There’s a Pretty Good Chance You’ll See Me Wearing This Sort Of Thing After Our First Meeting. Beard is optional.
What’s It Like To Work With Me?
Whether You’ve Stopped Growing, Want to Grow More, Aren’t Sure of What To Do Next, Need Some Advice, or Just Feel Like It’s Time For a Change, I Can Help.
While every client and every situation is different, the following should give you a sense of what to expect:
I’ll help you get unstuck, find your direction, and chart your path forward. I might even help you rediscover why you got into this business in the first place (you know, ‘cause you liked it?). Or, if you’re looking to grow it and sell it, well, I’ve helped clients do that too.
I’ll work to unearth your actual brand - that thing that you do best and want to do more of - and then develop a credible voice for it that will resonate both outwardly with your customers AND inwardly with the people who make up your business.
There’s a good chance I’ll think of things you haven’t thought of and see things you can’t because you’ve been living inside of your business, and the people you need to reach are not in there with you.
I bring perspective. Clarity. Direction. I solve problems you know you have, and sometimes discover ones you’re not aware of - which might be the most important ones. And I’ll help solve them too.
During initial discovery I’ll identify both your overlooked weaknesses AND your often equally overlooked strengths, address what those findings reveal as they relate to your situation and goals, and suggest ways to communicate the new and improved version better. I’ll also advise on what needs to be done to make your business stronger, more focused and better-positioned for long-term growth.
And that advice is often not just a quick-fix of copywriting and tweaked brand creative. You can’t just put a shiny coat of paint over something that’s broken and expect it to work. Remember, your Brand — AKA the way people feel about you — is the direct result and reflection of the internal workings and culture of your business. Which means if there’s something wrong inside, you won’t look right on the outside, so we’ll address whatever that is, too.
One of the most important things we’ll do is identify and define your ‘Best Customer Profile’. What’s that? Well, that’s the person whose call you’re excited to pick up when you see it on your caller ID. More seriously, that’s the profile of the person who appreciates your approach, whose needs match what you do best and whose resources are a perfect fit for your offerings and pricing model. You may think you know who that is, but we’ll make sure of it, because that’s who we want to attract and appeal to.
Once the discovery phase is complete, the next step is to develop a credible voice, narrative and related creative that captures and communicates your newly (re)defined value to the world and, over time, help you maintain a persistent positive public presence. That’s the fun part. Then we’ll devise a media strategy designed to uniquely position you in the ‘marketplace’.
And at that point, the initial phase is pretty much complete; we’ve addressed your challenges, identified the people you want to reach, and developed new brand creative and a plan to reach them.
From there I typically partner with clients over the long term. Duties there can involve either actively creating and managing new brand communications, overseeing your own team, or I’ll work with you in a retainer-based advisory capacity to remain on-brand and to assess and take advantage of new opportunities. That way I can serve as a resource to solve problems, identify and take advantage of new opportunities as your business grows and evolves.
At the end of the day the goal is to get the right people for you to like, understand and trust you for who you really are, and what you really offer over the long term. Remember, those people are what we call your Best Customers; also known as the people whose call you want to pick up when you see the caller ID. Ideally, the business-customer relationship goes both ways; both sides benefit happily.
Because the number one rule is always: “People Do Business With People They Like.”
And that’s Brandphilic™.
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On Design: While I have designed many elements of brand identity, I see design as a means of advancing you brand narrative; what we want to communicate guides the design process.
Should you have your own designer, I am happy to work with them as well to make sure that your visual elements are in-step with your brand messaging.
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On Web Development: I have developed many web sites and understand web development and its importance relative to your brand. That said, for exceptionally complex sites I defer to dedicated experts - which we can provide - or I am happy to work with your developers to make sure that your website UX and content effectively represent your brand experience.
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On Marketing: While I certainly understand marketing, and have a great deal of experience working in that capacity, I view marketing as its own discipline in most cases. It is a means of outreach, analysis, dissemination of messaging, creative and other communications and, of course, lead generation.
My primary focus is always on Brand Strategy, Communications and Consulting. My job is to get you unstuck, identify your ‘best customer’ profile, and then create brand communications that marketing distributes and manages.
With that in mind, I am always flexible and recognize that every business is different; we all wear many hats and, at the end of the day, we always make it work.
I’m just here to help.
“We’ve worked with Larry for nearly 20 years and his impact on both our business and our brand cannot be overstated. He never fails to bring insights and solutions to whatever our situation or needs may be. He has both focused and magnified our brand and helped us better understand it – which is saying something as we’ve been a family-run business since the 1800’s.
His creative work in capturing and communicating our story and value and setting us apart from our competitors is always on-target, captures our heritage and offerings perfectly, and has proven to be incredibly effective. In addition, Larry has advised us on numerous and ongoing occasions to help us take advantage of opportunities, solve problems, and move forward with confidence and clarity.
He is trustworthy, honest and sincerely cares about our best interests. In short, if you have the opportunity to work with him for either consulting or brand creative you should; he has our highest recommendation.
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Bottom Line:
I regard everything you do, from your internal corporate culture and day-to-day operations that customers aren’t meant to see, to every touchpoint - your signage, advertising, store lighting, on-hold message - everything you are as a Communication that influences your audience’s perception of you and thus creates your Brand.
Because your Brand is the outward reflection of the sum of absolutely everything you do and you are. Ultimately, the relationship between you and your customers is a partnership that benefits both parties. That’s why there are two halves to the Brandphilic™ logo; one side representing your business, the other your ideal customer. Together they make for a happy experience for all.
And that’s not naive; that’s wisdom borne of experience. When both parties benefit, that’s a good - and sustainable - approach to creating a business that thrives over the long term.
FAQ’s
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Absolutely! I love writing copy and working on brand-voiced creative from naming and taglines to product descriptions, advertising, scripting and all kinds of content.
I also provide more private and strategically persuasive C-suite level and B-to-B strategic communications designed to negotiate and/or take advantage of new opportunities. Just let me know what you have in mind and let’s discuss. -
The short answer is: It Depends.
While I’m the primary contact on all projects, I recognize what I do best - and when to bring in other professionals who are the best at what they do.
Once I fully understand the nature and scope of your project and situation, I can then determine whether additional resources will be needed to execute most effectively.
When that happens, I work with a small group of trusted specialists - designers, developers, fellow strategists -as needed to execute specific elements of your project and deliver the best possible solutions.
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Yes. Media Planning is an essential part of making sure the ‘new and improved’ version of you is connecting with the people we’ve identified as your ‘Best Customer’, so figuring out how to reach that particular profile is critical.
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Of course. I’m always happy to work with your team to help you move forward and keep you on-brand and on-track.
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Yes. I’ve worked with a number of businesses and individuals in an advisory-only capacity, both by-project and on retainer. Just reach out and let’s discuss.
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We are still under the umbrella of LGM creative, LLC; same company, just evolved to better focus on our strengths and experience.
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Absolutely. Strategy and discretion go hand-in-hand. Essentially, when you work with me, there is an implicit, de facto, NDA in place right from the start. I’m here to help you succeed in a competitive market. Whatever makes you, or you legal team, comfortable is fine with me.
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Any time I hear “We Could Use Some Help With…” tells me it’s a good time to talk. It might not even be the thing you thought you needed help with in the first place, and that’s okay.
Start with a free 30-Minute Consultation. I offer a full range of services, and we’ll figure it out. Remember: I’m Here To Help.