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Savvy Strategies for Reviving Your Business or Brand

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Savvy Strategies for Reviving Your Business or Brand

Stephanie Stuckey has worn a lot of hats – but her favorite is a logoed trucker cap.

We’ll explain.

Stephanie Stuckey has been a successful trial lawyer, legal professor, seven-term state representative in Georgia and director of sustainability and resilience for the City of Atlanta. If that weren’t enough, she also ran an environmental nonprofit law firm that settled the largest Clean Water Act case in the history of the Peach State.

But in 2019, Stephanie set out on an altogether different path. She bought Stuckey’s, the roadside oasis famous for its pecan log rolls. Her grandfather, W.S. Stuckey, founded the business as a pecan stand in 1937 and grew it to more than 350 stores. Still, after the Stuckey family sold the business in 1964, the company ultimately suffered under what Stephanie described as mismanagement, becoming a “hot mess” on the verge of extinction, she said.

But then Stephanie purchased the business in 2019 and became chair of the company. Under her deft leadership, a rapid renaissance occurred, and Stuckey’s is thriving again.

How did Stephanie revitalize Stuckey’s? What role has branded merchandise played in the effort? And how can other leaders breathe new life into their brands and businesses? In this preview of her upcoming keynote at the ASI Show Orlando, being held Jan. 4-6, 2025, in Orlando, FL, Stephanie answers those questions and more in this Promo Insiders with ASI Media’s Christopher Ruvo.

Key Takeaways

• Stephanie Stuckey’s Background: She has had a diverse career, transitioning from law and public service to buying back (in 2019) the family’s business, Stuckey’s, that her grandfather had founded. The business had been out of the family for decades and was mismanaged, but under Stephanie’s leadership it has been greatly revitalized.

• Reinventing a Brand: Stephanie reinvigorated Stuckey’s by assembling a strong team, setting up a manufacturing facility and again making in-house delectable goods that it sells. She expanded the business to serve a variety of verticals, growing it significantly.

• Brand Reinvention Tips: Stephanie recommends using the acronym “AIR” (Authentic, Interesting, Relevant) to guide brand decisions. A brand must be true to itself, engaging to its audience and meaningful to its target market.

• Storytelling in Branding: Effective branding requires strong storytelling. Creating meaningful, shareable narratives is key to building a loyal following and connecting emotionally with consumers.

• Using Branded Merchandise: Stephanie emphasizes the value of branded swag. She suggests using products, designs and messaging that are true to one’s business/brand. For Stuckey’s, such merch includes trucker hats, which align with the company’s road-trip heritage. Promotional products should be affordable, interesting and authentic, sparking conversations and brand advocacy among customers, Stephanie said.

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