The Future Is Yours — BRAND It!
Marketing today for tomorrow’s client should start with a BRAND beginning.

Q: When you’re up against five equally qualified firms, how do you
differentiate yourself from your competition?

A: By knowing & demonstrating your BRAND.

	Get crummy with "Brand Crumbs" Click here to see the latest issue.

What is a BRAND?
Your brand is the sum total of the unique elements and characteristics that differentiate you from your competition. It comprises all the impressions your clients and prospects have of your company — your qualities, character, culture, and vision. It’s how you do business. A strong brand prequalifies you in your client’s mind, and positions you as the only choice for the project. Yet, while every A / E / C firm has a brand — good, bad, or indifferent — few take the time to define it, hone it, and apply it to every aspect of their business.

How to build your BRAND
Brand-building requires that you understand and accept a simple truth: It’s not about you. It’s about your client. Begin by looking at every aspect of your business through your clients’ eyes. Where does your true value lie — beyond providing quality work, on time and on budget? To answer this question, gather together your principals, project managers, and marketing staff to define the value and benefits clients achieve by working with you. Next, explore where you stand in the marketplace. Conduct perception assessments with your past and present clients, and industry peers.

Integrate the results of these two exercises to define your “story” — the fundamentals of why and how you conduct your business. This is far more than a mission statement. It’s the guiding principle for your every business action, from how you answer your telephone to how you deliver a project.
Your brand should answer these questions:
• What do our clients need?
• How can we answer these needs better than anyone else?
• What makes us believe we can do this better than our competition?
• Is our company culture and personality focused on our clients and their needs?
• Does everyone in our company understand and live our culture?
• And most importantly — why should clients choose us?

Once your brand is defined, it must be embraced by everyone in your firm. It should be the
foundation and benchmark of your every marketing communication, from stationery to web to qualifications packages to PowerPoint presentations to brochures, advertising, and direct mail. Put the power of your brand to work today, and the future will be yours!

[ Top ]