Marketing Lessons From Dixie’s BBQ
The Responsible Marketing Blog:
One of my favorite quotes of late is “Advertising is the tax you pay for being unremarkable,” credited to Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad at the Ad Age Idea Conference.
I doubt Gene Porter from Dixie’s BBQ in Bellevue, WA has an advertising budget, nor does he need one.
But Porter didn’t need a marketing consultant to teach him how to create one of the most talked about lunch places around.
Originally an auto repair shop, rumor has it Porter started doing New Orleans style BBQ for the men and women building the 520 bridge. He realized he was on to something and quit fixing cars and started doing BBQ full-time. My CPA remembers it well. He showed up with his Honda for service and discovered he could buy a great BBQ sandwich, but he couldn’t get his car fixed.
The old shop is still the main location for Dixie’s, and the line begins to form at about 11:15. The wait can be long, but it’s usually pretty entertaining. Porter is a charismatic man, to say the least. He can be the sweetest guy you’ve ever met, or can scare the hell out of you. He poses for pictures with patrons and has a, dare I say, charming side. He’ll also pull you out of line and force you to put a pin on one of the many maps indicating where you are from. Cut in line, even if you are meeting a friend, and he’ll throw you out. Park your car wrong in Dixie’s tiny lot, he’ll cuss you out, take your keys, and move it himself.
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Photo by Responsible Marketing Blog.
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