Over the weekend, a bakery called JL Patisserie went viral after responding to an influencer’s negative review.

If you haven’t seen it yet, give it a quick watch, then let’s break down why it worked so well and what every brand can learn from it.

JLPATISSERIE

I will forever dedicate my time and energy to continue to make it right to the people who value my teams hard work and have respected us and supported us since day one. #review #influencer #bakery

♬ original sound - JLPATISSERIE

​

​

At the time of writing this email, the video has 60 million views. What could have been a detrimental social post by an "influencer" has turned around to be a great ad and exposure for JL Patisserie.

They walked through the ingredients, the staff, the craft, the community, and their backstory. By the end, you’ve seen the imported Italian flour, the careful folding of croissants and the intention in every step. A simple, low-fi video, filmed by the founder, and two full minutes of behind-the-scenes storytelling got more reach than any traditional 'crisis comms' would get.

Importantly, response-style content like this doesn’t have to be defensive or dramatic. It can be funny, or straightforward. And the bigger the brand, the more interesting it becomes, because it's exactly what we aren't expecting from them (vital farms and CPK come to mind).
​
​Other ways to use response-style videos
​
​This format of video can be effective beyond just responding to 'bad press.'

If someone leaves a glowing review, you can flip the script and stitch it, thanking them, and walk people through why they loved it. “She said our croissants were flakiest she’s ever had...here’s why.” Then cut to the imported flour, the lamination, the overnight proofing, etc.

You can also use response-style videos to answer the basic questions that come up in your business, like pricing or process.

For example, if you sell pricey refurbished rugs, show the audience what it actually takes to get one ready for a buyer: the hours spent driving to estate sales, hauling and cleaning each rug, storing them in temp-controlled rooms to dry, photographing, listing, and delivering. By the end, the price makes sense.

The same goes for creative services. If someone asks why it takes two months to develop a logo or packaging system, pull back the curtain and show the research, competitive analysis, iterations and real-world testing that goes into getting it right.

It's trite to say that 'transparency' matters, but these are just a few examples of how *easy* it has become. People don’t care for the spin, they want to see how things actually come to life.

That's all for today. Let me know if there's any topics or questions you want me to hit in next weeks edition.

-Ashwinn

​

​