11.25.07
Too transparent?
Lynsie and I have been practicing our own version of transparency, which includes things like posting our recipes for gourmet ice cream on the company blog. But this slide (see to the right) is a new ballgame. People ask us why Perfect Flavor does this, and the answers are pretty straightforward.
First, we want people to know what we put into the ice cream, and into the company itself. These things are our competitive advantage, and hiding them negates them. We want people to know that we use only local and organic ingredients. We want people to know that our ice cream is made by hand, using the same recipes that harken back not just to your grandmother, but to Thomas Jefferson, and beyond.
Our assumption is that our customers are really very smart, well informed, and careful. They know what they want, and hiding information about how we do business works against us. Sooner or later, it all comes out, and so why have any secrets at all?
To that end, we’d like to nip the question “Why is this so expensive?” right in the bud. We’ve gotten it sporadically, mostly from folks who are used to buying a half-gallon of Bryer’s ice cream for a few dollars. When you compare the cost of Perfect Flavor against that, it’s liable to give you sticker shock.
Are we crazy to disclose the costs of our business so explicitly? Will it come back to haunt us somehow?