An bright business success story all the time gets the juices flowing as the reader feels the flow of success and wise decisions bringing them along for the ride. Merge the rush of a good story with a story about chocolate and you have an irresistible combination.
It all began with the matriarchal figure of Mary See. Mary's recipes for chocolates and candies built the See's Candy Empire that has wooed America since 1921. See's Candies uses the finest quality ingredients and all the time has. That is one of the secrets to their success. Even during the Depression, they didn't cut corners. Their customers can all the time count on a quality candy and that is why their customers keep advent back. Does your buyer have the same, quality touch over and over again?
Chocolate History
The See Candy story is a superior American success story. They were descendant's of Ireland, whose family immigrated to Ontario. Mary's son, Charles, was working as a salesman, selling ingredients in bulk to bakeries. There was a favorite candy shop chain in Ontario and Charles felt that he could generate something better. He and his family, including his mom Mary and her specific and loved candy recipes, moved to Los Angeles to open their own store. It was favorite in the 1920's to brand food products with a "trust-worthy, mom or grandmother" image. In 1921, the business that later became normal Mills, created Betty Crocker, a fictitious woman who, in 1945, was voted the second most favorite woman in America (behind Eleanor Roosevelt).* Charles went along with this trend, using his mother's photograph as the logo for See's Candy. This tribute not only reminded Charles and the employees where their great recipes came from, it also instilled the "warm fuzzy feeling" one has when we think of a gray-haired, plump woman's baking. We trust that it must be delicious. The logo and its emotional insurance and quality to generate fond memories of grandma's baking in some of us, is just one example of the cleverness Charles displayed when running his company. Does your company's logo have a broad, emotional appeal? Recently, logos have moved into the abstract or graphic look. Could your company's brand benefit from using a photograph?
Though the 1920's was profitable for the See's and they had any shops, the Depression of the '30s held them back a bit but they were able to keep their doors open and were even expanding by 1936. They renegotiated their leases, the worker salaries, and lowered the price for a pound of chocolate.** All these measures ensured their success. Of course, they never compromised their quality so their brand was maintained. If your business has gone through lean times, have you been tempted to cut corners on your product? If you do then your buyer cannot trust your stock again.
Many business owners dream of selling their business for a lot of money. This was true for See's Candy. In 1972 the surviving family sold their business to one of the best businessmen in America's History, Warren Buffett.
I've highlighted only a few of the business decisions that led to the success of this company. Charles See was a visionary and a qoute solver. He was committed to a course of activity and took his family business to a level of success that few clubs achieve. If you would like to learn more about this heritage and how you can apply their innovative mental to your business, I encourage you to read "See's notable Old Time Candies: A Sweet Story" by Margaret Moos Pick.
References
* The Betty Crocker Story, Cs News book review, 2005
** "See's notable Old Time Candies: A Sweet Story" by Margaret Moos Pick, (2005). P. 28
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