As gas prices hit over $4.00 nationally and the economy continues to fall, it is inevitable that people and companies are struggling. That said, it is even more vital to measure yourself against your competition, ensuring your current efforts are properly focused to set yourself and your company up for a strong second half of the year. Unfortunately, we are currently in an arduous game of survival of the fittest, and it is time to focus your marketing efforts.

While this conversation is a continuous topic internally, I was pleasantly surprised to find a new client that had the same ideas. I was in a planning session the other day and our client communicated that their industry was experiencing a slow-down given the economy and being that we are in the middle of the summer. They realized that it was the perfect time to position and brand themselves against their competition in order to separate themselves from the herd. This client wanted to take advantage of the current situation in which, a fair amount of companies are pulling back their spending. Our client wants to step it up and set themselves up for a strong fall and second half of the year, as well as prepare for 2009. Needless to say, I agreed with this client, and was refreshed at their goals and strategy to step up their game.

We are halfway through the year, an excellent time to review your yearly goals and objectives. See what is working, what’s not, and what needs to be adjusted in order for you to keep things going strong, maintain, or try to catch up. Going strong is the key phrase, while playing the game of catch up seems to be the reality for too many companies today.

A perfect example of the “catch up game,” was when American Airlines and United announced they were going to charge $15 and $25 respectively, for checking bags. While these airlines are trying to play catch-up, Southwest is focusing its efforts on marketing, sales and operations to boost sales and keep customers happy. They are responding directly to the competition and the consumer by announcing that they aren’t charging premiums for extra baggage and rising fuel costs.

The summer is a slower period and many people take time off, thus creating a great opportunity to not only look at your goals, but figure out how you can position yourself against the competition. Take advantage of the tough times and really separate your company from the herd by communicating your key differences and why you are a better choice than the competition.

Now is the time to evaluate, focus, and take advantage to be the fittest. If your company wants to be around when the economy turns around, call Brand Iron today.

written by Michael Doyle, President of Brand Iron

At the first of every year, I encourage all of our clients and prospects to address their brand goals and objectives for the coming year and set out a plan to obtain them. This year is no different; it is time to look back at what was accomplished, both positively and negatively, in regards to your brand for this past year. Did you make the advances you had hoped to get accomplished?

It is also the time of year when I ask another question: “Are you really committed to addressing your barriers to growth from a holistic perspective in order to reach these goals and objectives?” To answer “yes” means looking and improving sales, marketing and operations in your company.

My experience is that most companies say they want to get to the next level, but very few can actually (1) develop the strategy, (2) understand the activity level necessary to make those become a reality and (3) apply themselves to make it happen.

So, I suggest making that commitment to yourself and your company by laying out where you want your brand to be a year from now. Here are some tips to get you there:

First, address all of the items that need to be accomplished, in order for you to advance your brand from the inside out. Plan out the brand strategy, making sure everyone within the company knows what it is going to take to get there.

Next, delegate who is responsible for sales, marketing and the operations brand initiatives. Establish a timeline with milestones and some sort of reward for obtaining your goals.

And last but not least, execute by holding yourself and everyone else accountable for getting your brand to the next level. A year from now, you can say, “man we kicked some ass towards our brand goals and objectives this year and can’t wait to make even more progress this year.”

written by Michael Doyle, President & CEO of Brand Iron

“Smooth, velvety, spicy and lively with a peppery edge to the currant and pomegranate flavors lingering nicely.” With a description like that, who wouldn’t want a taste of Oxford Landing GSM? This was just one of the wines we sampled at our quarterly partner event this past Wednesday. Our president, Michael Doyle found The Reserve List, a shining little venue tucked away on South Pearl Street.

The Reserve List is a fine wine shop as well as a primo tasting facility. With fine art on the walls, black tablecloths, silver trays, and some tantalizing wines; we mingled amongst our good friends and partners. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the company. By the end of the night we had numerous empty bottles, finished another successful partner event and made some new friends.

Thank you to Mēgan from The Reserve List, and thank you to all of the partners who joined us to sample wines.

written by Natasha Martinez, Brand Iron Office Manager

The Wright Group offers personalized commercial insurance and employee benefits plans for emerging organizations. They have the specialized knowledge and experience to strategically develop and execute customized insurance plans for companies that need to stay competitive. Meeting your company’s financial and lifestyle goals is The Wright Group’s number one priority.
Brand Iron and The Wright Group are working together to create a brand that will help drive revenue. Stay tuned for The Wright Group’s new delivery process, website rollout and other marketing that is sure to demand the attention of their target market.

Caring Hands Chiropractic is Brand Iron’s newest Small Business Model client. Dr. Haas, Owner of Caring Hands Chiropractic, has dedicated his practice to helping his clients live a pain-free life. He believes the keys to a healthy lifestyle are rooted in good fitness/exercise habits, regular sleep habits, work/life balance, healthy eating habits and experienced chiropractic care.

Brand Iron is assisting Dr. Haas in crafting and communicating his unique selling position. He has taken a pro-active approach within his industry – focusing on preventative care and focusing on his clients’ long- and short-term health. Brand Iron is helping his business grow through increased brand recognition and unique messaging.

Brand Iron’s Small Business Model is the perfect solution for companies who want to succeed. We’ll coach you on:

• Creating brand value
• Generating additional revenue
• Developing and executing tactical implementation plans
• Sales, Marketing and Operations strategy

If you are interested in the Small Business Model – please call us at 303-534-1901 for a free 15-minute consultation on whether this program is right for your company.

Brand Iron has developed a niche in the Denver market by helping new companies develop strategic and consumer-oriented messages and corporate identities. Here are some examples of our recent work:

Grow LLC - Is a new consulting firm that helps emerging companies transform into
profitable, visionary businesses. Brand Iron helped them to clearly identify
their key messaging points that include:

• Access to capital
• Acquisition and exits
• Outsourced business services

We also helped them to package their message with a logo, tagline and corporate identity package.

EPI – Brand Iron helped in the strategic planning and transformation from Education Partners, an organizational and development firm, to EPI, a custom solutions provider helping companies leverage the power of people. We established a logo, tagline and corporate identity based on their message, benefits and positioning.

A snazzy logo is only as good as the strategy behind it. Brand Iron starts at the beginning – by developing a with a financially-focused brand strategy with you. To see these examples and to view others, click on the “Our Work” quick link below.