Good News!
March 30, 2011

Here are just a few of the positive economic announcements that have come my way in recent weeks:

CustomInk.com has established a new digital and screen printing operation in Albemarle County, Virginia and plans to hire 100 people.

In Evansville, Indiana, SS&C Technologies, a provider of software and related services, plans to open a new service and technology center, creating up to 500 new jobs.

SORD KY LLC, a maker of nylon products such as backpacks, belts, and military accessories, will locate a facility in Frankfort, Kentucky, creating 81 new jobs.

In Gaston County, North Carolina, REPI, a producer of liquid colors and additives, will locate a new office and create 27 new jobs. Congrats to the Gaston County Economic Development Commission.

Douglas Metal and Steel, a manufacturer of metal roofing, will expand its operation in Coffee County, Georgia and create 25 new jobs.

In Lake Charles, Louisiana, Aeroframe Services plans a major expansion at Chennault International Airport, adding 300 new jobs.

3V Incorporated, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals, has announced plans to expand its Georgetown County, South Carolina operation and create 30 new jobs.

INTACT Integrated Services, a provider of managed information technology services, has relocated its North American headquarters to Carmel, Indiana, creating 100 new jobs.

In Norfolk, Virginia, Katoen Natie, a logistics provider, will establish a warehouse and distribution operation and create 225 new jobs.

Aladdin Light Lift, a maker of motorized lifts, has announced plans to relocate its operation to Huntsville, Alabama, bringing 15 jobs to the area.

In Columbia City, Indiana, Advanced Materials Development, LLC, a maker of metal alloys, will locate a new operation and create 68 new jobs.

Celgard, LLC, a manufacturer of separators for lithium-ion batteries, will expand its plant in Concord, North Carolina.

In the City of Covington, Virginia, Continental Waste Management, LLC will establish a recycling plant, creating 100 new jobs.

In Chester County, South Carolina, Guardian Industries Corporation, a manufacturer of glass products, plans to expand its operation and create 50 new jobs.

Michelin has announced plans to expand its tire facility on Woodburn, Indiana and create 35 new jobs.

In Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Douglas Autotech Corporation, an auto industry manufacturer, has announced plans to expand and add 65 new jobs.

We receive numerous announcements each week that announce that several jobs have been “retained or created.” While retention is important, we will not use announcements that fail to define exactly how many jobs were retained and how many were created. We want specifics.

If you have jobs announcements, please send them my way. jim@brandaccel.com

Powerful Brands Start at the Top
Successful brand strategies need management buy-in

Several years ago, I received a call from a man who told me about his desire for “a new company brand.” As the company’s marketing director, his goal was to develop a new set of brand visuals and establish standards for how they would be used.

Sensing that such an effort would require approval from someone higher up the corporate ladder, I asked if his boss supported his plan. “He’s not against it. He usually leaves these tasks to me,” he told me. While I understood what he was saying, I had serious questions about whether he had the buy-in from the top that would be required to launch a successful brand campaign. We needed to meet with the boss!

You already have a brand
Unless your company or community is simply unknown, and that is often the case, you already have a brand. It’s your reputation. You can’t just buy a new one. Brands are forged over many years. Companies with great reputations have great brands and those which have ignored or mistreated customers have a serious problem. Great brands (reputations) are earned with hard work, integrity, time, and investment.

CEO as the Brand
Understanding that brand and reputation are one and the same, it’s only logical that successful brands come from the top. An organization’s top person is responsible for the brand principles and forges them through smart decisions and action.

Take, for example, Apple CEO Steve Jobs. As the founder and creative genius who gave the world the Macintosh computer, I-Pod, and I-Pad, Jobs set the very high standards that other companies aspire to follow. Why do you think Apple’s stock rises and falls with speculation and concern over his health? Steve Jobs and the Apple brand are inseparable!

CEO as Brand Leader
Back in the 1980’s, when I worked in the agricultural marketing industry, I had the honor of meeting a gentleman who was the founder and CEO of what had become a major national seed company. Although he was notorious for his outspoken personality, he was also known as a marketing genius. His secret? Consistent and unwavering customer focus.

From humble Midwestern beginnings, this gentleman grew his little company into a seed powerhouse, respected by farmers nationwide. He did so by following a rigid set of brand principles. Everything and everyone associated with his company conveyed a consistent brand promise.

