Tweet

grow your business like a weed

Written by: Harvey Hartman

Article Overview: On my way to the office Monday, I heard a story on NPR about WeedShare.com, a company out to solve the file-sharing problem in the music industry one song at a time. For those unfamiliar (as I was until Monday morning), Weed is a software license service of the Seattle-based Shared Media Licensing, Inc., that allows people to download music files and try them out by playing them up to three times before prompting them for purchase. But it's the next step that's truly innovative, they don't restrict the number of copies the end user makes, and they actually (financially) encourage file sharing. As Weed's website reads, "Weed has a different view on Internet file-sharing. Instead of trying to shut down file sharing, we think people should be paid for it.

grow your business like a weed

On my way to the office Monday, I heard a story on NPR about WeedShare.com, a company out to solve the file-sharing problem in the music industry one song at a time. For those unfamiliar (as I was until Monday morning), Weed is a software license service of the Seattle-based Shared Media Licensing, Inc., that allows people to download music files and try them out by playing them up to three times before prompting them for purchase. But it's the next step that's truly innovative, they don't restrict the number of copies the end user makes, and they actually (financially) encourage file sharing. As Weed's website reads,

"Weed has a different view on Internet file-sharing. Instead of trying to shut down file sharing, we think people should be paid for it. Instead of punishing fans who don't respect artists' rights, we think it makes more sense to reward those who do."
This company has tapped into one of the essential components of music as a product - the social network. Sure there are incredible information sources out there for music reviews, a whole industry is built around that. But, first and foremost, consumers learn about, try and, in turn, buy new music because they heard about it from the ultimate source - a friend. There are no better salespeople than the network within which a consumer chooses to spend time. Whether a brother, mother or any other, these circles create strong consumption networks; and here Weed has built an organic, ever-growing multi-level marketing scheme of sorts with the power of the brand in the consumer's hands. The power of social networks is not unique to the music industry, of course; but what this business model demonstrates is a creative way to not only fix the demon issue of the music industry, but to creatively position the solution as a win-win for all parties - musicians, consumers and, of course, Weed.

This licensing software not only provides a solution to the file-sharing problem, it takes the consumer out of their current adversarial role (the "villain" of the music industry) and empowers them by letting them participate in the brand. By relinquishing control (control of the music and control of the brand), WeedShare.com has all the makings of a cultural brand. Today's most successful brands, what we call cultural brands, realize branding is about discovery, empowerment and connection.

How does this translate to the food and beverage arena?:

Product innovation: let your consumers have some say in current and new product innovation. Study the way consumers use your products for innovative delivery systems and product line extensions. There are countless ways consumers integrate your CPG brand into their lifestyle that you may not have intended. For example, by keeping a reflexive ear to the consumer, Kashi was able to recognize how people used their cereal. People were eating it, cooking with it; so, Kashi designed a Meal Planner on their website. Kashi also had a big appeal for weight management (not the original intention of the Kashi line); out of that recognition they created Kashi Go Lean. They've been very good at moving with the consumer.
Brand Community: create the space, real or virtual, where consumers can go to talk with you directly, but more important the space where consumers can talk to each other. Starbucks is an excellent example of a brand that uses its retail space not only to sell goods, but as a meeting ground for consumers - literally, with its meeting room spaces, but also symbolically by creating a comfortable, relaxing environment around all things coffee. By fostering the lifestyle attributes of their product world, and thereby the world of their consumers, they bring people together to share in the coffee experience through live music, art displays, community events and, of course, coffee. But, you don't need to have a retail presence to do this, Clif Bar, with its Luna Bar brand, has a knack for bringing their consumers together; and in the case of Luna Bar, their consumers are women. They offer LUNAFEST, a national festival of films by, for and about women; LUNACHIX, a women's mountain bike program; and Luna Moms Clubs, a moms support group created around the desire to achieve a healthy balance in motherhood. In this, Luna Bar becomes the connecting point bringing women together in their local communities for a common purpose. To these consumers, Luna Bar represents not just a good-tasting, healthy product, but a brand that represents their most personal and emotional goals and values.

