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Fiamma Burger - Taste The Difference

I've been back in Bellingham for about a week now and after being gone all Summer, it's been interesting seeing some of the changes taking place around town. I am dissapointed with the dismantling of the Up & Up.  Don't get me wrong, I love Rudy's Pizza's but it's a shame that the "Up" had to go.  And for those of you thinking to yourselves that it's still there, sorry all is lost, it will never be the same.  But thinking more positively, I must say that most of the changes are for the better...my neighbors new house, the student instruction center on campus, Bellingham's "beautification" aka concrete sidewalks and asphalt.  Lastly, I'm happy to say I enjoyed my first Fiamma Burger experience the other day.  I've always loved La Fiamma Woodfire Oven Pizza to say the least...next time your there try a panini!  It seems about a year ago I first heard the concept of Fiamma Burger.  Initially, I had my doubts about using La Fiamma’s brand equity, I’ve just never really liked this approach to branding.  I believe products should organically stand for something that’s their own.  However, in the case of Fiamma Burger, I felt it was totally appropriate.  Am I being egocentric?  It’s interesting though because in the restaurant business, you often don’t see this kind of direct approach to using brand equity.  But since the ownership of both restaurant’s are (correct me if I’m wrong) one in the same.  It made this option very feasible.  For those of you who know me well enough, I’m thinking of Fred specifically, you won’t be surprised I’m transitioning to this rant. 

The other point I would like to hit on is that we’ve seen to some extent the commoditization of the burger.  Come on, let’s be honest with ourselves, burgers from traditional fast food joints are all created equal, they’re basically the same because in essence they begin with the same ingredients which are then processed, distributed, and prepared in similar manner.  It’s been an absolute battle for a long time with the goal of cutting costs as much as possible to put an inexpensive burger on your plate.  So point being Fiamma Burger was smart not to take the “Dick’s” approach to the burger (by that I mean prices, not smaller menu selection because indeed Fiamma Burger is doing that).  Not to mention you would have undoubtedly hurt La Fiamma’s equity.  So realistically, if your Fiamma Burger, your competing against two of  Bellingham's staples being Boomer’s and Bob’s.  This is healthy competition to say the least.  I have reason to believe Boomer’s is more of a direct competitor we thinking about similarities between dining experience offered when you factor out the food itself.  Everyone will have their own opinion when it comes to the Bob’s, Boomer’s, and Fiamma Burgers.  So instead of offering my opinion, I’d like to offer Fred’s from his post on his Fiamma Burger experience earlier this month.  Here are some excerpts but if you would like to read his entire review check out his blog: http://stonecries.typepad.com/blog/2007/09/the-only-burger.html

“So, how good is the burger?  I think it tastes great.  The meat is lean (not dripping with fatty nastiness), the veggies full of flavor, the "secret sauce" is not overpowering, and heck--I could eat the bun by itself.  Some complain that the burgers are not as big as at Bob's (can't avoid the comparison, what, being across the street), and neither are the servings of french fries.  Personally, my appetite is rarely big enough to finish a full "platter of fries with side of hamburger" at Bob's, so that complaint isn't relevant to me.  For people just looking to throw back as many calories as possible for as cheap as possible, Fiamma might not be your place.  Let's just say that, as far as proportions go.  But if you are like me, and your appettite isn't that of a small rhinoceros, the meal is very satisfying.  The french fries are also good--still french fries, but not greasy, and not over-fried.”

“One thing you will probably hear about Fiamma burger is that it is over-priced.  I have responded to that review with the old adage, "It all depends on what you want, and if you're willing to pay for it."  Sure, I could get Five burgers from Wendy's for the same as One from Fiamma, but I want fresh ingredients, a clean restaurant, and (pardon me here) solid waste.  None of which I will get from five burgers at Wendy's.  For $4.75 you get the burger--for 75 cents you can add cheese, and for $1.50 you can add that delicious bacon I was telling you about.  For another $1.95 you can add fries.  So, say you get the bacon burger & fries--that'll run you about $8.25.  Seem like a lot?  Maybe, with the Bob's comparison ($8.95 for the platter of fries/bacon cheeseburger), but at Fiamma you aren't tipping waitresses and running to the bathroom in two hours.  So ultimately you pay about $3-4 less than at Bob's all things considered, and maybe $2-4 more than at Boomer's, but you get the best "quality" burger in Bellingham, and like I say, enough food to satisfy the appettite of anyone smaller than a small rhinoceros.”

