The biggest challenge small businesses face today continues to be operating in a sluggish economy. As a small business ourselves, and despite economic conditions, Brand Iron continues to thrive. Last year was a record year for the company. We attribute our success partly to our willingness to face this challenge head on. Rather than cut back on sales and marketing efforts to save cash, we recognize that now is the best opportunity to market our business. It is a chance to separate ourselves from others, so we continue to be aggressive in its business development and marketing.

Brand Iron’s management philosophy centers around a team-oriented approach made up of individuals who understand and embrace an entrepreneurial spirit. Our firm is made up of individuals who subscribe to this approach. Inherently, this type of spirit produces strong accountability, team work, creative thinking, problem solving and a win-win attitude. This approach ultimately leads to producing outstanding results for our clients.

Exemplary customer service is another essential piece of the foundation for any successful business operation. It may sound obvious, but Brand Iron is committed to demonstrating outstanding customer service from the outset of every client relationship. You would be surprised at the number of businesses out there who don’t put much emphasis on customer service…they operate as though it is a given. Unless you focus on it, the concept gradually slips away. From our initial “Brandstorming” session with every client, we map out clearly defined goals and objectives, detailed time lines and create accountability methods (for both the agency and the client) to ensure success. The final step of our 7-Step Process — “Running the Ranch” – ensures that we monitor progress in all client relationships and demonstrate goal-oriented success. Internally, our Client Services team meets regularly to ensure client relationships stay strong and that we deliver a solid ROI.

-Jim Miller, Public Relations

Re-branding can be just the shot of adrenaline your company needs to stay competitive, relevant and modern. Adapting to the times – and presenting yourself in the best light possible can lead to big changes in the way your target audience perceives your company.

We wanted to show you some recent samples of our re-branding work. The examples below different greatly in industry, but share one important trait: they all felt their current brands were holding them back from reaching their full potentials.

CapitalValue Advisors
CapitalValue Advisors, sometimes known to their clients as CVA, wanted to integrate a standalone icon with their type treatment. In the future, they wanted the ability to use only the icon, but in the meantime, did not want to alienate clients and prospects who knew them as their full name, CapitalValue Advisors.

Forensic Laboratories
Forensic Laboratories has made great strides in their business in recent history. To capitalize on their business growth and increased national and local attention, Forensic Laboratories needed an updated brand to communicate not only where there are – but where they were headed: the best drug testing laboratory in the U.S. and industry leader in accuracy, technology and expertise.

MPEG LA
As the world’s leader in independent intellectual property patent pools, MPEG LA needed to communicate their leadership within the industry. One thing the client wanted to preserve was the red/green/black color scheme of their old logo.
The icon, which can be a stand-alone identity piece, symbolically communicates the value MPEG LA brings to its patent users and holders: making something great from the combination of many pieces.

Contact us today if your company needs to address its brand – whether visually (as demonstrated above), readdressing your sales, marketing and operations process, or leveraging the value of your current brand to drive more revenue.

Written by Josh Barker, Brand Manager

I went shopping for a new phone the other day. I gravitated immediately to the iPhones and Blackberries. Then I moved down the line to the other phones with names I hadn’t heard of, but I had heard of the companies that built them. Finally I picked up a phone that seemed to represent the generic brand of phones. Immediately I began questioning the reliability of this product. Would I get the coverage I need? Would it break after only two months? It is cheaper, and I really don’t need all the features in the top-of-the-line model. But will I be replacing it much sooner?

Where did all of these questions come from? I’ve never read any studies comparing the quality of name-brand phones with generic phones. Nor have I seen any news reports regarding the quality of these phones. I haven’t even done any anecdotal studies with my friends comparing the two choices. All I know, and all I am basing my decision on is name recognition. I recognize the iPhone and the Blackberry, so I immediately assume they will perform better and last longer.

Now the question naturally arises, what if the generic phones did publish a series of reports detailing their superior longevity and coverage, but they did nothing to increase awareness of their product brand? I think it is safe to assume they would see a small increase in sales as a result of the few who took the time to read through the reports. This is the power of branding. Through multiple impressions placed on a consumer’s mind, a well-executed branding strategy can trump a detailed scientific study and will ultimately drive more sales and revenue.

