Posted by Rob
Posted on 08-08-2007 under Branding

We here at Frye / Wiles spend a lot of time thinking about Branding and Corporate Identity. I mean, it’s pretty much what we do all day. That and websites. Lots of websites. And hard-core nerd-type PHP / mySQL / Javascript / AJAX programming. And the occasional bursting into song. And sometimes we send Dani on a pie run. But I digress….

Anyway, branding: One of the biggest hurdles we run into with potential clients is getting them to recognize the value (or potential value) of their brand. Oftentimes, companies will spend large sums of money on their building, their equipment, their workforce, their executive compensation packages, etc. And well they should - these things are all key parts of the structure of their businesses. But very often, the brand itself neglected.

So why is this important? Well, let me tell you! Your brand is the core of your customer’s perception of your company. Other parts include customer service and product quality, etc. But these things all work in support of your brand. You can have all the fancy Herman Miller chairs you want, but if your potential customer’s perception is that you aren’t as with it as the other guy in town, guess who he/she/it’s going to go with?

Beyond securing new customers, though, your brand, once established, provides a level of comfort and recognition that is more valuable than most people imagine. For example: I read in BusinessWeek recently that Ford Motor Company, in desperate need of cash, actually put their corporate brand identity up as collateral (I think that was in this article). So a bank someplace, realizing how established and successful (over the long term) Ford has been, decided that their very logo and identity had enough equity to secure a loan. Now, chances are pretty good that your brand will never achieve that level of recognition. Very few do (we can’t all be Coke, Nike or Apple). But that doesn’t negate the fact that your brand builds equity in a very real and tangible sense. Get your brand right, and get it established, and you have built a valuable asset for your company (and often at a fraction of the cost of, say, equipment purchases or tooling). And chances are pretty good that your brand, if done right (with the help of a firm like, oh, say, Frye / Wiles…) will outlast much of your equipment. Your brand identity is something you should budget for, nurture and grow as your business grows. As a forward-thinking company investing in your future, this should be a very high priority.

As for me, at the moment, pie is a very high priority. Peace