Your professional services brand is going digital with enhanced offerings. Congratulations! As you forge ahead into the future, don’t lose sight of the confidence and trust your customers and employees have in you. Believe it or not, a digital transition can dislodge these critical keystones in a heartbeat.
That lesson is at the center…
“What’s in a name?” It’s not just William Shakespeare who wants to know. Companies have been pondering this question for years, trying to crack the code for the perfect name to gain recognition — and help their products sell. That’s because a name carries real weight. Brand naming has the power to reinvigorate…
Have you enhanced your professional services model with digital components? Maybe you’ve incorporated an app, chat bot, and digital subscription covering your most basic services. You may feel like it’s a revolutionary transformation that your customers will be thrilled to know about and use. But it’s not that cut-and-dry.
There…
From a business perspective, few things are as critical to get right as a major merger or acquisition — and few things are as challenging.
On the long list of considerations during M&A activity, merger branding is one of the most crucial. Not getting the brand right is a key reason that, according to…
A comprehensive brand audit — an analysis of the current state of a brand and its position in the marketplace — is the foundation of any new brand or rebranding initiative. By determining the strengths and weaknesses of a brand in relation to its market and competitors, the audit helps navigate a clear path to a differentiated…
If you’re in the professional services space, you’ve no doubt felt the pressure to integrate digital components into what you offer. Even if you resisted “going digital” before, the cosmic ground shift of 2020 likely forced you to consider what elements of your services can be delivered in digital ways. How can what…
They are the holy grail of B2B marketing: C-suite executives who open the doors, make the decisions and write the checks. And they are increasingly difficult to reach through conventional marketing channels. The key to getting inside is providing executives with something they need but can’t get elsewhere: relevant content.
The ironic thing about your brand’s image is that you can’t actually see it. Image as it relates to your brand is a metaphor, an idea meant to conjure up the assured sense of truth that comes with witnessing something concrete (and hopefully positive) with your own eyes. Your customers can’t see loyalty, trust, or any other quality, but an effective brand strategy can help them make the connection. First though, you’ll need to learn to see these qualities yourself.
Successful brands start with honest self-assessment — which may be hard to come by in a large company or an entrenched corporate culture. Enlisting the aid of an outside brand strategist can help, providing a clear-eyed window into the company’s strengths and weaknesses and offering agnostic, professional solutions.
But as in any relationship…
Let’s play a branding game. Consider the following M&A scenarios:
A global leader in payments technology makes more than 25 acquisitions on five continents to drive growth and innovation against emerging tech upstarts.
A major investment firm completes a series of acquisitions to fortify its strongly stalwart parent brand with scrappier, more…
As B2B marketers know, when it comes to customer buying behavior, there’s a big difference between a considered decision and an impulsive one. However, the difference in the mindset of the business buyer compared to the consumer is not necessarily as black and white as rational versus emotional. This is a common misconception. Though…
As a CMO, you’ll likely work with a variety of agencies — from brand and advertising to public relations and digital. Each of these relationships has the potential to be a true partnership that strengthens your work and business. But even with this understanding, these partnerships can still experience their fair share of challenges — often…
The cryptocurrency market, which was once considered inaccessible—or even suspect—is gradually finding its way into the mainstream of global commerce, thanks to consumer-friendly apps, celebrity endorsements, and viral trends. Cryptocurrencies are rapidly being integrated into traditional financial markets. In 2021 so far, venture capital firms have invested $17 billion in crypto projects…
Frank Sinatra is quoted as saying, “Orange is the happiest color.” And he isn’t alone in thinking that, as brands often choose to incorporate orange into their logos as a way of infusing a sense of fun, cheeriness, warm exuberance, and approachability.
Indeed, it is energetic and positive, uplifting and cheerful. The color orange…
For a branding project to succeed, it needs buy-in from all internal stakeholders. This means not only the marketing and communications teams, but also anyone else whose resources will be tapped to support the new brand, from human resources to operations to customer relations. Engaging these stakeholders is easier said than done, however. Too…
When two companies come together, whether through a merger or an acquisition, they almost invariably rebrand to reflect the combined strengths, value proposition and vision of the new entity. But a merger or acquisition is typically a process that can last months or even a year or more. During this period, a company’s customers…
Businesses evolve. You launch to meet a need in the market, you learn your niche, and then your relationships with your clients and your industry grow as you build expertise. Time passes as your business thrives and your capacities expand and develop. Suddenly you find that your brand and your perception in your market are…
Our clients have delivered many bits of wisdom as we’ve navigated the pandemic era together. One, from consulting firm West Monroe, stands out in particular: 2020 was the year of the customer, while 2021 is the year of the employee. With so much focus on customer-facing pandemic pivots, employees went above and beyond…