OVK Let It Ring in Belgium

OVK (Ouders Van Verongelukte Kinderen) is an organisation in Belgium supporting the Parents of Child Road Victims. The organisation partnered with Belgium’s most popular video sharing website GarageTV to raise awareness of the danger associated with using mobile phones while driving. The campaign won three awards at Cannes International Advertising Festival 2009: Promo Gold, Direct Gold and Media Silver.

The Let It Ring experience begins at www.letitring.be, where anyone can send a message in French, Dutch or English to their friends, providing an e-mail address and cell phone number. Their friend receives an e-mail with a link to Crazy Car Crash, what seems to be a typical internet movie. What the friend doesn’t know, is that he/she is playing the main part in it. As the video starts to play the viewer’s cell phone starts ringing. If the person answers, he/she generates an accident in the viral movie.

Campaign: "Let it ring "

Agency: Happiness Brussels

Client: Red Cross

Year: 2009

Brandinavia: Why Nordic Brands Rule

How did this small geographic area in northern Europe, comprised of countries with little political capital, become such a branding powerhouse? The story starts around AD 900, according to the book The Viking Manifesto: The Scandinavian Approach to Business and Blasphemy by Steve Strid and Claes Andreasson (Marshall Cavendish, 2008). The authors point to the Vikings as the admittedly barbaric forerunners of contemporary Vikings: “The Viking is more soft spoken, but alive and well. Without any army to speak of, they still invade with a better idea and a new approach to marketing, advertising, culture and corporate culture.” The book’s premise is interesting: that the Viking philosophy survived and has been updated, resulting in modern business success. With this concept in mind, it is useful to take a look at modern Scandinavia. Each country has a unique culture, of course, but they are all bound by their Nordic roots and their belief in socialist democracy. Scandinavian countries support their citizens from cradle to grave. A high standard of living, free health care, free higher education and government-supported retraining in the event of job loss are all components of the social system. It comes at a steep price, however: personal tax rates can reach 50 percent or 60 percent. What does this have to do with brands? Since people are essentially taken care of, the countries can focus on commercial issues. Corporate tax rates are low, and Scandinavian governments encourage investment and foster business growth. Scandinavian companies aggressively export their products, and that means they need to compete effectively on the world stage. Having the ability to compete is one thing, but the real question is, can you make something the world wants to buy? Here, Nordic brands have excelled. As a region, Scandinavia has become known as a center of good design. As early as the 1950s, “Scandinavian design” emerged as a defined style. While the term primarily applies to furniture, Scandinavian design represents a larger movement reflected in simplicity and elegance of design along with a focus on affordable functionality. Outstanding design remains a cornerstone of Scandinavian brands today, whether it is the clean cleverness of the Absolut vodka advertising campaign, the brilliant interconnectivity of LEGO pieces or the streamlined beauty of IKEA furniture. Just as important, makers of Scandinavian brands have been exceptionally innovative. The Swedish vodka Absolut entered a marketplace dominated by Russian vodkas, not by creating a superior product, but by introducing breakthrough packaging. Absolut produced upwards of 1,400 individual ads focusing on the clear bottle itself in a campaign that won more than 350 awards worldwide, catapulting the vodka to its position as the third largest premium spirit in the world. The Finnish company Nokia, which resulted from the merger of a rubber and cable company in 1967, created the first car phones in 1982, designed to run on the world’s first international cellular network, Nordic Mobile Telephone. By 1998, Nokia was the world leader in mobile phones. Nokia was ranked fifth in the 2008 Best Global Brands list. Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, created through a 1989 merger of two Danish companies, is a relatively small, niche-focused company on the world stage. But the company, known for its social and environmental responsibility, created the world’s first insulin preparation identical to human insulin and now does business in 80 countries worldwide. The Norwegian cheese brand Jarlsberg began modern production in 1956, based on a recipe from 1830. This distinctively flavored, medium-fat cheese with holes has become a major export success story. Jarlsberg is now exported to Australia, Canada, the EU and the United States, where it has become the number-one brand of specialty cheese. Arguably, the most prolific producer of word-class Nordic brands is Sweden. Swedish brands include Absolut, Astra (which merged to become AstraZeneca), Brio, Ericsson, H&M, IKEA, Saab, Scania and Volvo. And let’s not forget the renowned band brand ABBA, recently rejuvenated by the hit movie Mama Mia! One reason there are so many well-known Swedish brands is that Sweden is simply more aggressive than its Nordic brethren, according to Nicholas Ind, author of the book Living the Brand (Third Edition, Kogan Page, 2007). In a 2002 article comparing Norwegian and Swedish brands, Ind says, “…as soon as they have a good business base within Sweden they look to capitalize on the growing power of their brands. In many cases this is surprising, because internationally there have been no historic associations with Swedish vodka or clothing. Rather these brands, often in their own idiosyncratic way, have established markets that no one knew existed.”
