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Brand Strategy


Rebrand? A Perfect Time to Adopt a “Purpose Beyond Profit”

Rebrand? A Perfect Time to Adopt a “Purpose Beyond Profit”

A rebrand is a great opportunity to scratch below the surface to discover how your business can truly matter to people. Seize this chance to do more than simply apply a new layer of paint over your business. There are numerous reasons why companies choose to rebrand. It might be due to a merger, acquisition, or divestiture. It may be because of tired sales, a less-than-desirable image, or heated up competition. It might be a change in guard at the CEO level. Whatever the reason your business needs an update, the rebrand process offers a unique opportunity to go beyond a new name, logo, and...
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Capitalizing on the Human Dimension of Professional Services

Capitalizing on the Human Dimension of Professional Services

I find it ironic that many of the most people-driven enterprises in our economy – law, architecture, consulting, and engineering firms – are often the most superficial with branding. For most professional service firms, “branding” is only about logos and color palettes. It seems branding’s only goal is to project a serious, professional, and trustworthy identity. Unfortunately, this limited view of branding leads most professional service firms to the same bland destination. Indeed, the Internet is littered with the drab, me-too, institutional websites of professional...
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Rational vs Emotional: With Brands, It’s Not “Either/Or” It’s “Both/And”

Rational vs Emotional: With Brands, It’s Not “Either/Or” It’s “Both/And”

Neuroscience is telling us that every “rational” decision is surrounded and influenced by emotions. As such, brand decisions are neither rational or emotional – they are invariably both. But how do you work with an insight like this? How do you bring an emotional dimension to your brand, especially if today it is emotionally neutral? How do you change the behavior of your brand – and the people behind it – so that every interaction is either striking, or responding to, a relevant emotional chord? How do you do this in a way that isn’t seen as exploitative,...
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Brand Strategy for Professional Services Can Be Emotive

Brand Strategy for Professional Services Can Be Emotive

Professional services, like law firms, would do well to move beyond the rudimentary basics of branding such as identities, symbols, and colors, according to a blog post on Forbes.com. We couldn’t agree more. Like all businesses, professional firms face a challenging future with hyper-competition, commoditized knowledge, and accelerating change all looming on the horizon. These firms clearly need to get fit for the future – and their preparedness plan needs to include a major tune-up for their brands. However, we believe professional firms need to also leapfrog over the traditionally...
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“We Cannot Solve Our Problems With the Same Thinking We Used to Create them.” ~Albert Einstein

“We Cannot Solve Our Problems With the Same Thinking We Used to Create them.” ~Albert Einstein

One of the challenges of modern business is to get people engaged, motivated and gratified to either work for you, or do business with you. For numerous reasons, people (formerly known as employees and customers) are more demanding of whom they work for, what they buy and whom they buy from. This sea-change of popular attitude, beliefs and behaviors have caught many businesses by surprise. Why? Because they haven’t begun to adapt their way of doing business to the reality of how people think, feel and act in this, The Age of Meaning This is a critical time for business. It’s a...
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Employees Love Brands That Truly Matter

Employees Love Brands That Truly Matter

Brands that truly matter It’s amazing how a focus on emotion and meaning can change the way employees approach their work. They feel like doing more. Employees are eager, motivated and driven. They wake up looking forward to their work day, and return home feeling a sense of purposeful accomplishment. They care more for one another. The workplace is civil, considerate and supportive. Employees are empathetic and compassionate about their bosses, their peers, their reports and everyone in the business. They work better together. Employees are more open to collaboration, teamwork and sharing....
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Why We Love the Power of Inspiration

Why We Love the Power of Inspiration

One of our greatest pleasures comes from unveiling to our clients something they’ve never seen before: the meaning and emotional power that’s been hidden within their brand. When our clients suddenly see their business as a purposeful, emotive and gratifying force in the world – when they see it can hold a “meaningful position” in the hearts and minds of people – their eyes open wide, their pulses quicken and their imaginations ignite with possibilities. But, for us, the most gratifying aspect of our work will come as our clients bring the power of their “brand...
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People Respond to Meaningful Brands

According to a recent study by Havas Media, only 20% of brands have a notable positive impact on our sense of wellbeing and quality of life. The study further reveals how the expectations, judgements and behavior of people are evolving in ways that must make brand-owners rethink their current strategies: For the 4th year running consumer expectations of companies’ responsible behaviour continues to rise Nearly 85% of consumers worldwide expect companies to become actively involved in solving these issues (an increase of 15% from 2010) Those prepared to reward responsible companies by...
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Why Emotive Branding Prompts Tension – And Why That’s Good

Why Emotive Branding Prompts Tension – And Why That’s Good

The process of emotive branding takes our clients to a new and unexpected place. It’s a real eye-opener. Our clients suddenly see new possibilities for themselves, their colleagues, their customers and their brand. At the same time, they feel tense. And that is good. Why? Consider this extract from Viktor Frankl’s book, “Man’s Search For Meaning”: “What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwile goal, a freely chosen task…i.e., the existential dynamics in a polar field of tension where one...
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