Most consumers, myself included, do not have time to wade through scientific reports every time we make a purchase. We want to make the purchase quickly and move on to the next thing. How can we make good decisions and decisions we are happy with then? We pick a good brand and stick with it. Each additional impression further deepens our loyalty for that brand, a sort of salve for the buyer’s remorse syndrome.

I didn’t end up buying any phones that day. But I did get a good idea for a blog entry.

-Tommy Hummel

I’ve noticed even in my own every day purchases that my buying habits have changed. New price points or repeated advertising messages entice me to try a new brand. Before I knew it, my brand loyalty had changed. Strangely even in my own tight purse these days, it still doesn’t stop me from treating myself to luxuries such as facials, hair products or restaurants that make me feel good. It’s now more than ever that I am loyal to those people/products/services, so that I am pretty much guaranteed a satisfied outcome. With a smaller amount of play money, I want to get the best experience for my dollar, therefore I am lured by extraordinary service.

Since I am new to Denver, I am not (yet) loyal to any sports teams, so attending a Rockies game is more about catching a tan vs. catching a win. Since boiling in the afternoon heat automatically constitutes a beer or two, I was seeking the nearest vendor when I had the most interesting offer to have my face and feet sprayed with a water bottle while also selling me a beer. Did I look that parched? No — cue Coors Field’s most reputable beer vendor: Brent Doeden aka. Captain Earthman.

He’s not hard to miss: with his trademark baseball hat (complete with pins, beer cans/bottles and alien antennas), colorful clothing and loud, raspy voice, you know when Captain Earthman is nearby. Not yet ready for a beer? No problem…he comes equipped with his misting water bottle, spraying anyone in his path or even dunks your baseball cap in his ice-cold cooler water. And in the event that you need a beer and he isn’t anywhere to be found, he also distributes business cards with his cell phone…so you can call him over and not miss a minute of the game.

Captain Earthman is a Coors Field staple and is continually awarded as one of the top 10 stadium vendors in the country. Although he works at various venues around the Denver area and even Rockies Spring Training in Arizona, you can always catch him at every Rockies game, working hard in the outfield bleachers.

Captain Earthman’s stadium popularity and nationwide notoriety is a representation of the venues he works and the products he sells. He unwaveringly offers service that goes above and beyond, which has me converted to not only always buying outfield tickets, but even forcing myself to drink a Coors Light. In the end, I am guaranteed a great beer, great service, a laugh, a cool down and overall, a great experience.

Can your customers say that about your service? Who is the brand champion on your team? Does your business stand out in a crowd?

-Rebecca Watry, BrandIron Account Manager

If you’ve ever thought about whether or not SEO would be an effective tool for you or your business, take a look at how this powerful internet marketing strategy helped one of our clients boost sales and web presence.

We started doing Search Engine Optimization for our client, Columbine Label Company, in July. Since then, they have been experienced huge jumps in their web traffic. Traffic is great, but driving business through new leads is better.

This is the email I received from our client last week:

Brand Iron can help your business develop an effective SEO strategy. Every company has unique online goals, ie, 2nd handshake, resource for information, make online purchases, demonstrate expertise. A targeted SEO plan can be exactly the shot of adrenaline your company’s online presence needs. Learn more about our Web-O-Nanza™ program or call us today 303-534-1901.

“Mike and Jim walked to the car, and he drove.” In this sentence, it is unclear who drove, Mike or Jim. The reader will be unable to determine it based on this sentence alone. It is clear that this sentence needs reworking, but sometimes the problem is a little less clear.

In marketing, there is a need for information to be interpreted quickly and accurately. Thus, it is that much more important to double check the copy, or even to hire a professional to ensure accurate and clear copy.

“After Mike handed Jim a packet, he continued to work on the project.”

Here the correct interpretation of this sentence is that Mike worked on the project more since Mike is the subject of the last phrase. However, the brain often associates the most recent noun with the pronoun, so it is common to assume Jim worked on the project after receiving the packet. Still, it is really unclear who the author intended to say worked on the project more, Mike or Jim. Such a sentence often results in a reread for the careful reader, which may only lead to more ambiguity. The less careful reader will merely interpret it one way whether that is the intended interpretation or not.

