At Brand Iron, our philosophy is built upon equal parts inspiration, innovation and implementation. We encourage our partners to think beyond a marketing-only approach and instead challenge them to define and own their own space in the market.

Our holistic approach begins by identifying each company’s unique position. We then seek to create messaging that communicates differentiation and arm our clients with strategies that make the competition irrelevant. Owning your

space requires more than differentiation, and it is much more than a simple recitation of your features and benefits. The goal of our strategic messaging is to convey not only how you’re different, but why you’re better!

Once this brand promise has been forged into a clear and concise value proposition, it still must be implemented throughout a company’s business communications and strategies in order to effectively drive revenue. At Brand Iron, the key to our holistic approach is ensuring that these new strategies and message points are fully leveraged and aligned with your big picture goals and objectives.

Known for our signature BrandStorm sessions, we understand the importance of starting every relationship off right. We kick off each relationship with a holistic assessment of your business, designed specifically to get a complete understanding of your sales, marketing and operational processes.

The half-day strategy session allows us to assess your business and develop a strategic roadmap for the future. With full participation from your key executives, we will identify your competitive position and immerse ourselves into your business.

We will ask you and your executive team to complete a detailed questionnaire to ascertain your overall goals and objectives. We will ask that you provide an analysis of your company’s strengths and weaknesses. We will conduct preliminary research to investigate your current company position as it compares to others in the industry.

A clear outcome of the BrandStorm session is building consensus from the executives in the room. From there, we’ll work together to develop a roadmap to forge the brand and elevate the company to the next level.

Following the session, we will develop an initial Key Messaging Document (KMD) containing the most relevant and significant messages that must be consistently communicated about your business. The KMD will include your most important brand attributes and provide a source of communication differentiation related to your business, products, and services.

Although the KMD will continue to evolve as we further research your industry and competitors, it will serve as the foundational roadmap from which all messaging for marketing and branding efforts will originate.

Additionally, we will generate a list of tasks to turn recommendations into action and assign responsibilities and determine the level of support necessary for completing each task.

1 – Circle the Wagons
To better define your brand, we will review and evaluate your goals, corporate practices and overall business landscape.

2 – Scout the Landscape
We will take an in depth look at the competitive landscape to determine where your greatest opportunities lie.

3 – Seperate Yourself From the Herd
Here we incorporate all knowledge about your business and the competitive landscape to create a message platform that clearly identifies your unique position in the marketplace.

4 – Brand Forging
Using a strategic yet fresh approach, we start to define and forge your brand so there is both clarity and distance between you and your competitors.

5 – Revenue Round-Up
With a new or refreshed look in place, let’s work together to maximize sales efforts in order to positively impact your bottom line.

6 – Drive to Bonanza
Let’s set the strategic plan in motion, implementing creative ideas to position you for long-term success.

7 – Running the Ranch
Part of every client relationship, we will commit to each other in order to work together and ensure that the program is carried out to reach your goals. Accountability and any necessary course corrections lead to success.

Every business evolves. As yours does, we’re here to support you, and your brand, every step of the way. From the concepts of start-ups, to businesses preparing for a transaction, to owners looking to exit, we know what it takes to get you through your current stage and onto the next.

Based off of the experience we’ve had with numerous businesses in multiple stages of business, we have defined the five most common and most critical business lifecycles. They include: Inspiration, Introduction, Expansion, Transaction, and Revitalization. By understanding your place in the lifecycle, we can help define the best and most appropriate branding strategies.

As a business matures and begins to cycle into a new phase, this evolution dictates the shift in marketing and branding strategy. From our first meeting, we begin to determine the stage in which your brand is currently growing, and are pre-equipped with the tools you’ll need to overcome the obstacles associated with where you stand in your business evolution.

We’ve worked with brands at every point in the lifecycle. In fact, much of our passion is fueled by the results our clients achieve as we help them move through these phases of business. Regardless of your place in the business lifecycle, we have the experience and knowledge to help.

