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 special edition of AW Spotlight features three of the newest members of the AW team – Verbal Branding Associates Ashley Chaffin and Joshira Maduro, and Brand Strategy Associate John Lineberger. All three joined Addison Whitney recently and have been very welcome additions to the company and to our Charlotte office!
Let’s find out some more about these talented AWers:
Ashley Chaffin, Verbal Branding Associate
Give us your elevator speech – what do you do at AW?
When you’re watching a commercial and you think ‘who comes up with a name like (insert product or drug name here)?’ I’m one of those people you’re wondering about. As a Verbal Branding Associate, I’m responsible for coming with up with names for pharmaceuticals, commercial products, companies and really anything that can be named and branded. This entails taking all of the things that a client wants their brand/name to convey and putting into a nice, neat one or two word package.
What is your favorite brand and why?
Coca-Cola is my favorite brand because of their consistency and ability to keep the product in the forefront of the customer’s mind. I’m one of the many people who will order Coke, and only Coke, when I want a soda. When I see the script lettering and red together, I think Coke no matter what the letters actually read. I don’t need the label to have my name on it and I don’t need to see their commercials to want one – I always want one. However, since last summer, they’ve had me talking about my love for it thanks to the Share a Coke campaign. I can’t remember the last full week I went without seeing a social media post of a Coke bottle, and I share them myself when I find an Ashley bottle.
What is something about you that would surprise people?
People are surprised by the number sports I’ve played due to my general lack of coordination when doing simple things like walking. I’ve tried soccer, cheerleading (the most surprising to my friends), volleyball, golf, and currently kickball. The fact that I’ve only fallen once on the kickball field is both a surprise and a personal triumph.
Joshira Maduro, Verbal Branding Associate
Give us your elevator speech – what do you do at AW?
I am a Verbal Branding associate and I work on creating and screening names that truly align with the strategy that the client aims to embody in order better position themselves to their target audiences.
What is your favorite brand and why?
My favorite brand would be Google, because it has been so successful in capturing the mind-share of a vast majority of people so much that instead of “searching” for something on the internet, people “Google” it. They have such a big presence, and I love that they customize the Google landing page to connect with significant historical or recent events; it educates people and always strives to stay relevant.
What is something about you that would surprise people?
A few years ago, I took an eight-week Japanese martial art class, and was able to throw a 250-pound man over my shoulder!
John Lineberger, Brand Strategy Associate
Give us your elevator speech – what do you do at AW?
Technically, my job deals in establishing positioning, architecture, and messaging for clients. I help our department create strategies for clients that aid in their knowing exactly what to stand for, how to project that to their clients or consumers and how to organize their offerings in a clear and consistent way.
What is your favorite brand and why?
My favorite brand has got to be Chick-fil-A. It is a unique mix of high-quality food and customer experience with an entertaining and irreverent ad campaign. It is simple, yet compelling, and stands out in a busy fast food market. I also love to eat.
What is something about you that would surprise people?
I really enjoy travelling. During college I studied abroad twice, once in Cape Town, South Africa and once in Prague, Czech Republic. I also was fortunate to be able to spend a couple of weeks in Peru, getting to see Machu Picchu and travelling throughout the country. During the course of my travels I have bungee jumped, skydived, cage dove with Great Whites, ridden an elephant, trekked through the Andes and eaten a lot of strange food.
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.