Brand loyalty: allow for participation and collaboration to build a sense of ownership in the brand. With WeedShare.com no longer are consumers merely end users, but active participants in the success of the brand and the company, even the artist. Hey, now they're a part of the music industry! It's this kind of empowerment, ownership and investment that breeds brand loyalty. Jones Soda is an excellent example of brand loyalty by way of ownership. They relinquish so much control of the brand to the consumer that packaging is based on consumer contributions. Would you dare drink another brand of soda if a picture of your dog graced a Jones bottle?

Though its first release was in September 2003, the Weed model seems to be growing, well, like a weed and has all the makings of a cultural brand. We think a lot can be learned from this business model. We'll be keeping our eyes on it.

Related Articles
  Uprooting the Weeds in your life
  The Fine Art of Pulling Weeds
  Managing People? Be a Gardener
  REAP WHAT YOU SOW: Three Steps To Help You Cultivate Success
  Stuck in a Pigeon Hole

Article Tags:



Related Forum Posts
Persistence gives live to small business. - While I was reading about the 10th year anniversary of google, I counted back 10 years and what I see was persistent. Every small business can grow big if we will be persistent. Persistent actually brings consistence. There is no business that cannot grow big if the owner will not be too haste to succeed. Hastiness has always been the bane of colapsed small business. Whatever you do as antergreneur keep at it and be innovative about it, you will soon be celebrating growth. To me, there is no business that cannot grow be if persistence is employed.
Re: Persistence gives live to small business. - [quote="topeyinka":160scfau]While I was reading about the 10th year anniversary of google, I counted back 10 years and what I see was persistent. Every small business can grow big if we will be persistent. Persistent actually brings consistence. There is no business that cannot grow big if the owner will not be too haste to succeed. Hastiness has always been the bane of colapsed small business. Whatever you do as antergreneur keep at it and be innovative about it, you will soon be celebrating growth. To me, there is no business that cannot grow be if persistence is employed.[/quote:160scfau] Thanks for the contributions am real informed better now!
Re: New Rules at hubpages.com - If they are monitoring content anyway, then surely they can weed out the scammers and blatant self promoters. Either way, hubpages is a private entity who is free to conduct their business as they see fit. I too am a private entity who is entitled to take my business elsewhere if I so choose. Since what I do was lumped in with such scams as cash gifting by this company, I am pretty sure that is exactly what I will do.
Are you afraid to really GROW? - Now i'm not generalizing here.. ok maybe a little. I've recently been noticing a very strange trend with small business owners. Many of the business owners i've met with recently are afraid to really grow. They want to make more money and they want to improve, but when it comes down to it, they are scared of what those changes may or may not mean to their business. This fascintates me. Isn't the whole reason we've chosen to start a business mean we eventually want it to grow? Are they scared it will move too fast and get out of control? I'm curious to other's thoughts on this.
Re: Persistence gives live to small business. - [quote="topeyinka":vf3wc4t6]While I was reading about the 10th year anniversary of google, I counted back 10 years and what I see was persistent. Every small business can grow big if we will be persistent. Persistent actually brings consistence. There is no business that cannot grow big if the owner will not be too haste to succeed. Hastiness has always been the bane of colapsed small business. Whatever you do as antergreneur keep at it and be innovative about it, you will soon be celebrating growth. To me, there is no business that cannot grow be if persistence is employed.[/quote:vf3wc4t6] Hi topeyinka, Actually, you have started a good thread here. I have seen alot of people that have started good business but failed to continue due to lack of persistence. What my granny always taught then was that there is no business you want to do that has not been done before but what makes one to stand other fall is the persistent of the owners. She did give me examples of her mates that they did same business alike then but quit because they could not endure the heaps of the business, she said despite what she went through, she could scale through because she was persisited. Several times, my granny had given task in business to see if I would backed out. This training is keeping standing today that there is business that cannot grow big if we continue it through innovatives and persist to succeed. It is good to have ideas but you will not be persisted with your ideas, you might found out that ideas is not enough. Thank you. cheers!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

What I Really Want Is...

How Promotional Caps became a Fashion Trend

Are You Too Good for Your Job?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.