	But don’t count out the other Scandinavian countries. “In Finland, we love brands,” says Alexander Stubb, a member of the European Parliament, in a December 2007 interview withBlue Wings magazine. He says Finnish brands, regardless of industry, have three things in common: “They are good products. They have an interesting story to tell. They know how to market their products.” Stubb sees “a bright international future for many Finnish brands” because traditional brands such as Marimekko “are in the middle of a generational shift in their management. The 30- and 40-somethings have been brought up in an open, international market. They have studied and worked abroad before taking over major companies in Finland.” Scandinavian brands occasionally compete with one another on the world stage, but it seems as if their common heritage and close geographic proximity keep these countries well-grounded and cooperative. After World War II, for example, the national airlines of Denmark, Norway and Sweden agreed to form a uniquely regional carrier called Scandinavian Airlines, which later became SAS. While SAS was for decades a major international carrier, it has had its share of economic troubles in recent years. Still, it remains the largest airline and travel group in the Nordic countries and owns four airlines. Scandinavia itself has not been unaffected by the world’s economic ills either. In fact, while the United States has dominated headlines, Iceland had its own version of a banking meltdown recently. The other four Nordic countries came to their brethren’s aid with a US$ 2.5 billion loan, which was added to a US$ 2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. Iceland got some much-needed relief. It is apparent that even in the face of a catastrophic crisis, Vikings stick together.
	Barry Silverstein is a freelance writer/marketing consultant and co-author of the McGraw-Hill book, The Breakaway Brand.

Brand Directory

	Discipline brand implementation		interactive design		research
	brand protection		naming specialists		retail design
	brand strategy		packaging & graphic design		sonic branding
	corporate identity		print literature		speakers & panelists
	direct marketing		product design

Brand Implementation: a hundred monkeys www.ahundredmonkeys.com Create an identity that is authentic and compelling and connects with the people who are really important to you. Addis Creson www.addiscreson.com We create positive change – in our clients’ growth, meaning of their brands, and relationships with their audiences – to make the world a healthier place. Anthem Worldwide www.anthemworldwide.com Anthem is the only truly integrated global strategic design group. Our network approach is elevating the standards among branding firms and attracting some of the best talent in the industry. Arami Design www.aramidesign.com At Arami Design, we know the high-tech marketplace. We specialize in branding, advertising and website solutions for technology companies. Bedrock www.bedrockbrands.com International brand consultancy and design firm: Shapes customer experiences with a comprehensive understanding of the realities of implementation. Big Arrow Group www.bigarrowgroup.com Delivering strategies and solutions in ways that are relevant, real and ready to go. BLACKCOFFEE www.BLACKCOFFEE.com Blackcoffee® is a brand expression consultancy. We help consumer facing organizations clarify, simplify and amplify their brand stories, to unlock the value trapped within their brands and business. Brady Communications www.bradycommunications.com Strategy means nothing unless you take action and move on it. Brady Communications can help you put the plan into motion. Brand Ascension Group® www.BrandAscension.com Specializing in internal branding, we help businesses DEFINE, ASSESS, BUILD, EVOLVE their unique Brand DNA (Dimensional Nucleic Assets®) and align their leadership, culture and processes to deliver consistent and distinctive “on-brand” experiences. Offering the first-ever step-by-step brand-building process in a flexible, highly-engaging ONLINE format. BrandCulture Company www.brandculturetalk.com Taking brands from strategy to delivery by inculcating shared purpose across operations, communications, and organizational culture. Strong Cultures = Great Brands. Branders www.branders.eu Branders is a specialized consulting agency for branding. We provide a full range of integrated brand consulting and creative services. brandUnityTM www.brandunity.com Award-winning creative services, strategy based design with stand-out resonance, unified across multi-channel touchpoints, bringing your vision to life. BrandWizard www.brandwizard.com BrandWizard allows companies to manage their brand consistently and efficiently across diverse regions and divisions through online, customized web portals. C O G N I T I O N www.4cognition.com Blah, blah, blah, BRANDING. Blah, blah, blah, STRATEGY. Blah, blah, blah, DESIGN. Cognition’s “Strategic Creativity” speaks for itself. Enough said. Cartis Group www.cartisgroup.com We build leading brands through sound strategy and brilliant design for companies such as Whole Foods Market, Balfour, USAA and Wayport. Congdon + Company www.congdonco.com We are a pure play brand strategy and design firm that combines solid strategic thinking with inspired creativity and common sense to craft branding solutions and communication materials that drive positive business results. Diadem Branded Environments www.diadem.com.au Diadem manages local, regional and global re-branding programs. Core competencies include strategic procurement, project management and industrial design construction documentation. Envision Creative Group www.envision-creative.com Our amazing team builds creative solutions that increase your perceived value, instill confidence, and inspire your customers to act. We help your business succeed. Equus Design www.equus-design.com At the heart of Asia: Singapore-based, strategy and intelligence-driven design consultancy, delivering international quality Brand development and Brand expression. Graham Hanson Design www.grahamhanson.com Graham Hanson Design is an internationally-recognized full-service design agency active in all areas of strategic visual communications. Hornall Anderson Design Works www.hadw.com Hornall Anderson