Showing posts with label architecture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label architecture. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Good Economic News - 6-25-13

Good Economic News

Here are just a few of the jobs announcements that have crossed my desk in recent weeks.


In Columbus, Indiana, auto parts maker Sunright America, Inc. will expand and add 103 employees.
In Georgia, AT&T will hire more than 1,000 people throughout the state.
Flowserve Corporation, a maker of products for the oil and gas industries, will open a facility in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, creating 124 jobs.
In Georgetown County, South Carolina, aviation tubing systems maker Davis Aircraft Products will open a new facility and hire 100 people.
In Ft. Wayne, Indiana, mechanical contractor Shambaugh & Son, LP will expand and add 110 employees.
AmpliSine Labs, a technology provider, will expand its operation in Lubbock, Texas, creating 115 jobs.
In Winchester, Kentucky, pharmaceutical delivery provider Catalent Pharma Solutions will expand and add 90 employees.
Elm Services, a mortgage services provider, will expand in Overland Park, Kansas, creating 160 jobs.
A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspection will expand and add 1,000 employees companywide.
In Delaware County, Indiana, DD Danner, LLC, a maker of vehicle mobile power stations, will open a new operation and hire 480 people. Congrats to economic developers Terry Murphy and Traci Lutton.
In St. Louis, Missouri, aerospace giant Boeing will open an information technology center and hire 400 people.
Dayco Products LLC, a maker of automotive components, will expand in Barnwell County, South Carolina, creating 15 jobs.
Magnetation, LLC, a recycling firm, will open a new facility in White County, Indiana, creating 100 jobs.
Cirrus Aircraft, a maker of small airplanes, will expand and hire 105 people companywide.
Automotive lighting firm Magneti Marelli will open a plant in Pulaski, Tennessee, creating 90 jobs.
In Barnwell County, South Carolina, National Beverage Screen Printers, Inc. will expand and add 80 employees.
In Dallas, Texas, retailer Kohl’s will open a customer service center and hire 1,500 people.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Miller Pipeline LLC will open a new headquarters, adding 48 employees.
Focus Printing Solutions, a producer of products and services for the auto industry, will open a new manufacturing facility in Franklin, Kentucky, creating 10 jobs.
In Meridian, Mississippi, ceiling tile maker CertainTeed will restart production and hire 110 people.
In Iredell County, North Carolina, aviation systems company IOMAX USA will expand and add 35 employees. Congrats to economic developer Robby Carney on a job well done.
In Bristol, Tennessee, U.S. Solutions Group, Inc., a provider of call center services, will expand and create 128 jobs.
The PROS Company, a machine shop, will expand in Lubbock, Texas, creating 29 jobs.
Independent power producer AES Corporation will establish its U.S. headquarters and create 100 jobs.
In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, General Dynamics Information Technology will open a customer support center and hire 1,000 employees.
Automated Motion, Inc., an engineering and manufacturing company, will expand in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, creating 14 jobs. 
In Salt Lake City, Utah, software developer MasterControl will expand and hire 197 people.
SERVECO Chemical will open an operation in Lubbock, Texas, hiring 23 people.
In Danville, Indiana, Bio-Response Solutions, Inc., a waste treatment manufacturer, will expand and add 25 jobs. Congrats to the Town of Danville, Indiana, a Brand Acceleration client, and to economic developer Cinda Kelley-Hutchings.
Meiwa Industries, a maker of auto parts, will establish a new facility in Lewisburg, Tennessee and hire 98 employees.
Fancy Pokket Corporation, a maker of bakery products, will establish a new facility in Lancaster County, South Carolina, creating 68 jobs.
In Grove, Oklahoma, engineering firm Ferra Engineering will expand and create 20 jobs.
In Steuben County, Indiana, container maker LaGrange Products, Inc. will expand and hire 15 people.
USAA, a provider of insurance, banking, and investment services, will expand and add 3,500 employees companywide.
In Louisville, Kentucky, consumer electronics company Gazelle, Inc. will establish a processing center and hire 438 people.
In Springville, Indiana, injection molding manufacturer PRD, Inc. will expand and add 20 employees.
Huntington Ingalls Industries, a shipbuilding firm, will expand and hire several thousand employees companywide.