At every office, the phone was answered in exactly the same way. Business cards and stationery were the same. Signs were the same. Cars and trucks were the same; always Fords. Company apparel was the same. At trade shows, the exhibits were the same and the literature was identical. Regardless of location, customers always knew what to expect.

He knew that in order to win business away from competitors, every employee had to understand and live the brand promise – Make the customer happy, no matter what. Farmers loved him and loved his company. The company’s word and promise were always good. No excuses!

How did he do it? He demanded it! His name was on the company and his reputation (brand) was on the line. Bureaucracy was virtually non-existent and employees were completely empowered to do whatever was required to make customers happy.

You see, you can create a new logo and brand visuals, but in order to build a truly successful brand, top management must establish and demonstrate customer-centered principles and see to it that the entire team lives the brand. That in place, marketing communications tools can effectively support the brand excellence you desire.

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.

Find Your Career Passion

Find Your Career Passion
True satisfaction only happens when you love what you do

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

I love what I do for a living. I guess I’m one of the fortunate ones. I’ve always worked in the marketing communications industry and, after more than thirty years, it still gives me great joy. Sure, I’ve had jobs I disliked. Who hasn’t? But when I look back at my career, I can’t complain. Since I was a sixteen-year old window decorator and gopher at my hometown Montgomery Ward store, I’ve been hooked.

Many, unfortunately, haven’t found that career or job that makes them happy. Like a sympathetic parent, my heart breaks for them. Why do they struggle? What can I do to help? Here are just a few observations:

Do what you love
Some people are just in the wrong career. Maybe because of poor parental guidance (pressure) or simply out of a necessity to pay the bills, they headed down the wrong path and were unable or unwilling to start over. We all know that the longer you stay in the wrong career, the more difficult it is to change direction.

Let’s try an exercise. In a quiet place where you can be alone for a while, close your eyes and visualize yourself working in your dream job. Maybe it’s what you had planned before taking that fateful first job. Maybe it’s what you dreamed about while in high school or college. What are you doing? Where do you live?

Now, ask yourself this question. What would prevent you from starting over? Do you lack of experience in your dream industry? Do you lack the required education? Do you have other commitments that keep you from making a change? If you were to restart, what would be the logical first step? Would you go back to school or just take a few refresher classes? Maybe you would need to initiate a new networking plan. What changes would your spouse or family need to make so that you could shift gears? How much struggle are you willing to endure?

Work with passion
Even though I’ve changed jobs a few times, I’ve always worked in the industry I love, marketing communications. If you’re not in your preferred profession, odds are you’ll struggle to perform with the passion and excitement required to experience true love for your job. In the wrong profession, you’ll be easy to spot. You’ll be the person who is unhappy, late for work, takes long lunches, and then disappears mid afternoon. You’ll also agonize over evening meetings or, heaven forbid, business travel.

Conversely, when you work in a career you love, you’ll find that you just can’t get enough. You’ll chomp at the bit to get to work and you’ll love being there. Your excitement will be infectious. Others will love being around you and you’ll be a positive influence on the entire team. When the day ends, you’ll be exhausted, yet thrilled about what you’ve accomplished.

For me, and others on the Brand Acceleration team, each day flies by and ends with the exhilaration of having accomplished great things for our clients and coworkers. “Wow, what an amazing day!”

Always be learning and growing
The world is changing at break-neck speed. It can be tough to keep up. But if you stop trying to grow and expand your knowledge and value, you’re toast. The world will pass you by, leaving you in the dust. If you’re really committed to being the best in your business, you need to promise yourself that you will never stop improving.

In my industry, we not only have to keep up, we have to lead. There are always new tools communications coming our way. With each new project, whether a web site, brochure, e-marketing campaign, or something else, we explore how we can step it up a few notches and get better, adding value and generating results for our clients. That passion for improvement excites us, making our work something that we love to do each and every day. After so many years in the business, I’m very excited by our ability to grow, learn, and lead the way. We don’t want to be just good at what we do; we want to be the best.

What excites you?
What do you love to do? Do you love helping others, designing beautiful spaces, growing economies, painting, teaching, playing golf, making money? Where is your heart? Are you happier working alone or do you enjoy being part of a team?

