Intern Intro: Meet the 2015 AW Summer Interns!
Every summer, Addison Whitney welcomes an outstanding group of college students into the office as our summer interns! This year, our class consists of four interns representing three schools from around the area - these four will be working in the marketing, brand strategy, market research and verbal branding departments, and we are excited to have them on board this summer!
Now, let's learn a little more about the AW summer 2015 intern class!
Name: Caroline Beuley
Department: Marketing
School: University of Virginia
Favorite brand: Diet Coke - because Taylor Swift can't be wrong and also because it's more important than water and food to my daily functioning.
What do you want to learn this summer at AW? I would love to learn about online, and especially social media, marketing strategies that companies have effectively implemented and how they accomplished them because I think social media is so relevant for the recent and incoming generations of marketing employees.
Name: Alexandra Irvine
Department: Market Research
School: Wake Forest University
What is your favorite brand? Starbucks - Coffee is my love, and Tyvek - My Dad and Brother work for DuPont and I just love the way Tyvek rolls off the tongue.
What do you want to learn this summer at AW? At AW I hope to learn how exactly market research is used to help create strong brand names and the benefits to using such an approach.
Name: Caroline Lewis
Department: Brand Strategy
School: Wake Forest University
What is your favorite brand? My favorite brand is Starbucks because think it is really fascinating how the company managed to transform the coffee industry and the way that the majority of Americans drink coffee. Starbucks chose to center their brand not only around their product, but also their atmosphere. Because of this, they have built a huge following of loyal customers who love to visit its stores for both its food and drinks as well as its ambiance.
What is one thing you hope to learn this summer at AW? More about branding and brand strategy.
Name: Drew Maurer
Department: Verbal Branding
School: Davidson College
What is your favorite brand? Levi's and Coca-Cola - I like how both brands are able to play on their heritage and a sense of nostalgia without coming across as saccharine or overly sentimental. I also like how both brands favor direct, striking visuals.
What is one thing you hope to learn this summer at AW? The thing I’m most looking forward to learning this summer is the nuts and bolts of branding, and how the process of branding works beyond what the consumer actually sees as the end product.
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
AW in Review: Addison Whitney Brand Salsa Recap - 6.12.15
AW in Review:
Addison Whitney Brand Salsa Recap - 6.12.15
Welcome to another edition of "AW in Review", our roundup of our latest brand salsa and Addison Whitney news and posts!
Don’t forget, you can stay up-to-date with everything from Addison Whitney by joining the conversation with us on our social media channels – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+
Addison Whitney to Host Three-Part Webinar Series
Addison Whitney, a global branding firm who has developed some of the world’s leading brands, will be hosting a three-part webinar series in June titled, “Three Questions You Should be Asking About Your Brand Portfolio.”
During the three-part series, members of Addison Whitney’s Brand Strategy team will focus on the different ways companies should be thinking about their brand portfolio. Through strategic plan discussions and real-life examples the following topics will be explored: June 11 – Recognizing All of Your Brands – Are You Getting Credit For All of the Brands in Your Portfolio? June 18 – Organizing Your Portfolio – Are Your Brands Working For You In All Their Capacity? June 25 – Identifying the Opportunities in Your Portfolio – Are You Capitalizing on Every Potential Business Opportunity Your Portfolio Provides? Read more...
Making a Strong First Impression: 5 Benefits of Clinical Trial Branding
It has been said that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. For many new assets the clinical trial stage of development is that first impression – the initial interaction it will have with those who will impact its future both from research and consumer perspectives.
With a strong brand in place prior to making this first impression, brands can ensure they will be moving forward following a positive first impression and giving a product a better chance to develop a positive brand image. Here are five benefits to clinical trial branding. Read More...
AW Global Office Spotlight: Charlotte
Addison Whitney was founded in 1991 in Charlotte, and the city has housed its global headquarters ever since. Three years ago in order to accommodate the growth of the company, Addison Whitney moved into a brand new office space in the fast-growing Ballantyne neighborhood, where it is surrounded by a number of prominent companies and a budding talent base from which it has drawn to make up the employees in the office.
The Charlotte office is the home to employees across all of Addison Whitney’s capabilities, from verbal and visual branding to brand strategy and market research teams providing great work from the office. Read more...
