Red Riding Hood to the Rescue!
I recently worked with a client to create promotional materials for her small business. She provides busy professionals with home management services, which include everything from personal assistant tasks and errands, to pet and house sitting. She intended to expand her business and wanted to spread the word. How to proceed?
Word of mouth had worked so far. Now she wisely decided that reaching new potential clients would require a more targeted approach. And for effective promotion, the business needed a name and a story.
We brainstormed hundreds of names in multiple categories. One of her favorites was Red Riding Hood. Serendipitously, research revealed that the theme of this nineteenth century fairy tale was "restoration"—the perfect metaphor to convey the benefit of my client's services.
Once we had the name, the story fell into place: Red Riding Hood defeats Wolf Multitask, restoring order to harried lives. Research also revealed dozens of images of flaxen-curled girls in scarlet capes. Too dreamy. The Red Riding Hood my client described was more a modern-day action hero—someone who takes charge.
With the classic fairy tale character as her inspiration, and my client's story as her guide, an illustrator brought a contemporary Red Riding Hood to life. You can see the action hero for yourself, and read her story. Find out what happens when Red Riding Hood confronts Wolf Multitask! E-mail abauleke@comcast.net, and request a brochure.
The moral of this story? Research your ideas. What you discover may be the link that connects all the elements of your business concept.