is a branding and design consultancy. We bring brands to life at every consumer touch-point; from brand strategy to identity, from packaging and brochures to interactive design and retail environments we specialize in integrated solutions. ID Branding www.idbranding.com ID Branding helps companies engage their audiences through meaningful brand experiences that result in powerful, lasting relationships with their brand. In-Support www.internalsupport.net The WizKit contains everything your people need to build great looking on-brand presentations in minutes and includes an automatic Brand Checker which allows them in seconds to check that the final result meets your company standards. Interbrand www.interbrand.com Interbrand sees strategy through to implementation by managing all of the touch-points of the customer experience. Kinetic www.thetechnologyagency.com Engage global markets faster. Kinetic manages multilingual corporate communications from creation and localization to web2print and measurement. Kite Inc. www.kitebrandstudio.com Build an authentic brand that people believe in, buy from, and invest in with Kite—a full-service brand strategy, print and interactive design firm that gets results. Luminosity Marketing www.LuminosityMarketing.com Optimizing connection and content strategies for marketers and their agencies using a fusion of account planning and media planning. We develop touchpoint maps that span awareness, response, conversion and retention. Perpetual Licensing www.perpetuallicensing.com Perpetual is a full-service merchandise licensing agency that specializes in building and managing strategic brand licensing programs for well-known brands and category leading manufacturers. re:group www.regroup.us From brand re:novation to re:volution, re:group is ready. We’re a full service branding and communications agency expert at transforming brands and building business. Re:alize your brand’s potential. Call re:group. RiechesBaird www.riechesbaird.com RiechesBaird is a brand creation and development firm that specializes in building the value of B2B companies. Unlike consulting firms that focus on business strategy and advertising agencies that focus on execution, RiechesBaird performs both to create strong, enduring brands, and integrates them seamlessly to drive growth. Sellion Brand Development www.sellion.com We’re a full-service brand development team. From concept to commercialization, we open doors to retail buyers and close the sale. Spring Design Partners, Inc. www.springdesignpartners.com Award winning and innovative full service creative brand consultancy. Spring leverages design as a strategic business tool – transforming brands into highly compelling consumer experiences that generate results. Sterling-Rice Group www.srg.com Inspired Thinking that Moves People™. Sterling-Rice Group transforms brands and businesses throughout the world with a unique fusion of strategy and creativity. Core competencies include Insights, Strategy, Innovation and Go-To-Market. Trend Influence www.trendinfluence.com Detect, Discern, Imagine, Influence! We utilize the science of semiotics to build brand identities and environments that resonate and captivate. Brand Protection: British Brands Group www.britishbrandsgroup.org.uk A membership organisation of brand owners keen to ensure an environment of fair competition for brands in the UK. Interbrand www.interbrand.com Interbrand pioneered brand valuation to quantify a brand’s economic value allowing management to plan and assess the impact of their strategies. Brand Strategy: a hundred monkeys www.ahundredmonkeys.com Create an identity that is authentic and compelling and connects with the people who are really important to you. Addis Creson www.addiscreson.com We create positive change – in our clients’ growth, meaning of their brands, and relationships with their audiences – to make the world a healthier place. Anthem Worldwide www.anthemworldwide.com Anthem is the only truly integrated global strategic design group. Our network approach is elevating the standards among branding firms and attracting some of the best talent in the industry. AQUA-LYNK Marketing Agency LLC www.aqua-lynk.com AQUA-LYNK builds buoyant brands that consumers and investors love. How? Our proprietary 7-Step PLC™ process produces passionately loyal consumers. Bedrock www.bedrockbrands.com International brand consultancy and design firm: Shapes customer experiences with a comprehensive understanding of the realities of implementation. Big Arrow Group www.bigarrowgroup.com Inhabiting the space between consulting firm and communications agency. Home. BLACKCOFFEE www.BLACKCOFFEE.com Blackcoffee® is a brand expression consultancy. We help consumer facing organizations clarify, simplify and amplify their brand stories, to unlock the value trapped within their brands and business. Brady Communications www.bradycommunications.com You need to know your strengths – and your challenges – to develop a brand strategy that gets results. Brady Communications can get you there. Brand Ascension Group® www.BrandAscension.com Specializing in internal branding, we help businesses DEFINE, ASSESS, BUILD, EVOLVE their unique Brand DNA (Dimensional Nucleic Assets®) and align their leadership, culture and processes to deliver consistent and distinctive “on-brand” experiences. Offering the first-ever step-by-step brand-building process in a flexible, highly-engaging ONLINE format. Brand Blueprint® brandblueprint.com A Boston-based brand strategy firm that ensures your evolving brand achieves or maintains a leadership position in the hearts and minds of your best and future customers. BrandAmplitude, LLC www.brandamplitude.com BrandAmplitude is an independent consulting firm experienced in using online research to address strategic brand building and brand measurement issues. BrandCulture Company www.brandculturetalk.com Developing compelling, relevant, and differentiated brands – and organizational cultures to support them. Strong Cultures = Great Brands. Branders www.branders.eu Branders is a specialized consulting agency for branding. We provide a full range of integrated brand consulting and creative services. Brandesign Incorporated www.brandesign.com Brandesign Incorporated is a brand development firm ready to help you