AW Global Office Spotlight: New York City
Addison Whitney New York is located in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan, sitting across the street from the world-famous Chelsea Market. Addison Whitney shares some of the space with a few of its fellow inVentiv Health brands, Addison Whitney New York City Officesuch as Chamberlin Public Relations, inVentiv Medial Communications and inVentiv Health PR.
One of the most up-and-coming areas of New York, the Meatpacking District owes its name to the meat distribution companies that once dominated the area years ago. While some meatpacking houses still exist, nowadays the century old cobblestone streets are now lined with trendy restaurants, swanky hotels, posh night clubs and high end clothing boutiques. Read More...
AW Global Office Spotlight: New York City
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm that is part of a large network of companies providing clinical, commercial and consulting services in various industries around the world. Our global reach gives us the experience needed to develop strong brands, regardless of geography. Our presence around the world comes in the form of our global offices – Charlotte, New York City, Seattle, London, Tokyo, and Munich. All this month, we will be shining the spotlight on these offices, showing you what makes them unique and some of the great people and work that make up each of these locations!
Today, we will be taking a look at Addison Whitney’s New York City office!
Addison Whitney New York is located in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan, sitting across the street from the world-famous Chelsea Market. Addison Whitney shares some of the space with a few of its fellow inVentiv Health brands, 
such as Chamberlin Public Relations, inVentiv Medial Communications and inVentiv Health PR.
One of the most up-and-coming areas of New York, the Meatpacking District owes its name to the meat distribution companies that once dominated the area years ago. While some meatpacking houses still exist, nowadays the century old cobblestone streets are now lined with trendy restaurants, swanky hotels, posh night clubs and high end clothing boutiques.
The AW New York offices also provide easy access to one of the city’s most popular outdoor attractions, the High Line Park, which was built on an elevated section of an abandoned New York Central Railroad section. With views of the city and the Hudson River, Addison Whitney employees can enjoy the park just a short walk from the office.
Addison Whitney’s presence in the northeast provides the company with a great opportunity to be close to its clients in the area, which is home to some of the world’s largest healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. In addition, the number of overall client opportunities in the area is unmatched anywhere else in the country, which makes New York a perfect place to be for Addison Whitney.
One of the benefits of the New York office is the city itself – a place that is the center of industry, business, creativity – anything you could look for when working for a company like Addison Whitney.
As Vice President Eric Marlin, who is based out of the office, says, “New York City has a great energy about it. It gets me going every day!”
Stay tuned next week when we shine the spotlight on our Tokyo office!
Image sources:
Stephen Wilkes http://nymag.com/guides/summer/2009/57471/
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
AW Global Office Spotlight: Charlotte
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm that is part of a large network of companies providing clinical, commercial and consulting services in various industries around the world. Our global reach gives us the experience needed to develop strong brands, regardless of geography. Our presence around the world comes in the form five of our global offices - Charlotte, Seattle, London, Tokyo, and Munich. All this month, we will be shining the spotlight on these offices, showing you what makes them unique and some of the great people and work that make up each of these locations!
Today, we will be taking a look at Addison Whitney's global headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina!
Addison Whitney was founded in 1991 in Charlotte, and the city has housed its global headquarters ever since. Three years ago in order to accommodate the growth of the company, Addison Whitney moved into a brand new office space in the fast-growing Ballantyne neighborhood, where it is surrounded by a number of prominent companies and a budding talent base from which it has drawn to make up the employees in the office.
The Charlotte office is the home to employees across all of Addison Whitney's capabilities, from verbal and visual branding to brand strategy and market research teams providing great work from the office. For Addison Whitney’s entire history, the Charlotte office has housed its largest creative and business development force, and that success starts with the office space itself.
Having all of that creative power under one roof allows for the Addison Whitney teams to collaborate and brainstorm with other coworkers, organizing activities such as when they solicit ideas from the entire office to help kick start a creative process, or when certain employees assist in deciding between various creative options.
Spaces all around the office are testaments to Addison Whitney’s past work, its creative culture, and to the city it calls home. A pair of conference rooms are named after landmarks in Charlotte which Addison Whitney helped name, others reference some unique places and things in the city that are popular with AWers, such as the Speedway (named for the world famous Charlotte Motor Speedway, the “home stadium” for NASCAR) and the Lynx, which is Charlotte’s light rail system, and one room is a nod to Addison Whitney’s history, sharing a name with the road on which their previous office was located.
