I Am Peanut Butter

I was reading a blog post from Matchstic, an Atlanta-based branding house, where there was comparison of Branding vs. Marketing. Very much a branding is this, and marketing is that composition. The dialogue brought to my mind the concept of a marriage. And that both a man and a woman are two different creatures. And that when both are truly united in communication, message and goals when there is a wonder, heart-shared marriage. This discussion is very relevant within the branding/marketing industry. But, I believe it can also provide considerations for our own personal lives and marriage.

So.... I was a single guy. Let's just say I was peanut butter. Let's even say Brand R Peanut Butter (BRPB). Here I am walking around as BRPB. Sometimes covering a slice of bread. Sometimes there is some jelly with me and that bread. Sometimes I am just good alone with the swipe of a finger inside my jar (gosh, that's a little bit of an awkward picture, but I am gonna keep it). I am okay by myself—I am freakin' BRPB. BRPB has a lot to offer other tastes and is okay as a stand alone. Now I am not the only peanut butter around. There are lots. Each looking for a slice of bread or some jelly, or saying, I like being peanut butter and don't need some other "ingredient" coming into my life to mess it up. Or whatever....

What if God has special plan for BRPB. What if He brings a wonderful piece of chocolate into my life. And by wonderful, I do me in the complementary sense (but tasty too). Well, Chocolate and I decide we work great together and want to stay together. We take the plunge and become a Rick's® Peanut Butter Cup. We have a registered trademarked marriage license. Have a wonderful new package in our rings. We taste great together and people who have experienced our taste can understand and appreciate it.

But what if within this great union I decide to become peanut butter again, or my wife decides to become chocolate. Or even just talk about peanut butter, or talk about chocolate. That wonderful matrimonial Rick's® Peanut Butter Cup can become diluted, and make others, especially our kids, confused as to what Rick's® Peanut Butter Cup really is.

Okay, so, this can illustrate how when a brand is disconnected with a marketing message there is confusion. This is why the branding must be intimate with marketing and understand and embrace the objectives and gifts each other brings—to fully convey the correct message. Otherwise the whole thing can be unclear—or even doubted.

And this shows how critical communication and vision is in a marriage. Particularly with our kids. If they are receiving an unclear, or inconsistent message that doesn't tie back into what that marriage really is it can leave them confused. They no longer will see Rick's® Peanut Butter Cup. They may just see some unrecognizable peanut butter guy walking around their home.

Perhaps I have over-killed this analysis, and rambled on quite a bit, but I believe there is some truth within a lot of these words.