FM Walsh & Associates Inc.

I love the practice of branding - it’s my absolute passion. It allows me to answer the call to do two things in life - to create a better visual environment and to connect to people – to have influence.

The shift in the visual environment is the low-hanging fruit, but it gives me a real kick whenever I can make an impact. Poor design is a nearly-physical irritant in my world – it’s like a rattle in a car – it doesn’t matter what it is – something’s just not right and it grates on me until it’s fixed. Why a company wouldn’t care about its visual brand is beyond me. A company’s objective performance is paramount – you have to be all that your brand promises, but would you buy a car with a rattle?

But what really matters to me is the second part.

Emotional influence is the real value of brand. Powerful branding does more than take the rattle out of the car – it changes the whole car because it changes the human experience. Brands help customer, entrepreneur and employee emotionally connect to their experience.

I’ve seen the branding process empower employees to create new environmental solutions in their business. I’ve seen brand create real employee engagement, as people find a “flag” to rally around that brings a purpose to their days. And I’ve seen brand strengthen the bridge between customer and company by capturing the essence of what started the customer relationship. Brand creates meaning and value.

Take away the outdated, the redundant, the misleading, the generic brand! Bring in the accurate, aligned, powerful brand. Great branding is taking a stand, claiming a position, showing up. It’s a conscious way of doing business that allows people to bring their passion to work. And that is a better world.