reinvent your brand, create a new one, or maintain your edge. Brandgarten, Inc. www.brandgarten.com We help you discover the emotional connection between your brand and your customers and identify your most compelling brand story. Brash Brands www.brashbrands.com Creative excellence, energy, passion. Our work is legendary. Our client focus is personal. Chemistry www.chemistrylab.ca We build, market and manage brands. We link strategy to communication, organizational performance and customer experience, turning your brand into a catalyst for high performance and competitive advantage. Congdon + Company www.congdonco.com We are a pure play brand strategy and design firm that combines solid strategic thinking with inspired creativity and common sense to craft branding solutions and communication materials that drive positive business results. FINE Design Group www.finedesigngroup.com FINE strategy helps define a total brand experience that differentiates, dramatizes, and helps you stand out in a cluttered marketplace. Graham Hanson Design www.grahamhanson.com Graham Hanson Design is an internationally-recognized full-service design agency active in all areas of strategic visual communications. Grapevine® www.thinkgrapevine.com Grapevine is a brand strategy consulting firm that enables business leaders to objectively develop strategy and create organizational alignment with their marketing goals. Guard Dog™ Brand Development, LLC www.GuardDogBD.com A novel brand development company specializing in creating and fiercely protecting corporate, product, and science identities in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. Hornall Anderson Design Works www.hadw.com Hornall Anderson is a branding and design consultancy. We bring brands to life at every consumer touch-point; from brand strategy to identity, from packaging and brochures to interactive design and retail environments we specialize in integrated solutions. ID Branding www.idbranding.com ID Branding develops strategic brand platforms that inform and guide the creation of meaningful brands. Innovation Protocol, Strategic Brand Development www.innovationprotocol.com The protocol for brands that innovate. Brand Strategy that all facets of your communication can grow from – consistently, with character. Interbrand www.interbrand.com When assessing a new architecture, the repositioning of an existing brand, or new brand development, Interbrand produces focused and actionable solutions. InterbrandHealth www.interbrandhealth.com The global branding practice of the Interbrand Group, dedicated to health and life sciences. We believe that brands have the power to change the world. To change lives. We play a part in that, by helping companies to create value in their brands and brand portfolios, from the proactive shaping of a market in the lead-up to launch of a new brand, through to effective and efficient management of an entire franchise. Kahn Consulting www.kahnconsulting.com Lessons learned and appliedtm. Over 25 years experience helping corporations understand and navigate the "politics of branding." I work quickly and deliver actionable insights. Kite Inc. www.kitebrandstudio.com Build an authentic brand that people believe in, buy from, and invest in with Kite—a full-service brand strategy, print and interactive design firm that gets results. Lucid Brands www.lucidbrands.com Leverage our deep experience to create, evolve, or recast your brand. Development of ambitious corporate brand strategy and identity. MILOBY IDEASYSTEM www.miloby.com Miloby Ideasystem is a design agency focused on contemporary solutions for brands and the built environment. From product packaging to architecture, Miloby Ideasystem works with clients to deliver seamless brand experiences. Innovation . Design . Architecture . Next Level Strategic Marketing Group www.nextlevelsmg.com We keep you captivated, not captive. We are analytic, yet creative. Experience the next level in brand strategy consulting. O Group www.ogroup.net We're the strategy and design agency for all things luxury. From global to local and mass to niche—our work is aimed at engaging target audiences and positioning upscale brands. Patrick Davis Partners www.patrickdavis.com Brand consulting and management firm specializing in brand strategy, marketplace strategy, and media and content strategy. Publisher of Unbound Edition. Prophet www.prophet.com Prophet is a strategic consultancy that helps senior executives more effectively use brand, marketing, innovation and design to drive profitable growth. re:group www.regroup.us From brand re:novation to re:volution, re:group is ready. We’re a full service branding and communications agency expert at transforming brands and building business. Re:alize your brand’s potential. Call re:group. RiechesBaird www.riechesbaird.com RiechesBaird is a brand creation and development firm that specializes in building the value of B2B companies. Unlike consulting firms that focus on business strategy and advertising agencies that focus on execution, RiechesBaird performs both to create strong, enduring brands, and integrates them seamlessly to drive growth. Shikatani Lacroix www.sld.com Shikatani Lacroix provides in-depth brand strategies that leverage unmet consumer need states into sustainable points of difference. Sterling-Rice Group www.srg.com Inspired Thinking that Moves People™. Sterling-Rice Group transforms brands and businesses throughout the world with a unique fusion of strategy and creativity. Core competencies include Insights, Strategy, Innovation and Go-To-Market. Tait Subler www.taitsubler.com Brand strategy consulting designed to produce differentiating strategies that inspire both your consumers and employees. Taproot Foundation www.taprootfoundation.org The Taproot Foundation enables experienced brand professionals to donate their skills to NYC nonprofits through structured pro bono naming and branding projects. Trend Influence www.trendinfluence.com Detect, Discern, Imagine….Influence! Using our proven process, we help brands develop strategies that truly resonate with the target consumer. WONGDOODY www.wongdoody.com Independent marketing ideas agency in Seattle and L.A.. Practice leaders with big name experience now happily collaborating across seven disciplines. Corporate Identity: a hundred monkeys www.ahundredmonkeys.com Create an identity that is authentic and compelling and connects with the people who are really important to you. Addis Creson www.addiscreson.com We create positive change – in our clients’ growth, meaning of their brands, and relationships with their audiences – to make the world a healthier place. Ahika Design www.ahika-design.co.uk Take your business, your vision, your brand. Add our creativity, our experience, our design. The result: your business energised. ALLE www.e-alle.com Your company is growing but is your image? ALLE helps new companies create big images and growing organizations articulate change. Arami Design www.aramidesign.com At Arami Design, we know the high-tech marketplace. We specialize in branding, advertising and website solutions for technology companies. Bedrock www.bedrockbrands.com International brand consultancy and design firm: Shapes customer experiences with a comprehensive understanding of the realities of implementation. Big Arrow Group www.bigarrowgroup.com Aligning corporate image, business objectives and brand strategies for greater market impact. BLACKCOFFEE www.BLACKCOFFEE.com Blackcoffee® is a brand expression consultancy. We help consumer facing organizations clarify, simplify and amplify their brand stories, to unlock the value trapped within their brands and business. Brady Communications www.bradycommunications.com Whether for B2B, retail, industry or education, Brady Communications can create and execute a corporate image that makes a lasting impression. BrandCulture Company www.brandculturetalk.com Elevating and differentiating brands with enduring identities and timeless design. Strong Cultures = Great Brands. Brandesign Incorporated www.brandesign.com Brandesign Incorporated is a brand development firm ready to help you reinvent your brand, create a new one, or maintain your edge. brandUnityTM www.brandunity.com Specializing in award-winning corporate identity creative services, memorable marks with stand-out resonance, speaking the visual language of your target audience. Brash Brands www.brashbrands.com Creative excellence, energy, passion. Our work is legendary. Our client focus is personal. C O G N I T I O N www.4cognition.com Blah, blah, blah, BRANDING. Blah, blah, blah, STRATEGY. Blah, blah, blah, DESIGN. Cognition’s “Strategic Creativity” speaks for itself. Enough said. Congdon + Company www.congdonco.com We are a pure play brand strategy and design firm that combines solid strategic thinking with inspired creativity and common sense to craft branding solutions and communication materials that drive positive business results. Envision Creative Group www.envision-creative.com Our amazing team builds creative solutions that increase your perceived value, instill confidence, and inspire your customers to act. We help your business succeed. Graham Hanson Design www.grahamhanson.com Graham Hanson Design is an internationally-recognized full-service design agency active in all areas of strategic visual communications. Guard Dog™ Brand Development, LLC www.GuardDogBD.com A novel brand development company specializing in creating and fiercely protecting corporate, product, and science identities in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. Hornall Anderson Design Works www.hadw.com Hornall Anderson is a branding and design consultancy. We bring brands to life at every consumer touch-point; from brand strategy to identity, from packaging and brochures to interactive design and retail environments we specialize in integrated solutions. ID Branding www.idbranding.com ID Branding develops authentic brand identities for both organizations and products. Interbrand www.interbrand.com Interbrand views a corporate identity as a powerful strategic tool that communicates the corporate purpose and differentiates companies and products. Iridium Group Inc. www.iridiumgroup.com IridiumGroup is a boutique, communications design firm specializing in brand identity consulting and marketing communications. We help companies invigorate their brands and grow their businesses. Kite Inc. www.kitebrandstudio.com Build an authentic brand that people believe in, buy from, and invest in with Kite—a full-service brand strategy, print and interactive design firm that gets results. Lucid Brands www.lucidbrands.com Leverage our deep experience to create, evolve, or recast your brand. Development of ambitious corporate brand strategy and identity. O Group www.ogroup.net We're the strategy and design agency for all things luxury. From global to local and mass to niche—our work is aimed at engaging target audiences and positioning upscale brands. re:group www.regroup.us From brand re:novation to re:volution, re:group is ready. We’re a full service branding and communications agency expert at transforming brands and building business. Re:alize your brand’s potential. Call re:group. RiechesBaird www.riechesbaird.com RiechesBaird is a brand creation and development firm that specializes in building the value of B2B companies. Unlike consulting firms that focus on business strategy and advertising agencies that focus on execution, RiechesBaird performs both to create strong, enduring brands, and integrates them seamlessly to drive growth. Shikatani Lacroix www.sld.com Shikatani Lacroix provides strategically sound corporate identity programs that are effectively leveraged at all levels of brand contact. Summation www.sumdesign.com Because good design is not a template in PowerPoint. WONGDOODY www.wongdoody.com Independent marketing ideas agency in Seattle and L.A.. Practice leaders with big name experience now happily collaborating across seven disciplines. Direct Marketing: RiechesBaird www.riechesbaird.com RiechesBaird is a brand creation and development firm that specializes in building the value of B2B companies. Unlike consulting firms that focus on business strategy and advertising agencies that focus on execution, RiechesBaird performs both to create strong, enduring brands, and integrates them seamlessly to drive growth. Interactive Design: Addis Creson www.addiscreson.com We create positive change – in our clients’ growth, meaning of their brands, and relationships with their audiences – to make the world a healthier place. Arami Design www.aramidesign.com