A brand story as a differentiator

“We like supporting the little guys.” That’s what the barman told me when I asked him about the cola we’d been served: fritz-kola.

My wife and I were in the Netherlands at the weekend. The hotel served this brand I’d never heard of before.

And I got curious about the brand’s story.

fritz-kola was created in 2002 by two students Mirco Wolf Wiegert and Lorenz Hampl, who were roommates at university in Hamburg. It was designed as a high-caffeine, less-sweet regional alternative to mainstream global soda giants. The logo on the bottle was created during their launch when, to save money, they used a simple black-and-white design featuring vectorised graphics of their own faces. During their first year of trading they drove a van full of bottles from bar to bar in Hamburg, trying to sell them directly.

On a hot day at our hotel just outside of Amsterdam, the cola on ice hit the spot. Tasty and with an eye-catching design. And now, I’d learned an engaging human story behind it all.

In an abundant market where we have lots of choice, a story can be a valuable differentiator. When we hear the human story at the heart of a brand, it deepens our engagement. We have even more of a reason to support the underdog. It’s as true in B2B as much as it is in B2C.

I’ve not seen the brand over here in the UK, but next time I’m back in the Netherlands or Germany, I will definitely seek out a fritz-kola over a Coke or Pepsi. Because that’s what a story does. It makes you care about a brand. In a world of homogenous brands, we feel a little empowered when we choose the little guy. And knowing the origin story makes all the difference.

Dankeschön Mirco und Lorenz!