What do a pencil, a folk singer named Woody Guthrie, and the Grapes of Wrath have to do with creating a cult-like following? In this episode of Uncooked, I’m speaking with Alex Poirier, Brand Manager of Blackwing Pencil Company and we’re diving into how they’ve created life-long fans by obsessing over quality and telling their brand story through their fans. Listen as Alex shares Blackwing ‘s history and how the brand was revitalized by a passion for creativity and a desire to find balance between digital and analog life. We’ll also discuss the right way to engage influencers is to actually not call them influencers at all – Blackwing just calls them customers.

Alexander Poirier is first and foremost, a storyteller. Ever since he fell in love with his first book, he’s wanted to tell stories and found his fix in an unlikely place: the world of branding and business development. Alex is the Brand Manager at Blackwing, where he’s helping to build a creative culture that revolves around a pencil. He’s still telling stories, but his toolkit has expanded to include more than words. Now, Alex is telling stories through branding, product design, and content creation.

 

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