“When you walk into our office, you get a sense right away the type of company we are, and the type of creative brilliance that exists within,” says Lizzy Guterma, Addison Whitney’s Director of Marketing who was with the company when they made the move to the new space. “Not only does it help with our work, but it also makes it easy to get to talk and interact with your coworkers, instead of staring at the same four walls all day.”
The open floorplan and numerous areas dedicated for collaboration bring those in the office into an ideal creative space. It’s not uncommon to have team members collaborating on a project from their desks, or to see impromptu meetings being held without needing to find a conference room. This is not a coincidence, as the Addison Whitney team was able to help design the layout of the office when they moved, and cater the space to fit their needs.
Stay tuned next week when we shine the spotlight on our New York City office!
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
Welcome to Addison Whitney Global Office Spotlight Month!
Addison Whitney is part of a large network of companies providing clinical, commercial and consulting services in various industries around the world. Our global reach gives us the experience needed to develop strong brands, regardless of geography.
Our presence around the world comes in the form of our global offices - Charlotte, North Carolina; Seattle, Washington; New York City; London; Munich and Tokyo.
All this month, we will be shining the spotlight on these offices, showing you what makes them unique and some of the great people and work that make up each of these locations!
Here is the schedule for the AW Global Office Spotlights:
- June 5: Charlotte
- June 11: New York City
- June 16: Tokyo
- June 24: Seattle
- June 30: Europe - London & Munich
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
Making a Strong First Impression: 5 Benefits of Clinical Trial Branding
It has been said that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. For many new assets the clinical trial stage of development is that first impression – the initial interaction it will have with those who will impact its future both from research and consumer perspectives.
With a strong brand in place prior to making this first impression, brands can ensure they will be moving forward following a positive first impression and giving a product a better chance to develop a positive brand image. Here are five benefits to clinical trial branding:
- Build Brand Equity Early
In the development of a new asset, branding during the clinical trial process is step one in building brand equity through awareness and familiarity, giving the brand an opportunity to establish positive associations and laying the foundation for future perceptions.
“In a saturated market for new pharmaceutical products, the companies that can create differentiation within their field and stand out to their audience are the ones best set up for a successful journey through the drug development process and beyond,” says Brannon Cashion, Addison Whitney Global President. “This is where clinical trial branding makes its mark. Having a strong brand in the clinical trial process can be the driver behind a raised level of recognition and make the asset stand out.”
- Make it Easy to Remember and Recall
The fact that a branded name is easier to recognize, process and remember than a code-like name is another point of differentiation provided by clinical trial branding.
Both internal teams and external audiences need to be on the same page in regards to the name when referring to an asset, and when branded, possesses a well-thought-out and researched name that can serve both groups in their interactions with it.
- Tell the Brand Story
Due to its presence early in a product’s development, clinical trial branding can also serve as a messenger for the asset, communicating its various characteristics.
During the branding processes, research is done to identify how this will be integrated in the brand, based on both the characteristics of the product and taking into consideration the overall market and its opportunities.
- Lay the Marketing Foundation
Clinical trial branding also provides a connection to early marketing efforts for an asset. Branding lays the base to which marketing builds upon, and a strong brand in the clinical trial stages gives it a head start when beginning to determine marketing strategies.
This is again why beginning to brand while in clinical trial is so important – if an organization chooses to wait until later in the product’s development, as they will be working through the branding process while competing assets have already introduced a brand that is building equity and awareness, filling the gaps in the marketplace.
- Tailored to a Proper Fit
Clinical trial branding can take many forms and include an array of features, allowing it to be tailored to fit the characteristics of the asset and the marketplace. This versatility ensures that it encompasses the best aspects of the product and instills confidence in the product’s chances for success.
“A successful and well-strategized branded clinical trial exudes this confidence to the audience, including potential investors and suppliers,” adds Cashion. “This can raise the profile of the asset to otherwise unreachable levels and grow its brand equity.”
Building a brand in the clinical trial stage is an important step in a product’s development, as it creates the first impression that is critical in driving value and success moving forward. These five reasons outline how it can start to work immediately to build a road for success, and can help provide a more effective clinical trial process.
