Authenticity is so important in the BBQ sauce category that some brands have actually invented spokesmen and origin stories.
Stubb’s BBQ not only has a real founder, but is rooted in bringing people together over music.
The sauce itself is pretty good too.
Stubb’s BBQ sauce is made from the same 50-year-old Texas recipe C.B. Stubblefield made the first bottle with. Combined with fresh, clean ingredients, it’s no wonder it’s the #1 premium BBQ sauce in America.
But it trailed juggernauts like Kraft and Sweet Baby Ray’s in the overall BBQ sauce category, not to mention store brands that provide great value. The idea was to position Stubb’s as the sauce for gatherings, not just food.
Going from what’s in the bottle to what the bottle means in the world.
People generally BBQ to be together. And C.B. Stubblefield didn’t make his sauce to build a business. He made it (along with his famous ribs) to entice people into his blues music venue. Being born of the ritual of bringing people together is what makes Stubb’s unique. It’s not just built for flavor, it’s for connecting through shared experiences.
Bringing people together became such an integral part of the brand’s DNA, that after being disassociated with the Stubb’s BBQ restaurant and music venue in Austin, TX for so long, they reinvested in the space to host and feed hungry up-and-coming musicians — just like C.B. Stubblefield would have done.
