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Event Recap: B2B Brand Strategy with Spyglass Creative

June 22, 2016

On June 14, MN AMA hosted "B2B Brand Strategy: What is it and where do I start?" We were excited to have co-presenters Molly Rice, CEO of Spyglass Brand Marketing, and Jim Weiler, VP & General Manager for Walman Optical. In 2015, Spyglass won a Platinum International Marcom Award for their work on Walman’s updated brand strategy.

Despite the stormy weather, we were pleased to see a packed hall at 612Brew.  The evening kicked off with an introduction of Molly Rice and Jim Weiler. We appreciated the opportunity to have both the marketing agency and their client to be there and share their stories.  

With their 100th anniversary approaching and 6 functioning subdivisions of the company, Walman wished to outline the brand identity, be a national player, and stand out against the growing competition. 

Let’s take a look at three takeaways from the event.

  1. What Can a Brand Strategy Do?

    Molly summarized that a brand strategy helps: 

     - Getting your story right by redefining company goals
     - Align and engage your team
     - Build the customer experience, which also includes member and donor experiences
     - Spread the word
     
  2. Where Do I Start?

    Start by selecting the right partner who is just as dedicated to your company as you are. How do you establish that?

    Jim shared the top five characteristics of reliable agencies to make the selection process easier:

     1. Relevant experience, be it in the same industry or mutual scope of work
     2. A-Team and chemistry
     3. Proven process
     4. No babysitting required
     5. Value exchange
     
  3. Listen, Think, Create, Deliver

    The Spyglass team walked us through their process of creating and implementing strategies, including interviews with stakeholders, logo design, reinventing the Walman office space, and rising above the competitors.

A few more things to note:

  • Don’t start without goals
  • It is important to talk not only to customers, but vendors and internal staff as well to get a full insight.
  • It is okay to evolve from your roots, whether your company is 10 years old or 100, as long as the motives are consistent. In Jim Weiler’s words: Evolve or die.

Fun trivia: How many fortune 500 brands from 1955 no longer exist?

Answer: 88%

This explains that it is crucial for companies to grow and adapt to the changing trends and environments.  While traditional methods are tried and tested, it is helpful to revisit the strategies to see how effective they would be in the current timeframe, revise brand goals, and encourage feedback from all parties involved, such as customers, vendors, and staff.