At Arami Design, we know the high-tech marketplace. We specialize in branding, advertising and website solutions for technology companies. Brady Communications www.bradycommunications.com Brady Communications blends tech savvy with creative expertise to deliver solutions for all your interactive media needs. brandUnityTM www.brandunity.com Award-winning interactive integrated with your brand initiatives; websites, video, and banner campaigns involving your audience, bringing your vision to life. BrandWizard www.brandwizard.com BrandWizard allows companies to manage their brand consistently and efficiently across diverse regions and divisions through online, customized web portals. C O G N I T I O N www.4cognition.com Blah, blah, blah, BRANDING. Blah, blah, blah, STRATEGY. Blah, blah, blah, DESIGN. Cognition’s “Strategic Creativity” speaks for itself. Enough said. Congdon + Company www.congdonco.com We are a pure play brand strategy and design firm that combines solid strategic thinking with inspired creativity and common sense to craft branding solutions and communication materials that drive positive business results. FINE Design Group www.finedesigngroup.com Your site is your brand. And a FINE site is conceptually compelling while technically seamless. Get one while supplies last. Graham Hanson Design www.grahamhanson.com Graham Hanson Design is an internationally-recognized full-service design agency active in all areas of strategic visual communications. Hornall Anderson Design Works www.hadw.com Hornall Anderson is a branding and design consultancy. We bring brands to life at every consumer touch-point; from brand strategy to identity, from packaging and brochures to interactive design and retail environments we specialize in integrated solutions. ID Branding www.idbranding.com ID Branding offers online brand management tools that help companies manage their brands worldwide. In-Support www.internalsupport.net The WizKit contains everything your people need to build great looking on-brand presentations in minutes and includes an automatic Brand Checker which allows them in seconds to check that the final result meets your company standards. Interbrand www.interbrand.com Interbrand knows that successful, high-performing brands act as ambassadors and must be differentiated, yet consistent in both the on- and off-line worlds. Iridium Group Inc. www.iridiumgroup.com IridiumGroup is a boutique, communications design firm specializing in brand identity consulting and marketing communications. We help companies invigorate their brands and grow their businesses. Kite Inc. www.kitebrandstudio.com Build an authentic brand that people believe in, buy from, and invest in with Kite—a full-service brand strategy, print and interactive design firm that gets results. O Group www.ogroup.net We're the strategy and design agency for all things luxury. From global to local and mass to niche—our work is aimed at engaging target audiences and positioning upscale brands. RiechesBaird www.riechesbaird.com RiechesBaird is a brand creation and development firm that specializes in building the value of B2B companies. Unlike consulting firms that focus on business strategy and advertising agencies that focus on execution, RiechesBaird performs both to create strong, enduring brands, and integrates them seamlessly to drive growth. Naming Specialists: a hundred monkeys www.ahundredmonkeys.com Create an identity that is authentic and compelling and connects with the people who are really important to you. Addis Creson www.addiscreson.com We create positive change – in our clients’ growth, meaning of their brands, and relationships with their audiences – to make the world a healthier place. BLACKCOFFEE www.BLACKCOFFEE.com Blackcoffee® is a brand expression consultancy. We help consumer facing organizations clarify, simplify and amplify their brand stories, to unlock the value trapped within their brands and business. Brandesign Incorporated www.brandesign.com Brandesign Incorporated is a brand development firm ready to help you reinvent your brand, create a new one, or maintain your edge. Catchword www.catchwordbranding.com Catchword is a full-service naming firm that has helped hundreds of great ideas become thriving brands through the power of that one, right word. Congdon + Company www.congdonco.com We are a pure play brand strategy and design firm that combines solid strategic thinking with inspired creativity and common sense to craft branding solutions and communication materials that drive positive business results. Interbrand www.interbrand.com Interbrand pioneered the field of name development and has developed thousands of effective, motivating names around the world. InterbrandHealth www.interbrandhealth.com The global branding practice of the Interbrand Group, dedicated to health and life sciences. We believe that brands have the power to change the world. To change lives. We play a part in that, by helping companies to create value in their brands and brand portfolios, from the proactive shaping of a market in the lead-up to launch of a new brand, through to effective and efficient management of an entire franchise. Kahn Consulting www.kahnconsulting.com Lessons learned and appliedtm. Over 25 years of experience in helping corporations with naming and brand architecture strategies. RiechesBaird www.riechesbaird.com RiechesBaird is a brand creation and development firm that specializes in building the value of B2B companies. Unlike consulting firms that focus on business strategy and advertising agencies that focus on execution, RiechesBaird performs both to create strong, enduring brands, and integrates them seamlessly to drive growth. Strategic Name Development www.namedevelopment.com A brand naming consultancy with global expertise in product naming, company naming, trademark screening, brand architecture, and brand name research, employing our global proprietary Name DNA Validation® research methodology. Taproot Foundation www.taprootfoundation.org The Taproot Foundation enables experienced brand professionals to donate their skills to NYC nonprofits through structured pro bono naming and branding projects. TippingSprung www.tippingsprung.com TippingSprung has extensive experience developing names, taglines, and copy across all industries, including