Resources
Books mentioned in Bold Brand 2.0:
- Abbott, Scott. Pocket PorchLights. AuthorHouse, 2008.
- Enns, Blair. The Win Without Pitching Manifesto. RockBench Publishing Corp., 2010.
- Fried, Jason and Heinemeier Hansson, David. Rework. Crown Business, 2010.
- Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. Little, Brown and Company, 2008.
- Lacy, Kyle. Twitter Marketing For Dummies. Wiley Publishing,
Inc., 2010.
-Tzu, Sun. The Art of War. 5th century BC
Organizations and websites mentioned in Bold Brand 2.0:
- AIA.org
- AIGA.org
- ContentMarketingInstitute.com
- ContentMarketingInstitute.com/blog
- SHRM.org
- SMPS.org
- Blog Post: The Greatest Sales Deck I’ve Ever Seen:
https://medium.com/the-mission/the-greatest-sales-deck-ive-ever-seen-4f4ef3391ba0
Figures:
Chapter 2 - Where does your company fall on the map?
Chapter 2 - Perceptual Mapping
Chapter 4 - Brand Essence
Chapter 4 - Brand Essence Example
Chapter 5 - Four types of Rebrands
Chapter 6 - Sample Advertisement with Acute Tagline-itis
Chapter 6 - Mission/Vision
Example Vision Statements
AECOM: Our vision is a world where infrastructure creates opportunity for everyone – uplifting communities, improving access and sustaining our planet.
Stantec: To be a top-10 global design firm that maximizes long-term, sustainable value.
HOK: In each HOK office, we create inclusive environments where ideas grow, innovation flourishes and people can be themselves. The diversity of experiences, backgrounds, locations, viewpoints and ideas is what makes HOK a special place. When you join our team, we’ll be counting on you to help us change the world.
Co.Design: We believe in business as a force for positive change. We chronicle how companies create and compete, highlight new business practices, and showcase the teams and individuals who are inventing the future and reinventing business.
RATIO Architects: As designers, we have a lasting impact on an equitable society and a thriving planet. Our responsibility is to think about the human and environmental experience to create the essential balance and diversity found in all beauty. At RATIO, we design for impact.
DIY Bold Brand Audit
How can you tell if your brand is due for an overhaul without spending a lot of money?
Download a PDF copy of the DIY Bold Brand Audit checklist
Ask yourself the following:
Positioning
- Who are you?
- What is your market?
- What is your product or service?
- What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?
- What is your brand essence?
- What are your brand values?
- Describe your corporate culture. Does it fit your brand?
- What is your elevator pitch? Mission? Vision?
- Would everyone in your company describe your brand similarly?
- Are important decision-makers aware of your branding and marketing initiatives?
Voice and Style
- Describe your brand voice.
- Review sample headlines.
- Review sample copy.
- Review usage—how do you use your company or brand name in the following: possessive, plural, product, service, in combination with other items, etc.
- How do you write your company name? All caps, title case, shorthand, something else?
Visual identity
- Is your name trademarked or registered?
- Do you have a single logo or trademark?
- Is it used consistently across your materials?
Collateral
- Round up samples of your materials—brochures, print materials, tradeshow displays, advertising, etc.
- Do they look like they’re from the same company?
- Are any of them outdated, or formatted in an inappropriate style?
- Is your brand used consistently, following a standard set of rules?
- Are the colors consistent across various pieces?
Website
- Search performance—can you be found online when you search for your name, or your product/service?
Social Media
- Are your social media sites up to date? Do they accurately reflect your brand?
Other brand exposures
Check all that apply to your company or brand:
- Sponsorships/civic involvement/memberships
- News/PR
- External assets—speaking engagements, articles, books, blogs, etc.
- Testimonials
- Videos
- HR policies/onboarding process
- Internal systems
- Customer service
- Internal surveys
- Client surveys
Envision the future state of your professional brand
- What does your brand currently look like?
- What types of assets, tools, collateral, or stories do you want to have?
- Which of these pieces do you have now, and which are missing?
- What are the priorities for reaching your future state?
Homework:
Review the results of your DIY Bold Brand Audit.
Who else needs to see this?
Rally your team and leadership to plan for the next steps.
Does your in-house team have the expertise to accomplish your goals? Or will you need to interview branding consultants to help build your brand?
Hire the team that best fits your personality, goals, budget, and timeline.
About Bold Brand 2.0
Bold Brand™ is a framework and best-practices approach to help professional services firms identify a niche, position themselves within that niche, and build a compelling brand. This framework guides professionals step-by-step through the process, illuminating potential pitfalls along the way.
Josh developed Bold Brand 2.0 as a way of sharing and teaching that framework in a way that applies to a broad cross-section of professional services and B2B clients.
About Josh Miles
Visit joshmiles.com/about
Acknowledgments
A huge thank you to Andrew Davis.
Thank you to my family, friends, our Indianapolis and international network—AIGA, SMPS, Content Marketing Institute, and everyone featured in this book—for your love, help, and encouragement.
Thank you to CJ McClanahan for making a crazy bet, and always holding me accountable to my goals.
Thank you to Joe Pulizzi, Newt Barrett, Lisa Beets, and the entire team at Content Marketing Institute for making the first version of this book a reality.
Thank you to the amazing Amy J. Dean for editing Bold Brand 2.0.
Thank you to the entire team at MilesHerndon for your support throughout this process. You made this possible.
Typeface: Gotham by Hoefler&Co. typography.com
Book design, layout, and illustrations by:
Brian K Gray, Jon McClure, and Josh Miles
Photography: Cody Thompson