Each of us needs to explore these questions, not in relation to our present career but as a way to discover what gives us great joy. Only by thoroughly exploring our passions can we start down a path toward self fulfillment. Life is far too short to settle for anything less.

I wish you all the best.

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.

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.

Business Web Sites are Tools
What do web visitors want, anyway?

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

Recently, I was visiting with a friend who is a principal at a large construction firm and we got onto the subject of web sites. “We have a beautiful site,” he said. “It’s very cool.” In addition to its beauty, he extolled its various gizmos and gadgets. “What does it tell visitors,” I asked. “How effective is it at generating leads?” He was stumped.

I hated throwing cold water on his enthusiasm, but in my business we believe that web sites are tools, not toys. At Brand Acceleration, we work with architects, engineers, construction companies, economic developers, and real estate professionals who use web sites for the purpose of communicating key messages to highly targeted audiences. For those audiences, web sites are tools used for the purpose of evaluating potential service providers or business locations. They’re not looking to be entertained. They want solutions.

The world of web sites is enormously competitive. According to a 2008 report by Google, they had, at that time, indexed more than one trillion unique URLs. How in the world can one company or community stand out? Here are just a few key points to consider when you set out to build a business web site:

You are not the audience
It’s very important to remember who the audience is. Are they business people? Do they work in a specific industry? What do they want to find when they visit your site? The biggest mistake you can make is to ask yourself, “What do we want to say or show?” It’s not about you. If you make it nothing more than a talk and tell site, visitors will leave and seek out one of your competitors.

Message is everything
The purpose of any business web site, ad, or brochure is to convey a message. Once you have the visitor’s attention, you’d better tell them something they want to hear or they’ll move on. In most cases, they are searching for solutions and if they can’t easily find them, they will leave your site and seek them elsewhere. This is business, not a leisurely stroll through the park. Effective sites provide credible content which is of value to the visitor. They want you to tell them what’s in it for them.

Be careful not to try to tell them everything, though. Web sites are not electronic brochures and visitors just won’t read long blocks of copy or wade through countless pages. The idea is to tell them just enough to entice them to dig deeper and to eventually make contact. That’s kind of what we’re trying to accomplish, right?

Avoid templates and packages
Your web site is probably your most important promotional tool and should not be done on the cheap. There are numerous software companies and a very large number or web developers who will gladly offer you a “package deal” allowing you to have a web site in a few days or weeks and for a “very low price.” Look out! I’ve seen many of these sites and they are often nothing more than templates or knockoffs of work they’ve done for other companies. I recently met a company owner who had paid $50,000 for a web site, just to find out that it looked almost identical to the web developer’s own site. He was shocked and more than a bit ticked off. At Brand Acceleration, every web site, brochure, ad, or other tool we create is custom developed just for that client. The look, writing, and structure are unique. You can’t stand out by looking or sounding like another company. Besides that, it’s shameful for an agency of design firm to sell a knockoff of other work. Shameful!

Great design is about more than beauty
“It’s beautiful!” These are words that we love to hear. We always want clients to be pleased with the appearance of their site. However……

What good is a beautiful web site if no one reads it or digs deeper into its pages? There are many “web designers” out there who have no experience or education in the art of design. It’s about much more than beauty. Whether a web site or brochure, great designers know how to move the viewers attention from one place to another and encourage them to move further into its pages. If the visitor stops at page one, your investment is wasted.

Beware of gizmos, gadgets, and the latest clever apps
In the world of business-to-business communication, web site visitors are looking for answers, not entertainment. While having a product ad crawl across the screen may seem like a unique way of getting in front of the visitor, it also has the potential of irritating them and causing them to leave. Such devices add no value and may slow down the visitors search for information. Cool and clever may seem entertaining to some but I once had a site selection consultant tell me that if a web gadget gets in his way, he’ll take the city or county off his list and move on. “I just don’t have time for that stuff,” he said.

With all of the options available to web site owners, it’s very easy to become distracted. Low price offers, templates, and clever apps can lead them to an ineffective waste of money. We feel it is crucial to remember how visitors use a site. We always remember that our job is to develop powerful web sites, brochures and other tools that generating results for our clients.

