Marketing BLOG
Interview with Vikram Vij: A Common Sense Approach to Branding
February 19th, 2009———————————————————————————————————————————
By Mark Smiciklas
Has the brand building process become over-complicated and intimidating…something for big corporations with big budgets – and out of reach for small business owners? Have marketers become blinded by science and forgotten the basic principles of building a successful brand?
These are some of the questions I find myself asking after a recent interview with Vikram Vij, owner of Vij’s, a popular Indian-fusion restaurant in Vancouver. Vikram’s philosophies on food, life and branding left me inspired by the common sense of it all.
Culture
Vij’s is well known for its great food and fun/friendly environment. When I first sat down with Vikram, I was curious to find out the roots of his approach to guest experience – Was it a strategic decision…a part of a plan…or did it develop organically?
“Let’s talk about the idea of hospitality beyond the restaurant aspect,” says Vikram. “Let’s take it back to my country and my culture – a culture of welcoming everybody. I grew up in an environment where the mentality is to take care of people – hospitality is part of the Indian culture.”
Caring for Customers
Vikram Vij’s instinct to look after his guests started with simple gestures when the restaurant first opened and has morphed into a full blown customer experience at his current location. The genuine care with which Vikram Vij hand delivers the guest experience shines through and is one of the pillars of his brand.
Vikram recalls the transformation and how it all started. “When the restaurant first opened it was small and had only about 16 seats – We had a few reviews and were lucky enough to have 18 people show up,” he says. “We had no room, but I felt honoured that people were coming (like I would with a guest to my house)…I brought them a cup of tea while they waited.”
“Was it a conscious effort? No. Was it something I planned? No. It was an impromptu decision,” he goes on to say. “It’s a good idea to acknowledge someone who is waiting. My focus is to think about how I would like to be treated.”
Instinct
Business plans or brand strategies were never on the radar for Vikram Vij in the early days – to some degree gut instincts are still a big part of his decision making process. Just recently, due to a new packaged food venture, he has been exposed to (and is starting to embrace) more formal strategic planning ideology.
“It wasn’t like I sat there and made a business plan out of this – it’s who I am, culturally,” says Vikram in an animated tone. “If the guest experience part of Vij’s came from a corporate business person, they would have questioned the cost of the tea, how long it took to make, the labour cost and the effect on our food cost! It was not a plan, not a focus…thanking people for coming to my restaurant and for waiting felt like the right thing to do.”
Commitment to Customer Experience
When Vij’s relocated, Vikram became even more committed to welcoming the people that were choosing his restaurant over the hundreds of possible alternatives in Vancouver.
When the space became available he chose not to expand the dining area – he made a conscious decision to provide a lounge for people to gather and wait. His commitment extended to making sure there was dedicated staff assigned to take care of guests while they waited.
“Obviously, my focus was the people sitting in the restaurant, but I made sure I had some extra staff to take care of the people in the back – creating that experience. The restaurant was still the focal point but taking care of people while they wait for 60-90 minutes is a gesture to show that I respect the fact they chose Vij’s…it’s saying thank you for waiting.”
Depth
Vikram Vij believes that dining is not just about the food. He has created an environment that provides layers of experience – this has added depth to the brand.
“The lounge has helped other experiences manifest,” say Vij. “Why would you go to a restaurant to eat right away? Isn’t it nice to relax before your meal? In our lives today, we all rush around so much – Why wouldn’t you want to enjoy the whole restaurant experience? Have some complimentary appetizers, get taken care of and watch some interesting people…”
Passion
The heart and passion that goes into Vij’s can be felt through the food and the experience. The restaurant was not conceived as result of an elaborate business planning session – its genesis stems from a desire to share great food, culture and hospitality. Vij’s continues to operate from a very honest place – a heartfelt venture that continues to maintain a philosophy of taking care of people.
“My restaurant is not a concept…it’s a simple invitation to come and enjoy good food,” says Vikram. “100% of Vij’s comes from the heart…it’s who I am. If it was not from the heart, we would have had a book keeper. We would have 10 restaurants. I’m not that organized.”
