Stephanie Stuckey is leading a comeback. Actually, two ofthem.
She’s on a mission to bring back the American Road Trip, andall the fun, freedom, and Americana it represents. At the same time she’s reviving Stuckey’s, a company and brand that’s synonymous with the Road Trip.
And she’s rebuilding a family legacy (make that three comebacks).
What’s interesting about Stephanie’s approach is that she’snot hiding in the board room, pulling strings and telling people what to do.
She’s serving as the face of the company and telling thestory of her company’s revival as it happens, in real time. And she’s bringing all of us along for the ride.
What She’s Doing
Rebuilding a brand is undoubtedly hard work, with a lot ofdifficult decisions and unseen stresses. But Stephanie doesn’t let that deter her from telling her company’s story.
On almost a daily basis, she posts updates to her120,000-plus LinkedIn followers about her company’s struggles and triumphs, her travels and family, and her love of the Freedom of the Road.
It’s a case study in marketing and branding, and it’s awelcome break from the usual corporate BS you see on LinkedIn. Here’s an example of one of her posts, to give you a taste of her approach.
Why It Works
Everyone loves a comeback story. Our books and movies areloaded with them. This is one reason Stephanie’s content is so compelling.
Stephanie seems to know that telling a comeback story as ithappens, a couple hundred words at a time, is pure gold.
As an audience, we become part of the story ourselves. Manypeople chime in with their own memories of her family’s brand.
Most importantly, we see the Stuckey’s story unfoldingthrough Stepahnie’s eyes. We can feel what the brand, the company, the people, and even America itself mean to her. Her stories tug at our emotions and we can’t help but root for Stephanie and for Stuckey’s.
How You Can Do It
You may not be leading the rebirth of an iconic Americanbrand, but you can still recreate some of the power of Stephanie’s approach. There’s a simple way to do it.
Tell your company’s stories through your own eyes.
Too many companies and organizations rely on sterile,corporate messaging to communicate to their audiences. But that’s all they’re doing. Communicating.
You can get an AI program to write LinkedIn posts or a PRdepartment to create case studies to share through your corporate channels. That may convey the information you want to share, but it won’t have any heart.
So give us the unfiltered story. Give your audience yourpersonal point of view.
As a leader, when you tell your organization’s stories asyou see them, you show your audience why they should care. They become invested in your brand, and that translates to long-term trust and loyalty.
Banner image: Stuckey's Corporation (fair use)