Conversation Agent

BrandingWire: Design of Open Source Marketing

Is open source marketing possible?

Back in June I unveiled the launch of a new initiative by a diverse group of branding experts with varied backgrounds -- business proprietors as well as people with time on the client side. We called it BrandingWire. The initiative was spearheaded by Steve Woodruff and embraced by an impressive group of professionals. I still believe that the foundation is there to take the concept to the next level.

Everyone I talk to about this initiative wants to learn more because the idea of taking a brand to the next level within this model has a lot of appeal to it. Well, today would have marked the posting of a new branding challenge and recommendations from the team. Except for something happened between design and execution. I would love to enroll your help in discussing what and finding a way to make this work. Since this month was my turn to solicit a branding challenge, I choose to reach out to you, my business community of readers, for help in finding a good execution for BrandingWire.

First a word to our sponsor

There is none. Is that good, bad, indifferent? That's why I dubbed it "open source" it comes from a peer to peer model where the audience is also part of the conversation. In fact, the key aspect of the challenge is -- obviously enough -- the challenge, and that is your brand.

We've had two real cases to date:

• The town of Estes Park, CO
• A small Canadian IT services company

And several fictitious cases:

• A small coffee company in mid America
• The US Auto Dealership model
• A small marketing consulting firm

If any of the topics or companies hit close to home, you might check those out. The posts linked here include track backs or links back to the rest of the team. It's not every day that you get such in depth marketing advice from a senior group.

Now a word about intent

Clearly, we do this because we also get something out of it. I cannot speak for Patrick, or Kevin, also on the client side like me, but I'd like to think that the challenge itself makes participation worthwhile. Working inside an organization means that we sharpen our tools on the things that organization needs and wants specifically -- they are our client. It's nice to look at other types of branding issues and stretch outside our day to day.

The rest of the team comprises business proprietors who already enjoy a wider branding scene and I'm sure join in with an eye to possible client work as a result of their efforts -- I know I would in their place. After all, this is a step up just reading someone's blog, you get to also see the thinking on challenges that might be quite similar to yours. There is already a lot of value in that and I believe in hiring talent and paying for value.

Where to go from here?

I say less talk and more doing. The right execution is to ideas like oxygen is to breathing -- they need to go hand in hand if something is to happen. We've had some discussion among the group and I think that for this project to be successful it needs to (thanks, Steve Woodruff):

• meet real-world needs
• create engagement with a growing number of contributors/audiences
• be low-maintenance
• be simple for readers

The submission may take place at the BrandingWire blog. We could invite other marketing experts as guest contributors. Execution could be in the comments section and then the best plan suggestions are published with credit and fleshed out by the team.

Is open source marketing possible? How would you go about it?

BrandingWire: Right Size Marketing

This month's BrandingWire challenge in the B2B space involves a small marketing consulting firm that is losing contracts to lower priced bids and to bigger companies. After three years in business, the firm's growth has slowed down considerably -- many of their clients buy one-off projects and may not return for subsequent engagements.

The firm's client profile is important to consider

They have been working exclusively with companies that have 150 employees or less, generate revenues between $1-25MM and are based in North America. So far, they seem to have concentrated on companies that operate in the high tech and health care sectors, which are both experiencing explosive growth due to two main movements (as inspired by the Map of the Future, the Institute of the Future):

1. We have come to rely very heavily on technology -- the analyst reports (loosely Forrester) are filled with issues of corporate governance, risk and compliance, enterprise content management strategies, information leak prevention and integration-centric business processes, etc. We are also more connected, from individual to social network and empowered. What can be smart self-organized groups of productive people may turn into collective power that can alter markets, politics and society as well as provide strong feedback loops.
2. The anxiety about health and longevity is growing -- since we are more connected, challenges like pandemics will get close and personal. Furthermore, the intersection between environment, health, and lifestyle will continue to receive attention. We're aging -- many of our peers are now dealing with the difficulty of researching options and making decisions about the long term care of their parents and relatives. Although by and large we have access to many more resources on preventive health, the reality is that we live longer, and may need some form of assistance down the road.

These two forces may converge in new dynamic forms of cooperation, where technological modifications to the human body go from stigma to style, for example.

