Рецепт Brand Loyalty, the Bottom Line and Bigelow
by Chelsea Day • Apr 2, 2013 Our posts feature partner companies.
Brand Loyalty, the Bottom Line and Bigelow
People often ask Nate and I how we came to start working with brands on this little old family blog. Most recently, I got the question from a fellow blogger after reading my post about how Bigelow was my childhood insomnia cure. The story of sponsorship is as long as our three-and-a-half year bloggy adventure. It spans our marriage, several jobs, entrance into parenthood and – yes – it involves money. But above all that, it’s a story about people and products.
I once asked a group of my closest friends, “What do you do to unwind at the end of a hard day?” Every single one of their answers involved some sort of product. “I make popcorn and watch Netflix”…”I visit the craft store and start a new knitting project”…”I drink tea by the fireplace.”
I realized then that our friends’ and family members’ lives involve products on a huge scale. Tangible items are important. Sponsorship sometimes comes off as a dirty word in our society. Frankly, though, it’s as genuine as you can get.
Brands are part of our everyday existence, particularly for Nate and I. Our tastes are wildly varied and we’re both incredibly opinionated. I’m a health nut. He’s a brand loyalist. I read product packaging in search for the best ingredients. He’s a history buff, passionate about the people that started companies. We’ve traveled extensively to expos and taken backstage tours (yes, often with a toddler clambering around on our heads). It’s always the same: I analyze details and take notes while Nate explores new things and jokes around with company owners. We’re quite the duo. And I know it’s exactly the same story in millions of households across the nation. Opposites attract. It’s what makes us interesting and what makes all of our household choices intriguing and unique, worthy of discussion.
At the end of the day, sitting by the fire with that cup of tea may not seem like much at first glance, but it’s a big deal to us. A lot of thought has gone into such a seemingly small choice. Our tea brand is Bigelow for a reason. This family-owned business literally changed the way we drink tea in the United States over 60 years ago! When a product can make you feel better, invoke memories…that’s special. That’s the bottom line. Brands are more than big boxes of things. They’re families. We get a genuine joy out of connecting with the brands we work with and learning their stories.
My ability to become a work-from-home mom hinged almost entirely on our ability to couple with products that make sense for our family. It allowed us to focus even more intensely on our genuine ideals. This business of blogging breaks down the barrier between brands and people. It lets us broaden the product banter from that inner circle of friends to a national discussion. A discussion I’m so very proud to be part of.
So thank you, Bigelow. Your family story speaks volumes to us.
This post was written as part of a Bigelow Tea contest because, as we’ve mentioned, we work closely with brands that we like! All opinions are, as usual, our own.