It is easy to write sentences like these, but it is difficult to spot the ambiguity. Often the author’s mind will simply supply the correct interpretation when the author proofreads the sentence. It may not be detrimental to interpret this sentence incorrectly, but sometimes the ambiguity can lead to problems. In writing, what is written is far more important that what is meant, since the author does not have the ability to clarify things for the reader, like one can do in speaking. Therefore, it is important to create copy that is clear and leaves little room for misinterpretation.

Even though this sentence can be interpreted correctly by following the grammar rules, one needs to consider, first, whether the reader will do that, and second, whether one wants to force the reader to stop reading in order to come to a correct interpretation of the sentence.

There are a couple solutions to fix sentences like these. Supply the proper noun in place of the ambiguous pronoun:

“After Mike handed Jim a packet, Mike continued to work on the project.”

To avoid redundancy, try using phrasing:

“After handing Jim a packet, Mike continued to work on the project.”

Or if Jim worked on the project:
“After receiving a packet from Mike, Jim continued to work on the project.”

-Tommy Hummel, Operations Intern

Last week the Miami Herald reported that players from the University of Miami football team called to thank fans that had purchased season tickets for their support. They also called fans to invite them to the annual Canes Fest event to be held this coming Saturday. Fans were shocked and amazed to receive calls from the Hurricanes’ quarterback, Jacory Harris himself. Some were in utter disbelief and questioned whether the caller was really Jacory at all, several fans even quizzed him.

This interesting tactic by the “U” is making headlines. It shows that the Hurricanes are appreciative of the fact that fans are still spending money to see them play at a time when many people do not have discretionary income to spend on sporting events. It also appears to be a form of social marketing that’s working, and people can appreciate that these days. I’m not sure if season ticket holders will be receiving calls from Brandon Marshall, Lebron or Kobe any time soon, but it should be something to be considered, especially in the smaller markets. Take note Rockies– this may be something that could help put/keep people in seats for next year.

Written by: Mike Slife

As it officially becomes summer and the swimsuit suit season arrives, let’s look at a rebirth of a classic surf brand icon.

To begin, I must explain a little about my background. I grew up about a mile from the beach in Carlsbad, California. As far back as I can remember, we would ride our bikes down to the beach and spend the days of summer soaking up rays (pre-sunscreen days), catching waves, playing beach volleyball, tossing the Frisbee around and yes, girl-watching. I was a surf rat. I worked at a surf shop in Oceanside, California which was then called Hobie Oceanside, and has since been renamed Surfride. I grew up on brands such as O’Neil, Gotcha, Quicksilver, O.P. and Reef. My first job out of college was as a rep for several of these companies.

As a rep I learned early on that many of these brands were using sex to sell their products. Beautiful women in bikinis became a central feature of surf posters displayed in stores and on surfer boys’ walls. It had become a way for companies to make a name for their brand and to sell their product, and one of these famous surf companies did just that to stand out from the rest. Reef designed a marketing campaign that would change the face of “bikini girl marketing,” putting their models in tiny thong bikinis which they coined the “Reef Girl.” And what do you know; the idea of women in thongs was so outrageous that literally overnight this little flip-flop company became a world-wide brand. It catapulted them and their brand above the rest. From posters to calendars to bikini contests, Reef girls became the signature of the Reef brand.

After years of success in the surf company industry and wide spread popularity of the Reef brand they felt that Reef could survive without the marketing ploy of the
Reef Girl contest, and were confident that the Reef brand could stand on its own. Did they know they were cutting off their nose despite their face? The Reef Girls were such an important piece of the Reef brand, it had become their signature, and in a way it had become their brand. With the disappearance of the Reef Girls came the drop in sales for the company and Reefs marketing presence dissipated as other surf companies jumped at the opportunity to show off their own brands. Well, it wasn’t long before customers, dealers, and young boys came clamoring for their thong bikini babes to return on calendars, posters, and pictures on the website. And yes, for the Reef Girls and their bikini contests to return as well.

