Did you happen to catch the recent article about Whole Foods? Their CEO wants the media (and everyone for that matter) to stop referring to them as “Whole Paycheck.”
I can’t say I blame him.
But then again, whose fault is that?
Whole Food’s CEO, John Mackey, believes that the reference to Whole Foods as “Whole Paycheck” further steers people away from approaching a healthy diet. He also believes that the suggestion that Whole Foods is more expensive than Trader Joe’s, is inaccurate.
I’m not interested in getting into a Whole Foods vs. Trader Joe’s discussion about prices. Rather, I’d like to take this discussion in an entirely different direction.
Whole Foods doesn’t like that it’s referred to as “Whole Paycheck,” but the question that I would ask (and I AM asking) is, “What is Whole Foods doing to shift that perception?” They’re upset that the public perceives their prices to be excessively high, but they don’t SEEM to be doing a darned thing to shift that perception. You can’t just tell people to believe something different than what they believe – you have to show them.
Our family does a lot of our shopping at Whole Foods, and quite frankly – given what we purchase (quality and quantity), I don’t see that their prices are unreasonable for what you’re getting. Yes, if you are purchasing organic cherries in the middle of winter, you are going to pay $$$ per pound. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. But there have also been times when their prices on apples (organic, mind you) were lower than the price for apples at Costco.
If you remove a lot of the crap that the average American calls “food,” the money left over would be sufficient to purchase healthier selections from Whole Foods. Nevertheless, the perception is that Whole Foods’ prices are unapproachable.
If I were on Whole Foods marketing team, I would build a campaign the revolved around quality. For example, Whole Foods has their own buyers down at the docks when selecting fish that will eventually make it to their stores. People need to know this.
I would also encourage Whole Foods to take on the American diet. Specifically, how saving money by avoiding poor food choices could be better spent on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. In other words, what I’m suggesting is that they make people feel a little stupid about the poor choices they’re making. Now I realize that they might be a little hesitant to go that route, but if done correctly, the end result wouldn’t just boost business, but would push people to give a little more thought to what they’re putting into their bodies. At the same time, you are also giving a nice pat on the back to people who DO make smart food choices – thus making them feel EXTRA SMART for shopping at Whole Foods.
If I were on Whole Foods marketing team, I would encourage a campaign in which Joe Public shops for a list of items at his local grocery store, and then shops for the same items at Whole Foods. In other words, show viewers (in TV ads and YouTube Videos) that their Whole Foods grocery bill might actually put more money back in their pocket, while at the same time, putting better food in their body.
In Closing…
I have to laugh when a company, whose prices are PERCEIVED to be far from bargain-basement, starts crying that they are being treated unfairly by the media. Boohoo. If you are recognized by pretty much everyone as having terrific quality but unapproachably high prices, then it’s YOUR responsibility to change the circumstances that have created that perception. To see it any other way is not reasonable.
THE LESSON:
If you believe that your business is the victim of a misperception, then it is YOU that needs to shift what’s driving that perception. Telling people to “STOP IT!” with regard to referring to your business in a certain way, is doing nothing more than drawing even more attention to the problem. If you want to shut people up, you have to take a different approach. For starters, you have to show them that their perception is completely wrong, and you have to do it in a way that’s more like a punch to the face than a gentle kiss.
Have A GREAT Day!
…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team