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.