Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to frankly Speaking, your weekly destination for insight and inspiration,
with your host, Frank Morangos. Frankly Speaking is sponsored by
Heppa four two one Chapter of North Miami in partnership
with the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of North Miami.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good afternoon, and welcome to another broadcast of Frankly Speaking.
I am Frank Morangos, and as my producer Brian Mudd indicated,
for the next thirty minutes, I promise to provide you
with frank talk and a lively interview concerning the influence
of the ancient Hellenic ideals, values, and faith on our
contemporary culture. To do my part to help make America
Greek again. I'm sure that, like me, you two were
(00:49):
horrified to learn the details surrounding the senseless shooting that
occurred on Wednesday at the Annunciation Catholic Church school in Minneapolis,
killing two children and wounding more than a dozen others.
While I have so much to say about the incident
that took place during a mass attended by the young students,
I decided to wait until my anger subsides that's it,
(01:10):
if all possible, before providing some commentary in some insight
about the evil that seems to be increasing in our
society to do so. I hope during next week's reflection
on this and other teen perpetraated crimes that seems to
be on the rise in our society from the point
of view of Aristotle's philosophical principles. Today, in light of
the controversy surrounding Cracker Barrels proposed change of their company's logo,
(01:34):
I want to discuss the topic of branding, and more specifically,
the issue of persuasion, a subject at which Aristotle has
much to say. Earlier this month, on August eighteenth, the
Cracker Barrel restaurant chain, that has locations in forty three states,
announced its new all the More campaign and logo change,
which removed the iconic old man perched on a chair
(01:57):
in a barrel from its outdoor signs. Unfortunately, since the
debut of the new logo, shares of Cracker Barrel declined
by nearly fifteen percent. However, on Tuesday of this week,
after its customers expressed outrage accusing the country themed restaurant
chain of changing its values and going woke when it
rolled out the new logo, the company announced that it
(02:18):
was returning to its old branding. We thank our guests
for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel, posted
the company's leadership on Facebook. We said we would listen,
and we have. Our new logo is going away, and
our old timer will remain at Cracker Barrel. It's always
been and always will be. They continued about serving up
(02:40):
delicious food, warm, welcomes in the kind of country hospitality
that feels like family. It's a proud American institution. Our
seventy thousand hard working employees look forward to welcoming you
back to our table soon. According to its website, the
mission of Cracker barrels to provide a friendly, family like
atmosphere through country hospitality, real home style food, and a
(03:04):
country store, all at a fair price. Established in nineteen
sixty nine, the company's core mission is expressed in only
two words, pleasing people, a simple statement that serves as
the guiding principle for Cracker Barrel's interactions with guests and
its commitment to supporting employees and communities. The website insists
that pleasing people has been the foundation of its brand
(03:27):
since its inception. According to business experts, branding refers to
the overall perception, or the gut feeling a customer has
about a company, a product, or a service. It is
the result of a company's actions and identity. It includes
visual elements like logos and colors, but also the brand's mission, values,
(03:49):
its voice, customer experience, and the story it tells. To
create emotional connection with its audience through its logo and branding,
a business tries to stand out in a crowded marketplace
by highlighting its unique attributes. Strong branding builds emotional connections
with customers and fosters loyalty. It creates strong associations in
(04:12):
people's minds, increasing recognition and trying the brand to positive experiences.
In short, branding isn't just about a company's logo, but
the sum total of all the experiences and perceptions a
customer has about its services. Through consistent messaging, visuals, and
interaction that form a distinct identity in people's minds and hearts,
(04:34):
branding leverages the power of influence. So Aristotle defines persuasion
as a balance of ethos, which refers to character pathos.
Emotion and logos are logic. A strong Aristotelian brand identity
is built on consistent actions that demonstrate its values, fostering
trust and creating a deep connection with customers who are
(04:57):
looking for a brand that stands for something beyond prop
Understood through this lens, branding means building an identity around
the three modes of influence. Ethos, as I've mentioned, refers
to a brand's ethical character, its values, and reputation. Pathos,
on the other hand, is the appeal that a company
extends to the emotions of its customers through storytelling, and Finally,
(05:20):
logos is defined by Aristotle as a brand's appeal to
the reason of the patrons or audience that it serves
through the use of logical arguments and the sharing of facts.
If he was alive today, Aristotle would have concluded that
Cracker Barrel's explanation that their new in quotes fresher brand
(05:42):
identity was intended to attract new customers failed because it
did not align with the emotional and character driven attachment
of existing customers. In addition, the philosopher would have added
that Cracker Barrel miscalculated the influence of its existing pathos.
The rebrand tapped into the raw emotions triggering anger and
disappointment among loyal customers, rather than excitement from the new ones,
(06:06):
so in the end, the company's ethos was damaged. The
attempt to persuade customers that the new logo was simply
an evolution of the old one was unconvincing, so as
a result, Cracker Barrel's credibility suffered, forcing it to make
a quick reversal. Like other companies that have done so
in the past, Cracker Barrel had the potential to successfully
(06:29):
evolve its branding, but this potential was never actualized. Instead,
the restaurant chain immediately experienced the displeasure of its customer
base Against a rebranding that went against its well established logo,
its bathos, and ethos, it revealed a fundamental misunderstanding of
the company's nature and purpose. Years ago, I came across
(06:51):
an interesting true story about a small town baker named
Harold who created an iconic logo for his family's doughnut company.