In Wayne County, Indiana, Maxwell Milling of Indiana will expand and add 5 employees. Congrats to economic developer Valerie Shaffer.

In Anderson County, South Carolina, metal components maker SEKIDO Technology Corporation will expand and create 6 jobs.
In Franklin, Indiana, auto parts maker NSK will expand and create 46 jobs.
In Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Newtech Dental Laboratory, a maker of dental prosthetics, will expand and hire 33 employees.

In Lebanon, Missouri, electrical component maker Marine Electrical Products will expand and create 15 jobs.

Vision Systems, an aeronautics supplier, will open a new facility in Melbourne, Florida, creating 40 jobs.

Emergency home repair service provider HomeServe USA will expand in Chattanooga, Tennessee, creating 100 jobs.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, file-sharing firm SmartFile will expand and add 30 employees.

Total Jobs Announcements: 11,725 +++
 
 
Jim Walton
CEO
Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations
Indianapolis, Indiana: 317.536.6255
Fax: 317.222.1425
Charlotte, North Carolina: 704.230.0394
Atlanta, Georgia: 404.474.7980
Cell: 317.523.7380




Brand Acceleration is a full-service branding, marketing communications,  and public relations firm with a focus on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Why the Low-Price Model Isn’t for Everyone

Why the Low-Price Model Isn’t for Everyone

The tradeoffs may be deadly

One thing an economic recession does is challenge a business owner’s belief about pricing and competitiveness. Fear often causes people to make questionable decisions. I’ve seen companies with a long-time history of quality work and profitability reduced to ashes because management changed pricing models in an attempt to survive. With thoughts of protecting jobs, they accept unprofitable work that may throw the company into an unrecoverable tailspin. The result? Everyone in the company, even the owners and managers, ends up on the unemployment line.

The problem with the low-price model is that unless a company does huge volumes, such as Wal-Mart, it may struggle to generate adequate cash flow to stay afloat. Small businesses attempting to follow this model often die of financial starvation.

The quality model works for us
Admittedly, I have a bias toward the quality model. For most of my career, I’ve worked for companies focused on providing a superior product or service at a fair price. My experience is that an exceptional product attains a greater level of customer satisfaction, thus making price less of a factor. I’d rather work in the quality category any day.

At Brand Acceleration, a full-service marketing communications and public relations firm, we’ve built our reputation around our marketing expertise in economic development, architecture, engineering, and construction. From day one, we have chosen not to attempt to be the low-cost leader. Instead, we provide superior solutions by effectively helping our clients tell their stories. We believe they don’t want cheap work. They want results!

Sure, we occasionally bump up against companies or individuals insisting they can produce a brochure, logo, or web site cheaper than any other firm, including Brand Acceleration. The results however, are often disastrous. The design work may (repeat may!) be pretty, but the required strategy, copywriting, programming, and final production are often amateur, resulting in a watered down or failed effort. The moral to the story? You get what you pay for.

Help me, please!
A few years ago, I received a phone call from an economic developer who was in a panic. She had apparently contracted a “web designer” who had promised a beautiful new web site at a great price. She was thrilled to have found such a deal. When she called me, she had just taken delivery of her newly-designed web site. To her horror, it was completely devoid of copy, photos, and other crucial content. In her ignorance, she had signed a contract for web “design,” thinking it was an all-inclusive package. What she received was a designed template, and not a good one at that.

When she called me, she was in a panic, hoping we could fix her problem. The challenge though, was that she had spent her entire budget on what was essentially a quarter of the work needed for a fully-functional web site. She was certain she would lose her job, and probably did.

