Every business is experiencing some kind of challenge due to the pandemic and the responses to it. Warrior Entrepreneur is a book that speaks to the entrepreneurs who are making their way through these challenging times and reminds them (us!) that they (we!) are not alone – that there are myriad lessons to be learned from fellow warriors.
Your brand needs expert Generalists, a creative team that can dive right into what the brand needs to sell, yet sees how the bigger picture, your whole brand works together.
Your brand is not just your website.
Your brand is not just your marketing.
Your brand is not just your logo, your products, etc.
That’s why we believe every brand needs a generalist, a shepherd, a Brand Shepherd.
Today’s episode serves as an overview of the Generalist Approach vs. the Specialist Approach.
Should there be tension between innovation and authenticity? The classic tension between the old and the new?
To sort this out, Jon Hirst is our guest on the Brand Shepherd Podcast. As Chief Innovation Officer of SIL International, Jon is on the frontlines of practical innovation while needing to be authentic to the people he serves.
This episode is FULL of practical takeaways so prepare to take some notes.
In the video above, Daniel introduces Blount Chamber members to what Brand Shepherd does: Brand Development.
East Tennessee has a lot of marketing agencies and several design agencies, but we are only the second Brand Development agency in this part of the state.
This presentation focuses on 3 key things:
What is Brand Development?
How is it different than marketing, sales, or biz ops?
Why should I care?
In 2 short segments, Daniel lays out – with examples – answers to all of those questions.
We are convinced that the most innovative energy in any business vertical today is Agriculture.
It’s hard to name a more important business than our food chain. And from our perspective, every aspect of Ag is ripe for disruption.
In this context, we were eager to join the new Tennessee AgTech Mentor Network and begin mentoring Ag startups.
In 2021 we celebrate 15 years of guiding brands.
We are so grateful to be doing what we do with the people behind the brands that trust us.
Thank you!
Here’s to 15 more. 🥂
Onward is where our clients will thrive.
Onward is where we will be shepherd the brands we get to work with.
Onward is hope because it means we are not stopping. We are not expecting a return to yesteryear’s normal. We go onward into the new normal.
Onward is where we go from here.
2020 was quite the year. Listen to this episode of the podcast and follow along with the enclosed notes as 2020 is sifted for takeaways, insights, and how we move onward into 2021.
These 4 ingredients we have covered so far are vital to brand development, but there is a 5th ingredient that needs to be mentioned as well: A chef (aka, guide, shepherd) to help work through the process of brand development.
That would be us, Brand Shepherd.
Having a chef to guide brand development is obviously important from an expertise level. Brand and business stakeholders use experts for anything, from HVAC service to CPAs to facility maintenance and, yes, brand development.
Yet a guide is also important because having a mind from outside the brand will give the development process the perspective it needs to be successful.
Ingredients 1, 2, and 3 covered the essentials. A product brand cannot exist without developing its voice, knowing its customer personas, and having a smartly designed visual identity that captures both.
The next ingredient is something that has gradually evolved into a perceived essential ingredient in recent years thanks to a TEDx Talk.
By now, I actually have a lot of respect for anyone who is not at least a little familiar with Simon Sinek’s TEDx Talk about how brands should know the answer to the question: Why do we exist?
Interview with “Warrior Entrepreneur” author, Zachary Green • The Brand Shepherd PodcastSeptember 14, 2021 - 5:00 am
The Generalist Approach vs. The Specialist Approach: An OverviewSeptember 7, 2021 - 7:44 pm
Brand Shepherd Podcast Episode | Innovation & Authenticity: Friends or Foes?August 23, 2021 - 9:16 pm
“What Is Brand Development?” Presentation to the Blount County, TN ChamberJune 14, 2021 - 12:07 pm