His bakery was known for its delicious, but never quite
identical donuts. Harold himself was a jovial man with a
slightly crooked smile, and so he wanted his logo to
reflect the genuine, comforting, and sometimes delightful, imperfect nature of
(07:14):
his baked goods. So, after many attempts at a generic donut,
he sketched the simple, slightly off centered doughnut with a beaming,
somewhat crooked smile. He created it to represent his perfectly
imperfect baked goods. As he called it. He felt it
perfectly captured the warm hug of his personality as well
(07:35):
as his bakery. To a surprise, the logo became so
popular that Harold's Lopsided Donuts became a local legend. Customers
even began buying t shirts featuring the quirky logo. Harold's
logo illustrates that sometimes even the existence of imperfection can
become a brand's greatest strength. The humorous story of Harold's
(07:57):
bakery slightly wonky logo used wonderfully illustrates Aristotle's principles of persuasion.
To the use of logos, pathos, and ethos, the lopsided
donut became more than just a brand. It unintentionally became
a cherished symbol of a town's identity. Harold's accidental imperfection
(08:20):
created a brand identity that was not just memorable, but
also personal and beloved by his community. I would suggest
that the opposite occurred with Cracker Barrel's decision to remove
the image of the iconic old man perched on a
chair and a barrel from its logo and outdoor signs.
By the way, did you know that the faceless old
(08:42):
man actually refers to a real person and his lasting values.
His name was Herschel McCartney. He was the uncle of
Cracker Barrel's founder, Dan Evans. Uncle Herschel, as he was
fondly referred to, worked as a traveling salesman for Martha
White's Flower Company for over three decades, visiting a kind
of rural general stores that inspired Cracker Barrel itself. After retiring,
(09:06):
he became a goodwill ambassador for the company, embodying the
brand's core values of country hospitality and friendliness. So over
time his name was memorialized as an item on Cracker
Barrel's breakfast menu. It was called, and it is still called,
Uncle Herschel's Favorite Breakfast. Although the company tried to clarify
(09:27):
that the original logo showed a generic in quotes old
timer and overalls and not Uncle Herschel, its customers did
not accept the explanation, but demanded that whoever the Old
Time originally represented the image be immediately returned. Why because
it had somehow become synonymous with the values of hospitality
(09:49):
and neighborliness. When we return, I will be speaking with
Maria Clark, a dear friend calling in from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
I look forward to speaking with her about the gracious
influence of a Greek version of Uncle Hersial in her
own family.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
We thank you have BET four twenty one North Miami
chapter for their sponsorship of Frankly Speaking. You know they
promote the ancient Hellenic ideas of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family,
and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism. They offer
scholarships annually to support students seeking higher education. I HEPPA
supports other organizations including the Saint Basol Academy in New York,
(10:35):
IOCC hurricane relief efforts, and the local Annunciation GOOC. If
you're interested in donating to help support these efforts, email
i HEPA four twenty one North Miami at gmail dot com.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Welcome back to Frankly Speaking. Apart from introducing the greater
public the rich history, the culture and faith heritage of
the ancient Greeks, and to discuss how the history may
provide some insight to us today. Each week, the show
also includes an interview with a noted Greek philanthropist, a
successful entrepreneur, a personality throughout the United States and today.
(11:16):
I'm thrilled to welcome Maria Clark and to be truly transparent.
Her mother, Tina Maratus, used to be my executive assistant
when I was helping the church in Boca Ratone in
the nineteen nineties. So Maria, thank you for calling in
from Steamboat Springs.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Oh, you're welcome. I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I was wondering when was the last time that we
saw each other.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
It has to be, actually, I think it was. It
could possibly be my sister's wedding, which is almost twenty
years ago.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
I think it was.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Yeah, And I think I told you the night of
her rehearsal dinner that i'd be married the following year.
And you asked me, how were you dating someone? And
I said no, And you said, is there anyone of interest?
And I said no, But you.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Knew you were going to get married in a year.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Yeah, And I did whatever you put your mind to.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
You You're like your mother, you get it done.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
I think it was like three months later I met Rick.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Where did you meet him?
Speaker 4 (12:12):
I got married the following time. We met at Disons
fifty two in Fort Lauderdale at Galleria Mall.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Sure a great place. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
I was a high school friend of mine and we
were talking to who lives in Chicago, And we were
talking to two ladies that were went to high school
together in Chicago, but one was living in Florida and
the other one was down visiting, and both of them
had just gotten married. They were both in their mid
forties and they had both just gotten married. And we
(12:43):
were like, Oh, my gosh, that's fantastic. And about ten
minutes later Rick walked up and I was forty three
when I met Rick. Yeah, and we've been it'll be
nineteen years in February.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Well, congratulations, that's fantastic. You worked together. I understand what
did you do? What kind of a company did you
so when I met Rick.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
Rick is a chemical engineer specializing in the physiochemical properties
of construction materials, and he worked all over the world.