A few sites that we’re especially proud of are: Freitag-Weinhart, Stanly County Economic Development, I-74 Business Corridor, and Poynter Sheet Metal.


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.

Don’t Be Fuzzy about Your Why
What motivates you, your team, and your customers?

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

Have you ever had one of those days when ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” We all have. I was out with a few buddies recently for one of those Cocktail and Cigar nights, and one of them asked that question. He was feeling especially unappreciated and was questioning just about everything about his business.

Our discussion really got me wondering how business owners and managers maintain their enthusiasm after they’ve been at it for several years. How do they motivate their team when they’ve lost their own passion?

A longtime believer in goal-setting, I decided to do some personal evaluation to consider what motivates me and the Brand Acceleration team. The approach was to take a hard look at everything and everyone and ask “Why?”

Why are we in business?
Businesses are started for a number of reasons. Some people just want to be their own boss, some dislike their present situation, and some think they’re going to get rich. Some start a company to create their own job; a very dumb move. Successful entrepreneurs start a business because they have a passion and talent for their chosen profession, and because they want to be the best at what they do. Then there are those businesses which are started by people who have a passion for providing outstanding customer service.

At Brand Acceleration, our approach was to go to an offsite location where we could do some serious self evaluation and long-term corporate visioning. We asked ourselves questions such as, “What is our purpose?”, “What do we want the company to look like in three, five, or ten years?”, and “What excites us?”

Why do you do what you do?
Several years ago, in a previous career, I owned a company that owned and managed conferences, trade shows, and promotional events. We also designed and produced very high-end trade show exhibits and provided effectiveness training for booth workers. When I first started the company, I was on the front line, managing every detail and doing much of the work. I negotiated venue contracts, handle all event promotions, and even designed exhibits. I loved every minute of it. We specialized in events for the agricultural industry and enjoyed huge success and rapid growth. We worked with clients such as John Deere, Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences, and numerous other well known ag companies.

As the company grew, so did my duties as the company owner. Rather than personally managing the events, I was now dealing with mundane tasks such as employee issues, insurance, taxes, and other motivation killers. Any business owner or manager will tell you that you need to have a plan in place to make the transition from startup to an established, functioning organization. You’ll need to surround yourself with talented people who will handle the work you just don’t want to do. Doing so will free you up to do what you love and to focus on growing your business. As selfish as it sounds, one of your very important responsibilities is to maintain your personal satisfaction and happiness. The alternative is unthinkable. An unhappy boss leads to a miserable workplace and a company headed for trouble.

Why do employees and vendors stay or leave?
Isn’t it interesting how many people are working in a job or industry that is completely different than they had envisioned for themselves while in college? How about you? Are you doing what you had planned? Are you doing what you want to do? Many are working in jobs not because they love them but out of necessity. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult for them to be happy and motivated in jobs they’d really rather not be in. We look for employees and vendors who are living their dream, doing what they love, and motivated to do great work. Bad attitudes and overinflated egos just don’t fit into our structure.

One of our clients recently asked each of their employees to write a job description and personal evaluation. They were also asked to make a list of their duties and whether they like or dislike each, and why. The exercise helped to identify satisfaction or dissatisfaction points and to reassign some tasks to people who were better suited. The result is a happier, more cohesive, and motivated team. What an outstanding idea!

Why do customers stay or go?
Customers stay or go for many reasons. Of course, if you provide outstanding delivery of products or services, customers are much more likely to love you and refer you to others. What sometimes happens is that companies become complacent and take their clients for granted. The result is that customers begin feeling unloved and leave.

Working in the economic development industry, we know that most communities place a major emphasis on keeping existing employers happily in place. Recently, I chatted with a company manager who told me that he hadn’t spoken to his county economic developer in years, but when the company announced plans to cut staff, the guy showed up to ask what could be done to save the jobs. Too little – too late.

At Brand Acceleration, we work to be much more than just a vendor to our clients. We serve as part of their organization, providing genuine and knowledgeable counsel. Our attitude is that their business is our business. The relationship deepens and they become more than just clients. They’re like family. Without such connections, clients are much more likely to see you as replaceable. Not a good thing.

A serious evaluation may be in order for you, your team, and your overall organization. It may be time for owners, managers, employees, or even community elected officials to ask the question, Why? It may be the most important thing you can do for your future.

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.