According to our brief, consumers and businesses have so many choices that high tech companies and clinics/hospitals are either showing stagnant growth or losing market share -- in other words they do not know how to differentiate themselves from each other.

Modify the Sales Approach

BrandingWire client is the small marketing consulting firm and we recommend they take a look at a couple of suggestions to modify their sales approach and map to those trends to help their customers capitalize on them:

• Take a look at studies that flesh out the trends as they are affecting current stories and then cross reference your customer base -- high tech and health care companies -- where do they fit? What capabilities do they have? Who do they have on board, what skill sets does the organization have collectively?
• Do you have the ability to source research or partner with a research company that can provide more information to help your customers make any necessary changes to *their* business plan, if they were attuned to that?
• Then you may work on helping them find a niche and build a new brand based upon that niche. Once you know who's on board and why anyone would go to them or hire them, you work on helping them formulate their value proposition.

Right Size Marketing (the strategy)

We will go the extra step to ensure that your business succeeds by partnering with you to find the right value proposition and unlocking that value to your customers. The marketing consulting firm needs to be viewed as an adviser and a partner vs. a tactical shop that can get the brochure done. That will allow the firm to command higher prices.

We will also work efficiently with you on your challenges, there is no B team, you get the "A" team and all the attention and care your business deserves. There is usually a concern with smaller organizations, like our firm's customer base, that while a large company may have greater resources, they do not pay the right kind of attention to smaller fish.

I call this strategy right size marketing. We are the right fit for you and will help you find the right fit for your customers.

Start Small, Build Referrals (the tactics)

During your research of your customer base, find one or two companies you feel confident you can help hone in their niche. In other words, find those who may already know they've got something and are looking for someone to help them unlock it. Lead with your refocusing on helping your customers find their focus within their fields given both high tech and health care are hot buttons at the moment.

Start with why this is such a great time to be in the high tech/health care industries. Lead with a story about their environment and the challenges their customers are facing in finding the right provider. When you've done your homework and started with the right companies, you will have an extra spring in your voice.

Once you begin work with one or two of your prospects and they become clients, be exceptionally attentive to their needs -- deliver, deliver, deliver. Your enthusiasm and desire to help them will shine through. Work with them on getting their story out to their customers in any venue you can -- from trade journals to the blogosphere, depending on their interest, budget and time and your creativity and skill. Make them the heroes and you will shine of reflected light.

For other contributions to this brand challenge check out the posts by fellow BrandingWire experts Patrick Schaber, Becky Carroll, Drew McLellan, Gavin Heaton, Steve Woodruff, Kevin Dugan, Olivier Blanchard, Martin Jelsema, Lewis Green and Derrick Daye.

BrandingWire: Do They Have the "it" Factor?

This month’s BrandingWire assignment is a provider of IT services and a real company. Before I launch into the brief, I would like to share a disclaimer with the group.

My current day job has me in charge of branding, marketing and public relations for a well known IT infrastructure and services company.

Given the potential conflict of interest with this request, and my focus on conversation, I will offer some assistance to the marketing manager at this Canadian small high tech services company in the form of conversation.

The Three C’s – Company, Customers, Challenge

The company is admittedly very hands on and into all things IT –- from network maintenance to emergency work, hardware and software procurement to consulting. An area in which they’d like to expand is Green IT for sustainable solutions.

They appeal to local and regional small to medium size businesses –- among which you may find many non profits, usually the types of organizations that will not have a department or staff in house. As has been my experience with working in a non profit, the accounts payable department can be a little slow. It’s good that they diversified their portfolio to include also firms in financial and account services to commercial real estate, health care and retail.

The company’s billing is quite flexible -– by project and by the hour -- yet they still seem to run into issues in trying to convince the businesses they serve that their rates are fair for the value they provide. The marketing manager states that the company gives great customer service.

Let’s Flesh Out the Challenge

The request to BrandingWire seems twofold:

1. Help the company’s current customers see the value in the services price point. “This may be an inherent problem in the industry (it’s known that IT is on average never properly budgeted for),” says the marketing manager, “but EDS and other huge IT corporations don’t seem to have a problem. We want them to see us as a partner for their business, not just an ‘IT repair service’.”
2. Reach new prospects who already understand the business importance of IT services and may be willing to pay for the company’s services. “Get them to pick us above our competitors for our value-added work.”

