A couple of days ago, I bought a chicken Balti pie from a deli in Southwold called Black Olive. You might wonder what this has to do with trust, business, or marketing, but it really got me thinking about the importance of recommendations.
It is hardly news that recommendations matter – we have all known that for many, many years. But when I went back to the campsite I was staying at with friends over the weekend and raved about the quality of this pie to my friends, everyone laughed and told me I was going on about it a bit too much. It became a running joke. A pie meme.
The day after we got back from our camping trip, two friends sent me photos showing they had bought a pie themselves, confirming it was indeed the best Balti pie ever made.
Doing a Really Good Job
So, what did the Black Olive Deli do to create these extra sales after my initial purchase?
I very much doubt they spent time trying to rank number one for ‘Balti pies in Southwold’. They probably do not have an AI strategy, and I am not aware of them having a video content strategy either. There was definitely no pie-based remarketing campaign.
In short, other than being in a fantastic location and having wonderful staff, the real way they were able to sell more pies over the weekend was by simply doing a really good job at making pies! Seriously good, and I will keep talking about this chicken Balti pie until someone tells me to stop.
Beyond the Marketing Tech
When I give talks about marketing, I always warn people against getting too invested in the technology of marketing. Even though it is ostensibly my job to find the path of least resistance for my clients in the market using technology, I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to have a brilliant business in the first place. Great SEO/digital Marketing can amplify excellence, it can’t conjure it where it does not exist.
If you just do a really good job, your clients’ customers become raving fans who will do the marketing for you.
Obviously, it would be foolish to invest all your energy into just one channel like recommendations. But that is no more foolish than investing all your energy in one channel like SEO or pay-per-click advertising.
Building a Resilient Business
I would also guard against getting too comfortable with any single successful channel. I have known people who were absolutely crushing it with paid Google Ads, only to find a seismic shift in the market knocked them out of it. With any marketing channel an unforeseen metaphorical thick-ear can be caused by a new competitor entering or a changing policy on the platform your reply on, or even a change in legislation.
Strip away the gimmicks, the tactics, the tips and tricks, and even the boldest new marketing innovations. What is left underneath should still be a brilliant business, the best in the world at what it does. Marketing will always be essential for getting your message out there, but no amount of clever outreach can compensate for a weak foundation or poor-quality pies.
Look at your own business: is that the case, or do you think you might be relying too heavily on one specific technology or marketing channel?
If you are honest with yourself and realise you are too heavily reliant on one particular tactic in your overall strategy, that puts you in the same position as almost all business owners. That is fine. At least you can acknowledge it, look for ways to grab hold of more of your market, and ultimately you will make your business more resilient.
So, my final question for you: what is the best pie you have ever eaten, and are you able to post one to me?
Last Updated on August 4, 2026
