Marketing is a Team Sport
Don’t expect one player to carry the entire game?

By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte

When I was in my twenties and fresh out of school, I worked as the Advertising Manager for a large retail store. It was a great experience where I learned a lot. Even though my bucket of knowledge was very shallow, I still had far more awareness of marketing communications strategy than my employers. It was a great place for a young beginner to shine.

I did everything!
Over the course of a few years, I served as marcom strategist – a novel concept for my bosses--, designer, writer, photographer, trade show planner, media planner and buyer, broadcast director, etc. As I said, I learned a lot. Mostly, I learned about my own strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, my employers saw me as the person who should do it all, and for a lot less money than it would cost to hire experts. I sure wasn’t in much of a position to argue with them. Their opinion was that if we had to hire vendors to do the work, they didn’t need me. Like many business owners, they saw advertising as an expense that they hated. And, branding? They had no clue. They wanted me to drive traffic into the store as cheaply as possible. Period!

A few years later, as a manager of a radio network, I worked for a very opinionated and masterful businessman who had mastered the art of harnessing the talents of others. His philosophy was to hire great staff and vendors, pay them well, and get the heck out of their way. Working for him was a culture shock. Afraid to spend company money, I continued to try to do everything myself. The results were less than spectacular and he made sure I understood that. “What were you thinking,” he asked me one day. “Why didn’t you hire someone to do the project right?” Lesson learned? Hire experts and do the job right!

He told me that when I was given the title, “Manager,” I was expected to manage, not do. He taught me that by hiring others with specialized expertise, the results would be far superior than trying to do the work myself.

Today, I still see companies and communities trying to do things on the cheap. Now, don’t get me wrong. I do understand the need to control costs. Money does matter. But results matter much more.

About a year ago, I met a young lady who was very frustrated with her boss. She had only been on the job for a few months, but her boss insisted that she not use “expensive outsiders” to do the required work. He wanted her to do everything. In fact, he agreed to pay for design software and for a class where she could learn to use it. I really felt bad for her. She was overworked and greatly underutilized.

Like my former employer, her boss wanted her to be the copywriter, graphic designer, photographer, and even a sales person. She’s only one person! When she was given the title, “Manager,” she thought she was going to get to manage. Surprise! She should have been given the title, “Multi-Tasking Marketing and Sales Wonder Woman.”

Strategy is crucial!
Something I hear all the time is, “Jim, we know our clients and what we want to say to them.” Great, but if all you do on your web site and in your brochures is tell, tell, tell, about all the things you do, the audience will tune out and move on. You must understand not only what they want to hear, but how they want to hear it. That’s what a well written strategic message plan does.

Know your clients and their target industries
Before I describe our team, you need to first understand our clients. We only work in three industries and they are very high-end. Economic developers work to attract jobs to communities. Architects, engineers, and construction professionals work with clients to create amazing and functional spaces. Real estate professionals develop and sell properties.

Each of these industries requires huge investments involving many millions of dollars and hundreds or thousands of jobs. They are not for the faint of heart, nor for weak marketing approaches. Expert marketing communications and tactical plans mean everything to the brand positions of such companies and communities.

This explains why we specialize. We are experts in these industries and we have become a powerful resource for our clients because we understand their industries and their target audiences.

Our team approach
As my old boss understood, a talented team of experts cost more money, but they will make you look great. At Brand Acceleration, our experts work as an extension of our clients, helping them to achieve outstanding results. Mediocrity is not an option.

Just knowing how to use design software does not make someone a designer. Our designers are educated and experienced experts in the art of visual communications. They understand the science of moving a reader’s eye across a page and leading them to turn or click a page. “Pretty” is just not good enough.

Similarly, our writers are master communicators. For them, message is everything. The difference between expert and novice writers is the ability to connect, communicate and generate results. If your writing is nothing more than “talk and tell,” you’re on a path to failure.

And, our public relations folks, web programmers, and project managers are nothing less than the best. Why? Our clients require it.

Step it up!
If your industry, like those of our clients, is very competitive and has a high cost of entry, you need to surround yourself with a team of very skilled professionals. Like a professional sports team, it’s a beautiful thing to watch. At the end of the day, you will be the winner.


Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture/engineering/construction and real estate.

Differentiate Your Brand
Break free of the herd or play it safe?

By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte

We’ve all seen movies and documentaries where the beautiful herd of wildebeests is stalked by predators such as lions, hyenas, and other scavengers. The massive group slowly moves across the lush plain, grazing as long as the grass holds out.

The lions, hovering nearby, carefully observe the herd, looking for the smaller, older, or weaker animal that could easily be separated and turned into a meal.