Make me Feel the “it” Factor

The belief that the company supplies great customer service needs to be validated. Are customers saying it or is the company? Do customers read the detailed log that comes with the monthly bill, for example? Do they see value in such report? When are customers feeling the love -- at 3AM if something goes horribly wrong? How would you go about collecting evidence and feedback?

You would then be able to use that feedback and testimonials to start a dialogue with prospects. If we step back for a moment and take a look at the universe of businesses in the company portfolio we may identify a type of business that relies more on technology for its day to day operations. Would it pay off to focus on having a deeper conversation on applications and critical data with those businesses? Another thought for consideration might be narrowing the scope of what the company works on and specializing it by researching more closely what the market needs.

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Your turn, what are your thoughts on marketing IT services? Do you have a preferred provider? Why do you like them? What would make you value a company in this space? We all get the value of rescue when a disaster occurs, what about on the day to day operations?

A brand is built both on the company's characteristics and the perceptions of what the company does in the marketplace -- scarcity and demand are just one of the considerations. Other approaches can be found on the blogs of fellow BrandingWire team members -- Becky Carroll, Martin Jelsema, Kevin Dugan, Patrick Schaber, Steve Woodruff,  Drew McLellan, Gavin Heaton, Lewis Green, and Oliver Blanchard. This month we have three guest bloggers joining in -- Matt Dickman, Chris Brown, and Cam Beck.

BrandingWire: Kicking the Tires on the US Auto Dealership

It's time for a new car, what do you do? Chances are you do a lot of research online, then you take a deep breath... and ask your friends and family for a direct recommendation of where to go. The truth is you can do a lot of browsing and building online and what you've got is a virtual car. That may work for Second Life; in this life, the only place when you can actually buy a real car is through a dealer. Now  let's go for a raise of hands -- who loves to visit auto dealers?

This month's BrandingWire challenge was brought to us by a whole industry in need of help -- automotive. Former chairman of American Motors and now business lecturer Gerald Myers said that today's dealer/factory model is "a supremely inefficient system, with a minimum of 60 days worth of cars and sometimes 100 sitting on lots." Why do the physical cars sit in the lot? So you can have as many choices as possible and still drive off at the wheel of a new car. "Those dealers are accustomed to having many vehicles around," Myers continued. "And dealers don't kowtow to a factory. They are independent businessmen."

Are you beginning to see the challenge? We may not be able to solve the complex issues of the franchise distribution system, where the cars are sold. Let's take a look at the current model used for marketing them. There are many efforts, often overlapping:

1. The national advertising or Tier 1. Those gorgeous and sexy TV and print visuals of cars driven in exotic places -- of note is that some of the BMW TV commercials were shot in the narrow and hilly roads of Sardegna, the big island off the coast of the main Italian peninsula. Kudos to the drivers, those can be treacherous, especially in wet conditions.
2. Then there's the Tier 2, which is more regional and makes use of snipes or tags to offer more localized incentives and deals.
3. The Tier 3 ads are usually low-budget, targeted to local dealers and less attractive. Unless you do enjoy the style. There is a mix of radio, newspaper, billboards, and infomercials here.

The challenge from a branding side as I see it is to deliver a cohesive message and appeal to potential buyers. According to a survey of 600 people conducted by Internet auto sales and marketing company Outsell in March 2007, 61.9% still prefer to buy a car from an auto dealer and 80% want to test drive a car before buying it. However, when asked if they could buy a car online and then have it delivered to their homes for a test drive, 74% of respondents said they would be interested in doing that.

So is the middle man (car dealer) adding value? If you take a look at factory-owned stores in Europe, things could be aligned much better and cars may end up costing a lot less. A controversial 2003 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by J.D. Power II, pegged the cost of a dealer network at 30%, inclusive of franchise laws, multiple level marketing, and transport cost. Ouch!

A 2007 consumer outlook study by Rob Tregenza and Kate Muhl of iconoculture sums up another aspect of the branding challenge: abundance of choice and the fragmentation of segments have created a highly competitive automotive landscape.