Inspiration – The concept of a new business idea is in place and the need to create awareness is of the utmost importance. It may be a spinoff opportunity, it may be an emerging technology, or it may be a radical idea.

Introduction – It’s time to introduce the product or service to the marketplace through differentiation. The concept is off the ground and has viability.

Expansion – Businesses in this stage are seeking, and possibly already, on the verge of rapid growth and creating sustainability through customer expansion and retention. They seek to increase valuation through a “self-revival.” Ask yourself: Are we staying true to the core brand?

Transaction – Owners in this stage have identified the next major milestone to maximizing value through a once-in-a-business-lifetime opportunity. Considering a merger, sale or acquisition falls into this category. Companies preparing to go public are also in this stage. The business is on a mission to rapidly expand through increased scalability and significantly increased market share.

Revitalization – The business has come full circle and the torch is about to be passed. The initiative in this lifecycle stage is to fortify the business in order to maximize value. A sale or leadership transition is in the offing as original ownership prepares to transition out of the business. Revitalization efforts play an important role both before and after the transition.

A company’s greatest asset is its brand. In a competitive business environment, strong brands provide customers with familiarity, assuredness and comfort. But without true Brand Champions to lead the cause, brand success will be elusive. So what is a Brand Champion? They are individuals within an organization who truly understand, embrace and commit to brand development and growth.

Brand Champions are leaders within an organization who take on the responsibility for developing brands that lead to business success. More than anything, they champion the cause. It started innocently enough, but Brand Champion consulting has now evolved into a high-level strategic service offering for us.

Over the years we have designed Brand Champion consulting to help key executives within a company embrace the power of branding and develop the necessary leadership skills for creating and maintaining a successful brand.

Strategic/Visionary Consulting

• Setting the course for your company
• Identifying, understanding and promoting the brand value

Leadership Consulting

• Building brand ambassadors who ultimately build brand advocates
• Spreading the brand message across all departments

Accountability

• Committing to the brand and not straying from the course

Articulation of the Brand message

• Communicate the brand value
• Help others understand, believe and live the brand

Through regular consulting, we facilitate and collaborate with you to prepare and stick to an aggressive plan. We help you increase brand awareness, maintain a stronghold in the marketplace, and ultimately reach the revenue goals necessary to thrive as a business.

We are entrepreneurial in nature so regardless of the challenge, we are creative in finding ways to overcome it. Regardless of your business’s lifecycle stage, we are prepared to create a strategy that supports you. We integrate brand development and marketing with a creative flair designed to make a noticeable difference. Each of our services play a role in a larger, Holistic Branding program. Here are just a few of the things that we can do for you:

Branding, Marketing, and Positioning

• Strategic Brand Development
• Brand Champion Consulting
• Strategic Messaging
• Competitive Research
• Business Development/Lead Generation Strategies
• Marketing Communications
• Direct and E-mail Campaigns
• Events and Promotions
• Trade Show Support
• Sales, Marketing and Operations process mapping
• Results Tracking

Creative

• Graphic Design
• Corporate Identity Development
• Sales Collateral
• Presentation Decks
• Business Plans/Annual Reports
• Advertising
• Direct Mail
• Copywriting
• Packaging
• Tradeshow Booths
• Graphic Standards
• Signage

Online

• Web Development
• Brand Iron Cloud 9 Technology
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Organic Search Optimization
• Social Media Campaign Development and Integration
• Mobile Web Development
• Website Architecture Planning and Mapping
• Paid Search Strategy and Implementation (i.e., Google Adwords)
• Back-end Google Analytics
• Blog Development

Transaction Branding

• Executive Summary Creation
• Business Plan Development
• Investor Presentations
• Stakeholder Communications
• Annual Reports

Public Relations

• Strategic Messaging
• Reputation Management
• Crisis Communications
• Media Relations
• Bylines and White Papers
• Media Training
• Speakers Bureau