Yesterday, I was in Hoboken at Trinity Restaurant, having a lovely brunch with a friend. Afterward, I decided to walk back home, getting some fresh air and exercise, since it was a sunny, beautiful Autumn day. As I strolled down Hudson Street and then around, making my way up the main drag, Washington Street, I was about to walk by Carlo’s Bakery (now famous due to the hit tv show, Cake Boss) and I stopped for a minute to watch. There was a line out of the store and down the block toward me.

Before I moved up the “the Heights” of Jersey City, I lived in Hoboken for about 15 years. I had visited Carlo’s on occasion, but there were so many bakeries in town, and some closer to where I lived. I always thought their baked goods were just fine, but I would say I’d never stand on line to get in, and that would be true of any store, I just hate lines. These days, up by me, I frequent an awesome bakery, Goehrig’s on Central Avenue and Congress Street, and his store is busy everyday, they’re not out the door, but the clients are steady, and many are repeat customers. Plus with the new website that we launched in the Fall of 2008 the orders come in around the world. My favorites include, italian pastries, carrot muffins, soft, yet crunchy almond cookies,  chocolate fudge dot cookies and brownies, and the scones, yum!… be warned though, he doesn’t make all of his wonderful items everyday, but each day has a great assortment of fabulous things.

Meanwhile, it got me thinking about the power of tv, advertising and publicity, and just plain having a good idea and the difference between the amount of traffic and the quality of the product.

The success of the tv show, Cake Boss, has drawn attention to the store, more and more first-time customers, and what’s interesting is that for those first timers, it wouldn’t matter whether the cakes were great or just average. Now, of course in order to maintain the expanding business and keep them coming back, the cakes have to be good. The important thing though, is to get them to the store in the first place. It just shows how the concept of the tv show, plus great advertising, and publicity, increases the popularity. And, if you have a great product, you’ll keep them coming back. In Hoboken, in a few locations, they have posters up, and it’s a wonderful photograph of Buddy Valastro covered in cake flour, with the branding logo of Cake Boss, along with information about the tv series.

I feel so strongly about branding and publicity. It’s so important for any business, large or small. When anything regarding advertising the product is created, whether in print or a tv commercial, it’s so important to be consistent, continuity and style, using the same logo, types of graphics and photography, perhaps even the same color palette, so that when the people come across it, they recognize the company, or tv show, immediately.

Whether a bakery or a branding design business. The clients must find you first, (more about that to come) and then stay because of the quality and consistency.