Every company tells stories about their products. Great companies make products about their story.

The Outdoor Biz Podcast replayed a recent interview with Brian Hennessy. We asked Brian to expand on one of his quotes during the podcast.

“Every company tells stories about their products. Great companies make products about their story.”

Here was his response:

“My dad smoked cigars every day of his life but he never picked up a copy of Cigar Aficionado magazine. Fast Company is a magazine about business, but no one never opened it up to better understand the hidden causes of the European debt crisis or the longterm effects of NAFTA. That’s because Cigar Aficionado and Fast Company aren’t really about cigars and business. They’re about something else. Influential brands are just like influential magazines. Amazon isn’t really about shopping. Apple isn’t about computers. Patagonian isn’t about clothes or shoes or backpacks. Great brands are about more than what they make and sell. If you’re frustrated at your job or you feel your company is drifting sideways, it very well might be that you work for a company that mistakenly believes its highest, best purpose is to make the best (fill in product) in the (fill in industry) industry. It isn’t. Or at least out won’t be for long.” – Brian Hennessy