Recipes for Success: The Top 5 Business Marketing Lessons from Masterchef

Source: Herald Sun

As  one of the 1.3 million people who tuned into the final episode of Australian Celebrity Masterchef last week, it occurred to me that the activities in the Masterchef kitchen provided some useful lessons for business and management.

 Here are my top five findings:

1. Grace under pressure: The contestants for the most part kept their cool and good humour despite things going wrong for them at different times.  I love the quote: Great works are performed not by strength but by perserverance (Samuel Johnson).  In business (and in kitchens) things can and do go wrong. Keeping calm conserves energy and helps maintain clear thinking. Not giving up – persistence –  is vital for success.
2. Attention to Detail: Eamon’s awesome dessert resulted from a multifaceted process with every detail through to presentation addressed. In cooking – as in business – particularly when looking after customers and presenting your product/service – there are no small details.
3. Positive Feedback – The judges provided constructive criticism couched in much positive feedback. They acknowledged  effort and their feedback provided the base for subsequent improvement. In their book, The One Minute Manager, authors Blanchard &  Hutson called this The One Minute Reprimand. It is a positive way of managing your team and all relationships.
4. Benefits of a Plan –  To obtain the  desired culinary result  a good plan was needed. Some prior thought was given to the forthcoming process (strategy) after assessment of existing resources and potential influences (in this case – the judges’ preferences and competitors’ activities).  In business, when resources such as time and money are finite – it is even more vital to plan. 
5. Benefits of a Plan B – Rachel’s dessert malfunction in the second last round highlighted the need for agility,  to be able to respond quickly and have a contingency. Businesses operate in a dynamic environment and unplanned events  of  significant potential impact to a business will occur. The ability to recognize these events and be able to respond can provide competitive advantage.

 The Marketing Phenomenon

The show tapped into the population’s need for feel good programs and has been a marketing phenomenon. The Celebrity program extension reflected the producer’s consciousness of audience likes and dislikes.  They listened and responded to their customers -  important for all business marketing.

Merchandising has commenced with the first of the Masterchef recipe books now available. This provides another example.  How can your business take your product/service and extend the promotion in new and innovative ways?

Congratulations to Eamon Sullivan, our world champion swimmer,  who showed he has considerable other talents in addition to being very speedy in the pool. It is a shame he and Stephanie are no longer together. Imagine the marketing possibilities (and word plays) of Rice and Eamon’s now recognized cheffing skills!

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