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
AW Spotlight - Meet Maya Babish
At Addison Whitney, our people are our most valuable resource. We are lucky to have such a talented group working throughout our offices, and in our AW Spotlight series we wanted to spotlight our employees, finding out more about who they are, and their thoughts on working at Addison Whitney.
This edition of AW Spotlight features Maya Babish, who recently joined Addison Whitney in our Seattle office as Account Director. With extensive experience in the branding and marketing industries, Maya has been a very welcome addition!
What has been the most surprising aspect of working with Addison Whitney so far?
I’m not a morning person and you guys schedule a lot of meetings at 8:00 AM! Seriously though, I knew Addison Whitney had a wealth of experience, but the client list is huge! It’s exciting to be part of a team 
who named the Escalade. Also, the company’s experience in pharmaceutical branding is incredible.
Give us your elevator speech – what do you do at AW?
I collaborate with companies to build strong brands by consulting with them to understand their customers and business needs. I work with a talented team of strategists, naming experts, designers and researchers to develop solutions that help move businesses forward by defining (or redefining) their brand position and customer experience.
What is it about branding that gets you excited to come to work in the morning?
Branding to me is the ultimate high when it comes to a marketing profession since it demands analytical, strategic and creative skills. I get to help people solve real business problems. The exciting part for me is showing people what branding is and the power it has in shaping a business’s direction.
What is something about you that would surprise people?
When I lived in Boise, Idaho, I launched a restaurant franchise. It was called Mountain Thyme Pasta. I developed the business plan, marketing plan, branding, packaging, in-store retail design and all the recipes. You should have seen my kitchen while I was in product development mode - somehow I needed to translate years and years of experimentation into set recipes for others to cook. It was a blast!
Where do you see the branding industry going in the next few years? What are some trends you think we should be on the lookout for?
The traditional methods of developing brand strategy need to evolve given the increasingly dynamic environment driven by digital and social media. This has been true for some time now for consumer brands but is becoming more profound in the B2B space. I can see a discipline around social branding evolving as well as new tools to integrate real-time social conversations into the strategic process. Gone are the days of putting in place a brand pyramid that will drive the business for years. We are now challenged with developing models that create a distinctive position and experience for a brand while integrating the ability to evolve and change fluidly in direct response to customers.
Branding Growth: 3 Industries Seeing a Brand Increase
There is never a lack of competition for brands, both within their own industry or for the attention of their audiences. This constant competition underscores the importance of creating and maintaining a strong branding strategy and ensuring that all aspects of a brand are in line with that strategy.
Here are three industries that have seen a recent rise in brands, and how the influx of these new brands is impacting the overall strategy for the newcomers.
- Wearables/Internet of Things Products
Consumers are already more connected than we’ve ever been - our lives are driven by technology. But, much like most technological trends, we always want to find out what the next step could be. With wearables, such as smart watches Google Glass, this connectivity is taking forms that will literally be attached to the user. The Internet of Things is taking this connectivity and advancing it to encompass everyday objects and make them all work together – the thought of having a thermostat that adjusts the temperature when you open the garage door is no longer science fiction.
This is such an explored area of the technology industry that new and unique strategies come into play for brands. Touting a product as “groundbreaking” or “revolutionary” does not carry the same weight as it does in other industries, as the vast majority of brands can claim the same.
Therefore, a strong and well thought-out strategy on how to position a brand in all aspects – establishing the verbal and visual characteristics, creating a brand vision and mission, along with others – can be the springboard for a great product to find success.
- Craft Beer Breweries
The trend toward smaller/localized food and drink has definitely made its way into the brewing industry. Craft breweries and companies are growing at an unprecedented rate recently, riding the wave of consumers wanting to buy and consume locally-made products. According to the Brewers Association, an industry trade group, in 2015 craft brewers saw an increase of 18 percent in the volume of barrels produced over the previous year, and have hit the point where about one out of every 10 beers sold in the United States come from craft brewers.
From a branding standpoint, the craft beer/brewery industry is fast approaching an issue that many industries would welcome – they are running out of possible names for each brand. As noted in this article from the NPR, new brands looking to break into the industry and join the over 3,400 breweries in the United States are facing possible trademark and legal issues when creating their names.
For a brand to stand out in this space, it takes more than just a catchy name. An all-inclusive branding strategy is necessary to separate from the pack. Visual and verbal must combine to create a powerful brand imagery that jumps out at the consumer in the store, which for many of the lesser-known brands, is the one chance to get front and center with their audience.
