Creative Community Meets in Denver to Talk Brand Sustainability

Yesterday one of my colleagues at BrandED, Martin Mendelsberg and I had the privilege of presenting at the 2009 Create Denver Expo. Our session, entitled Developing a Recession-Proof Brand Strategy was attended by individual and organizational creative professionals. Most were those who had just started their own business or who are thinking about doing so.

I started the session by discussing the importance of mission, core values and verbal identity as it relates to brand strategy. Martin then went through the process of creating a visual identity. Too often businesses start with naming the company and creating a logo, without any connection to the purpose and principles of the business. We hope that those in attendance will understand how critical it is to establish a mission and core values before taking the next steps in developing a brand.

There are no short cuts or quick fixes, especially in tough economic times. Those brands that are sustainable are the ones that stand for something. Next week I will be presenting a workshop on personal branding at the University of Denver. The next session of the Brand Cafe on March 30 is all about aligning verbal and visual identities.

What do you think the key is for a brand to be sustainable? How can companies be successful in recruiting and retaining brand champions?