From the President’s Perch …

For those of you who have indulged in branding, you know how tough this process is. We just finished a photo shoot that was highly stylized. You will see it on these pages. We all are wearing black with white button-down shirts and red shoes. It represents a shot of unity. And yet, each of us has our own spin on how we put this look together.

We used knoodle. Full disclosure: This is my company. We donated the photo shoot so we could hire a veteran photographer in Paul Markow. Creative Director Ivan Galaz directed the shoot. Together, we took shot after shot following the path set forth by the vision board. This whole process reminded me of how difficult rebrands are.

Not everyone was able to make it. Some didn’t care for the concept. Some were out of town. But in the end, the majority of board members turned out and had a great time, pretending to be models. The studio had a look of a Hollywood set, complete with music, fans (so that our hair could blow in the wind) and professional hair and makeup. Mary Reid, the makeup artist, has worked with models and superstars all over the world. And she did make us be our best self — that, and a little photo retouching!

This year, the idea is to be relevant for business women of all types. This includes women who own every size of business, who want a voice locally and nationally, love to meet other women, build contacts, find new friends and have a clear connection to what goes on in Washington, D.C.

Lessons Learned over the Years Regarding Rebrands:

• Never do marketing by committee. Leave it to the one person who is responsible, to avoid a homogenized vision of mediocrity.
• Start with a clear vision and strategy by those you most want to reach. It will serve as the foundation for all that you do.
• Brand everything using the positioning that you have chosen, a strong logo and a common color palette.
• Develop the brand with a strong voice that is consistent through every medium.
• Be strong. Throw all materials away with previous logos, branding and all leftovers. Past brands should remain unseen to prevent confusion. This is the hardest for businesses to achieve because we all hate to throw away the things we have spent money on.

Rosaria Cain founded knoodle, a public relations and marketing firm, in 1999, with her very first client, Fulton Homes, after 20 years in television, radio and newspaper. Her company is ranked among the top advertising agencies in the Phoenix Metro area and brands clients clients such as Sante’ Health, Cal AM, Red Development, and Prestige Cleaners, She still works with Fulton Homes today.