brand transformation
"I don't want branding. I want to build sales," a prospective client told us recently. But in fact, the two are inseparable. Pushing sales without a strong brand strategy delivers short-term results and long-term doom. Walk through the 2009 meltdown morgue and you'll see the corpses of companies who pushed sales but never evolved their brands: Linens N' Things, Circuit City, Chrysler and so many more.
'Brand Darwinism' is what branding guru Al Ries calls it, and we agree. Brands must evolve, or they stagnate and die.
Our proprietary process starts with research into your Brand DNA—the core essence of who you are and what makes you different. Or think of it as a reduction sauce, the way chefs reduce a liquid to its most potent essence. That's what gives a signature dish its distinct personality. Brand DNA then guides all marketing tactics and customer engagement. There's never a question about what you stand for.
Here's how Fourth Wall's brand transformation process helped build some of our clients' businesses:
CS Financial
Jeff Seabold was a solo mortgage broker with one small office, offering traditional loan products and generating revenue from transactions only. But he had vision, passion and a unique perspective on real estate. We distilled his Brand DNA down to 'Making Real Estate a Land of Opportunity.' That drove a brand strategy based on cultivating long-term relationships to serve clients' lifetime goals.
Eleven years later, CS Financial is recognized as one of California's top private mortgage banks, with a staff of almost 100 serving clients across California. Our brand strategy supported new divisions for Commercial Banking, Reverse Mortgages and Escrow. The company has processed more than $12 billion in loans, but most importantly, its future strength is secured with an ever-evolving brand strategy. See the work.
California State University at Northridge
When CSUN began planning a new college to serve midcareer professionals, they asked us how to stand out from hundreds of comparable educational offerings at other schools. We distilled the Brand DNA down to 'Cultivating Professional Transformations,' and created a bold, humor-driven brand strategy based on revitalizing stalled careers.
Midcareer professionals and human resources directors responded enthusiastically to the brand story. Strong enrollment rates and high industry awareness proved the brand's success year after year. As icing on the cake, our creative ad campaigns won more than 100 awards. See the work.
| Contact Us | Neal Mendelsohn, CEO |
Jennie Brook, Managing Director |