Who are we?

We help clients discover their stories so they can create a love

affair with their customers.

What a brand is notLogo like Nike swooshColor like IBM blue

Tagline like takes a licking…Character like Ronald McDonaldEmployee uniforms like UPS man

Coke bottle’s shapeHow Disney cast members treat guestsWhat people think/know about Harley

What RC is in relation to Coke

What a brand is

Logo like Disney’s signatureColor like Mickey’s shorts

Tagline like Where magic livesCharacter like Mickey Mouse

Employee “costumes” -Pirates of CaribbeanMickey head shaped everything

How Disney cast members treat guestsWhat consumers already know/think they know

about DisneyTheir plot of land in the marketplace

Shorthand…

Your brand is the shorthand that your customers, potential

customers, employees and vendors use to describe you in their own

minds.

They arrive at this shorthand by observing both what you say AND

what you consistently do.

In the good old days…

Why does branding matter?

Everyone sells/does the same thing

• You can create/identify a brand to differentiate yourself

• Or you can just be the cheapest/generic one

Which would you choose?

The brand as a beacon

"Ultimately, strong branding is about using a brand as a beacon, as a compass, for determining the right actions, for staying the course, for evolving a culture, for inspiring a company to reach its full potential.”

Carly Fiorina, former CEO, Hewlett-Packard

The brand as an experience

"The secret to our enduring brand lies in delivering an experience rather than just a collection of products and services.”

Harley-Davidson annual report

The brand as an asset

"A company's brands are amongst its most valuable assets. Do you know how to manage, grow & value these market-based assets?”

DuPont internal training program

It’s all three.

Make a promise….to create a consistent experience.

To keep that promise…you have to re-think the way you do business.

When you keep your promise…you create measurable value.

You create preference.

LogoColorsVisualsTagline

Shared visionShared purposeEfficientEffectiveEmployee retentionClient referrals

Shorthand…

Volkswagen Bug

Dodge Ram

Volvo Sedan

Shorthand…

It begins with a conscious decision.

Are you willing to do what it takes to be great?

A company with a strong brand stands for something. Are you willing to say no?

It’s not about being small. It’s about being narrow.

What do these brands have in common?

They inspire stories

Your brand should inspire stories

The power of storytelling

They capture a moment of truthThey are never ordinary moments

They are viralThey give the customer pride of

ownership

But they don’t happen by accident

Scripted serviceEngineered experiencesPassionate promises

Singular stuff

Truths about brand storytelling

#1 You tell the “master story” which will inspire other

stories.

Apple was created to free creative spirits…

Truths about brand storytelling

#2 Your master story becomes like an echo chamber

Nordstrom is all about personal service…

Truths about brand storytelling

#3 Stories are not just told in words.

When you walk into a Target store…

Truths about brand storytelling

#4 Tell a truth that your competitors are denying and create

buzz.

Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign...

So why doesn’t everyone do it?

ArroganceIgnorance

Lack of follow throughSuperficial effortStart on the outside

Don’t know howWant to be everything to everyone

Are you bold enough to brand?