Brand Iron Partner Event - Aug. 2007

It was great to see everybody this past August during our first Rockies game partner event. Although our Rockies didn’t win, there was plenty of food, fun and excitement.

The afternoon started off at Brand Iron’s new office space (same address, new suite) with hot dogs and all the fixin’s.

Brand Iron’s partner events are our way of saying “thank you” to our clients and partners. Many times, when our partners and clients meet each other – they find out they have a lot more in common than just working with Brand Iron – and they build their own business relationships.

Our events are held quarterly, so please stay tuned for our next one. Thanks again for all who attended and made this day one to remember.

Click on the album below to view the pics.

Brand Iron Partner Event

Sharp-Shootin' Creative

Baceline Investments, LLC
On July 9th, we launched Baceline Investments' new website. We helped Baceline Investments craft their new message and developed a new look and feel to communicate their new positioning. The website features a client/prospective client log-in - that is adding value for their web viewers.

Sales Productivity Consultants, Inc

(SPC) recently launched their new website. Brand Iron also created an informative one-sheet that will kick-off their new positioning. SPC has evolved from the traditional sales consulting - and they needed material to show that they are forefront of developing effective sales strategies.

No matter where your company is in the branding process - good, eye-catching, effective creative work will help you get your message across and break-through to your audience.

The Power of the Press

Brand Iron's holistic approach to strengthening brand value for clients often involves generating quality news media coverage. Recently, Academy Sports Turf and JE Dunn Construction, two long-time Brand Iron clients, were prominently featured in the regional trade and business media.

Academy Sports Turf was on the front page of the Daily Journal (a construction trade publication) detailing a project in which they installed synthetic turf along city streets in Aurora. Academy Sports Turf installed 45,000-square-foot of turf last fall in street medians for an experimental pilot project that the city believes can save water and maintenance costs.

JE Dunn was featured in a recent edition of the Denver Business Journal. Real Estate reporter Paula Moore wrote about trends in healthcare construction in a story entitled, "'Green' Hospitals Cheer Patients." A photo of JE Dunn president Steve Hamline, and vice president of healthcare Bob Latas accompanied the story. JE Dunn recently completed construction on the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland and Memorial Hospital North in Colorado Springs.

New Clients That Have Saddled-up

The Wright Group offers personalized commercial insurance and employee benefits plans for emerging organizations. They have the specialized knowledge and experience to strategically develop and execute customized insurance plans for companies that need to stay competitive. Meeting your company's financial and lifestyle goals is The Wright Group's number one priority.
Brand Iron and The Wright Group are working together to create a brand that will help drive revenue. Stay tuned for The Wright Group's new delivery process, website rollout and other marketing that is sure to demand the attention of their target market.



Caring Hands Chiropractic is Brand Iron's newest Small Business Model client. Dr. Haas, Owner of Caring Hands Chiropractic, has dedicated his practice to helping his clients live a pain-free life. He believes the keys to a healthy lifestyle are rooted in good fitness/exercise habits, regular sleep habits, work/life balance, healthy eating habits and experienced chiropractic care.

Brand Iron is assisting Dr. Haas in crafting and communicating his unique selling position. He has taken a pro-active approach within his industry - focusing on preventative care and focusing on his clients' long- and short-term health. Brand Iron is helping his business grow through increased brand recognition and unique messaging.


Brand Iron's Small Business Model is the perfect solution for companies who want to succeed. We'll coach you on:

• Creating brand value


• Generating additional revenue


• Developing and executing tactical implementation plans


• Sales, Marketing and Operations strategy

If you are interested in the Small Business Model - please call us at 303-534-1901 for a free 15-minute consultation on whether this program is right for your company.

"My name is ________"

A popular theme song goes, "Sometimes you want to go, where everybody knows your name." This is the precise recognition that all companies are trying to accomplish through their marketing and advertising efforts. Companies like Brand Iron are here to make sure those efforts are well-focused and drive results. I just got off the phone with a client who now understands the effort it took to get his brand over the "everyone-knows-our-name" hurdle. Every brand has a different hurdle to clear, but here are some simple ideas on what it might take to get your brand over the hurdle, and start producing tangible results:

1. Understand what really separates you from your competition. Figure out what space you own and make the message as simple to understand as possible. Package your message in a tangible fashion that is clear and concise.

2. Identify who the right targets are for your product or service and discuss the most effective ways to get your message out.

3. Take a look at your company and see what the "barriers to growth" may be. Be sure to look at your:

Marketing- Do you have enough contact points with your target audience for them to know who you are and will they be receptive when you call? Do they know who and what your brand is all about? Does your brand leave them with a positive feeling that will compel them to make that purchase?

Sales - Can your sales staff close the leads the marketing department is generating? Can they close the customers that walk through your doors?

Operations - Is your customer service approach and database up to snuff? Can your company deliver on the promises that your sales team is making?

4. Address your internal brand and make sure that your company's brand is represented from the inside out. Look at everything from how you answer the phone to delivering your service, or even how you receive payment and send out a bill. These little things matter a great deal and will leave a lasting impression.

5. Develop a holistic branding plan that integrates your company's marketing, sales and operations. Map out the tactical items necessary for you and your company to fill up your sales funnel.

6. Execute your branding plan flawlessly, ensuring that you are going to execute on a regular basis, no matter how busy you become. You want to do this to avoid the sales rollercoaster.

As a close friend says, "Go the extra mile; it's the final 5%
that makes what you do either great or mediocre."

7. Monitor how you are doing against your goals and objectives and modify those things that aren't working. Once the failing areas are identified, determine how you can rectify the situation and do it quickly.

8. Execute and get your entire organization to commit to succeed.

Follow these steps, and someday you might walk into a place and realize that everybody knows your name.