Brands, like wildebeests, can grow and thrive, wither away, or be eaten by the competition. So, just what is the best approach to survive and grow in today’s recovering economy where opportunity and competition are heating up. Let’s explore:

Stay in the center of the herd and don’t attract attention
In a herd of wildebeests, the center is the safest place. That’s usually where you’ll find the very young, old, frail, and faint of heart. The likelihood of being eaten is much lower. Here, you only have to be faster than the slowest of your friends.

It’s also the area with far less food. The grass is sparse, and what exists is just not that tasty. Like the timid wildebeests, many companies like it in the middle where they can be safe, not drawing attention, and barely surviving off the scraps left behind by others.

Take measured risks and eat better
At the front of the herd is where you’ll find the larger, stronger, faster, and braver animals. They graze where the risks are much greater but the reward is thick, fresh, and tasty grass.

Similarly, some company owners and managers reap huge rewards by taking risks. By developing a strategy of differentiation, they effectively place themselves in front of the herd, becoming the leader that others want to follow. They take well thought out risks but recognize that the best grass is out front.

What makes your company or community unique?
I was recently visiting with a man who told me that he really didn’t think his company was any different than any of his competitors. “We’re all pretty much the same,’ he said. ‘We all sell the same services in the same way. It just comes down to price.”

“Let’s try something,’ I said. ‘I want you to write a list of all the things that make your company great.” With my annoying encouragement, he took about five minutes and wrote a short list of eight things that he felt were great about his company.

“More!’ I said. ‘You need much more.”

For the next half hour, I taunted, coached, prodded, and painfully extracted another fifteen points of greatness. He was not exactly loving me but at least we had a respectable list.

“Now,’ I told him, ‘cross off every point that could be claimed by your key competitors.” “What? Cross them off?” he asked. “Cross them off,” I told him.

As he read through his list, he begrudgingly struck through selling points that he had been reciting for years. I could see the pain, and quite a bit of irritation, on his face. In about thirty seconds, his list was slashed from twenty-three to three. “There they are,’ I said. ‘There are your differentiators.” “That’s it?” he asked, a little shell shocked. “That’s it,’ I told him. ‘Now, let’s get started on a communications plan.”

The front of the herd is a scary place
It takes great courage to step out front and graze in the tall grass. Not only are you in plain sight of the lions, you’re walking among the leaders. It’s a very uncomfortable place, at first. There you are. Everybody is looking at you, wondering what you’re doing in their grass.

When prospective clients look at the herd of service providers, does your company stand out as one that belongs out front or is it just one among a mass of weak imitators. Perception is reality, here. If you are perceived as weak, that’s the reality by which you will be judged. Brand loyalty and the opportunity for leadership are hard to come by when there is a blur of choices and few differentiators. It may be time to take a risk and step into the tall grass.

Are you a follower or a leader?
The larger and stronger wildebeests get to be that way by taking risks. By nature, the rest of the herd will follow. I sometimes find myself with company of community leaders who spend an inordinate amount of time talking about their competitors. They may admire them or fear them. In essence, they want to be like them and follow them. But all too often, the required risk, courage, and expense is just too scary, so they retreat to the center of the herd where they can blend in and feel safe.

At Brand Acceleration, we work with numerous communities and companies, helping them to identify and promote their unique differentiators. They know that we are passionate about developing message strategies meant to move them to the tall grass and keep them there. As a marketing communications and public relations firm, our differentiators are clear. Unlike most agencies, we won’t work for just anyone. We only work in three industries; economic development, construction (including architecture, engineering, and related services), and real estate. Our clients like the fact that we are actively involved in and have a deep understanding of their industries and markets. We bring solid counsel which results in powerful message strategies.

One of our clients, who will not be named here, is an amazing man. He avoids joining trade organizations and refuses to follow what he perceives as the imitators. He doggedly works to be different. He is brave, aggressive, and very successful at growing what has become a powerful and unique brand position. He’s not at all afraid to be different. In fact, he likes it that way. We love working with him because he is not afraid to step out and take a position at the front of the herd. The result? His marcom and public relations program is aggressive and the results are remarkable. His web traffic and lead count are staggering.

What is your differentiation plan?
What are you doing to get out front? Do you have a clear understanding of what makes your company or community unique or are you content with mingling among the forgotten mass in the middle?

With the economy heating up and the competition aggressive, it’s time to get serious about your brand position. Please feel free to contact me any time. I’d love to have a conversation and begin the process of exploring just what it would take to move you into the lush grass at the front of the herd.

Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture/engineering/construction and real estate.