"With the abundance of choice today, the consumer-vehicle relationship must be increasingly meaningful to lifestyle as well as lifestage. To connect, automakers must resonate with consumers' desire for flexibility, relevance and access. And with cars the new Third Place, cross-category opportunities are growing." [emphasis mine]

Trying to be all things to all buyers will not work anymore. Vehicles are now being considered on the basis of relevance to our lives. The same report makes three distinct recommendations:

1. Build a brand beehive by defining your product or service as a communal gathering place. To borrow a page from a book that is working look at Mini Cooper, Scion, Toyota Yaris.
2. Take advantage of the milliseconds available in people's lives, and target the fit to each generation's tolerance level. Carmax and eBay Motors are both reported as working well.
3. Today's consumers expect 21st-century performance and full-impact style in every toy, tool and trip they buy. Some models are appealing, Mazda CX7 and Ford Edge.

At the end of the day, what I expect from a dealer is a good grasp of manners in maintaining our relationship and supporting my purchase, and straight talk. I ended up being a loyal customer of Toyota. Many years ago, I bought my first Camry because I wanted a reliable and maintenance free car that got good mileage. I used to commute first 118 then 78 miles each way -- on the New Jersey Turnpike.

A few years into that job, with a promotion, I got a company car so it made sense to sell mine. The dealer who had sold it to me did not want it although they knew I had an impeccable maintenance record (I had just had my 60,000-mile service, and that costs a penny, let me tell you). The other problem they cited is that it was a stick and had lower resale value.

Another Toyota dealer ended up buying my Camry -- they recognized that it was well maintained, the miles where highway and the interior of the car looked new. They quoted me an honest price and the deal was done. When I switched jobs because of an acquisition and lost my company car, guess where I went to buy?

That's right. I buy my cars from Pat at the local Toyota dealer, and I let Steve and Mark from the service department assist me with maintenance and recommended repairs. They are courteous, respectful and generous with their time -- and never, ever pushed something on me that I did not need. Instead, they give me the heads up on specials. Those are all things I value above the car model and type.

What sold me on the dealer was that they could stand behind their promises. Was it a magnificent experience? I have no idea, I have always gone in and requested exactly what I wanted. Would I buy online? Probably, since I know what I'm after.

I suspect you have your own ideas about what works. And that is the point of my post. What would you suggest to help this industry who is in obvious need? What would work for you?

[Maserati, my aspirational car]

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Check out the other post by fellow BrandingWire members Steve Woodruff, Derrick Daye, Lewis Green, Patrick Shaber, Becky Carroll, Olivier Blanchard, Drew McLellan, Martin Jelsema, Kevin Dugan, Gavin Heaton and Ann Handley.

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UPDATE: [From a conversation I had with an industry insider] -- "It is my considered opinion that the entire industry needs to be reworked, from the manufacturers and their union taskmasters to the sales floor and the service bay. I'm not sure how to go about it exactly, but I know that it involves putting businessmen in the managerial roles, rather than some dudes who sold a lot of cars ten years ago. Service depts need to become more responsible about how repairs are handled and billed, and finance - don't get me started on finance. Change the commission structure, create openness in pricing, and purge the sales floor of the fast-talking shysters who will say anything to make a sale.

Customer Service needs to be the watchword, respecting them, caring for them, providing them with a quality product up front, and then remarkable service after the sale. Brand-building will come organically to the dealership that takes this philosophy to heart."

BrandingWire: Take a Walk on the Wild Side, Estes Park, CO

Estes Park is a 6 square mile town located 70 miles (about one hour and 40') northwest of Denver at an elevation of 7,522 feet. It counts 150 lodging establishments that offer 2,600 rooms and has been defined the YMCA of the Rockies with 219 cabins that can house 4-88 people each for a total of 476 rooms.

With 7 private campgrounds and 5 Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) campgrounds, 577 summer sites and 186 winter sites, as well as 2 Roosevelt National Forest campgrounds, this is a perfect location for outdoor recreational activities. The RMNP includes 355 miles of hiking trails and can be used for cross country skiing, rock climbing, and fishing.

As well, the town's 20,000 sq. ft. conference facility with an 8,000 sq. ft. ballroom can serve as many as 10,000 people.