He started out with Master Builders as a cement chemist
and then consulted worked for them for about twenty years,
and then consulted for major construction suppliers really manufacturers and
(13:25):
designing construction materials and more in particular with waterproofing protecting
the exterior of buildings. It was funny because when we met,
I was working for a company that sold chemicals private
label to basically whoever you could get to buy them.
And so when we met, he was said, oh, well,
you know what's in your chemicals? I said, I have
(13:47):
no idea. What do they do? I don't know. I
just show up and I sell them and the guys
know what they want. And he was just horrified.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
And then did you work together as a team at
one point?
Speaker 4 (13:59):
And then and then about three years later when the
market crashed in two thousand and nine, basically when in
South Florida, I was calling mostly on government and their
budgets got flashed, so, you know, because most of their
money was property taxes, and you know, the money came
in in Florida that way. And so when the new
(14:21):
budgets were coming out, all these guys who had, you know,
could just buy whatever they want pretty much got the
buy meed and I was I was kind of burnt
out anyway. So he needed someone to do sales for him,
so I started calling on condos and then slowly but
surely learned the business more and more. And basically what
he did at that time is he consulted for engineers
(14:44):
and he also represented waterproofing manufacturers, particular waterproofing materials that
work predominantly well and especially in tropical environments, which South
Florida is. And he basically he basically created a cottage
industry of restoration. And it was basically restoring you know,
(15:07):
the big pool decks c and condominiums on the beach,
all those pool decks, because there's obviously little space, all
those pool decks basically perform as the roof for their
garages and sometimes for storage areas, sometimes for condominiums. Because
the concrete is porous, if it's not protected properly, the
(15:29):
water with the salt in it, you will penetrate the concrete,
which then affects the reinforcing steel, which grows the reinforcing
steel and the buildings can obviously fall down. So at
the time when he started, everyone was using what's called
a cold applied material. The only problem with that is
it disintegrates in water. So these cold applied materials would
disintegrate over time, and buildings that were really between ten
(15:53):
and fifteen years old, were our biggest customers because of
all the cold materials failing in that period of time.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
And I'm sure that you are a fantastic sales lady.
I could tell you really know your your life and
you really know your stuff. No one could say that
both of you because of your chemistry background. You can
say that chemistry brought you together.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Well, you have chemistry, yes, definitely.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Why did you move to Colorado Springs?
Speaker 4 (16:24):
Well, Steamboat Springs?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
We steambroke.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
I'm sorry, yeah, no, no, no, no problem. We uh. Basically,
we were traveling all over the world and our accountant said,
you should probably put your money into something that you
can feel in touch and that will be more of
an investment. And so we started talking about, you know,
where do we want to go? Where grew up in
Saint Louis, and we talked about, you know, living in
(16:48):
the Midwest. We talked about Pittsburgh. Rick did most of
his adult life was spent in in the West Phoenix area,
and he just loved the West and he always wanted
to build a log cabin in the mountains. And so
we just were talking about different places and I had
(17:09):
believe it or not, gone to church one day and
when I came home, Rick had been watching CBS Sunday
Morning in Sulver and Lundquist on and he was talking
about how much he loved Steamboat Springs, and so Rick
asked me about my wife skied there one time, and
I said, seem you know, let's go check it out.
So we flew off to Denver and we went to
a number of different locations in Colorado and we just
(17:30):
fill them all the steamboat. We liked the community. Rick
wanted land, so we bought a nice piece of property
in a community.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
And you built your Yeah, that's fantastic. You know that.
I've actually been there. I have not skied there, but
it's an interesting story. I actually helped the church in Craig, Colorado.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Okay, I think not too far.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
From here, right, I think you have to fly to
Craig in order to get the steamboat. That's one way
of getting here.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
Right too. Well, the airport's actually called Hayden Steamboat, right, yes,
And Hayden is basically in between Steamboat and Craig.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
And I remember going there and I actually was there
during a Holy Week and I actually was caught up
it with sheep actually clogging up the roadway because there
are many sheep herder that in that area.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Their probably sheep. There is certainly a lot of cattle.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah, so there is a Greek Orthodox church in Craig,
so you need to be going there. It's not that
far away from I did not know that. I guess
it's about forty miles away.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
Probably from where we are. We're in what's called the
South Valley, which is south We're about ten miles from
the mountain in Steamboat.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
So, Maria, one of the reasons why I invited you
on the show is this afternoon during the broadcast, I'm
talking about what took place with Cracker Barrels changing of
its logo and the fluence that had on individuals, and
the change back to the old man that perched on
(19:05):
the chair in front of the barrel and the mistake
that they made. And I mentioned in my monologue that
the logo of the old man actually refers to Uncle Herschel.
I don't know if you've ever eaten at at Cracker barrew,
but there's a there's an Uncle Herschel breakfast special breakfast,
and in his honor because he influenced the Evans Dan
(19:26):
Evans when when he created Cracker Barrel and he became
an advocate. The uncle became an advocate for Cracker Barrel,
and so they want the audience, the customers wanted Uncle
Herschel to come back in a sense. And so I
introduced you in the monologue by saying that I was
curious as to the Greek version of Uncle Herschel in
(19:46):
your family, which was your grandmother.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
I was.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
I think of her fondly. What are some of the
things that she taught you that you that has influenced
your your life. She's a tough as you are, a
tough lady.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Actually, there's a lot of tough women in our family.
