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Sweet Success: What Tech Brands Can Learn from Crumbl Cookies' Marketing Genius

Speak Agency • December 10, 2024
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Tech Brands, Take Notes: Crumbl Cookies' Marketing Playbook

Let's talk about a cookie company that's been serving up more than just sweet treats — they're serving a masterclass in modern marketing that tech brands would kill to replicate. Crumbl isn't just selling cookies; they're creating a digital phenomenon.


A single Crumbl cookie can run upwards of 900 calories. That's enough to give the average CMO a sugar high for weeks. But when it comes to brand strategy, tech marketing leaders can learn a few things about baking up a more successful playbook. While Crumbl operates in the dessert industry, its strategies offer valuable lessons for technology companies looking to stand out in their own competitive landscapes.



Consistent and Memorable Branding


From its signature pink boxes to warm, freshly served cookies, Crumbl ensures a cohesive and memorable brand experience. Technology brands can achieve the same by maintaining a clear, consistent message and visual identity across all touchpoints — from websites to customer support.


Tech Brand Takeaways:

  • Create a consistent experience across all touchpoints
  • Ensure strong brand governance
  • Drive emotional impact



Community Over Everything


Crumbl doesn't sell cookies. They sell an experience, a community, a moment of shared delight. Their fans aren't just customers; they're brand ambassadors who live and breathe Crumbl culture. Tech brands often talk about building communities, but Crumbl actually does it.


Community Building Strategies:

  • Create shareable moments
  • Encourage user-generated content
  • Make your brand feel like an insider's club



The Rotating Menu: Scarcity and Excitement Done Right


Imagine if your tech product changed every week, creating a buzz of anticipation that has customers refreshing their screens. That's exactly what Crumbl does with their weekly rotating menu. They drop new flavors and create anticipation each week, and the result? Pure marketing magic.


Key Takeaway for Tech Brands:

  • Create artificial scarcity
  • Generate weekly excitement
  • Keep your audience constantly engaged



Social Media: Not Just Posts, But Performance Art


Crumbl didn't just use social media; they turned it into a performance. Their TikTok videos aren't just content — they're carefully choreographed marketing experiences. Each video is a mini-production that transforms cookie reveal into an event. Tech brands can use platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube to create bite-sized, visually engaging content that demystifies complex offerings or highlights new innovations.


Tech Marketing Lesson:

  • Your content should be an experience, not just information
  • Invest in high-production value
  • Make your brand feel like a show, not just a product



The Power of Predictable Unpredictability


Here's the genius move: Crumbl is consistently inconsistent. Their weekly flavor drops are unpredictable, but the quality and experience are always top-notch. It's a delicate balance that keeps customers coming back, never knowing what to expect but always trusting the brand.


Tech Translation:

  • Innovate regularly, but maintain core quality
  • Keep your audience guessing
  • Build trust through consistent excellence



Data-Driven Deliciousness


Behind those Instagram-worthy cookies is a seriously smart data operation. Crumbl tracks flavor preferences, engagement metrics, and customer feedback like a tech company monitors user experience. They're not just baking cookies; they're running a data-powered marketing machine.


Data Strategies for Tech Brands:

  • Use customer feedback as a product roadmap
  • Create personalized experiences
  • Let data drive your innovation



The Ultimate Flex: Making Ordinary Extraordinary


Crumbl took something as simple as a chocolate chip cookie and turned it into a cultural phenomenon. They didn't reinvent the wheel; they just made the wheel look and feel irresistible.


For tech brands, the message is clear: It's not about creating something totally new. It's about making the familiar feel exciting, shareable, and unmissable. Final Sprinkle of Wisdom: In the world of tech branding, be more Crumbl. Create experiences, not just products. Engage, excite, and always leave your audience craving more.


Need help crafting a  brand story that'll get your audience craving more?  We should talk.

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The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But the Truth. So Help Your Brand.

By Speak Agency • February 3, 2025
Let's cut to the chase: In a world drowning in digital noise and AI-generated content, brand authenticity isn't just a nice-to-have — it's your survival kit. Today's tech-savvy customers can smell manufactured messaging from ten browser tabs away, and they're not afraid to hit "unfollow" faster than you can say "corporate values." The Power of Brand Truth Here's the deal: brand authenticity means getting real about who you are as an organization. We're not talking about your product specs or your tech stack — we're talking about the raw, honest truth of why you exist and what drives your team to show up every day. Your brand truth might be buried in your startup story, your unique approach to solving gnarly problems, or the way you're fundamentally changing how your customers work and live. Take Microsoft's transformation under Satya Nadella. When he took the reins in 2014, he didn't just pivot the company's technology — he unleashed its authentic truth as an enabler of human achievement. This wasn't some slick marketing play; it was a fundamental shift from "Windows first" to "empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more." The result? Microsoft's stock price soared over 600% since 2014, and they've become one of the most valuable companies in the world. Why Truth Matters More Than Ever The numbers don't lie: According to Stackla, 88% of consumers say authenticity is crucial when deciding which brands to support. Even more telling? A recent Edelman study found that 81% of consumers need to trust a brand before they'll even consider buying from them. In an age where every startup claims to be "disrupting" something, customers are developing highly sophisticated BS detectors. They're not just looking at your product dashboard — they're scrutinizing your GitHub contributions, reading your engineering blog posts, and watching how you handle service outages on Twitter. Uncovering Your Brand's Truth Finding your brand's authentic truth requires serious introspection. Ask yourself: What technical problem made you angry enough to start this company? What conventional wisdom in your industry are you willing to challenge? What keeps showing up in your customer success stories? What principles would you defend even if they slowed down your growth? Sometimes your truth is hiding in plain sight. Look at Twilio. Their brand truth isn't about APIs — it's about democratizing complex communications technology. This core truth drives everything from their developer-first approach to their acquisition strategy. Expressing Truth Through Story Once you've nailed your brand truth, you need to tell its story in a way that clicks with your audience. And no, we're not talking about another "Our Journey" blog post. Consider how Stripe tells its story. Their truth isn't about payment processing — it's about increasing the GDP of the internet. This bigger narrative has turned what could have been dry technical documentation into a compelling story about empowering entrepreneurs worldwide. Their transparency about their engineering challenges and public infrastructure investments has built unprecedented trust in the developer community. Building Trust Through Consistency Real talk: authenticity means walking the walk. When Zoom faced security criticisms in 2020, CEO Eric Yuan didn't hide behind PR speak. He admitted the problems, implemented a 90-day feature freeze to focus on security, and hosted weekly webinars to address concerns. This transparent approach turned a potential crisis into a trust-building opportunity. The data backs this up: According to PwC, 71% of consumers say they'll lose trust in a brand if they perceive it's putting profit over people. And once that trust is gone, 46% say they'll stop buying from the company altogether. The Bottom Line In the tech world, where every other company claims to be "revolutionary" or "game-changing," authentic brand truth is your secret weapon. It's not about crafting the perfect message—it's about having the courage to be genuinely, consistently, unapologetically you. The next generation of successful tech brands won't win because they had the most sophisticated tech stack or the biggest AWS budget. They'll win because they dared to be real in an increasingly artificial world. In an industry obsessed with automation and scalability, never forget that authenticity is the one thing you can't fake. Remember: Your brand truth is like your source code — you don't write it from scratch, you refactor and optimize what's already there. When you commit to pushing authentic commits to your brand repository, you're not just building a better story — you're compiling a more resilient business that resonates with users on a fundamental level.
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