One secret to success is knowing when to break the rules

The Spoon sat down recently with an operations guy for a major restaurant chain.

Much of the insight we gleaned from our conversation is reserved for paying clients, but we did want to share one important idea: The power of the blended value proposition.

We talk a lot about “The One Thing.” We wrestle with the consumer’s motivations and our own product’s features and benefits to find the magic fit between the two.

But it is often more complex than one singular, salient headline. Duality can be powerful.

Quality, by itself, is usually not a value proposition. But a blend of quality AND convenience can be a unique selling tool.

This is not to say that we should water things down. Your brand shouldn’t have more salient benefits than Peyton Manning has endorsement deals.

If we are a “healthy” food brand, we should focus unwaveringly on that part of our value proposition.

But in a category where everyone is ballyhooing health, e.g. yogurt, making a healthy product kid-friendly or introducing squeezable grown-up yogurt might be the ticket to differentiation and category creation. Think about these formidable duos:

• Healthy and convenient
• Healthy and tasty
• Healthy and fun
• Healthy and affordable

There are more where those came from. Unlock the power of duality today and see where it takes your brands.

My kids love GoGurt!