’s eye; our world is comedy, our space is paper, our niche is based on apples, our future is twisted rope; and then, with one forward movement of my feet, my excitement plummeted quickly to despair.
I had walked inside and whilst becoming absorbed in the variety of flatbread concoctions displayed in mouth-watering, full-colour photographs, becoming one of those sandwiches myself, the biggest photo of all jumped out at me, obliterating the flatbread wonderland I was immersed in!. My eyes had fallen on the biggest, clearest and most prominently-placed photo of them all; a whoppingly-wide slice of carrot cake, with the thickest icing layer I’ve ever set eyes on! Is it any wonder my world fell apart? From a world of health, freshness and nourishment, one photograph transported me to a world of calories, sweetness and that ‘over-full’ feeling; worse still, it had taken me out of business clarity into business confusion. Thoughts invaded my peace: ‘but how could they do this to flatbread’, ‘are they truly in love with health food’, ‘real or fake business positioning’, level of transparency?
The rest, as they say, is history; what questions are triggered from this business example?
- What world does your business operate in?
- Which specific part of that world is your expertise?
- What positioning statement communicates your unique business proposition?
- Does the positioning statement help or hinder the business?
- How is your positioning statement maximized in your business?
Debbie Nicol, the managing director of Dubai-based ‘business en motion’, is a consultant working with strategic change, leadership and organisational development. Her motto ‘moving businesses and leaders ahead’