We met recently with the town's Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) to talk about how to increase the tax base to enhance the lives of all residents. Tourism is the major vehicle for this endeavor. The town wants to balance the ability to draw more visitors with the desires and needs of the town's residents.

As you can see in the brief we put together, we identified four market segments: (1) day trippers; (2) touring vacationers; (3) conventioneers; and (4) destination vacationers.

I will be focusing the strategy on expanding the existing branding efforts for the last two groups: people who travel to a remote location for meetings and those who choose the destination for a quiet vacation. Both groups can potentially increase the revenues the most with the least disruption to the town. The key message points to convey in all our branding activities will be:

• This is a premier mountain resort -- the gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park
• You will find a broad range of activities and amenities -- the healthy lifestyle approach
• You will feel part of a community that protects the natural environment -- sustainability

Marketing to Women (destination vacationers)

It's no secret that most of the purchasing decisions in the US are made by women. Especially for big ticket items, like vacations, women have a high influence over the choices that families and couples make. The quaint bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodations are an easy attraction for couples and families that want to leave it all behind.

In turn, once these vacationers spend time in the town, enjoying the amenities, the quiet surroundings and the dining, they will more likely spread the word to their friends and colleagues. Word of mouth is a very powerful way to entice first time visitors. That can be encouraged with visitors' entries in the B&B blogs -- for example, the Mountain Valley Home B&B Inn could allow guests to post their experiences online in real time.

I would employ a more robust public relations strategy to reach out to a number of vacation web sites and lifestyle magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Living, Gourmet, and perhaps throw in a few more like O and other lifestyle magazines with features like the "hot weekend" retreat.

Reaching the Outdoors and the Retreat People (conventioneers)

The town's selling points with these groups are the recreational parks and campgrounds. It is customary for many companies to have annual sales meetings (retreat) in out-of-the-way places. Some industries have these meetings yearly -- large printing and inventory fulfillment companies; insurance and financial services; agrichemical and chemical companies are a few examples. It is the job of assistants and sometimes communications staff to propose the location of the site. This is your marketing audience.

During off site meetings, strategies for the following year are set, recognitions are awarded to support teams and individuals, and group recreation activities help the organization employees bond and renew. The town's parks would be a great setting for people to choose among fishing, hiking, and outdoors for a half day of R&R.

Here I would employ direct marketing to reach the top administrative and communications staff at those industries by SIC code. Once permission is obtained to begin a dialogue on the location for the sales or company meeting, we can follow up with a link rich email that details: ease of transportation from local airports and in town; lodging facilities; restaurants; outdoor activities, etc.

Whether you are planning a big event, or a cozier retreat, you can find the facilities that are right for your meeting at Estes Park.

The company award is a subset of the company retreat. For its best sales people, the company awards an all-paid package for the sales person and family to Estes Park at a value of $$$. In this case, the inquiry would be via direct marketing to National Sales Directors, VP of Sales and Marketing and combinations of those titles, as well as their support staff.

Word of mouth and repeat visits can be the result of this move as families who come here with an award package may decide to come back as destination vacationers if their experience is good.

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This is a unique small town that can put you in touch with big nature. I would capitalize on that. Use word of mouth references, testimonials, first person stories as much as possible in your public relations and direct marketing activities -- ideally aggregated into one single place. And reach out specifically to the two groups of visitors who can do the most to enhance the town's tax base with the least disruption.

See more suggestions at Branding Wire. You will notice that each of my colleagues has a different angle. Visit Patrick Schaber, Lewis Green, Kevin Dugan, Steve Woodruff, Becky Carroll, Drew McLellan, Martin Jelsema, Gavin Heaton, and Derrick Daye for a tour of the possibilities.

BrandingWire: JavAroma, in love with coffee

Joe Cups, the owner of a small coffee company in mid-America, is looking for the next big idea. The company owns a few retail stores, having been in business and moderately successful for 8 years. Joe tells me that the stores are reasonably profitable so he has no debt and can fund his operations out of steady cash flow.

A Look at the Operations

They roast their own beans on-site -- their retail sites are wide-open, relaxed, and kind-of country-funky. There is a very strong local attachment to the company. Since it is a family operation, the recognition outside of the geographical area in which it operates is weak. Joe is committed to doing whatever it takes to grow his thriving business.