There's no doubt about that. There's a couple of things
that that she said. And one of the things I
go back to, especially you know, you know what's happening
today is when she her and her husband had a
restaurant in Virginia and when she actually her husband went
(20:24):
to Greece met her, they got married, and he brought
her back to America and they were in Virginia and
he had a restaurant, and I guess that was probably
in the i'm am was born in thirty five, so
I would say it was you know, mid thirties to
probably fifty something like that around there. But anyway, she
(20:46):
you know, she learned English and she ran this restaurant,
and when my grandfather passed away, she ran the restaurant
on her own.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Well I did not know that.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
Think. Yeah, So if you think about that time frame,
you know, a single a widow running a restaurant, you know,
by herself, and that's pretty impressive. Number one. But something
that she told me, which just has stuck with me,
is what used to make her so mad is the
war had broken out. When all the kids came back
(21:19):
from the war, there was all these black boys, or
she called them in that day colored. I used to
have to correct her, but she would say it would
make her so mad because they were good enough to
go to war for America, but they weren't good enough
to eat in her restaurant. And she would actually feed
them out the back door because they weren't allowed I
(21:41):
guess it was whites only or something. They weren't allowed
to sit inside the restaurant, and that I would have
just upset her. And it's it's so hard to comprehend
today that that's the case. And but that was something
that you know that they were good enough to go
to war but not eat in a restaurant.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
What was the second thing that she said?
Speaker 4 (22:00):
She just always I remember her saying, always hold hands.
That was be She didn't know that I had met
you know, obviously she passed away fire I met Rick,
but she had always said whenever you meet someone, always
hold hands, never let go.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Well you've actually done that in your marriage, so she'd
be very happy, happy, yes, So before we before I
let you go again, thank you for being on the show.
Is I have to tell you that I have a
gift that you gave me, still hanging on a wall
everywhere we've been since you gave it to me. My
wife and I hang it up. And it's a photograph
used to take photographs of Greece and used to frame them.
(22:37):
It's a photograph of a door. And what was it
about doors?
Speaker 4 (22:43):
You know what I guess in Greece, you know, because
it was the whitewashed buildings with the colorful doors, and
I don't know, there was just something in all the flowers.
It was something just entricing either an entrance or an exit,
you know, And it just the way that they were designed.
I guess some particular in Greece. Actually, I love this
(23:04):
about uh doors. So when Rick and I were in Morocco,
we went to Casablanc and then went to Marrakesh, and
in all the shops, the art stores, I believe it
or not, they sell doors, and I was just fascinated
by them. Very decorative and I mean just beautiful. So
(23:28):
Rick and I bought a door in Marrakesh and had
a ship to steamboat and it's in their library.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Well, just to let you know that, every time I
see that door, I think of opportunity. You know, it's
almost your own logo. We've been talking about logo here
in influence. So I want to thank you very much
for that, because every time I see it, I think
of you, and I think of you fondly. And now
that you're in a ski ski toown USA, I may
come visit you because my wife and I continue to ski.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
Oh. I love it. I mean the mountain is just
a it's a great mountain. They put in a new
gondola a couple of years ago that takes you from
the bottom to the very top in ten minutes.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Excellent.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
So and it's just great ice sky blue runs, so
it's just a great blue mountain to ski on.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
I'm looking forward. I'm looking forward to visiting with Thank you,
Thank you Maria very much for being on Frankly speaking.
It's a pleasure.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Oh, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Thank you for joining me this afternoon on Frankly Speaking.
Before concluding today's broadcast, I want to briefly discuss the
etymology of the word logos that I've been using in
my monologue. According to numerous dictionaries, the English word logos
comes from the ancient Greek word logos, which means word, speech, reason, account,
or order. The term has a rich history in Greek
(24:44):
language and philosophy, evolving from its literal meaning of spoken
words to broader concepts like thought, rationality, and the governing
principle of the universe. The Greek word logos derives its
meaning from the root leg which means to collect or
to gather, with derivatives relating to speak, suggesting the act
(25:06):
of collecting words to form a speech or a thought.
In the sixth to fourth century BC, Greek philosophers such
as Aristotle use the word logos to refer to rationality
and speech. In its original Greek context, logos encompasses a
wide range of meaning, including speech and word, reason and rationality, explanation,
and order and proportion. In the Christian tradition, particularly in
(25:30):
the Gospel of Saint John, the term logos is used
to refer to Jesus Christ as the Word of God.
The logos as a noun. The word logos occurs three
hundred and thirty times in the Greek New Testament, but
over time, however, the word's most basic and common meaning
became reduced to simply word, speech, utterance, or message. So,
(25:53):
as mister Portocalos insists on my big fat Greek wedding,
there you go. Give me a word, any word, and
I will show you its Greek groot. Thank you for
joining me on Frankly Speaking, a show that seeks to
provide frank talk and lively interviews about the influence of
ancient Hellenic ideals, values, and faith on our contemporary culture.