Half-price haircuts!
A lifelong friend of mine is a professional hair stylist. She and her co-workers have built a reputation for excellent work. They follow the quality model. Recently, she mentioned that one of those low-priced hair cutting chains was advertising a special deal, “Half-Price Haircuts!” She joked about the poor quality of such a cut, a bit sympathetic for unsuspecting customers. I suggested she run an add stating, “We fix half-price haircuts!”

For the Brand Acceleration team, it’s exciting to always be exploring ways to be better at what we do, always seeking to be a better resource for our clients. We strive to achieve a deep understanding of their audiences, becoming even more effective at telling their stories. To that end, we recently announced two Boards of Advisors, one for the economic development side of our business and one for the AEC side. Their purpose is not for these experts to be on call on behalf of our clients. Instead, it is to help us to grow our knowledge of our selected industries, thus better serving our clients. Do those following the low-ball, discount pricing model bring such depth to the relationship?

No way!

I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts and personal experiences below.

Have a great week,

Jim Walton
CEO
Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations
Indianapolis: 317.536.6255
Charlotte: 704:230:0394
Atlanta: 404.474.7980
Fax: 317.222.1425
Cell: 317.523.7380



Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and public relations firm with a focus on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction.

 

Good Economic News 6-2-13

Good Economic News

Here are just a few of the recent jobs announcements that have crossed my desk in recent weeks.
Amazon Web Services, a cloud computing service company, will expand its Fairfax County, Virginia operation, creating 500 jobs.
In Boone County, Indiana, FedEx Ground will establish a distribution center and hire 200 people. Congrats to economic developer Bryan Brackemyre on a great job.
In Dinwiddie County, Virginia, lluka Resources, a mining company, will add 86 employees.
In Marion, Illinois, auto parts supplier Aisin Electronics Illinois LLC will expand and add 80 employees.
Amcor Tobacco Packaging Americas, Inc. will expand its operation in Reidville, North Carolina, creating 30 jobs.
In Crawford County, Pennsylvania, Peters’ Heat Treating, Inc. will expand and add 24 employees.
In Orion, Michigan, Kay Screen Printing, a maker of graphics for the auto industry, will open a new facility and hire 50 people.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, POLARIS Laboratories, LLC, a fluid analysis company, will expand and create 25 jobs.
Smooth-Bor Plastics, a maker of plastic tubing and hoses, will establish a new operation in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, creating 22 jobs.
In Kingsport, Tennessee, Eastman Chemical Company will expand and hire 300 people.
In Sauget, Illinois, FedEx Ground will open a new distribution center and hire 175 people.
In Indianapolis and Columbus, Indiana, communications company Axia Technology Partners will expand and add 45 jobs.
Thorley Industries, a maker of robotics technology products, will expand in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, creating 75 jobs.
HARTMANN USA, Inc., a provider of medical products, will expand in York County, South Carolina, creating 75 jobs.
Auto parts supplier NHK Seating will expand in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, creating 94 jobs.
Angus-Palm, a metal fabricator, will expand its operation in Florence County, South Carolina, creating 55 jobs.
In Henderson, Kentucky, Gibbs Die Casting will expand and hire 160 people.
Sont/ATV Music Publishing will expand and relocate to Nashville, Tennessee, creating 60 jobs.
In Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Carlisle Construction Materials will expand and add 55 employees.
GKN Sinter Metals, a producer of metal products, will expand in Gallipolis, Ohio, creating 50 jobs.
In Johnson County, Indiana, tube and sheet metal maker L&E Engineering will expand and hire 52 people. Congrats to economic developer Cheryl Morphew for a job well done.
In Richmond, Virginia, dairy operator HP Hood will expand and create 75 jobs.
Breakfast food maker Post Foods will expand in Battle Creek, Michigan and create 92 jobs.
TerreSource Global, a maker of materials handling equipment, will expand its operation in Belleville, Illinois, creating 10 jobs.
In Lansing, Michigan, General Motors will build a logistics optimization center, creating 200 jobs.
Financial technology company TransCard LLC, will expand in Chattanooga, Tennessee, creating 69 jobs.
In Detroit, Michigan, auto industry service supplier ADP Dealer Services, Inc. will expand and add 150 employees.
In Louisville, Kentucky, transportation and logistics provider A&R Logistics will establish its headquarters and create 50 jobs.
Home builder PulteGroup will relocate its headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia, creating 310 jobs.
Automotive systems maker ASMO North America will expand its operation in Pitt County, North Carolina, creating 200 jobs.
In Wichita, Kansas, Starwood Hotels & Resourts Worldwide, Inc. will expand and add 750 employees.
Motorola Mobility, A Google company, will establish a new operation in north Texas, creating 2,000 jobs.
In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, General Dynamics will establish a customer support center and hire 1,000 people.
In Charleston County, South Carolina, Advanta Southeast, a maker of packaging products, will open a new facility and hire 30 people.
In McIntosh, Alabama, epoxy resin maker Huntsman Corporation will expand and create 25 jobs.
In Byron Township, Michigan, Grand Rapids Chair Company, a provider of chairs to the restaurant industry, will expand and create 50 jobs.
High Liner Foods, a provider of frozen seafood, will expand and hire 57 people.
PQ Corporation, a chemical maker, will expand in Kansas City, Kansas, adding 50 employees.
In Marysville, Michigan, auto industry supplier SMR Automotive Systems will expand and create 350 jobs.
Ethos Laboratories will locate a pain management laboratory in Newport, Kentucky and hire 45 people.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, healthcare information provider Allscripts will expand and create 350 jobs.
In Morristown, Tennessee, consumer packaging company Sonoco Flexible Packaging will expand and create 26 jobs.
General Machine of Anderson, a metalworking firm, will expand its operation in Anderson County, South Carolina, creating 20 jobs.
In Walton County, Georgia, Hitachi Automotive Systems will expand and create 250 jobs.
In Morristown, Tennessee, Team Technologies, Inc. will expand and create 200 jobs.
J.R. Automation Technologies, LLC, a maker of automated machinery, will expand in Holland and Olive, Michigan, creating 90 jobs.
In Charleston County, South Carolina, SKF Group, a maker of bearings, will expand and create 25 jobs.
Total Jobs Announcements: 8,687.

