How to Make Your Brand Eco-System as Addictive as Trader Joe's
(It's all snack food)
TONIGHT
I’m hosting a “How to Design a Signature Product” conversation/ Q & A. If you’re building out a product, etc. It will be a great time to get feedback, etc.
When: Tomorrow-Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm MTN/8:00 pm EST
Who: Paying Subscriber Tier
How: We’ll be meeting via Zoom. I will send the Zoom details an hour before our conversation.
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Listen to the Podcast
How to Make Your Newsletter as Addictive as Aisle of Shame
Love Me Like You Love Trader Joe’s
I love Trader Joe’s. I feel like it’s the land of snack foods and anything that an air fryer obsessed person could want. What’s fascinating to me is how brand obsessed people are with Trader Joe’s. Their customers love the unique food items, the awkward parking lot-I park a couple of blocks away and the personal and household products that they sell. From a Creators Getting Paid perspective, I wanted to explore the core components that make Trader Joe’s an addictive brand…with the hopes that these observations will inspire how we’re building our brands.
What I Notice
Here’s what I’ve learned from Trader Joe’s that I’m thinking about applying to my own brand.
Trader Joe’s has a signature experience-Not all of it is good. There are a ridiculous number of videos joking about those parking lots.
TJ’s has a certain aesthetic-Relaxed, casual slightly Hawaiian vibes
They’ve created an endless range of products that are unique to the brand.
Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches-How sway
Those canvas totes
Community members hang out in online and in-person spaces-What! Have you seen the size of the different Trader Joe’s Facebook groups? They’re huge.
Trader Joe’s has built surprise and delight into their brand. Have you ever had a bad day and the cashier gives you some chocolate? They’re empowered to do that.
Aisle of Shame isn’t a Trader Joe’s publication-I thought it was. I actually love Trader Joe’s physical newsletter-it gives us a completely different experience (they might not be publishing the physical newsletter as often as before) I do think that Trader Joe’s is tracking sales attributed to each addition of Aisle of Shame. It’s almost like it’s a sanctioned collaboration.
A Quick Review
Design a unique experience with your brand or business
Create a specific aesthetic that communicates the “vibes” of your brand
Build and own your own products like my “How to Make Money On Substack” course.
Spend time with your community members
Add surprise and delight into your brand
Collaborate vs. compete-Trader Joe’s could have chosen to create problems/friction with Aisle of Shame, instead they seem to be fine with the newsletter.
Do you think you have an addictive brand?