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Tuning into Tastes: The Secret of Jones Soda’s Success
Article Overview: “If you’re able to listen to customers from their perspective, not everything they say will make sense,” says van Stolk. “Not everything they do will be right. But you’ll know more about what you have to do because of it.”
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Free Download - Peter van Stolk Quotes By Peter van Stolk |
Tuning into Tastes: The Secret of Jones Soda’s Success
“If you’re able to listen to customers from their perspective, not everything they say will make sense,” says van Stolk. “Not everything they do will be right. But you’ll know more about what you have to do because of it.”
What van Stolk knew he had to do was create a brand that young people could identify with. With little money and no college education, van Stolk defied the odds to create a wildly successful beverage company with a loyal and passionate following. How did he do it?
Promotions: Van Stolk understood the importance of consumer interaction in order to build his brand. That is why, from roving RVs that distributed Jones Soda samples across the nation, to a website that promoted an interactive community with lots of freebies for download, van Stolk was able to create an active and involved following.
Attachment: “I believe a lot of marketers have this fundamental belief that people care,” says van Stolk. “I, on the other hand, have a fundamental belief that you don’t. If you don’t care, then I have to do something to make [the product] relevant to you. A really cool, funky ad may capture your attention, but it still doesn’t make you care.” To that end, van Stolk decided to create a participatory brand, encouraging customers to contribute their flavour suggestions, photographs, and more to enhance his product. “If I put your photo of something you love, whatever that may be, on a bottle of Jones Soda, you’ll actually care, because it’s your photo, not mine.”
Unpredictability: When van Stolk made the decision to start using pure sugar in his drinks, he claimed, “Everyone is happy. It’s not rocket science.” While it might not have been a “rocket science” decision, it was nonetheless a revolutionary one for the industry, catching both consumers and competitors off guard. And that is what van Stolk wanted Jones Soda to be all about.
Charity: Van Stolk would not consider what he does as charity, since that would mean he was getting nothing in return. But in deciding to sponsor charitable organizations as a marketing ploy instead of the usual athletes or celebrities, van Stolk believed he was in fact getting something back. “It’s the difference between being real,” he says, “and saying you’re real.”
Niche: “I’m not very smart,” claims van Stolk. “I’m just learning the beverage industry.” Few would believe his claim, since van Stolk seems to have quickly dominated the niche he was after. But, it was precisely by focusing on a niche that he was able to do so. Instead of trying to compete with the well-established industry giants, van Stolk went after a market they had always been missing.
“A soda company just means that you’re a carbonated soft drink or a beverage with sugar and bubbles. I think Jones means more than that,” says van Stolk, whose legacy with the company he founded remains strong despite his stepping down as Chairman and CEO. “We’re always evolving. If you’re not evolving, you’re dying.”
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From the Ski Slopes to the Soda Stands: The Early Years of Peter van Stolk
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