technology, pharma, telecom, financial services and consumer goods. WONGDOODY www.wongdoody.com Independent marketing ideas agency in Seattle and L.A.. Practice leaders with big name experience now happily collaborating across seven disciplines. Packaging and Graphic Design: Addis Creson www.addiscreson.com We create positive change – in our clients’ growth, meaning of their brands, and relationships with their audiences – to make the world a healthier place. Anthem Worldwide www.anthemworldwide.com Anthem is the only truly integrated global strategic design group. Our network approach is elevating the standards among branding firms and attracting some of the best talent in the industry. BLACKCOFFEE www.BLACKCOFFEE.com Blackcoffee® is a brand expression consultancy. We help consumer facing organizations clarify, simplify and amplify their brand stories, to unlock the value trapped within their brands and business. Brady Communications www.bradycommunications.com Break through the marketplace chatter with smart design solutions from Brady Communications. Our strategic, results-driven approach ensures client success, time after time. Brandesign Incorporated www.brandesign.com Brandesign Incorporated is a brand development firm ready to help you reinvent your brand, create a new one, or maintain your edge. Congdon + Company www.congdonco.com We are a pure play brand strategy and design firm that combines solid strategic thinking with inspired creativity and common sense to craft branding solutions and communication materials that drive positive business results. Envision Creative Group www.envision-creative.com Our amazing team builds creative solutions that increase your perceived value, instill confidence, and inspire your customers to act. We help your business succeed. Guard Dog™ Brand Development, LLC www.GuardDogBD.com A novel brand development company specializing in creating and fiercely protecting corporate, product, and science identities in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. Hornall Anderson Design Works www.hadw.com Hornall Anderson is a branding and design consultancy. We bring brands to life at every consumer touch-point; from brand strategy to identity, from packaging and brochures to interactive design and retail environments we specialize in integrated solutions. Interbrand www.interbrand.com A brand’s packaging communicates its positioning and reinforces the product benefits after the purchase so the brand becomes a mainstay for the consumer. InterbrandHealth www.interbrandhealth.com The global branding practice of the Interbrand Group, dedicated to health and life sciences. We believe that brands have the power to change the world. To change lives. We play a part in that, by helping companies to create value in their brands and brand portfolios, from the proactive shaping of a market in the lead-up to launch of a new brand, through to effective and efficient management of an entire franchise. MILOBY IDEASYSTEM www.miloby.com Miloby Ideasystem is a design agency focused on contemporary solutions for brands and the built environment. From product packaging to architecture, Miloby Ideasystem works with clients to deliver seamless brand experiences. Innovation . Design . Architecture . O Group www.ogroup.net We're the strategy and design agency for all things luxury. From global to local and mass to niche—our work is aimed at engaging target audiences and positioning upscale brands. re:group www.regroup.us From brand re:novation to re:volution, re:group is ready. We’re a full service branding and communications agency expert at transforming brands and building business. Re:alize your brand’s potential. Call re:group. Shikatani Lacroix www.sld.com Shikatani Lacroix has expertise in every aspect of the product life cycle for consumer packaged goods companies, and our creative solutions cover everything from name generation to brand rejuvenation services. Spring Design Partners, Inc. www.springdesignpartners.com Award winning and innovative full service creative brand consultancy. Spring leverages design as a strategic business tool – transforming brands into highly compelling consumer experiences that generate results. TheDesignSpot www.thedesignspot.com Building beautiful brands through creative packaging designs and out of the box thinking. Our clients’ success is how we measure our own! WONGDOODY www.wongdoody.com Independent marketing ideas agency in Seattle and L.A.. Practice leaders with big name experience now happily collaborating across seven disciplines. Print Literature: Addis Creson www.addiscreson.com We create positive change – in our clients’ growth, meaning of their brands, and relationships with their audiences – to make the world a healthier place. Bedrock www.bedrockbrands.com International brand consultancy and design firm: Shapes customer experiences with a comprehensive understanding of the realities of implementation. Brady Communications www.bradycommunications.com Print literature. The bedrock of marketing plans for decades. Brady Communications can help you craft a collateral package that sings. BrandCulture Company www.brandculturetalk.com Timeless design and collateral systems that communicate, engage and inspire. Strong Cultures = Great Brands brandUnityTM www.brandunity.com Award-winning print and web creative services, ensuring your marketing campaigns are brand unified across media, optimizing your cross-channel lift. Congdon + Company www.congdonco.com We are a pure play brand strategy and design firm that combines solid strategic thinking with inspired creativity and common sense to craft branding solutions and communication materials that drive positive business results. Envision Creative Group www.envision-creative.com Our amazing team builds creative solutions that increase your perceived value, instill confidence, and inspire your customers to act. We help your business succeed. Hornall Anderson Design Works www.hadw.com Hornall Anderson is a branding and design consultancy. We bring brands to life at every consumer touch-point; from brand strategy to identity, from packaging and brochures to interactive design and retail environments we specialize in integrated solutions. Interbrand www.interbrand.com Print literature is a prevalent expression of a