Pandas Kitchen- The Importance of Branding

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TestTown People: Panda’s Kitchen- The Importance Of Branding

Participants

Stephen Bond – Panda’s Kitchen

About the project

‘Why Pandas? That’s the question I always hear from customers. From the name, to the logo, even how my shop is designed. You can’t escape the Panda theme. For me, branding is about relating it back to me, myself and I. My shop, my kitchen and my own crazy flavours. My branding came about from my time at university. It started out a small self-branding product, which then went on to become my Final Major Project for my final year. And now, to most bars and specialist shops, I’m now known as “that panda guy that makes strange vodka flavours” and I have essentially become living advertising.

“I loved TestTown. It wasn’t putting a selection of different products on display, presentations about figures or how many posters you had. It was about how we represented our own brands.”

Which is why I loved TestTown. It wasn’t putting a selection of different products on display, presentations about figures or how many posters you had. It was about how we represented our own brands. It was the first real time I was representing Panda’s Kitchen outside of my comfort zone. I realised that yes, having great labels and nice displays is very important, but it is the initial greeting and smile, asking what flavours people like, that can really make a brand shine. Panda’s Kitchen probably wouldn’t survive without me. And I don’t think I could live without it.’ Stephen Bond

More Information

  • https://twitter.com/pandaskitchen

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Words of Advice

  • Eight businesses plus a unit run by school pupils breathed new life into vacant properties in the Bruce Street area for six weeks leading up to Christmas, and graduates from that programme have gone on to set up businesses.

  • The time management is definitely one of the harder challenges as you need to set up within the space of two/three days. Whilst doing so you also need to try and make sure that the public know that you’re popping up shortly. Nevertheless, it’s a skill which needs to be developed and I can genuinely say that during the final it was one of the most productive weeks ever.

    TestTown 2014 Participant

  • It would be great if towns had a means of showcasing local talent all year round to show local shoppers and public what there is up and coming in terms of potential business.

    TestTown 2015 Participant

Highlights from the recent years

Five Ways To Supercharge Your TestTown

We believe there are five things which would Supercharge your TestTown:

  1. Every town should create a clear, supported pathway into trading and opening up a shop  for new town centre entrepreneurs.
  2. Every town should have a permanent pop-up facility in a viable trading space which offers flexible lease arrangements up to a year for new town centre entrepreneurs to learn.
  3. Every town should work, within their means, to reduce financial barriers in reduced rates and rents for new traders during their first year of business.
  4. Every town should carry out a regular (every five years) entrepreneur-led consultation which would feed into a business-led strategy for town centre development and business support.
  5. Every town should develop a hyperlocal cross-sector partnership to lead local innovation, ensuring that agencies, businesses, and residents are all powerful in leading local development.