Mundus

Before enlightenment: chop wood, fetch water.
After enlightenment: chop wood, fetch water.

Today I heard that Anita Roddick died of a 'brain haemorrhage' (a stroke?*). She was not only an astonishingly successful entrepreneur. She eschewed advertising to build the body shop brand. But, ironically, she used communication tools as persuasively - or more so - than many with titanic budgets. If someone were to ask me how to build a successful brand I would say - study the rise of Anita Roddick. She was genius at touting her cause and associating her brand with that cause.

Per my previous post - she stood for something - though she didn't spend money on the media she spent time courting the media and inviting consumers to participate in a conversation that was so much more important than their choice of soap or balm. When you chose Body Shop products you could not only feel pampered and 'good' you could feel that you were also, if only vicariously, doing good by dealing with an ethical company.

Roddick knew how to lubricate the wheels of commerce. But she also knew that the top is just the halfway mark. She continued to spread her message even after she sold The Body Shop to L'Oreal for 650 million UKpounds.


Before enlightenment: chop wood, fetch water.
After enlightenment: chop wood, fetch water.

*I don't like the UnSpeaking of Stroke to become 'brain haemorrhage'. Illness and injury shouldn't be made flattering - even in death. This week is Stroke Awareness Week in New Zealand. After heart disease and cancer it is the next most cited cause of death in New Zealand. It affects young and old. To cloud the issue with vain terms is counter-productive to understanding and unscientific (albeit cloaking in scientific terms).