This article was first published by the International Parking & Mobility Institute in the July edition of Parking & Mobility magazine. To read the original article, click here.
More brand marketers should be talking about the spork.
In the event that you’re not a Boston Market regular, let me set the stage: the spork is an eating instrument that merges the bowl of a spoon with the tines of a fork.
Its inventor, Samuel W. Francis, was a mid-19th century doctor who ran in NYC’s elite circles. In addition to his aptitude in complex abdominal surgery, Francis was known for his eccentric inventions. He received a patent for his combination fork-spoon device in 1874.
But Francis never heard the term “spork” in his lifetime.
The branding came later, when Hyde W. Ballard of Westtown, Pennsylvania, applied for a trademark on the name in 1951.
When the patent expired in 1970, the Van Brode Milling Company scooped it up and began manufacturing a plastic version of the ragtag dining implement we all know and love.
I was researching sporks recently (don’t ask) and it occurred to me that the spork’s evolution into fast food mainstay is a branding transformation that can also be applied to parking.
After all, how do we build our brands?
- Find purpose
- Define positioning
- Provide value
- Promise and deliver
Let’s get into it.
Find purpose
At some point, it occurred to Francis that there are simply too many utensils.
Though they comprise a functional ecosystem, the spoon, knife, and fork operate in silos, and there are many variants (size, weight, materials) of each.
Francis envisioned his invention cut from one single piece of sheet metal, eliminating fragmentation and increasing operational efficiency.
Sound familiar?
Many parking experts today will tell you that the influx of new technologies means more utility, more ability, and more data. But due to inefficiencies around assessing and implementing these technologies, a functional ecosystem is challenging to build and maintain.
Not all parking tech is cut from the same sheet, nor should it be.
But fuse-able technologies that can be integrated with others into a seamless ecosystem will pull ahead of those that cannot.
Define positioning
The spork defies categorization.
Is it more aligned with a spoon, or with a fork?
As an object, it does not challenge or compete with anything other than the general concept of “there are simply too many utensils”.
There is a common branding exercise: market surveying.
We research competitors (defined as who the prospect will perceive as competition), dig into their market-facing identity, and use the findings as a springboard to differentiate our brand’s visuals and vocabulary.
In parking, we often find ourselves in one of two positions:
- The perception is that the market is saturated with other companies that do exactly what we do, so we need to rise above the noise;
- Introducing a new product to the market, so we need to prove that what we offer is actually needed (a solution to a problem that exists).
I’d argue that we all deal with a little of column A and a little of column B.
Which brings us to…
Provide value
The idea of “centralizing” the separate functions of a fork and a spoon isn’t, by itself, a compelling one. It brands the spork as a vitamin, not a pain pill.
Using fewer utensils means running the dishwasher less often; not picking up and putting down a spoon and fork while eating conserves energy. But these pitches are, respectfully, kinda silly. The benefits are irrelevant or immaterial.
Brand is rooted in actual value:
- The obvious pitch to restaurants is economics. The spork makes business sense: two utensils for the price of one.
- Prisons were quick to adopt sporks for inmate safety; it’s easy to eat with a spork and hard to stab somebody with one.
- As far back as WWI, armies used sporks in their mess kits to preserve space and make it easier to keep track of utensils.
According to the Washington Post, consumer adoption has been slow: less than 35% of Americans own sporks compared to forks (99%), spoons (98%), and dinner knives (96%).
Ultimately, in parking, it’s about providing a solution to an actual problem. Missed revenue opportunities, erosion of the bottom line, operational inefficiency… whatever it is, you can’t invent it. It has to exist.
Promise & deliver
Ever used a spork? No? I don’t believe you, you silly goose!
Linguistically, “spork” is a portmanteau that communicates the conflation of two separate entities into a single entity of combined utility.
The spork brand promises centralization, standardization, and efficiency. The experience of using a spork delivers on this promise.
I’d argue that this follow-through is the most critical part of successful branding.
If you’ve nailed your positioning and know exactly what value you provide, you won’t find yourself in the tough spot of losing a prospect or partner’s business because you promised them the world and came up empty-handed.
Conclusion
Branding is stimulating, challenging, nuanced, methodical, and fun.
It’s a perfectly potent potion of people, product, and problem-solving.
If I leave you with anything from this article, I hope it’s that 1) parking can learn from unexpected brand transformations and 2) you should never underestimate the power of a good portmanteau.
If “parketing” can achieve 0.01% of the success of “spork”, I’ll be a happy parketer indeed.
Sarah Becherer is the VP of Marketing @ Ocra and she really, really loves this “parketing” stuff. To connect, add her on LinkedIn or send her an email at sarah@getocra.com.