I am trying to help make America Greek again. If
(26:15):
you would like to share a question and or suggest
a future guest or even a topic, I would love
to hear from you at frank at Franktalkradio. Dot com
Welcome to frankly Speaking, your weekly destination for insight and inspiration,
with your host, Frank Morangos. Frankly Speaking is sponsored by
Heppa four two one Chapter of North Miami in partnership
with the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of North Miami.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good afternoon, and welcome to another broadcast of Frankly Speaking.
I am Frank Morangos, and as my producer Brian Mudd indicated,
for the next thirty minutes, I promise to provide you
with frank talk and a lively interview concerning the influence
of the ancient Hellenic ideals, values, and faith on our
contemporary culture. To do my part to help make America
Greek again. I'm sure that, like me, you two were
(00:49):
horrified to learn the details surrounding the senseless shooting that
occurred on Wednesday at the Annunciation Catholic Church school in Minneapolis,
killing two children and wounding more than a dozen others.
While I have so much to say about the incident
that took place during a mass attended by the young students,
I decided to wait until my anger subsides that's it,
(01:10):
if all possible, before providing some commentary in some insight
about the evil that seems to be increasing in our
society to do so. I hope during next week's reflection
on this and other teen perpetraated crimes that seems to
be on the rise in our society from the point
of view of Aristotle's philosophical principles. Today, in light of
the controversy surrounding Cracker Barrels proposed change of their company's logo,
(01:34):
I want to discuss the topic of branding, and more specifically,
the issue of persuasion, a subject at which Aristotle has
much to say. Earlier this month, on August eighteenth, the
Cracker Barrel restaurant chain, that has locations in forty three states,
announced its new all the More campaign and logo change,
which removed the iconic old man perched on a chair
(01:57):
in a barrel from its outdoor signs. Unfortunately, since the
debut of the new logo, shares of Cracker Barrel declined
by nearly fifteen percent. However, on Tuesday of this week,
after its customers expressed outrage accusing the country themed restaurant
chain of changing its values and going woke when it
rolled out the new logo, the company announced that it
(02:18):
was returning to its old branding. We thank our guests
for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel, posted
the company's leadership on Facebook. We said we would listen,
and we have. Our new logo is going away, and
our old timer will remain at Cracker Barrel. It's always
been and always will be. They continued about serving up
(02:40):
delicious food, warm, welcomes in the kind of country hospitality
that feels like family. It's a proud American institution. Our
seventy thousand hard working employees look forward to welcoming you
back to our table soon. According to its website, the
mission of Cracker barrels to provide a friendly, family like
atmosphere through country hospitality, real home style food, and a
(03:04):
country store, all at a fair price. Established in nineteen
sixty nine, the company's core mission is expressed in only
two words, pleasing people, a simple statement that serves as
the guiding principle for Cracker Barrel's interactions with guests and
its commitment to supporting employees and communities. The website insists
that pleasing people has been the foundation of its brand
(03:27):
since its inception. According to business experts, branding refers to
the overall perception, or the gut feeling a customer has
about a company, a product, or a service. It is
the result of a company's actions and identity. It includes
visual elements like logos and colors, but also the brand's mission, values,
(03:49):
its voice, customer experience, and the story it tells. To
create emotional connection with its audience through its logo and branding,
a business tries to stand out in a crowded marketplace
by highlighting its unique attributes. Strong branding builds emotional connections
with customers and fosters loyalty. It creates strong associations in
(04:12):
people's minds, increasing recognition and trying the brand to positive experiences.
In short, branding isn't just about a company's logo, but
the sum total of all the experiences and perceptions a
customer has about its services. Through consistent messaging, visuals, and
interaction that form a distinct identity in people's minds and hearts,
(04:34):
branding leverages the power of influence. So Aristotle defines persuasion
as a balance of ethos, which refers to character pathos.
Emotion and logos are logic. A strong Aristotelian brand identity
is built on consistent actions that demonstrate its values, fostering
trust and creating a deep connection with customers who are
(04:57):
looking for a brand that stands for something beyond prop
Understood through this lens, branding means building an identity around
the three modes of influence. Ethos, as I've mentioned, refers
to a brand's ethical character, its values, and reputation. Pathos,
on the other hand, is the appeal that a company
extends to the emotions of its customers through storytelling, and Finally,
(05:20):
logos is defined by Aristotle as a brand's appeal to
the reason of the patrons or audience that it serves
through the use of logical arguments and the sharing of facts.
If he was alive today, Aristotle would have concluded that
Cracker Barrel's explanation that their new in quotes fresher brand
(05:42):
identity was intended to attract new customers failed because it
did not align with the emotional and character driven attachment
of existing customers. In addition, the philosopher would have added
that Cracker Barrel miscalculated the influence of its existing pathos.
The rebrand tapped into the raw emotions triggering anger and
disappointment among loyal customers, rather than excitement from the new ones,
(06:06):
so in the end, the company's ethos was damaged. The
attempt to persuade customers that the new logo was simply
an evolution of the old one was unconvincing, so as
a result, Cracker Barrel's credibility suffered, forcing it to make
a quick reversal. Like other companies that have done so
in the past, Cracker Barrel had the potential to successfully
(06:29):
evolve its branding, but this potential was never actualized. Instead,
the restaurant chain immediately experienced the displeasure of its customer
base Against a rebranding that went against its well established logo,
its bathos, and ethos, it revealed a fundamental misunderstanding of
the company's nature and purpose. Years ago, I came across
(06:51):
an interesting true story about a small town baker named
Harold who created an iconic logo for his family's doughnut company.
