By Macy Linberg and Cayla Friedman
Why should Grillo’s Pickles be your favorite brand?Â
Because they use clean and fresh ingredients with zero artificial preservatives? Because they make the best pickles, like a pickle-based salsa that should be a staple in your fridge? These are all great, totally valid reasons, but Grillo’s should be your favorite brand because they are authentic and fun.Â
Travis Grillo, founder and CEO, started the company outside his parents’ house with a pickle in hand and had what he called an “old-fashioned light bulb moment.” He decided to start selling his family’s 100-year-old pickle recipe from a wooden cart parked in the Boston Common for a dollar a spear. Since then, the company has generated millions of dollars in revenue and has products available for purchase in stores nationwide.Â
So, what sets Grillo’s apart now? Yes, it is a pickle company but, Grillo’s has managed to turn itself into a lifestyle brand, building their entire identity by taking risks and staying true to their brand as they continue to grow. In business, in relationships, and in any real world scenario, the key to success is to be genuinely authentic. Otherwise, whatever it is you’re doing is going to lack depth, something which consumers, friends, and employers can smell from a mile away.Â
Collaborations have played a critical role in Grillo’s authenticity and accessibility. For example, when asked about this, Eddie Andre (Senior Brand Manager) said, “We were involved in the communities that we were in personally,” and that they were trying to make pickles “as fun as possible.” Additionally, Grillo’s has an extremely successful and intentional presence on social media. Their marketing strategy is experimental and fun, posting videos of handing out pickles to strangers on the side of the road and sharing memes and content that feels like it was posted by a friend. Any brand that you love has its’ niche, and there are countless examples of brands where their authenticity feels highly curated, but Grillo’s keeps it real, which is why it resonates with so many people. Grillo’s understands the importance of community, sharing their brand in their own unique ways.Â
What can you learn from Grillo’s? This article is not meant to convince you to give up on your dream job to start selling homemade goods in the park, but hopefully, it will expand your perspective of what success can look like and encourage you to do something that you are passionate about and to do it in your own way. It is still hard work and will still take sacrifice, but Grillo’s is a reminder that you can still be professional and successful without taking yourself too seriously or giving up the things in life that make you happy. And not for nothing – it’s a damn good pickle.Â