Jim Walton
CEO
Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations
Indianapolis, Indiana: 317.536.6255
Fax: 317.222.1425
Charlotte, North Carolina: 704.230.0394
Atlanta, Georgia: 404.474.7980
Cell: 317.523.7380



Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and public relations firm with a focus on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction.

Monday, May 13, 2013

7 Rules for Dealing with Difficult People

7 Rules for Dealing with Difficult People

A simple, yet demanding, approach

A few years ago someone bought me a book about the art of dealing with difficult people. I think it’s still around here somewhere. In it, the author writes about how to understand the personality of the difficult person, how to manage challenging situations, and so on. As I read it, I remember thinking, “This is all about how I need to change and be understanding of the other person.”

Each of us has to bite our lip from time to time. We make every effort to do business in an honorable way but sometimes the other person just seems to enjoy being abrasive. Have you ever had that happen?

Back in 2006, when I started Brand Acceleration, I promised myself that I would only work with and for people I like. After a long working career I had had my fill of kissing up to rude and inconsiderate people. I told myself, “No More Jerks!”

That promise comes with a responsibility to not be one of those people. It meant that I, and my team, would have to operate with a very high set of standards. I have a very high regard for honorable and professional people and will not tolerate less than honorable behavior from others. Who I am influences what I do and how I do it. Below is a list of principles that our staff, vendors, and even clients, are expected to honor:

1. Always operate with total honesty. Never lie and never tolerate liars.

2. Treat every person with respect and demand respect from others.

3. Set very high standards and raise them often.

4. Always over-deliver, even when you would rather cut and run.

5. Strive to be the best and never cease to grow, learn, and improve.

6. Be the best in our chosen industries.

7. Price our services fairly. We are not the cheapest, and we don’t want to be.

We’re certainly not perfect. I would never make that claim. However, by following the above principles, we can look in the mirror each day and know that we are looking at someone who is a person of honesty, integrity, and very demanding standards.