His bakery was known for its delicious, but never quite
identical donuts. Harold himself was a jovial man with a
slightly crooked smile, and so he wanted his logo to
reflect the genuine, comforting, and sometimes delightful, imperfect nature of
(07:14):
his baked goods. So, after many attempts at a generic donut,
he sketched the simple, slightly off centered doughnut with a beaming,
somewhat crooked smile. He created it to represent his perfectly
imperfect baked goods. As he called it. He felt it
perfectly captured the warm hug of his personality as well
(07:35):
as his bakery. To a surprise, the logo became so
popular that Harold's Lopsided Donuts became a local legend. Customers
even began buying t shirts featuring the quirky logo. Harold's
logo illustrates that sometimes even the existence of imperfection can
become a brand's greatest strength. The humorous story of Harold's
(07:57):
bakery slightly wonky logo used wonderfully illustrates Aristotle's principles of persuasion.
To the use of logos, pathos, and ethos, the lopsided
donut became more than just a brand. It unintentionally became
a cherished symbol of a town's identity. Harold's accidental imperfection
(08:20):
created a brand identity that was not just memorable, but
also personal and beloved by his community. I would suggest
that the opposite occurred with Cracker Barrel's decision to remove
the image of the iconic old man perched on a
chair and a barrel from its logo and outdoor signs.
By the way, did you know that the faceless old
(08:42):
man actually refers to a real person and his lasting values.
His name was Herschel McCartney. He was the uncle of
Cracker Barrel's founder, Dan Evans. Uncle Herschel, as he was
fondly referred to, worked as a traveling salesman for Martha
White's Flower Company for over three decades, visiting a kind
of rural general stores that inspired Cracker Barrel itself. After retiring,
(09:06):
he became a goodwill ambassador for the company, embodying the
brand's core values of country hospitality and friendliness. So over
time his name was memorialized as an item on Cracker
Barrel's breakfast menu. It was called, and it is still called,
Uncle Herschel's Favorite Breakfast. Although the company tried to clarify
(09:27):
that the original logo showed a generic in quotes old
timer and overalls and not Uncle Herschel, its customers did
not accept the explanation, but demanded that whoever the Old
Time originally represented the image be immediately returned. Why because
it had somehow become synonymous with the values of hospitality
(09:49):
and neighborliness. When we return, I will be speaking with
Maria Clark, a dear friend calling in from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
I look forward to speaking with her about the gracious
influence of a Greek version of Uncle Hersial in her
own family.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
We thank you have BET four twenty one North Miami
chapter for their sponsorship of Frankly Speaking. You know they
promote the ancient Hellenic ideas of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family,
and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism. They offer
scholarships annually to support students seeking higher education. I HEPPA
supports other organizations including the Saint Basol Academy in New York,
(10:35):
IOCC hurricane relief efforts, and the local Annunciation GOOC. If
you're interested in donating to help support these efforts, email
i HEPA four twenty one North Miami at gmail dot com.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Welcome back to Frankly Speaking. Apart from introducing the greater
public the rich history, the culture and faith heritage of
the ancient Greeks, and to discuss how the history may
provide some insight to us today. Each week, the show
also includes an interview with a noted Greek philanthropist, a
successful entrepreneur, a personality throughout the United States and today.
(11:16):
I'm thrilled to welcome Maria Clark and to be truly transparent.
Her mother, Tina Maratus, used to be my executive assistant
when I was helping the church in Boca Ratone in
the nineteen nineties. So Maria, thank you for calling in
from Steamboat Springs.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Oh, you're welcome. I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I was wondering when was the last time that we
saw each other.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
It has to be, actually, I think it was. It
could possibly be my sister's wedding, which is almost twenty
years ago.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
I think it was.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Yeah, And I think I told you the night of
her rehearsal dinner that i'd be married the following year.
And you asked me, how were you dating someone? And
I said no, And you said, is there anyone of interest?
And I said no, But you.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Knew you were going to get married in a year.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Yeah, And I did whatever you put your mind to.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
You You're like your mother, you get it done.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
I think it was like three months later I met Rick.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Where did you meet him?
Speaker 4 (12:12):
I got married the following time. We met at Disons
fifty two in Fort Lauderdale at Galleria Mall.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Sure a great place. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
I was a high school friend of mine and we
were talking to who lives in Chicago, And we were
talking to two ladies that were went to high school
together in Chicago, but one was living in Florida and
the other one was down visiting, and both of them
had just gotten married. They were both in their mid
forties and they had both just gotten married. And we
(12:43):
were like, Oh, my gosh, that's fantastic. And about ten
minutes later Rick walked up and I was forty three
when I met Rick. Yeah, and we've been it'll be
nineteen years in February.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Well, congratulations, that's fantastic. You worked together. I understand what
did you do? What kind of a company did you
so when I met Rick.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
Rick is a chemical engineer specializing in the physiochemical properties
of construction materials, and he worked all over the world.