Following a two year hiatus, the Reef Girls returned. So is it coincidence? Could the brand and its products stand on their own without the wildly popular thong bikini stunt? Is it that the timing of repositioning their brand beyond a marketing stunt and the recession created a “perfect storm”? Is it because they listened to customers, dealers, and young boys around the world and relented to pressure? Or is it that this little marketing stunt which helped to propel their brand into a world wide recognizable one may have actually been a good idea in the first place?

Whatever the reason, they’re back and you can vote for your all-time favorite Miss Reef as well as enter to become a judge at the next Miss Reef bikini contest in Panama at http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/bikini-contest–win-reef-bikini-girl-trip_27263/. As for me, I am positive the return of the bikini thong girls will be driving tons and tons of traffic to their web site and creating quite a stir as well as helping to sell tons of flip flops. I’m also crossing my fingers that I win that contest!

by Michael Doyle, Brand Iron President

These tough economic times and rising number of jobs lost have left their mark on the interning world as well as the paid working world. Searching for jobs online, I have noticed that most places are looking for someone with “experience” but how do you get this experience without working? The answer seems to be, internships. I have found the world of interning to be more competitive this year than the two years before hand. When I think about it, it seems strange that people would be pretty much begging to work FOR FREE. But the more I think about it, it isn’t so much the working for free part we are begging for, it’s the experiences that come with it.

Since my freshman year in college I have been immersing myself in the world of internships, from a radio station, to a music festival, and now to a small branding and consulting firm I’ve been building up my resume with so called “work experience.” There have been the days when my title of “Intern” has included making coffee, standing at the printer, and spending hours battling mail merge, but on the flip side to that are the days when being the intern has allowed me to get in on creative meetings, network with clients, and learn new programs and tools which has made all the hours of unpaid work pay off.

I have become used to being the new person in the office, and the person who gets stuck with some of the more boring tasks at work, but I’m also really grateful for the time and effort my superiors have spent teaching me valuable skills. Not only can I have “mail merge expert” on my resume but also social media enthusiast, digital marketing experience, event planning, and a whole host of other useful abilities.  Beginning my third internship, I continue to take steps in new directions and grab onto any projects I can get a hold of.

Now that I have a variety of internships to boost my resume, I wonder what work experience is enough work experience to launch me into the working world post college. For the time being my plan is not to stress out about the job market, but to continue to show up each day and take it all in, who knows where it may take me next (hopefully a real job).

Written by Kaitlyn Anderson, Marketing Intern

Every day we are reminded that we are in a recession…the countless news reports, articles and blogs remind us constantly about how to cut costs to assure survival during these tough economic times. As a struggling citizen of our latest societal problem, I couldn’t help but think “how did we get here?” In my lifetime as a working professional, I could never recall any economic times as tough as they are today. In fear that my generation may have to experience similar hardships as the Great Depression, I started to research more about how people (more specifically businesses) were able to prosper during that time. And what I started to discover was amidst all the negativity, we are forgetting what made some companies even more successful as a result of the Great Depression.

No doubt during “normal” economic conditions, companies wouldn’t dream about cutting their marketing budgets, so why should we stop now? In fact, since most companies are cutting their commercialization, wouldn’t now be the time to get your brand noticed while most of your competitors have gone silent? Additionally, wouldn’t you want your brand to be perceived as stronger than your competitors? Ironically the companies that advertised during the Great Depression became even more successful, once spending finally did increase. Their “staying power” actually gave the public a reason to be loyal to that brand and they came out on top while their competitors tried to gain lost ground. The common denominator among companies who persevered during the Great Depression: they did not decrease their ad spending. Therefore, those businesses who actually tried to save money and stop advertising, actually wasted the brand building dollars they had previously spent.

You could say I’m biased because I’m in marketing or perhaps that I’m overly optimistic, but with companies such as GE, Disney, HP and Microsoft all emerging out of recessions, perhaps we should all be reminded of the advertising and marketing history lessons of the past. What businesses fail to realize is, that even in recessions, people still spend money, they just look for better deals (and appreciate it more) when they do. Therefore saving money by cutting budgets in a down economy doesn’t automatically lead to successfully surviving a recession…especially if you’re not looking to stay top-of-mind of the consumer! 

Written by Rebecca Watry