We’ve been very fortunate. We have an incredible team of professionals who love to do great work, always striving to generate great results for our clients. Beautiful marketing pieces are nice, but beautiful work that results in growing brands and economic activity are what we’re all about.

Our clients are a daily blessing. They know we will always offer great work and our best counsel. They place their trust in us and work side by side with us toward a common goal. They’re more that clients; they are our friends.

I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts and personal experiences below.

Have a great week,

Jim Walton
CEO
Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations
Indianapolis: 317.536.6255
Charlotte: 704:230:0394
Atlanta: 404.474.7980
Fax: 317.222.1425
Cell: 317.523.7380


Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and public relations firm with a focus on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Good Economic News, 2-20-13

Good Economic News

Here are just a few of the recent jobs announcements that have crossed my desk in recent weeks.
In Matagorda County, Texas, Tenaris, a maker of steel pipe, will open a new manufacturing facility, creating 600 jobs.
Auto parts manufacturer Nishikawa of America will expand its U.S. headquarters in LaGrange County, Indiana and add 25 jobs.  Congratulations to economic developer Keith Gillenwater.
Midwest Veterinary Services will open a veterinary and biomedical research facility in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, creating 18 jobs.
In Clarksville, Tennessee, auto parts maker Akebona Brake Corporation will expand and hire 94 new employees.
D.H. Pace, a provider of doors, will locate its headquarters in Olathe, Kansas and create 280 jobs.
In Conway, Arkansas, internet technology company Inovu, Inc. will open its headquarters and hire 50 people.
In Cleveland County, North Carolina, KSM Castings, a maker of light metal casting products, will open a facility and create 189 jobs.  Congratulations to economic developer Kristin Fletcher.
In Natchez, Mississippi, von Drehle, a provider of paper products, will locate a manufacturing operation and create 100 new jobs.
Schrader Electronics, a maker of tire pressure monitoring systems, will expand its Springfield, TN facility and create 76 jobs.
Microsoft Corporation will expand its data center in Mecklenburg County, Virginia and create 30 new jobs.
In Blair County, Pennsylvania, specialty chemical maker Albemarle Corporation will expand its operation and add 20 jobs.
In Chattanooga, Tennessee, medical device maker Hollywog, LLC, will expand and add 22 new employees.
bioMerieux, Inc. a manufacturer of medical instruments, will expand its operation in Durham County, North Carolina, and create 44 jobs.
Roberts Ventures, LLC, a provider of emergency cleanup services, will establish a regional headquarters in London, Kentucky and create 10 jobs.
Telamon Corporation, a provider of telecommunications products and services, will open a new facility in Kansas City, Kansas, creating 28 jobs.
AirWatch, a provider of mobility products, will expand its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia and add 800 new employees.
In Paducah, Kentucky, NRE Acquisition Co., LLC, a maker of locomotives and railway equipment, will expand and add 25 employees.
In Marion County, Indiana, tool supplier Hahn Systems, LLC, will expand and add 20 employees.
Automotive manufacturer Huf North America will expand its operation in Greene County, Tennessee and create 100 jobs.
Huhtamaki North America, a manufacturer of food packaging, will open a distribution center in Batavia Township, Ohio, and generate 237 jobs.
Newly Weds Foods, a maker of food ingredients, will open a facility in northern Kentucky, creating 115 jobs.
In Greenville County, South Carolina, a fastener manufacturer will open a new facility and hire five people.
Cutting tools manufacturer SC Tool, Inc. will expand its operation in Greenville County, South Carolina and generate 30 new jobs.
Genesis Products, Inc., a maker of wood products for the recreational vehicle industry, will expand in Elkhart County, Indiana and create 100 jobs.
In Birmingham, Alabama, home retailer Home Depot will hire 450 people.
In Peachtree City, Georgia, animal feed ingredient maker Calpis America, Inc. will open its U.S. headquarters and create 42 jobs.
In Merrillville, Indiana, healthcare financial firm Horizon Financial Management, LLC, will expand and create 216 jobs.
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Genesis Energy will make improvements and hire 50 people.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, brazed plate heat exchangers manufacturer SWEP will open a new facility and create 75 jobs.
Rose Fabricating and Industrial Solutions, LLC, a maker of custom machinery, will expand its operation in Covington, Tennessee and add 25 new jobs.
In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Apla, Inc., a maker of plastic packaging, will establish a manufacturing operation and create 72 jobs.
Pearl IRB, LLC, a life science consulting firm, will expand its operation in Indianapolis, Indiana and create 38 new jobs.
Container maker Norton Packaging, Inc. will open a new manufacturing facility in Monticello, Georgia and generate 90 new jobs.
In Covington, Kentucky, Westpak, a bottle decorating and packaging company, will open a manufacturing facility and create 62 new jobs.
Auto parts supplier US Tsubaki Automotive LLC will expand its operation in Portland, Tennessee and create 70 new jobs.

