Marketing after a merger or acquisition shouldn’t be an afterthought. In fact, when you’re planning to acquire or merge with another company, it’s important to set aside a budget for integrating the marketing process. “Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are fast-paced, high-stakes, time-intensive events. M&A integrations can often be extremely complicated due to the level of interdependencies throughout the entire organization, … Read More
Protect Your Brand Identity At All Costs
Smart branding is more than simply having a memorable logo, trademark or tagline. A complete and mature brand is also associated with trustworthiness, quality, dedication, reliability, creativity, thinking outside the box, work ethic and loyalty. It may take years to develop a solid brand identity—only to have it be destroyed by one single act or a series of unfortunate incidents. … Read More
Rebranding—The Time Might Be Now!
A favorite question for celebrities and successful professional athletes is: “What advice would you give your younger self?” It is asked so frequently because most of us know that we are much different people today than we were in our high school or college days. We are wiser and more mature. We have gone through heartache and pain, trials and … Read More
Corporate Social Responsibility—Are You Doing It?
All of the largest U.S. companies are engaged in some type of corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. CSR activities include charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, pro bono work hours and participating or leading fundraisers… And the activities usually focus on environmental, social or economic causes. But it is not only the big corporations that engage in CSR activities. In today’s rapidly … Read More
Smart Branding for General Contractors and Subcontractors
One thing is certain, the economic future of the Triangle is… hot, hot, hot. Yes, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and surrounding areas are on fire, and this can only mean good things for both general contractors and subcontractors in the area. But don’t just take our word for it… A slew of recent polls rank the Triangle with some very … Read More
Smart Branding In The Real Estate Market
There is one truism in creating and building a real estate brand: One size does not fit all. There is no magic checklist or software program that will produce a perfect real estate brand… because smart branding is both science and art. The science is making sure your company can be found (physically, yes, but also your website and social … Read More
Building A Long-Term Brand Identity
Branding and building a long-term brand identity are not mutually exclusive from marketing goals. But they are birds of the same feather. For example, McDonald’s spends millions of dollars on marketing campaigns for the reintroduction of the McRib sandwich every year. But we universally recognize those golden arches as the company’s logo. Branding and brand identity can be accomplished using … Read More
Leveraging Digital Communities When Branding Healthcare Businesses
Digital communities (DCs) are becoming more and more popular as a way for all businesses to reach consumers and build brand advocates. But first, DCs are different from a basic online platform or entity such as Facebook or Twitter (although many DCs can be found within Facebook). DCs are contained online communities where people with common causes, goals, issues or … Read More
The Importance of Being Authentic to Branding a B2B Service Business
Keeping It Real In today’s instant message, Twitter and Instagram societies, people are quick to respond that they “kept it real.” That vernacular means a person stayed true to their core beliefs… especially when facing adversity. We reserve a special place in our hearts for people who keep it real… who place value on being authentic. In fact, pop culture, … Read More
Corporate ID Materials Are Essential for Branding Professional Services Businesses
If you’re in the business of selling professional services, you are in good company. You invested a lot of time and energy and money into getting your education and training and certifications… Then you brainstormed and strategized and executed… And now you’ve established your brand. But how much thought have you given to your corporate ID materials? Start With A … Read More