The Brand

Their brand name is OK but certainly not special. He came up with the tagline -- Great coffee at great prices! – after a long evening of work at the main store. Joe Jr. gave his dad a nice drawing of coffee beans falling into a cup and that became the logo. Until now, Joe never thought about marketing his business.

The Conversation

Joe says he wants to grow his operations, so we meet early one morning and talk about his ideas over a nice cup of java. The maps of the existing retail operations are spread in front of us; which extend in many local and regional focal points. Next to one of the central stores, we mark the planned location of a new Starbucks. Everyone wants to move into the area –- Caribou just announced it is going to open a shop nearby and so might Dunkin’ Donuts. McDonald’s is considering a better brew as well.

The Store Strategy

Locals love Joe’s rustic stores, especially the bean grinding activities. After conducting a few surveys of current customers and potential prospects, we decide to make each store even more open to the clientele. Joe thinks that opening up the grinding activities to customers after watching the roasting, would boost business. And for good reason –- the open layout of the retail space already lends itself to watching the process. The aroma would attract more customers in the crucial morning hours.

As we talk about the brand, we discuss keeping it simple. Since much of the coffee he sells is well known locally, the aroma speaks for itself. Going with a name like JavAroma that everyone understands seems like a good idea. What will really get people talking is the batch of mugs we are producing –- they look hand made and each is different. Customers will be able to pick among taller, wider, smaller, thicker and thinner cups emblazoned with the simple beans from Joe Jr.’s drawing and the new name.

We decide to fit an instant photo booth in each of the stores, right next to a gigantic board where people will be able to put photos taken while holding their favorite mug. The booth can fit up to three people so that small families can even sneak in two little ones. The board will be the focus of in-store re-launches –- a panel of local coffee connoisseurs and customers will be selecting the best photos to publish in the company’s JavAroma bulletin alongside grinding bean news from the area.

Groups meeting at the shops in the morning can also brew their own pot of coffee right at the table. Joe noticed that many local business people tend to meet informally before heading to the office. There are also two chapters of business associations that assist recent graduates with job tips and mentoring. The open and friendly layout of the stores located in convenient proximity of some of the main arteries into and out of the city continues to attract those groups.

The Expansion Plans

There are many government buildings and offices in the center of town where the zone planning did not allow for any retail stores. These are area free of any close competition as well. Joe heard from the Mayor that many of the county employees would love to buy a cup of JavaAroma on their way into the building. We think that there may be an opportunity to propose brew-it-yourself coffee kiosks.

Due to fire concerns, many of the downtown office buildings were never fitted with kitchens so the kiosks outside would provide a nice opportunity to take a break and get a cup of java even after the morning rush. We decide to try with a couple placed in strategic crosswalks. The Mayor, a coffee lover and strong supporter of a local business, agrees to photo ops on opening day.

Coffee Buzz 

Joe agrees to a coordinated roll out of the new logo and tagline. The store instant photo contests have people line up around the corner for the opening. Each set of photos prints a custom message at the bottom –- people can express a motto or a favorite coffee memory in up to five words. Images and words are eligible for the grand prize of a brand new in-store coffee station named after the winner.

Store grinding bean contests are set up for groups and teams. The most popular show will be featured in JavAroma bulletin with a special reprint for the laminated table mats. The press drinks this up and decides to send its own team with photographer.

The traditional look of the kiosks we prepared fits with the open layout of the downtown area office park buildings. People are pleased with the convenience of self-service and the opportunity to exchange a few words with the knowledgeable and entertaining staff manning the kiosks. On rainy days they will be able to sip from their cup, which is not disposable, under the kiosk awning while they talk about their plans for the day with Rick, Jerry, or Sandra, who knows them by name.

Whether you are grinding, brewing or taking the coffee to go, there’s a mug in our store with your name on it. We decide to use the mugs as souvenirs and let people take them home or to the office with them. Many return with them or choose to have JavAroma keep them for the next time.

Get more aromatic ideas from other perspectives by Becky Carroll, Ann Handley, Gavin Heaton, Derrick Daye, Kevin Dugan, Olivier Blanchard, Lewis Green, Martin Jelsema, Valeria Maltoni, Drew McLellan, Patrick Schaber, and Steve Woodruff at BrandingWire.com.