brand, Interbrand makes brand strategy come alive through creative print design and differentiated copy. Iridium Group Inc. www.iridiumgroup.com IridiumGroup is a boutique, communications design firm specializing in brand identity consulting and marketing communications. We help companies invigorate their brands and grow their businesses. Kinetic www.theTechnologyAgency.com Brand consistency across continents. Kinetic manages multilingual corporate communications from creation and localization to web2print and measurement. O Group www.ogroup.net We're the strategy and design agency for all things luxury. From global to local and mass to niche—our work is aimed at engaging target audiences and positioning upscale brands. re:group www.regroup.us From brand re:novation to re:volution, re:group is ready. We’re a full service branding and communications agency expert at transforming brands and building business. Re:alize your brand’s potential. Call re:group. Summation www.sumdesign.com Because good design is not a template in PowerPoint. Product Design: Prime Studio Inc. www.primestudio.com Prime Studio is a NYC based consultancy that provides strategic, dynamic product and packaging design to established and developing brands Trend Influence www.trendinfluence.com Detect, Discern, Imagine, Influence! We utilize open and collaborative innovation processes to conceive and design products that are emotionally connected with consumers. Research: BrandAmplitude, LLC www.brandamplitude.com BrandAmplitude identifies actionable customer insights using secondary data sources, online focus groups, online surveys and hybrid (qualitative/quantitative) research designs. Grapevine® www.thinkgrapevine.com Grapevine is a brand strategy consulting firm that enables business leaders to objectively develop strategy and create organizational alignment with their marketing goals. Interbrand www.interbrand.com Interbrand helps clients avoid expensive mistakes while ensuring uniqueness through extensive proprietary research techniques. Prophet www.prophet.com Leading-edge strategy requires leading-edge insights. Prophet helps you ground your initiatives in empirical evidence built on breakthrough customer insights/analytics. rxmark www.interbrandhealth.com A division of InterbrandHealth, rxmark provides innovative, global research methodologies and consulting services for brand intelligence to the healthcare industry. Trend Influence www.trendinfluence.com Detect, Discern, Imagine….Influence! We deploy proprietary, innovative and non-traditional insight tools to help brands identify and understand the consumer. Retail Design: Architral www.architral.com A French firm dedicated to environmental design and a leader in the commercial architecture field. Handles sales engineering from initial analysis to final achievement of project. Bedrock www.bedrockbrands.com International brand consultancy and design firm: Shapes customer experiences with a comprehensive understanding of the realities of implementation. Brady Communications www.bradycommunications.com From point-of-sale displays to informational kiosks, Brady Communications can develop resources that generate solid sales for your product. Graham Hanson Design www.grahamhanson.com Graham Hanson Design is an internationally-recognized full-service design agency active in all areas of strategic visual communications. Hornall Anderson Design Works www.hadw.com Hornall Anderson is a branding and design consultancy. We bring brands to life at every consumer touch-point; from brand strategy to identity, from packaging and brochures to interactive design and retail environments we specialize in integrated solutions. Interbrand www.interbrand.com Interbrand employs state-of-the-art technologies to design branded environments in a three-dimensional world ensuring a creative and holistic brand experience. Interbrand Design Forum www.designforum.com Design Forum is a retail design firm offering a comprehensive range of integrated services including strategy, research, branding, design and architecture. Prophet www.prophet.com Prophet’s strategy-led design practice creates communications and brand experiences that make customers think, feel, behave, and buy differently. Shikatani Lacroix www.sld.com Our firm has extensive experience in developing complete shopping experiences. We offer retail identity design, development of signing systems, merchandising, and overall store personality solutions. Sonic Branding: Trend Influence www.trendinfluence.com Detect, Discern, Imagine, Influence! All touch-points are critical communications channels for effective brands; sound is an opportunity to build Pavlovian response in your customers. Speakers and Panelists: Addis Creson www.addiscreson.com We create positive change – in our clients’ growth, meaning of their brands, and relationships with their audiences – to make the world a healthier place. Guard Dog™ Brand Development, LLC www.GuardDogBD.com A novel brand development company specializing in creating and fiercely protecting corporate, product, and science identities in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. Jane Parker, InterbrandHealth email Chief Executive Officer. A passionate and provocative speaker and media commentator on branding issues across all healthcare industry sectors. Patrick Davis, Patrick Davis Partners and Unbound Edition www.patrickdavis.com One of the nation’s foremost experts on brands, markets and media; trusted advisor to senior executives of Fortune 100 companies; and experienced keynote speaker and media commentator. Prophet www.prophet.com Prophet thought leaders include David Aaker, Scott Davis, and Michael Dunn. Our books: Spanning Silos; The Marketing Accountability Imperative; Brand Portfolio Strategy; and The Shift. Rita Clifton, Interbrand email Interbrand Chairman, London. Regular conference Chair and media commentator on a full spectrum of brand-related subjects. Rob Osler, WONGDOODY email Brand Strategy expert. Many publications, including: Journal of Brand Management, Marketing Management. Former lead strategist at Landor and Fitch. MBA. Sasha Strauss, Brand Strategist email Adjunct professor of graduate brand strategy at USC. Awarded international speaker on positioning, architecture, naming and extension brand strategy.