He started out with Master Builders as a cement chemist
and then consulted worked for them for about twenty years,
and then consulted for major construction suppliers really manufacturers and
(13:25):
designing construction materials and more in particular with waterproofing protecting
the exterior of buildings. It was funny because when we met,
I was working for a company that sold chemicals private
label to basically whoever you could get to buy them.
And so when we met, he was said, oh, well,
you know what's in your chemicals? I said, I have
(13:47):
no idea. What do they do? I don't know. I
just show up and I sell them and the guys
know what they want. And he was just horrified.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
And then did you work together as a team at
one point?
Speaker 4 (13:59):
And then and then about three years later when the
market crashed in two thousand and nine, basically when in
South Florida, I was calling mostly on government and their
budgets got flashed, so, you know, because most of their
money was property taxes, and you know, the money came
in in Florida that way. And so when the new
(14:21):
budgets were coming out, all these guys who had, you know,
could just buy whatever they want pretty much got the
buy meed and I was I was kind of burnt
out anyway. So he needed someone to do sales for him,
so I started calling on condos and then slowly but
surely learned the business more and more. And basically what
he did at that time is he consulted for engineers
(14:44):
and he also represented waterproofing manufacturers, particular waterproofing materials that
work predominantly well and especially in tropical environments, which South
Florida is. And he basically he basically created a cottage
industry of restoration. And it was basically restoring you know,
(15:07):
the big pool decks c and condominiums on the beach,
all those pool decks, because there's obviously little space, all
those pool decks basically perform as the roof for their
garages and sometimes for storage areas, sometimes for condominiums. Because
the concrete is porous, if it's not protected properly, the
(15:29):
water with the salt in it, you will penetrate the concrete,
which then affects the reinforcing steel, which grows the reinforcing
steel and the buildings can obviously fall down. So at
the time when he started, everyone was using what's called
a cold applied material. The only problem with that is
it disintegrates in water. So these cold applied materials would
disintegrate over time, and buildings that were really between ten
(15:53):
and fifteen years old, were our biggest customers because of
all the cold materials failing in that period of time.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
And I'm sure that you are a fantastic sales lady.
I could tell you really know your your life and
you really know your stuff. No one could say that
both of you because of your chemistry background. You can
say that chemistry brought you together.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Well, you have chemistry, yes, definitely.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Why did you move to Colorado Springs?
Speaker 4 (16:24):
Well, Steamboat Springs?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
We steambroke.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
I'm sorry, yeah, no, no, no, no problem. We uh. Basically,
we were traveling all over the world and our accountant said,
you should probably put your money into something that you
can feel in touch and that will be more of
an investment. And so we started talking about, you know,
where do we want to go? Where grew up in
Saint Louis, and we talked about, you know, living in
(16:48):
the Midwest. We talked about Pittsburgh. Rick did most of
his adult life was spent in in the West Phoenix area,
and he just loved the West and he always wanted
to build a log cabin in the mountains. And so
we just were talking about different places and I had
(17:09):
believe it or not, gone to church one day and
when I came home, Rick had been watching CBS Sunday
Morning in Sulver and Lundquist on and he was talking
about how much he loved Steamboat Springs, and so Rick
asked me about my wife skied there one time, and
I said, seem you know, let's go check it out.
So we flew off to Denver and we went to
a number of different locations in Colorado and we just
(17:30):
fill them all the steamboat. We liked the community. Rick
wanted land, so we bought a nice piece of property
in a community.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
And you built your Yeah, that's fantastic. You know that.
I've actually been there. I have not skied there, but
it's an interesting story. I actually helped the church in Craig, Colorado.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Okay, I think not too far.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
From here, right, I think you have to fly to
Craig in order to get the steamboat. That's one way
of getting here.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
Right too. Well, the airport's actually called Hayden Steamboat, right, yes,
And Hayden is basically in between Steamboat and Craig.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
And I remember going there and I actually was there
during a Holy Week and I actually was caught up
it with sheep actually clogging up the roadway because there
are many sheep herder that in that area.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Their probably sheep. There is certainly a lot of cattle.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah, so there is a Greek Orthodox church in Craig,
so you need to be going there. It's not that
far away from I did not know that. I guess
it's about forty miles away.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
Probably from where we are. We're in what's called the
South Valley, which is south We're about ten miles from
the mountain in Steamboat.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
So, Maria, one of the reasons why I invited you
on the show is this afternoon during the broadcast, I'm
talking about what took place with Cracker Barrels changing of
its logo and the fluence that had on individuals, and
the change back to the old man that perched on
(19:05):
the chair in front of the barrel and the mistake
that they made. And I mentioned in my monologue that
the logo of the old man actually refers to Uncle Herschel.
I don't know if you've ever eaten at at Cracker barrew,
but there's a there's an Uncle Herschel breakfast special breakfast,
and in his honor because he influenced the Evans Dan
(19:26):
Evans when when he created Cracker Barrel and he became
an advocate. The uncle became an advocate for Cracker Barrel,
and so they want the audience, the customers wanted Uncle
Herschel to come back in a sense. And so I
introduced you in the monologue by saying that I was
curious as to the Greek version of Uncle Herschel in
(19:46):
your family, which was your grandmother.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
I was.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
I think of her fondly. What are some of the
things that she taught you that you that has influenced
your your life. She's a tough as you are, a
tough lady.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Actually, there's a lot of tough women in our family.
