Five Guys. Show, don't tell.
Five Guys charges 15 pounds for a burger, has dated magazine covers on the walls and has never spent a penny on advertising. It is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in the world.
THE GIST ON FIVE GUYS: "Show, Don't Tell"
Where does the money go?
Every other fast food brand spends billions telling you how fantastic it is. Five Guys spent that money on the food and on making sure you see it.
Walk in and you see potatoes stacked on the floor with a sign saying which farm they're from. You watch every burger being made. There are huge piles of peanuts you can help yourself to. Everyone else hides the cooking process. Five Guys makes you practically trip over it.
What about the fries?
With every order, an extra scoop is chucked into the bag. It's by design and priced in, but we see it as generosity and abundance. You saw the potatoes, you saw your burger cooked, and you walk out with more than you ordered.
When you make people feel they got more than they paid for, they tell people.
What does it say about us?
We are the most advertised generation in history and we have stopped trusting all of it. The most radical thing a brand can do is be genuinely good and let people find out for themselves.
Five Guys figured that out 40 years ago. Most brands still haven't.
What makes you trust a brand most?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
Does Five Guys advertise?
Huw says it has never spent a penny on advertising.
What do you see when you walk in?
Potatoes on the floor labelled with their farm, burgers being made, and piles of peanuts.
What is the extra scoop of fries?
A designed, priced-in extra that feels like generosity.
See you on the next one.
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