Baking & Snack - October 2014 - 12

EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor
Executive Editor
Managing Editor

Leveraging the 'aloha' spirit

Normally, the first time we see a new bakery is after we walk through the doors, but
Executive Editor Laurie Gorton and I first got a sneak peak of King's Hawaiian's facility
in Oakwood, GA, on national TV during the Belmont Stakes this past June.
The commercials by GE Capital, which chronicled the history of the company, founded by Robert Taira in 1950 in Hilo, HI, captured its culture and showed off the recently
expanded bakery in a big way. Mark Taira, Robert's son and current CEO, thought the
shoot would take just a few short hours - in reality, it took two 17-hour days. In the
end, he was extremely pleased how everything turned out. The commercials even featured employees from the Georgia facility. (Search "King's Hawaiian GE commercial" to
find it on the Web.) "The result of the commercial is amazing. It shows our brand in such
a positive way," he said.
Carefully building the King's Hawaiian franchise and nurturing its brand have been
keys to making the bakery the leader in the roll category. John Linehan, executive
vice-president, described King's Hawaiian as a "brand company" and "not a marketing
company." Until this year, he said, the business had rarely advertised over the past six
decades, although the company is spending about $10 million this year to support the
brand.
Even without the push of advertising, Mr. Linehan said consumers often use words
like "trust, respect, intimacy" to describe the King's Hawaiian brand. Sales have blossomed - 20%-plus in recent years - because more households are buying its "irresistible" products. They're also buying them more frequently because King's Hawaiian has
maintained a close relationship with its loyal core consumers, according to Mr. Linehan.
"Maintaining your loyal followers is the most special," he said. "If you don't do that well,
you're going to struggle."
Part of that consumer trust comes from the "aloha spirit," which involves the philosophy of sharing, especially among friends. That spirit also involves showing respect for
one another, which is something vital to the culture of its workforce.
King's Hawaiian has benefited from its partnerships with customers like
Arby's, which touts its connection with the bakery. "When Arby's does
one of its promotions, millions of people knowingly put our product
in their mouths," Mr. Linehan said.
Often consumers' connection with this family-owned business is personal - in more than one way. "If you call us on
the telephone, the person who answers the phone will never
be more than a few hundred yards from Mark's or my office,"
Mr. Linehan said. "There also a good chance that the name
of the person answering the phone will be 'Taira.' "
It's been said that word of mouth is the best form of advertising. For King's Hawaiian, getting its products into people's
mouths is even better.
- Dan Malovany, editor
dmalovany@sosland.com

12 Baking & Snack October 2014 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Senior Editor

Dan Malovany
dmalovany@sosland.com
Laurie Gorton
lgorton@sosland.com
Joanie Spencer
jspencer@sosland.com
Charlotte Atchley
catchley@sosland.com

Ryan Atkinson
ratkinson@sosland.com
Contributing Editors:
Donna Berry
donnaberry@dairy-food.com
Theresa Cogswell
bakercogs@sbcglobal.net
Jim Kline
jkline@theensolgroup.com
Joe Stout
joe.stout@cf-san.com
Assistant Editor

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Marj Potts
Circulation Manager
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Director of Online
Advertising & Promotions Carrie Fluegge
Promotions Manager
Lon Davis

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Baking & Snack - October 2014

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