How Does Bar Keepers Friend Benefit from "Youtility?"

When your brand has been around for over 140 years, you (typically) have the luxury of seeing their evolution. Whether it's from old-timey magazine ads, or looking at old packaging from the 1950s, you get a relatively clear idea of who the primary consumer base is. 

Interestingly, just as many things changed as they did stay the same with Bar Keepers Friend. Despite the clear and very intentional shifts in our online audience (website, social media pages, YouTube channel, etc.) over the last five years, POS data dictates that our "bread & butter" clientele (the folks purchasing) are still women, 65 years old and up. The "word of mouth" crowd as I like to call 'em.

This isn't to say younger folks aren't purchasing BKF in higher numbers (they absolutely are), but we still run into the issue with younger folks (think 25 to 45) not knowing who we are. This is frustrating for a brand with a kick-ass product that's been around forever!

Our biggest, most significant goal this year is to bridge the gap between our younger, online audience and the older, in-store consumers who likely grew up with the brand in their household. To me, this means meeting those consumers where they are, and leveraging "Youtility," a phrase coined by marketing expert Jay Baer. 

I read Baer's "Youtility" at the very start of my marketing career (back in 2013), but it couldn't be more relevant today. Our audiences still crave useful information - and they're particularly thankful when they get information they didn't even know they needed!

Platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram all cater to today's short "I was today years old when I learned..." attention spans. Young people (myself included despite being 38) will first go to these platforms for the info they're looking for. Why? Because the info/reviews are unfiltered and written by actual consumers who are passionate about the topic they're discussing. 

Earlier this week, I tasked our team to read "Youtility," and come up with ways to apply it to their own marketing contributions. I plan on re-reading it later today. I'm genuinely excited to see what ideas bloom from reading this insightful book.

Have you ever read Jay Baer's Youtility? Let me know how (or if) it was used to market your products or services!