Great marketing happens when you are delighted and notice
something unexpected.
At a wonderful dinner in Italy at Eataly, the haven for
foodies, we enjoyed a delightful meal at their restaurant on the top floor of
this food emporium. Although full, I wanted
to check out the dessert to see if they had something small that we could all
share.
And there it was - fruit lasagna.
I have been eating in restaurants for over 50 years. I
worked in the food and beverage industry for more than a quarter of a century.
I read cookbooks like most people read the newspaper. Food blogs are part of my
daily consumption online.
I have never seen these two words together in a sentence.
What came out of the kitchen was a trompe-l’oeil that foiled
the eye and the imagination. Thin layers
of mango cover the top as if they were lasagna noodles. Ripe raspberries played
the role of the tomato while kiwi, in a supporting role, played the basil. This spectacular dessert came with an almond ice cream and fresh mint leaves, the perfect combination. More important than being visually beautiful, it was
delicious.
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| Fruit Lasagna from Eataly in Rome |
The Marketing Lesson
Of course there is a wonderful marketing lesson in this
elegant dessert. How can you bring a WOW factor to what you make and create
each day? Can you think like a jazz artist and riff on a theme that brings you
something new and unexpected? Can you imagine how your customers might be both
amused and inspired by your work? And most of all, can you do something that
instead of being a hunk of cheesecake, turns into something that everyone wants
to talk about and share online?
What are you cooking up in your kitchen that will bring a
smile to your customer’s face and will give them a tasty story to tell? Are you a photographer who thinks like a chef? Are you involved in financial services but market like an Internet start up?
What will people notice about your brand and what will they share?
Labels: Eataly, Food and Wine Moments, Fruit Lasagna, Marketing Moments