Online retailer Amazon will open three fulfillment centers in Texas in the cities of Coppell, Haslet, and Schertz, adding 1000 jobs.
In Gibson County, Indiana, auto parts supplier Vuteq USA, Inc. will expand its operation and generate 93 new jobs.
Awesome Products, Inc., a maker of laundry products, will locate a facility in Mt. Airy, North Carolina and create 90 jobs.
Proctor and Gamble, a manufacturer of consumer products, will expand its operation in Greensboro, North Carolina, and add 200 jobs.
Total Jobs Announcements: 5591

Jim Walton
CEO
Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations
Indianapolis, Indiana: 317.536.6255
Fax: 317.222.1425
Charlotte, North Carolina: 704.230.0394
Cell: 317.523.7380


Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and public relations firm with a focus on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction.

 

 

 

 

 

You’d Better Have a Great Web Site


You’d Better Have a Great Web Site
Anything less could kill your business

As you might imagine, I look at many web sites. A few are really amazing, some are mediocre, and many are plain awful. The sad fact is that there are still company owners and community leaders who just don't get it.

At Brand Acceleration, we work in the professional industries of economic development, architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). These are industries in which a web site can mean the difference between advancing toward a project win and being taken off the consideration list. We've made of point of studying how target visitors such as higher education administrators and site selection consultants interface with a web site, and the results will really open your eyes.

Visitors to AEC web sites
When an education or healthcare administrator visits the web site for an architecture firm, for example, he or she is essentially looking for the firm’s portfolio and the resumes of the studio directors. Just as with a resume, the firm’s web site must convince a visitor that the studio team has the talent and experience to create a beautiful and functional space.

A web site which is poorly structured, unprofessionally written, lacks functionality, and is ugly is likely to knock the firm off the consideration list. Sadly, the company may have a very talented team of architects who could do a great job.

Visitors to Economic Development web sites
In this arena, audiences such as site selection consultants and c-suite executives are looking for a well-thought-out package of information. If they can't find it, they may just leave and take the community off the list.

Assuming the community survives the critical first-round look and makes it to short-list status; it may now have to withstand review by company managers and a trailing spouse. I've heard more than one story about a spouse who looked at a community web site just to say, "I'm not moving to that ugly place." When you consider the many thousands or even millions of dollars communities spend each year, it's a shame to lose a deal because its web site stinks.

Similar to a storefront window, a web site may be a prospects first exposure to your community of company. If the display in your window, your web site, is not captivating, beautiful, and informative, the prospect may walk right by and shop somewhere else.

