We interact with brands every day, so you might think you’ve got the concept all figured out. But experts know: looks can be deceiving. So, we sat down with some of those experts to get an unfiltered view of the branding process. 

Beth Flom and Andrew Bogucki are senior partners at New York brand innovation firm Tenet Partners —they help companies like Mastercard, Target and IBM build compelling and powerful brands. And they’re clear on one thing. A brand isn’t simply a logo or a tagline —it’s more than that. In fact, according to Cadence Bank’s own Chief Marketing Officer, Jackie Hooper, “brand is the essence of the company.” To be successful, your brand must feel honest and cohesive because it’s reinforced through every interaction that a customer has with your company. To achieve that, it must be built on a solid foundation: culture. But what is your company’s culture? And how do you translate that into a brand?

In this episode, we’ll hear from three brilliant marketing minds. They’ll share the keys to evaluating culture and developing a strong brand. You’ll learn how to ask the right questions, make key decisions and what small businesses can achieve—it’s more than you think.

Join us, as we corner the market on marketing with this brand new, on-brand episode!

Highlights:

• What a brand is–and isn’t (4:10)
• Where to start with branding: research (8:41)
• Culture is the foundation of brand (9:41)
• How to assess culture (10:46)
• Translating to visual identity (11:35)
• Both an art and a science (12:47)
• Navigating the emotions of branding (13:57)
• How your brand can influence your culture (16:27)
• Why employee training is integral to the process (17:00)
• Branding for small companies (18:31)
• Consistency and follow through (19:30)
• Takeaways on branding (20:39)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank Twitter
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Jackie Hooper LinkedIn
• Tenet Partners Website
• Beth Flom LinkedIn
• Andrew Bogucki LinkedIn
• Harvard Business Review - Brand Is Culture, Culture Is Brand
• Harvard Business Review - Build a Culture to Match Your Brand
• LinkedIn - Two Sides of the Same Coin: The Relationship Between Brand & Culture

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, sheena.cochran@cadencebank.com or danielle.kernell@cadencebank.com.