The simple marketing lesson we can all learn from this billion-pound sandwich chain… 

You may be thinking, what can I learn about marketing from a sandwich shop? 

Especially if your business is business-to-business (B2B), professional practice, services or manufacturing. 

But, this is a remarkable business, with something to teach us all.  

From a standing start in 1986, today there are more than 700 Pret A Manger outlets worldwide with a combined turnover of over £1.2 billion a year. 

To start and drive that growth, Pret did something remarkable with their marketing. 

Firstly, they didn’t advertise – you would never see them on TV, on the web, on Billboards or in any of the ‘normal’ places.

At least – they didn’t advertise externally. BUT, when you walked past or stepped into one of their outlets that was a different matter.

From the messages on the windows, to the posters on the walls, the packaging on the sandwich box, the side of the coffee cup and even on their napkins – Pret took every opportunity to explain what they did and why.

They literally created 99 little stories about the effort that went in (largely behind the scenes) into creating their sandwiches, pastries, coffee, salads and more. 

They called each of these stories ‘Passion Facts’ and numbered them 1 through to 99 – and then plastered them everywhere. 

Pret A Manger’s marketing magic – making the invisible visible.

Pret A Manger is a first-class example of business success (driven by great products and their excellent marketing – but definitely NOT price) achieved by what we call ‘making the invisible, visible’. 

Simply put, this means that they shout from the rooftops about the myriad of things they do behind the scenes to make their sandwiches, coffee, salads and more – what makes them special. 

And more importantly, why there are lots and lots of great reasons to buy from them frequently (and at a healthy price) when there are dozens of other options on every street corner and high street.

These ‘Passion Facts’ or stories were printed on their cups, napkins, sandwich packets, wall posters … they were quite literally the first thing you see as you enter the shop.

Here are some examples…

Caption for Sandwich Box: To ensure our food is fresh, every Pret has its own sandwich kitchen. We can’t bear the idea of a huge factory/depot thingy. Our sandwich and salad chefs rely on fragile, fresh and natural ingredients. We love the tricky stuff like fresh avocado, very crispy bacon and fresh salad leaves. Because we make in-house, you’ll not find shelf life and display dates on our salads and sandwiches etc. Passion Fact No.46

What they are doing here is making sure that they miss no opportunity to educate and explain to their customers why it is a great idea to spend around £6 to £7 on a Pret sandwich. 

And then more on a coffee and maybe a pastry.

And why it would be a great idea for you to keep on coming back day after day to do the same thing.

And let’s be clear – they rely on getting office workers to make as many as 10 to 15 visits to their shop each week to make their business model work. 

The thing is, you could do this as well

Sure, you may not have 99 Passion Facts like Pret. But could you think about and write down 5, 7 or even 10? 

There are probably countless ways that you, your team, and your business go the extra mile to give your customers outstanding quality, terrific service and great value – that you aren’t using as well as you should to EDUCATE customers and prospective customers why they should choose you and choose to stay with you. For years! 

If you do take the time to identify and articulate your ‘Passion Facts’, then you’ll have begun the vitally important task of setting your business apart from your competitors.

You’ll be giving your customers reasons to choose you, compelling reasons to come back and to continue using you, and reasons to refer you to other potential customers. 

And you’ll have some fantastic material (copy) to use… 

• On your website  

• In your sales proposals and quotes  

• In your marketing emails  

• At point of sale (for business-to-consumer like Pret)  

• In your advertising  

• In your Social posts 

• In fact, in all of your marketing collateral. 

The thing is, your ‘Passion Facts’ don’t even need to be unique to your business.

Often, you just have to be the first one to describe what happens ‘behind the scenes’, to get the competitive advantage.

You do that by making the invisible visible.

Go on, give it a go today and come up with just 5 things that your business does that benefit your customers that you don’t tell them about.

Here are some idea starters… 

• Maybe you use a more expensive component in manufacturing (perhaps brass instead of the standard steel) because although it costs you more, it gives the customer 10 years of failure free operation, rather than the typical 5? If so, proudly explain it, make the benefits and advantages (to the customer) super clear, and use it as an example of the incredible lengths you go to manufacture incredible (and great value) components or products. 

• Perhaps you insist on employing graduates with at least 5 years’ experience, whereas your competitors typically employ newly graduated people, who are learning on the job. You pay more for your people, but your clients get better results, faster – so even though your prices may be 20% to 30% more than some competitors, you team gets 50% more done and at a higher quality in the same time. If so – explain it or lose to ‘cheaper’ competitors. 

• Maybe you have invested in expensive IT systems or AI that eliminate or minimise mistakes, that get the work done faster, that produces better reports and information for clients? 

The thing is – if you are going the extra mile, if you’ve made the extra investment, have better systems, use better (but more expensive) components and FAIL to tell your clients and potential clients – then that is plain crazy.

People crave information. Correction, BUYERS crave information. 

Information that helps them make wiser, better decisions.  

Give it (great information) to them, and your marketing will fly. Keep it to yourself, and you’ll be forced to compete on price, and price alone, and will be considered as ‘just another supplier’.

Pret A Manager takes every opportunity to tell, sell, explain, educate and inform their customers.

The Result? 

They are a thriving business. They don’t compete on price. They are growing fast (10% in 2024). They have a hugely loyal customer base.  

And their main form of marketing has been their point-of-sale advertising that makes the invisible visible. 

Note and Links 

Oddly enough, today Pret seem to have backed away from printing their Passion Facts in their stores. Maybe when you are over a billion in annual sales you are big enough for the brand and customer loyalty you have built to carry you.

BUT – they still have these stories in the business, for example on their website, so you can check them out for some inspiration.  

You can check them out here… 

Their food…

And their coffee…