I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts and personal experiences below.

Have a great week,

Jim Walton
CEO
Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations
Indianapolis: 317.536.6255
Charlotte: 704:230:0394
Atlanta: 404.474.7980
Fax: 317.222.1425
Cell: 317.523.7380


Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and public relations firm with a focus on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction.

 

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Someone Has to Do the Work

Someone Has to Do the Work
Bring the team together

A question that I hear more than any other is "What will a new web site, brochure, video, etc. do for me?" Some people even ask me how many sales leads they should expect if they make such investments. Clearly, such questions may indicate ignorance about the difference between branding, marketing communications, and sales, but it’s important to understand just how each impacts the other.

The only time such a lack of understanding becomes a big deal is when a manager believes that a marketing or PR tactic will take the place of good old-fashion selling. Sadly, there are still managers who believe that a marketing program will completely eliminate the need for the real work of business development.  They expect an ad to appear or a web site to go live and then for the phone to magically ring. Of course, it sometimes happens, but the truth is that someone still needs to do the grunt work.

At Brand Acceleration, we are most successful when we partner with our clients marketing, PR, and sales departments. In addition to thoroughly knowing how key prospects use such tactics, we want to orchestrate marketing communications efforts with such events as service launches, conference participation, trade shows, and carefully selected media editorials. Managed properly, such efforts can effectively soften the market, growing company or community awareness, and greasing the wheels for a timely sales call.

Without such coordination, the stage is set for the blame game. Sales representatives, under pressure from the boss, may blame the marketing department, and the folks in marketing will lay the blame squarely in the lap of sales people. Who's to blame? Probably someone at a higher level. Someone needs to bring the teams together.

In our role, we have the luxury and obligation of meeting with the owners and/or top managers, digging in to find out what the big vision is for the company or community. I remember a time when our team sat with a client for just such a fact-finding meeting. After about thirty minutes of asking questions, prodding, and prying into some very personal areas, it became apparent that there was something we were not being told. There was a very uncomfortable vibe in the room.

Knowing that our chances for success would be limited if the leadership team refused to come clean with the facts, I stopped the meeting by looking the company president in the eye and making a point-blank statement. "Mr. Smith, there is clearly something unsaid in this conversation. If you expect us to help you, you're going to have to trust us enough to tell us everything, in detail. If you're unable or unwilling to do that, I'm afraid this meeting is a waste of time. If you'd like, we'll gladly step out of the room so you can confer with your team. If not, I think we'll thank you for your time and head back to our office." The silence in the room was thick. People on both sides were holding their breath, waiting to see what happened next.

After what seemed like an eternity, Mr. Smith broke the silence. "You're right, Jim. There is something we haven't told you. We've hired a new sales director and we need to ramp up our sales and marcom (marketing communications) efforts in a hurry. The ownership team has made the decision to put the company up for sale and we need to make big improvements in order to command the sale price we want."

Whew! Now that the big secret was out, we all settled down for a couple of days of serious talks with the owners and department heads. We had work to do and we had to think strategically in order to help them accomplish their goal.  A year and a half later, after an aggressive marketing and sales effort, the owners announced the sale of the company and their retirement dates.

The entire process took loads of hard work and an openness that was often very uncomfortable. For us, it was a great experience. We loved the fact that we were not viewed as a vendor or outsider. We were part of the team, mutually working toward one goal.

If you're ever in need of a partner firm that understands the meaning of collaboration and teamwork, I hope you'll call me. I believe you will love our style. I promise, you will never feel like we're there simply to get your business or sell more. Your goals are our goals. The rest will take care of itself.

I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts and personal experiences below.

Have a great week,

Jim Walton
CEO
Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations
Indianapolis: 317.536.6255
Charlotte: 704:230:0394
Atlanta: 404.474.7980
Fax: 317.222.1425
Cell: 317.523.7380

Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and public relations firm with a focus on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction.