For those in search of the right relationship, messages from professional services firms can take on a familiar ring. “We are committed to meeting client needs.” “We have deep industry expertise.” “We have a culture of transparency and trust.” These statements may be true—in fact, it’s quite important that they are. But while…
Brand behavior defines how a business engages people in day-to-day interactions, bringing the company’s values, personality and promises to life for your customers, investors, partners and employees. It’s the brand strategy in action at the moment people make important decisions like whether to invest in the business, consider/buy its products…
During the discovery phase for our branding project with ICF, a global consulting firm, we did a lot of “typical” research: in-depth interviews with senior leaders in the organization, conversations with current and prospective clients, and an online, all-employee survey. We were getting a lot of good material: insights into the company culture…
According to Harvard Business Review, the failure rate of mergers and acquisitions ranges from 70–90%. Many factors can contribute to the success or failure of companies being combined. But too often, brand is not championed or leveraged during these critical moments—even though it can provide clarity and inspire invaluable unity across essential audiences…
For decades, law firms went to market with relatively conventional messages that did little to create compelling impressions in the minds of their audiences, let alone lasting ones. To a large extent, their strategies succeeded nonetheless—thanks to the strength of their benches, their personal networks and the knowledge that big companies had big budgets…
The Great Resignation’s Enduring Impact on Employment
Absolutely everyone’s heard of it, and chances are you’ve experienced its effects as a manager, coworker or jobseeker. The Great Resignation, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, was a remarkable phenomenon that reflected people’s evolving expectations and hopes for employment. Accelerating existing job-hopping…
While a comprehensive verbal and visual system forms the foundation of a brand, it’s only the beginning of executing an effective branding strategy. To be successful, a brand needs to be expressed consistently across all internal and external touchpoints. Consistency is critical to establish a well-defined brand and eliminate confusion in the marketplace…
One logo does not always translate to one cohesive brand. One of our clients, a global management consulting firm, learned this first hand. After a series of acquisitions and internal restructuring, management was focused on creating a “one firm” mentality, hoping to create synergies across a diverse array of practice areas that would lead to…
We published a whitepaper that examines how professional services firms can leverage the power of branding to stand out in an increasingly competitive industry. It’s a fairly comprehensive look at the process of building a solid and differentiated brand, from conducting internal and extensive research to identifying core brand attributes and developing a positioning…
Your professional services brand is going digital with enhanced offerings. Congratulations! As you forge ahead into the future, don’t lose sight of the confidence and trust your customers and employees have in you. Believe it or not, a digital transition can dislodge these critical keystones in a heartbeat.
That lesson is at the center…
Have you enhanced your professional services model with digital components? Maybe you’ve incorporated an app, chat bot, and digital subscription covering your most basic services. You may feel like it’s a revolutionary transformation that your customers will be thrilled to know about and use. But it’s not that cut-and-dry.
There…
If you’re in the professional services space, you’ve no doubt felt the pressure to integrate digital components into what you offer. Even if you resisted “going digital” before, the cosmic ground shift of 2020 likely forced you to consider what elements of your services can be delivered in digital ways. How can what…
The cryptocurrency market, which was once considered inaccessible—or even suspect—is gradually finding its way into the mainstream of global commerce, thanks to consumer-friendly apps, celebrity endorsements, and viral trends. Cryptocurrencies are rapidly being integrated into traditional financial markets. In 2021 so far, venture capital firms have invested $17 billion in crypto projects…
Before institutional investors turn over millions — and sometimes billions — of dollars to an asset manager, they want to know how their money is going to be invested. It’s not a question of which equities or bonds or alternatives the manager prefers. That’s easy enough to determine by looking at their current portfolios. What…
With M&A activity at record levels, marketing thought leadership is abuzz with tips and tricks for maximizing the effectiveness of brand mergers. Such pieces often center on how to align corporate cultures and boost internal engagement. Without a doubt, these are vital issues that demand consideration. But is today’s culture craze sidestepping…
At heart, a lot of brand marketing is about recognizing patterns. Strategists note the associations clients have with brands, and we see correlations between behaviors and outcomes.
So when four DeSantis Breindel brands were honored at the annual Transform Awards, we weren’t content to rest on our laurels. Instead, we wanted to know what…
What Is the Role of Brand in Management Consulting? Research Highlights from Industry Study from desantisbreindel
In recent years, management consulting firms have continued to broaden the scope of their offering, often through acquisitions, to meet the increasing demand for technology, digitization and implementation vs. traditional strategy consulting services. In partnership with the Association of…
In some market segments, competition is so fierce, and offerings so similar, that creating a new brand isn’t enough to stand out. If your field is crowded with me-too competitors, and particularly if those competitors are larger than you and have bigger marketing budgets, you don’t win by playing their game. You…