#478 bye bye Miss American...

As American as apple pie?  Maybe we need to change our lingo.  At the local Village Inn restaurant, they boast that they sell the best pies in America.  But their #1 best seller is not good old apple, rather it is French Silk -- a chocolate mousse with a cream topping and chocolate shavings. (Country apple comes in #2, followed by cherry, lemon supreme and then a tie with coconut and banana cream.)   When did chocolate become America's favorite flavor?

Whereas yesterday I wrote about a product with brand extensions to the extreme, the pie seems to be on the opposite end of the spectrum.  A pie is an inherently old fashioned dessert.  Cupcakes have taken on a whole new life, but not much has changed about the recipes, shape or size of the pie.  The leading flavors are even pretty traditional.   Unlike many foods today, pies are usually eaten slowly -- on a plate vs. on the run.  Village Inn not withstanding, most pies are homemade, often with Grandma's original recipe.  They still win blue ribbons at the fair.

How can your organization anchor some of its values to the symbolism of a pie...something that has the stability over generations.  The pie can be your values and the ice cream the new innovation that you add to enhance it.  Every organization needs to have both.  Bon appetit!

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

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