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Henry Miller on exemplars

"Example moves the world more than doctrine. The great exemplars are the poets of action."

I'm frequently asked to name a company that "gets it;" one which truly understands the why's and how's of succeeding in an economy of abundance.  I typically respond with the iconic Apple, Starbucks, Nike or Harley Davidson. But starting today I'll be adding Jones Soda to my short list, based on an article I read last week in Beverage World.

Here are some quotes from the piece, which were attributed to CEO Peter van Stolk, that tells me that Jones Soda "gets it."  If you "get it," you'll understand why there is no need for me to elucidate:

"Our mission statement is, 'It doesn't matter about soda. It matters about our consumers.' We have to stay true to our goal to create emotional connections and be relevant to our consumers."

"As a premium in any category, you have to create an emotional connection; that's critical if you're going to charge more than your competitor. People pay for emotions when they buy a brand."

On his patent-pending, mass customization label technology: "When we first started doing this 11 years ago, it was cutting edge and there was no clear indication that technology would transition into where it is today . . .  The personalized labels give consumers a sense of ownership of the brand in an authentic way that multibillion-dollar marketing campaigns can't achieve."

"I can't compete with Pepsi and Coke on the money, but our competitors can't put a consumer's favorite football player on a bottle."

"We here at Jones can't really talk about competition because if you start looking at competition, then you take your eyes off where you're going and you're looking in the rearview mirror all the time."

"The thing I really like about Jones is that we're not a flavor.  Nobody associates Jones with a single flavor.  So we can do anything we want and the limitations are what we put on ourselves."

On converting from high fructose corn syrup to pure cane sugar after numerous requests from consumers: "Financially, you probably can't justify the conversion in the first year, maybe even two or three years, but it's the right move.  You have to run your company for the long-term and this is a long-term right decision."

"Our strategy is to be a treat.  Our marketing campaign is 'Drink less soda, just better soda.' We're the first to admit that we are an indulgence and if you're going to indulge then you should have the best available."

On Jones Soda's plan to launch a new energy drink containing pharma gabatm, which  van Stolk hopes to gain exclusive rights to in the U.S. beverage market:  "We think there's a next category out there; something that's better, cooler and funkier."

On this year's holiday-flavored beverage, which like previous year's Turkey & Gravy, Mashed Potato, and Brussels Sprouts sodas will be a buzzworthy concoction that helps him and his team keep a light-hearted approach: "You're gonna go 'wow, this guy is nuts.' But this stuff is going to be ripping."

"I've said it before, but the world doesn't need another soda company, and it doesn't need Jones.   Nobody wakes up and thinks 'I've got to have a Jones today.' So you've got to be fun.  We're soda and what can be more fun than soda?"

Posted August 20, 2007
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