12 Views to a Brand: BrandingWire Wants to Take Yours to the Next Level

That is a big title, I know. It announces something of a promise of Web 2.0 -- collaboration in stead of competition, and virtual teams in addition to office mates. Twelve experienced professionals with one goal in mind: taking your brand to the next level.

The offering is quite simple: every month, we will focus on one business that needs assistance to take its brand(s) to a new destination. Whether that be growing the company in size, recognition, or business model, this team has committed branding creativity to get you there.

Our first BrandingWire collaboration was this initiative -- we came up with a name, a tagline, a logo, and a site -- all virtually online. It can be done, especially when you bring the right people to the table. And we have assembled a very diverse and experienced team to serve on this project, which will launch officially on June 11. Meet the team:

• This initiative has gone from theory to launch thanks to the tireless efforts of Steve Woodruff, chief inspiration and instigator for BrandingWire. Steve blogs and works at Sticky Figure a division of Impactiviti. Sticky Figure provides branding and marketing services that stick -- impact, we recommend it, they say.
• The beautiful graphic work you see here and will see in the weeks to come is the contribution of Martin Jelsema, founder of Signature Strategies and publisher of opinions and information on branding at The Branding Blog. Martin's expertise centers especially on strategic communications and new product introductions. A self defined visionary and innovator, Martin takes the practical approach to planning and research, and loves writing and graphics design.
• Lewis Green is passionate about business, which proves beneficial for the businesses of his clients. Lewis blogs at Biz Solutions Plus where you can read his views on results to grow your business, and learn about his commitment to solving problems and serving clients. Lewis and I are already collaborating on other conversations and in the PR efforts for this group.
• We often hear about the rising of PR. Kevin Dugan is a public relations expert with a portfolio of accomplishments that includes new product launches and custom publishing. He publishes his opinions on the world of branding at Strategic Public Relations.
• While everyone in this group believes in a client-centric view of branding, we have a dedicated customer advocate in our midst. Becky Carroll of Petra Consulting Group, a company she founded to help strengthen and lengthen customer relationships, blogs at Customers Rock!
• Gavin Heaton is the eclectic talent behind the fascinating world of branding and storytelling at Servant of Chaos. Gavin worked in a wide range of roles and professions from accounting and publishing to technology services, knowledge management and marketing. Along the way he was tutored and nurtured by both people and companies and is now involved in many initiatives to give back, including the eBook The Age of Conversation (coming soon).
• Partner to Gavin in spearheading the eBook that saw a collaboration of 100 self publishers in a wide range of professions is Drew McLellan, top dog at McLellan Marketing Group. Drew's tagline when strategy and passion collide is a mantra that helps his clients focus on their brand stories and marketing so that they can in turn help their customers fall and stay in love with them. Drew blogs at The Marketing Minute.
• Ann Handley is the vision, the spirit and the force behind and in front of marketers every day. As Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs and Primary Caregiver of the MarketingRofs Daily Fix, Ann's background in journalism serves as a catalyst for great questions and interesting takes on marketing and branding.
• Patrick Shraber blogs at the Lonely Marketer. A small company marketing manager, Patrick is as comfortable planning print ads and mailings as he is discussing blogs and optimization. Why call it the Lonely Marketer? Good question: It’s meant to signify the difference between working in marketing at a large company vs. a small company.
• Olivier Blanchard helps companies fine tune their relationships with their customers through branding and marketing strategies, the review of communications architecture, their reputation and buzz worthiness, as well as creativity and market relevance. He blogs at The Brand Builder.
• Managing Partner at The Blake Project, where he helps organizations release the full potential of their brands to build and sustain trust, Derrick Daye blogs at Branding Strategy Insider.
• And there's me at Conversation Agent. I live at the intersection of marketing, communications and organization dynamics (people), where customers experience your brand and company. I've been told that I bring new world attitude and Italian style to synthesizing conceptual information. I like to see challenges in new ways with you and execute on ideas through creativity and passion. I work in corporate America elbow to elbow with sales and customer service.

Now that you've met the posse of pundits, stay tuned to join our conversation on branding on June 11, at BrandingWire, a new channel for you to discuss provocative perspectives.