Naming is one of the most important things you can do for your brand. A great name is memorable, easy to say, relatively short, and helps to position your brand in the hearts and minds of the consumer. A descriptive name can also evoke the brand promise. In other words, what problem does the brand solve in the lives of the consumer.

The Fresh Market is a great brand name. It checks all the boxes, and the instore experience largely lives up to the suggested promise.

What happens when the strawberries are moldy?  The promise is broken. As a consumer who do I blame, the producer or the purveyor?

The strawberries certainly looked good in the store. Red, ripe, and juicy. Turns out this was just the top layer of berries. Almost every other berry in the box were moldy. Do the berries on the bottom always mold up faster than the ones on the top? Were the moldy ones intentionally placed lower down in the container?

As a consumer my choices are limited. Drive back to the store and demand a refund or toss them in the garbage, which is ultimately what I did. It’s a hassle and time consuming to make another trip to the market and with the cost of gas these days I’m consolidating my errands.

The Fresh Market is a promise to customers. When a brand does not live up to its promise, it breaks a bond with the customer, opening the door to competition.

A brand is a living, organic experience and allowing it to get moldy is not good stewardship.