There's no doubt about that. There's a couple of things
that that she said. And one of the things I
go back to, especially you know, you know what's happening
today is when she her and her husband had a
restaurant in Virginia and when she actually her husband went
(20:24):
to Greece met her, they got married, and he brought
her back to America and they were in Virginia and
he had a restaurant, and I guess that was probably
in the i'm am was born in thirty five, so
I would say it was you know, mid thirties to
probably fifty something like that around there. But anyway, she
(20:46):
you know, she learned English and she ran this restaurant,
and when my grandfather passed away, she ran the restaurant
on her own.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Well I did not know that.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
Think. Yeah, So if you think about that time frame,
you know, a single a widow running a restaurant, you know,
by herself, and that's pretty impressive. Number one. But something
that she told me, which just has stuck with me,
is what used to make her so mad is the
war had broken out. When all the kids came back
(21:19):
from the war, there was all these black boys, or
she called them in that day colored. I used to
have to correct her, but she would say it would
make her so mad because they were good enough to
go to war for America, but they weren't good enough
to eat in her restaurant. And she would actually feed
them out the back door because they weren't allowed I
(21:41):
guess it was whites only or something. They weren't allowed
to sit inside the restaurant, and that I would have
just upset her. And it's it's so hard to comprehend
today that that's the case. And but that was something
that you know that they were good enough to go
to war but not eat in a restaurant.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
What was the second thing that she said?
Speaker 4 (22:00):
She just always I remember her saying, always hold hands.
That was be She didn't know that I had met
you know, obviously she passed away fire I met Rick,
but she had always said whenever you meet someone, always
hold hands, never let go.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Well you've actually done that in your marriage, so she'd
be very happy, happy, yes, So before we before I
let you go again, thank you for being on the show.
Is I have to tell you that I have a
gift that you gave me, still hanging on a wall
everywhere we've been since you gave it to me. My
wife and I hang it up. And it's a photograph
used to take photographs of Greece and used to frame them.
(22:37):
It's a photograph of a door. And what was it
about doors?
Speaker 4 (22:43):
You know what I guess in Greece, you know, because
it was the whitewashed buildings with the colorful doors, and
I don't know, there was just something in all the flowers.
It was something just entricing either an entrance or an exit,
you know, And it just the way that they were designed.
I guess some particular in Greece. Actually, I love this
(23:04):
about uh doors. So when Rick and I were in Morocco,
we went to Casablanc and then went to Marrakesh, and
in all the shops, the art stores, I believe it
or not, they sell doors, and I was just fascinated
by them. Very decorative and I mean just beautiful. So
(23:28):
Rick and I bought a door in Marrakesh and had
a ship to steamboat and it's in their library.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Well, just to let you know that, every time I
see that door, I think of opportunity. You know, it's
almost your own logo. We've been talking about logo here
in influence. So I want to thank you very much
for that, because every time I see it, I think
of you, and I think of you fondly. And now
that you're in a ski ski toown USA, I may
come visit you because my wife and I continue to ski.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
Oh. I love it. I mean the mountain is just
a it's a great mountain. They put in a new
gondola a couple of years ago that takes you from
the bottom to the very top in ten minutes.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Excellent.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
So and it's just great ice sky blue runs, so
it's just a great blue mountain to ski on.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
I'm looking forward. I'm looking forward to visiting with Thank you,
Thank you Maria very much for being on Frankly speaking.
It's a pleasure.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Oh, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Thank you for joining me this afternoon on Frankly Speaking.
Before concluding today's broadcast, I want to briefly discuss the
etymology of the word logos that I've been using in
my monologue. According to numerous dictionaries, the English word logos
comes from the ancient Greek word logos, which means word, speech, reason, account,
or order. The term has a rich history in Greek
(24:44):
language and philosophy, evolving from its literal meaning of spoken
words to broader concepts like thought, rationality, and the governing
principle of the universe. The Greek word logos derives its
meaning from the root leg which means to collect or
to gather, with derivatives relating to speak, suggesting the act
(25:06):
of collecting words to form a speech or a thought.
In the sixth to fourth century BC, Greek philosophers such
as Aristotle use the word logos to refer to rationality
and speech. In its original Greek context, logos encompasses a
wide range of meaning, including speech and word, reason and rationality, explanation,
and order and proportion. In the Christian tradition, particularly in
(25:30):
the Gospel of Saint John, the term logos is used
to refer to Jesus Christ as the Word of God.
The logos as a noun. The word logos occurs three
hundred and thirty times in the Greek New Testament, but
over time, however, the word's most basic and common meaning
became reduced to simply word, speech, utterance, or message. So,
(25:53):
as mister Portocalos insists on my big fat Greek wedding,
there you go. Give me a word, any word, and
I will show you its Greek groot. Thank you for
joining me on Frankly Speaking, a show that seeks to
provide frank talk and lively interviews about the influence of
ancient Hellenic ideals, values, and faith on our contemporary culture.
I am trying to help make America Greek again. If
(26:15):
you would like to share a question and or suggest
a future guest or even a topic, I would love
to hear from you at frank at Franktalkradio. Dot com
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