BrandSync Launches Strategic Branding For Private Equity
(Richmond, Virginia - February 17, 2005) Private equity firms are increasingly turning to an innovative approach to spur rapid growth for their portfolio companies called Strategic Branding. This strategy uses a well defined brand to capture market share while positioning the company above and beyond the competition. It is seen as an alternative to leverage, acquisitions and other traditional growth strategies. What's driving this trend? According to Rob Martin, Managing Director at BrandSync, a leading Strategic Branding firm, "The industry has become much more competitive. In order to provide the level of return that is expected from their investors, private equity firms are working directly with their portfolio companies to improve operating results."
The key to driving corporate growth is a clearly-defined brand, a brand distilled to its "One Thing." BrandSync pioneered a process in which customers, employees and stakeholders express their values and expectations of the company. The intersection of those expectations is the point at which the company delivers a valued product that meets market demands and stakeholder's expected returns. Once that core brand value is determined, all marketing and growth strategies are focused by it, ensuring a comprehensive, disciplined strategy that leads to higher sales and market share.
BrandSync recently assisted PreCon, Inc. with the launch of a new subsidiary that manufactures and markets specially engineered fabrics. "Within three months, BrandSync gave us the shot in the arm we needed for sustainable growth and built a compelling brand identity for our newest and most successful product line," says Mark Wauford, President of PreCon, Inc., which manufactures a wide array of industrial materials including Tyvek for Dupont.
In addition, Strategic Branding enables a company to align its internal operations to pay off the brand promise creating a profitable, long term competitive advantage. "With the assistance of BrandSync, we have been able to bring the interests of our eight business units together in support of our corporate brand," says Alan Kirshner, Chairman and CEO of Markel Corporation, a global leader in specialty insurance underwriting. "This is Markel's first foray into branding and we are pleased with how the whole corporation has become focused on a clear definition of what the Markel brand is all about."
According to Martin, "At the end of the day it's all about increasing the firm's return on investment. Strategic Branding enables you to do that by focusing on what a company does best and leveraging that to drive sustainable results."
ABOUT: Since its founding in 1999, BrandSync has been a pioneer in the concept of Strategic Branding. BrandSync is a consulting firm that specializes in synchronizing operations and communications with a powerful and focused brand identity to help Fortune 1000 corporations and middle market companies and their private equity stakeholders achieve their corporate growth objectives. Additional information on the value of Strategic Branding can be found on the web at www.brandsync.com or by calling (804) 545-6880.
###