Vikram goes on to say Vij’s was never created as a concept. “People ask how did you come up with this concept – what concept, I didn’t have a concept – all I did was take care of people, give them good food, some tea and told them to enjoy themselves – After 14 years it’s still heartfelt”
Core Purpose
A great brand becomes more than the product or service. Vikram Vij wants to earn a good living for himself and his family but money is definitely not the driving force behind the passion he has for his business. Vikram is on a personal mission to introduce Indian cuisine to the masses.
“I’m not worried about the money – I’m more focused on how I can take the cuisine and the culture to more people,” says Vij. “I can only eat and drink so much, I don’t have a big house and I don’t need one. The bigger goal for me is to show people our cuisine.”
He goes on to ponder the status of Indian cuisine. “Why is Indian food not represented in the same way as Californian, French or Italian food, why is it ‘ethnic’ – except for the First Nations, we are all outsiders on this continent.”
Personality
Vikram Vij’s food may be the centre piece of his business, but his outgoing personality and gracious nature as a host has become a big part of the brand experience. His personal touch ranges from serving appetizers to being connected in the day-to-day operation of the business.
“I don’t have a PR person at the shop – It takes me longer to get back to people but there is a personal connection with me which I think is important.”
When it comes to his extroverted nature, Vikram goes on to explain how it’s partly who he is and partly what he’s learned from his mentor, John Bishop, another well know Vancouver restaurateur.
“Part of my personality comes from being extroverted – I’ve always been a bit of a show person and really enjoy talking to people. But the biggest accolade needs to go to John Bishop…John was my mentor and taught me about finesse. When I was at Bishops I saw how much of a gentleman he was, seeing how he interacted with guests, his mannerisms, and how comfortable and caring he was…he became a real inspiration.”
Expectations
Vikram Vij wants his customers to expect the best from his cuisine – he encourages people dining at his restaurant to judge whether or not the food meets a high standard.
“When you come in to dine I want you to be able to taste the love and the integrity of the spices. See the plate and judge whether enough thought, passion and integrity has gone into it. I like when people question what we were thinking when we made that dish.”
As we sit outside under cover, Vikram gives me an example of the thinking that goes into something as simple as the chai we were sipping.
“Today this tea has caraway seeds in it because we’re sitting outside and it’s cold – it makes you feel comfortable – a tea with cardamom and fennel would have too much licorice and perfume. It’s not like ‘this is the way the tea is going to be made’ – we change tea according to the weather…let’s look outside…if it’s sunny let’s not put any hot spices in it.”
Not a Brand
As we wrap up our conversation, I ask Vikram if he thinks of himself as a brand. He goes on to tell me the story of why the restaurant is called Vij’s.
“The reason it was called Vij’s is because that is my grandfather’s surname…the influence was to honour him…it actually has nothing to do with me. The business was never about becoming a brand and I’ve never looked at myself as a brand – I am not a brand, I’m just a restaurateur who is focused on what he does.”
While I was preparing some questions for my interview with Vikram, a colleague asked me to try to find out what the “tipping point” was for Vij’s. I never had a chance to ask the question…but I think it might have been that first cup of tea offered up to a waiting customer out of care, respect and gratitude.
Small Business Takeaways and Thinking Points
Culture – What positive experiences can you draw on or infuse into the culture of your small business to help build your brand?
Customer Care – What can you do to show your customers that you really care about their business?
Instinct – No one likely knows your business and customers like you do – Use a blend of strategic best practices and gut instincts when making decisions that will impact your brand.
Commitment to Customer Experience – What are you doing to engage customers’ so that they have a positive experience with your brand? What new things can you do to enhance the way customers experience your product or service?
Depth – Does your product or service potentially fulfill more than a primary customer need? If so, what can you do to have your brand provide layers of experience?
Passion – Most small business owners are passionate about what they do. In what ways can you share your passion with your customers?
Personality – How can your personality become a part of your brand? Are there any ways for you to interact with your customers and add value to their experience with your brand?
Expectations – What expectation do your customers have when it comes to your product or service? Are they as high as your own brand expectations?