There you have it.  As Fred stated, he cares about fresh ingredients and I have good reason to believe that in Bellingham there are many more like him.  So Fiamma Burger is in a very “healthy” niche…haha no pun intended.  In all seriousness though, it’s hard to say how Fiamma Burger will do.  It’s just questionable to me if for the price, there is a big enough market.  They’ve had a lot of initial expenses to get off the ground and even though the burger is using fresh and more expensive ingredients, I would think there has to be a nice margin built into the prices.  Time will tell, and I wish them the best, I know I enjoyed my experience and I would say Fiamma Burger is the best tasting one in town.  Business will probably be slow during the Boomer’s sale cause we all know how that can get patronized.

Company or Cult?

Alright, I'll be the first to admit that as much as I love Apple, I'm getting pretty sick of hearing people talk about the iPhone. So what am I going to do? I think I'll talk some more about the iPhone. I was going to refrain but over the last week, it has just been unbelievable how all things iPhone completely penetrated my life. Not sure if everyone else had similair experiences? Maybe I was just seeking out the hype? But, what we all witnessed is only further evidence at how powerful a tool marketing can be. That said, there is no other company on the planet that could even come close to pulling off what Apple's been able to do with everything iPhone marketing in the campaign's entireity. Apple set the bar pretty high with it's message regarding the iPhone. Steve Jobs was vocal about how he believed the device will change the entire phone industry. That's an incredible claim, and while this change will certainly not take place over night, we will begin to see some significant changes in the telecom industry regardless of Apple's entrance into this highly competitive market.

Prior to launch, there was a lot of speculation at how things would go down. We all knew it would be memorable and that's what sets Apple apart from every other technology company. It's the culture! For the most part, Apple delivers on experience! As much as this product has been hyped, being touted as the "Jesus phone" among other hubris claims, the reviews have come in and the concensous seems to be that Apple, if not delivering on all things promised, has come extremely close.

Aside from the success that Apple's achieved with it's launch, it's also important to note some of the failures. I heard about the compatibility issues with 64 bit Vista that frusterated a few folks. Even though Vista has been a collosal failure, especially compatibility wise, Apple should of had this under control. But all in all, this was minute compared to the stories about the horrible customer experience at AT&T. This should have been predicted. Maybe it was? Apparently, AT&T was forcing people that wanted to buy an iPhone to also purchase accessories. They were bundling it together and would not let people buy solely the iPhone like you could over at any Apple store. Mistake, Mistake, Mistake. AT&T is probably still wondering why all the lines were in front of Apple stores and not Cingular ones. More info about this can be found over at Gizmodo. It's stuff like this that still has me wondering why Apple went exclusive with AT&T? Obviously, AT&T probably offered them the most money, but at the same time AT&T will only hurt Apple's proven track record damaging the brand along the way.

Lastly, check out this video from the iPhone launch at 6pm right outside the Palo Alto Apple store. This kind of loyalty is one that any company would only dream to having. Indeed, we lived through what might have been the biggest product launch in history.

Microhoo!

Well, it looks like it's going to be another post related to Microsoft. They've definetly been in the news lately with all the rumors swirling around about the buyout and merger with Yahoo. I must say that just a couple of days ago, I actually cashed out my positions in Microsoft. I think I got a little antsy with all of the merger talk and I wanted to protect my healthy gains going back to last August. Tech stocks have never faired well for me in the Summer months. The potential buyout numbers that reports were throwing out were said to be around $50 billion. This deal would be ridiculous because it was something like an 18% premium on Yahoo share prices. But aside from the financials behind this deal. The real question I would like to ask is: why? This merger doesn't make sense to me on many levels. Lets start with the clashing cultures of the two companies, or how about the fact that both companies still have unclear strategies at how to take on the Google powerhouse. This is the true root of both companies worries. It's amazing that only a couple of years ago, yes in 2005, Yahoo was still the number one search engine on the web. But, the brand has lost some luster to say the least. I've been a loyal Yahoo user since the mid 1990's and I'm afraid to say it but I'm slowly becoming a Google convert. Yahoo is still my homepage, but as I've been using more Google apps, I've been thinking about making Google my home, especially since I just started using Google Reader to aggregate all the blogs I read. As for Microsoft and Yahoo, both companies are obviously shitting themselves. They are now realizing that they need to act fast and do something. This of course is easier said then done but I think both companies need to go back to the drawing board (if it even still exist). Why do so many people love Google? It's simple: Google makes peoples lives easier! Google's main business might be advertising, but their apps: Gmail, Gcal, Google Reader, Google Docs etc. are the true secrets behind the company's success. I can't even begin to tell you how much time I can save every day by using Google to aggregate all my online content. It's turning into my one stop internet portal. These tools and apps have only extended the Google brand and at the end of the day, they provide a value to users, one that's surely unmatched by Microsoft or Yahoo! Another one of Google's  major successes has been keeping it simple! There are big differences between the Google homepage when compared to Yahoo's and MSN's. Check out these snapshots:

      

It's clear that just by looking at the homepages, Yahoo and Microsoft are trying to be media companies. Now, that is a big part of their business. But, the Google default homepage is focused solely on search. And as media proliferation, social media, and consumer generated content only continue to become more prominent, Microsoft and Yahoo will have to adapt or die to their old ways.

The MicroHoo mashup slogan was created by David Armano

Where's the "Wow"?

Last January, The New York Times ran a piece on Microsoft's promotion of the new Vista operating system. Seth Godin first critiqued the photo but I wanted to take the opportunity to offer mine. First of all, let me just say, contrary to popular belief, I think Microsoft is an extremely innovative company, especially from a business model stand point. Innovation is more than just coming up with the latest and greatest product, service, or idea. I currently own stock in Microsoft that has faired very well over the last 6 months. I will reserve the rest of the innovation discussion for another post. Back to what's really on my mind. What's wrong with this picture? The "Wow" starts now". Words can't replace context! Don't let your message be inconsistent with the actual experience delivered. Look at the posture, expressions, and overall attitude being presented by this group of executives. No one looks to be having fun! That being said, it seems important to recognize that in thinking about context, from the picture, it's impossible for us to tell what atmospherics might have caused this moment in time. But the reality is that for those of us who weren't in attendance, this snap shot is characterizing the event in its entirety. The excitement level of Microsoft's launches have always dwarfed those surrounding MacWorld. I remember how everyone was talking when XP first came out, everyone went out and upgraded. But this time around, even though Vista sales have kept up, no one seems to be talking about it. Bottom line, don't disappoint, you have to deliver along every step of the way, especially first step!

What Happened To PC?

Being politically correct counts, it goes a long way when making marketing decisions. Yet, there always seems to be business names or slogans that I just don't understand. Sometimes it's like, "what the hell were these people thinking" or not thinking about when they come up with that idea. This example is no exception either. Granted, it is only a thrift store, we're not talking about a more established and visable business that probably thought long and hard about their name like "Stupid Prices" or something of that caliber (sarcasm). Talk about missing the boat. We all know what we're talking about here, we see it every day, especially in small business. For many small businesses, just like Retarded Children's, there is a huge lack of multicultural sensitivity as well as creativity when it comes to branding. I can't say I feel the need to elaborate on why there are probably better names for a thrift store business. You can probably come up with dozens of more appropriate alternatives just off the top of your head. This is  precisely the point! I will say that I believe polarization in marketing is an approach that can be very effective, yet is often under utilized. But, there are many variables in a market place that will limit the level of polarization, if any, that can be effectively achieved. So, what's the lesson here: Choose a name carefully. One of the most basic and important lessons of successfully marketing your business is having a successful name. It's your cheapest (free) and most important (most paid attention to) message that can be communicated to consumers. And lastly, at the end of the day, for this thrift store, it will be all about context and connotation, and I'm sorry to say that "Retarted Children's" has struck-out big time.

Think Outside The Bun?

So I was at the Bellingham Fred Meyer yesterday and as I was walking down an aisle, this can of refried beans caught my eye. I couldn’t believe it! Can this really be a good idea? Is this the result of thinking outside the bun? I mean who is buying this stuff, especially in Bellingham? I’m sure we’ve all had those late night cravings for "The Bell", especially after a long night of drinking. But Taco Bell can’t be more than a few steps above dog food, especially the refried beans. I really don’t think this is much of an exaggeration either. Apparently in Bellingham, health code standards restrict Taco Bell from being able to build a closer location to WWU then the current Sunset spot. I couldn’t find it written down anywhere but I’ve heard this from several people and if it is indeed true, it’s incredibly embarrassing. I’m not really sure if Taco Bell’s brand equity is going to help here. I know what the Taco Bell brand means to me, so I guess at the end of the day its still all about context. Sorry Taco Bell, you might be my fourth meal, but I won't let your nasty food infiltrate the first three meals of my day. Either way, I highly doubt these refried beans are flying off the shelves.