Liquid Gold That Brings Good Luck to the South

Hey Everyone:

Happy New Year! Welcome to the first quarter of new opportunities. I hope you have some great strategies lined up for this quarter. I also hope you had a terrific end to 2023.

As I said goodbye to the old year and welcomed in the new year, I was dreaming about what might be in store for me in the weeks and months to come. I was sipping tea at my kitchen counter and just as I was about to add a touch more sugar, my doorbell rang.

It was my good friend and neighbor from across the street. She smiled that lovely southern smile of hers and handed me a gift. It was a small mason jar filled with…something…I couldn’t quite tell. Greens? Beans? Broth? I acted like I knew what it was, but my neighbor is a smart lady and caught on pretty quick. “Do you know what this is?” she asked in a polite southern drawl. I couldn’t lie, so I responded with an embarrassed look pasted across my face, “Honestly, I don’t.” She smiled that sweet smile and said, “Well, hon,” – she always calls me “hon” – “It’s potlikker soup.” She saw the wheels in my head spin, and put a hand on my arm, then said with all the authority of a southern cook, “And before you say anything, yes, that’s the right way to say it. I’ll spell it for you later.”

I peered into the jar and saw a deep rich broth with vegetables, ham, greens (probably collards), and black-eyed peas. I knew instantly this was the soup meant to bring good luck in the new year. My eyes lit up. I couldn’t wait to try it, so I offered to serve it right away and share it with her. “Oh, no,” she said, “I’ve got gallons at home. I’ve got to package it all up and deliver it to all my friends.” Of course, every polite southern belle would cook gallons and then share it with everyone they knew! Of course!

She gave me a hug and then pranced out my door, leaving me with a good luck treat. I have to say, that was the first time I’ve eaten potlikker soup (yes, it’s spelled right), and it was the most delicious, enjoyable soup I’ve had in a very long time. The broth was rich and spicy, the ham was salty, the black-eyed peas were creamy, and the collards finished it off perfectly. I felt like asking for every gallon she had of that soup. But…I’m trying to become a polite southern belle, so I wiped my mouth and ventured out to find my own recipe for this liquid gold.

As I was reading every southern cookbook I could find (I read cookbooks like I read novels), I learned about the soup’s significance to the South. I had no idea the humble soup had such a deep, rich history, which connects it to the past and reflects the ingenuity of southern communities that made the most out of available ingredients. It also stands as symbol of resilience and resourcefulness in Southern Culinary History.

When I sat and thought about it, I realized it sounded a lot like marketing.

So…what does this soup teach us about marketing?

RESOURCEFULNESS AND CREATIVITY. Marketing requires a resourcefulness to make the most out of what’s available. We all need to find innovative ways to promote products and services with budget restraints.

UTILIZING EVERY ELEMENT. Just like Potlikker Soup uses every part of the cooking process, businesses must also utilize every aspect of a campaign. This includes the right channels, mediums, and data points to create a comprehensive, effective marketing approach.

CULTURAL CONNECTION. Potlikker Soup has a cultural significance in the South. It reflects the culture and the people and the way of life. Our marketing efforts must do the same. They must involve understanding each target audience so a unique and special connection can be made.

BLENDING INGREDIENTS FOR HARMONY. Potlikker Soup has many ingredients, and they come together in one harmonious flavor. Yum! It’s the same for marketing. Different elements, like branding and messaging must come together to form a cohesive and effective campaign.

Simple principles and simple ingredients: Creativity, Cultural Understanding, Harmony, Resilience, Resourcefulness. Those are the ingredients that make a great soup. They also make a great marketing campaign.

Cook up some good luck for yourself and make sure you’ve got these ingredients in your next campaign and your future strategies. And if you need help, I can certainly jump in. Contact me at my new email address [email protected] and we’ll set some time to cook up success for you.

Here’s to a fun and profitable year!

Mary Vosika

Owner | Director

True Voice Marketing Solutions

P.S. If you need help contact me at [email protected].

P.P.S. If you want a killer recipe for authentic Southern Potlikker Soup, I’ve got one. Contact me at [email protected].