We love to help our clients think through the Big Marketing Questions.

Whether you're just starting to consider your brand and organizational identity, or you need some help establishing a viable strategy for expanding your reach, we can help. Our team of marketing professionals has depth of experience in these areas of high-level thinking, so we know how to explore the possibilities with you and make intelligent recommendations.

Branding

In life, you can only go so far without knowing who you are. Likewise, in business, you must understand and accept your identity, purpose, and meaning if you hope to achieve sustainable growth.

The most successful companies asked the core questions of identity (who are you?), purpose (what do you do?), and meaning (why does it matter?) a long time ago, and have thrived by executing a business plan based on their answers. Everything they do flows naturally from their cultural and organizational identity, their ability to provide specific products or services better than anyone else, and their understanding of why the world needs what they offer.

On the other hand, many companies struggle for traction in the marketplace because they don’t understand what makes them unique, they are not focused on the things they do best, and they can’t effectively articulate the reasons why their products or services matter. Any number of factors may have led to these circumstances. Oftentimes – especially in smaller organizations – the urgency and chaos of managing multiple responsibilities with limited resources hinders strategic planning and tactical execution based on an established and coherent Brand Identity.

At PASCAL, we strive to help organizations rise above the chaos of the day-to-day and consider their unique identity, purpose, and meaning. We believe that this “corporate soul-searching” process is a critical stage in every company’s development, and we consider it our privilege to participate in the process. Without a Brand Identity, you cannot hope to sustain growth in any meaningful way; but with your identity properly defined, you have a solid foundation on which to build.

Take some time this month to consider your organization’s identity. Do you know who you are? Do you know what you do, and why it matters? If you can’t easily answer these questions, let us know. If you think you’re too busy running your company to bother with these things, think again. Our process requires surprisingly little of your time and energy, and the return you’ll get on your investment could amaze you. No matter how you got to this point in your company’s lifespan, we can help you get past it. Let’s put an end to your identity crisis!

Strategy

Establishing your Brand Identity is the beginning of any successful marketing effort. Without one, you cannot expect to succeed for long. But once the questions of identity, purpose, and meaning have been answered, you need to develop a marketing plan spelling out your strategies for reaching your organization’s goals and objectives.

Good strategy is critical. While it’s possible to succeed in spite of poor execution, or tactics that are less-than-ideal, even perfect tactical execution will be meaningless if you aren’t following the right strategy.

Imagine you’d like to drive from Chicago to Portland. You can get there eventually, even if you take surface roads and stop in every small town along the way. The important thing is to start driving west, and stay pointed in that direction. If you don’t set out in the right direction, and if you never change course along the way, it won’t matter that you’re making great time on I-80. You will eventually find yourself on the shores of the Atlantic, wondering why the sun is setting behind you.

In this road trip metaphor, strategic planning is like plotting your course on a road map. The map shows you all the different directions you could go from where you are. It doesn’t tell you where you want to go. The strategic plan is the route you choose to get from point A to point B.

Your tactical decisions are the roadways themselves. You may get off course from time to time, and you may even change tactics mid-trip (trading speed for scenery, or vice versa), but as long as you keep moving toward your destination, you’ll eventually get there.
PASCAL is committed to helping organizations discover their identity, and then form a strategy based on their stated goals and objectives. Contact us today to see how we can help!