Sell Ice to Polar Bears

Storytelling makes your company irresistible.

Irresistibility is defined as “lovable; incapable of being withstood; enticing”. It implies desire, passion, and endearment. If you’re like me, you dream of having a brand people love, can’t imagine not supporting, and keep on their radars. I want my target customer to anticipate buying from me and be at least a little desperate (and very curious) for my next offering. Surprisingly, this feeling of irresistibility is almost impossible to achieve without exploiting your consumers’ insecurities and vanity.

Exploitation = Good

Richard Boccato and his company, Hundredweight Big Ice, have tapped into a powerful brand development strategy: exploitation. Not maliciously, of course, but still; exploitation means use for profit. Richard and his team use three Ps to profit in the industry. These Ps are: prestige, place, and process.

Prestige

Consumers will pay a premium to feel and look important. Specialty ice shapes and ice dimensions that perfectly match a standard glass size for specific drinks create a feeling of distinction.

Place

Consumers put high expectations on certain locations. Richard understands the expectations of bar patrons in high-end bars, and he created a concept that matches the luxury of the surrounding environment.

Process

Consumers derive joy from an exclusive and/or highly-customized process. From the elaborate filtering steps to the precision cutting procedure, Hundredweight Big Ice makes the customer feel like their ice was crafted just for their pleasure.

Apply Trigger Words

The three Ps only work when used in highly visible ways, such as advertisements, social pages, and experiential marketing. Exploitation needs exposure to be effective. Consider using these trigger words for the three Ps:

• Prestige - best in class, highest-rated, loved by [insert authority or celebrity]. The goal is make the consumer feel like they’ll become peers, or even better than, a well-known figure through your product or service.

• Place - exclusively sold at, in partnership with, inspired by, come experience the… The goal is to associate your product/service with the irresistibility, likability, and respect of the place and its brand. You become as trusted as them because of proximity.

• Process - hand-crafted, fully customized, thoughtfully designed, skillfully tailored, patented technology/system/process. The goal is to inspire feelings of superiority through avoiding simplicity, as well as the perception of standing above the masses.

Final Thoughts

“Selling ice to polar bears” is giving your customers something they likely have in abundance nearby but love the way you give it to them. Use the magic of prestige, place, and process to exploit your target customers’ insecurities and vanity and achieve your revenue and brand recognition goals.

Watch Richard Boccato explain the method behind his coveted bar ice here: https://youtu.be/ET8mqVGDQ1s?si=v5LAq4nsdseEHWf0.