New Additions To Brand Iron Family

Marni Myers, Brand Iron's Art Director, gave birth to Gabriella Sophia Myers at 9:25am on July the 12th. Gabriella weighed in at 6 pounds 9 ounces and stretches to a lengthy 19 inches. She has red hair like her father and is doing great. Marni, her husband Tim and big brother Casey, are treasuring every moment with their new bundle of joy.

Dean McCready has taken the reins while Marni is on maternity leave. Dean studied under Sherry Heart in Boulder and came away with a fun heartfelt balance of color theory and composition focusing on oil painting and Prismacolor pencil drawings. He graduated from the Colorado Institute of Art in Graphic Design.

Dean is a Boulder native who now resides in Congress Park here in Denver. He brings a wealth of experience to Brand Iron with more than 20 years experience as a graphic and fine artist.

New Corporate Positioning and Identities

Brand Iron has developed a niche in the Denver market by helping new companies develop strategic and consumer-oriented messages and corporate identities. Here are some examples of our recent work:

Grow LLC - Is a new consulting firm that helps emerging companies transform into
profitable, visionary businesses. Brand Iron helped them to clearly identify
their key messaging points that include:

• Access to capital
  
• Acquisition and exits


• Outsourced business services

We also helped them to package their message with a logo, tagline and corporate identity package.

EPI - Brand Iron helped in the strategic planning and transformation from Education Partners, an organizational and development firm, to EPI, a custom solutions provider helping companies leverage the power of people. We established a logo, tagline and corporate identity based on their message, benefits and positioning.

A snazzy logo is only as good as the strategy behind it. Brand Iron starts at the beginning - by developing a with a financially-focused brand strategy with you. To see these examples and to view others, click on the "Our Work" quick link below.

Your Partner Loyalty Strategy and How It Relates to Your Brand

Leading-edge companies are already taking advantage in what seems to be the newest trends in partner loyalty marketing. As you are reading - you'll learn about Brand Iron's new corporate identities and new value propositions. What hasn't changed is our loyalty to our partner network and our desire to continue to develop a vast network of strategic partners. We wanted to share with you a few concepts that have increased our success in loyalty marketing - along with some tangible examples of ways you can use these market trends - today.

Developing Your Network
Developing a community of businesses bound by geography or similar industries/interests is very important in creating a sense of loyalty around your brand. The ideal network will be one that everyone involved will have something to offer and something to take. A devoted partner, one who can speak to the success and quality of your product or service, will come to be your best source of new business.

What you can do today:
· Develop a list of potential partners.

Creating Strength From Your Network
Surveying your customers and receiving their feedback doesn't have to be a painful and rigidly-formal process. When your have an open line of communication with your current clients and they play an active role in your brand community - feedback can come in many different forms. Using candid and honest feedback from your brand community is the first step in addressing your company's potential barriers to growth or inconsistencies in messaging or value proposition. Your peers will likewise appreciate your feedback and analysis of their business. As the group gets stronger, the companies become more profitable, and your brand community grows to be more widespread and dedicated to your brand and particular area of expertise.

What you can do today:
· Develop a networking group composed of people you can help and those who can help you.
(Don't forget to start with Brand Iron.) Take turns leading interactive meetings and
discussions with your group.

We'll help you create a partner loyalty campaign that gives your brand a sense of community. Contact us today.

New Site Focuses on Holistic Approach to Branding

Brand Iron's new web site showcases our many offerings. We combine branding, positioning and business consulting with marketing, advertising and public relations to help companies increase sales and meet their financial goals.

Brand Iron Offers You:
A Holistic Approach
With our holistic branding process, Brand Iron analyzes every aspect of your business to identify the real barriers to growth and develops a strategy from an SMO (sales, marketing and operations) perspective.

Sales, Marketing and Operations Integration
Each of your sales, marketing and operations departments are critical for the success of your business, but if they are working independently of each other, you are not creating a consistent and strong brand in the minds of your customers. One or all of these areas may be the reason you aren't achieving success (or increasing your bottom line).

Financials-Focused Branding
Brands aren't built with four-leaf clovers, soft kittens or fairy dust. A strong brand requires an integrated strategy that produces results. We are a great match for companies experiencing declining business growth, those who are committed to change and companies who want to grow rapidly.

A Proven Trail to Success
We'll guide your company to those greener pastures you've been dreaming about. This isn't our first pony show - we'll show you a better way to build your business and secure your company's future with our 3-phase, 7-step process.

PLUS --- How does your brand stand up?Use our Brand Scorecard™ to see if your brand is reaching its full potential. Find out what you can do to increase your brand equity by visiting http://www.brandscorecard.com/.

Your brand is more than your bottom line. Mosey on over to our new site at www.brandiron.net and discover how Brand Iron can lead you to greener pastures.

Previous: More Hands on Our Ranch

As you can imagine, we don't hire just anyone. The quality and speed of the work we do for you is a high priority. That's why we've hired Natasha Martinez and Dave Lilly.

Natasha serves as our Office Manager. She maintains the operational processes for Brand Iron and also supports our internal sales and marketing efforts. We've also hired David Lilly as a Design Intern. As a graduate of Columbus Institute of Art and Design, Lilly has been designing for more than four years.

With our additional staffing, we continue to provide services and strategy that will build your brand value.

More Hands on Our Ranch

As you can imagine, we don't hire just anyone. The quality and speed of the work we do for you is a high priority. That's why we've hired Natasha Martinez and Dave Lilly.



Natasha serves as our Office Manager. She maintains the operational processes for Brand Iron and also supports our internal sales and marketing efforts. We've also hired David Lilly as a Design Intern. As a graduate of Columbus Institute of Art and Design, Lilly has been designing for more than four years.



With our additional staffing, we continue to provide services and strategy that will build your brand value.