- Social Media Platforms
Bubbly. Unmetric. Frilp. Space Tag. At first glance, it may look like someone got distracted while typing and ended up with a jumble of words and letters. But, in fact, these are four of the “15 Social Media Companies to Watch in 2015” by Forbes.
The majority of social media users know the big players – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. They have dominated the social media space for years, but that hasn’t dissuaded a rise in new social media platform startups that seem to hit the market daily. Some have more success than others, where the majority come and go with little publicity.
Consumers and audiences are constantly looking for the “next big thing” in the social media space, the new brand that will revolutionize how we act and interact online. Add to the equation that many of these new companies focusing on very specific services, and you have a recipe for a brand explosion.
For social platforms, brand strategy is vital. Naming “rules” are more relaxed for these brands, allowing for more creativity and thinking outside the box. But how a brand is introduced to the market and how they strategically differentiate themselves to the public will go a long way into determining whether they join the list of long-lasting brands or find themselves washed along the shore.
Sources:
http://fortune.com/2015/03/16/craft-beers-volume-rising/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2014/12/17/15-social-media-companies-to-watch-in-2015/
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
Addison Whitney President Brannon Cashion Featured in PM360 Magazine
Addison Whitney's Global President Brannon Cashion is featured in the April edition of PM360 Magazine, with the first of his series of guests posts.
This month's edition of the "Brand Slam" article series is titled "Finding the Value in Clinical Trial Branding."
A brief passage from the article is below, and if you'd like to read the entire post, you can find it here.
Why Should You Brand Your Clinical Trial?
We all understand the scientific value that clinical trials provide in the development of a new molecule. But what we’ve come to see is this: More companies understand the value that clinical trial branding can provide, from building awareness and familiarity (steps one and two of brand equity) to laying the foundation for future brand strategy. A strong brand can communicate confidence in the product. Clinical trial branding is the first opportunity to build positive associations and lasting perceptions of the future brand.
With some clinical trial programs spanning several years, the opportunity for building momentum can be compounded over time. But if any time goes by without a clinical trial brand name, that can undercut what could be the product’s head start.
When deciding whether to move forward with a comprehensive clinical trial branding process, one factor to consider is that product’s competition within the clinical trial space. If similar products are under investigation and the study will be competing for recruitment, investors or educational space, your product will need to find ways to differentiate.
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
AW Capabilities Month Market Research Week in Review
Welcome to Addison Whitney Capabilities Month!
Throughout the month of March, we will be designating one week where we will be highlighting one of Addison Whitney’s capabilities – visual branding, verbal branding, market research and brand strategy – via brand salsa and our social media channels. Make sure to join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #AWCapabilitiesMonth.
This week, we wrapped up with month with a focus on Market Research, which encompasses the research and data analysis of various aspects of your branding portfolio. In this special edition of the AW Rewind, we will take a look back at the market research-focused brand salsa posts from this week!
What is Market Research?
At Addison Whitney, we’re nerdy about data! Effective research and analysis drives and validates your brand vision and gives you confidence in your brand’s future power.
Our research pros guide you through the process that will build your brand’s value, and our global expertise delivers the insight you need to make strategic, data-driven decisions about your brands. Read more...
How to Catch the Eye of the Consumer - Visual Market Research at Work
How often have you scanned the store shelves looking for a product, and a particular one caught your eye, making you stop, do a double-take or spend a few additional seconds focusing on that one product before moving on?
Well, those few seconds and that additional look were not a coincidence – they were largely caused in part because of the work of a market research team, much like the one at Addison Whitney. Among the many roles they fill within the organization, one of them includes research for logo and product design – which yields compelling insight to the visual aspects of a brand.200464106-001
Whether it was the packaging design or the brand’s logo that caused you to stop, the fact is research has ensured that each visual aspect of a brand has been fine-tuned to the consumer’s taste and painstakingly tailored to achieve maximum appeal across the largest base of potential consumers. Read More...
Don’t forget, you can stay up-to-date with everything from Addison Whitney by joining the conversation with us on our social media channels – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.
Want to get exposed to real projects and attain real-life knowledge and skills vital for success in market research? Click here for information about interning with the Addison Whitney market research team!