AW Spotlight: Meet the 2016 Addison Whitney 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 2016 intern class!
Name: Trish Drees
Department: Marketing
School: UNC Chapel Hill
What is your favorite brand? My favorite brand is Lululemon because it offers high quality products that empower its customers (and it makes me feel like I am better at working out than I actually am).
What is one thing you hope to learn this summer at AW? I hope to learn the keys to setting up a successful Google Adwords campaign, and how to analyze the information gathered from the campaign to reach more people efficiently.
Name: Dustin Dodd
Department: Brand Strategy
School: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
What is your favorite brand? Taco Bell – Taco Bell is a brand that knows how and where to reach its target audience. The brand is successful on basically every relevant social media platform and was one of the first brands to successfully utilize SnapChat. More importantly, Taco Bell understands its brand identity and lives by it unapologetically.
What is one thing you hope to learn this summer at AW? I hope to learn the processes behind developing relevant and functional brand strategy. Whether it be a brand positioning project or a complex brand architecture project, I am looking forward to learning what it takes to create a successful brand.
Name: Taylor Jennings
Department: Market Research
School: Wake Forest University
What is your favorite brand? Hershey’s – because I have the biggest sweet tooth of all time and I can’t get through the day without having a piece of chocolate.
What is one thing you hope to learn this summer at AW? I’m hoping to learn the behind-the-scenes action of branding. I don’t think a lot of people realize or know what all goes into the process of making a brand. I’ve already learned so much in my first week and am looking forward to learning more.
Name: Natalie Cascario
Department: Verbal Branding
School: Wake Forest University
What is your favorite brand? My favorite brand is Amazon. One man's idea of how to take advantage of internet turned into a fast-growing brand that now, two decades later, is a common household brand.
What is one thing you hope to learn this summer at AW? I really hope to improve my understanding of brands and the overall branding 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.
Why We Love Branding (And You Should, Too!)
At Addison Whitney, we've always identified with the term "brand fanatics" when it comes to our people. This makes sense - it's what we do. We have 
a passion for creating and building strong brands, and when we're not doing that, we love to analyze, brainstorm and gather new information about branding. But why does branding hold a place among our favorites? We asked a few brand fanatics this very question: Why do you love branding? The answers may just inspire you to do the same!
"I love branding because knowing someone is connected to your brand is the greatest payoff for all the hard work that goes into creating those experiences. Is there anything more beautiful than seeing a consumer’s passion be ignited by a brand they love? Whether it’s their favorite restaurant, grocery store or lip balm, it’s all about capturing someone’s emotions through the creation of memorable and consistent experiences – in other words creating a strong brand – that makes me love branding so much." - Lizzy Guterma, Director of Marketing
"I love branding because it allows objects and experiences to create personal human connections and relationships." - RJ Clouse, Senior Brand Strategy Manager
"I love branding because it is the foundation upon which a company or product is built. An interesting name, a timeless logo, and even consistency in messaging/advertisingmakes brands recognizable in their most basic form. By sticking to their brand strategies, these companies have created equity with their customers that can only come from that strong foundation." - Ashley Chaffin, Verbal Branding Associate
"I love branding because it is an opportunity to discover great perspectives and ideas and then be a part of shaping the way they get presented to others." - Chris Cureton, Manager, Visual Branding
"I love branding because it’s powerful. A strong brand can instantly connect people with an image or a feeling, and that image or feeling can change how they feel about whatever that brand touches. For instance, my notebooks from Rifle Paper Co. make me feel creative and my Kate Spade planner makes me feel refined yet brimming with personality. I think branding is the most powerful when a brand can elevate the functional aspects of a product." - Ashley Wiederhold, Senior Project Manager
AW Employee Spotlight: Where Do You Find Your Inspiration?
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.
In this edition of the AW Spotlight, we wanted to get the insights of four of our amazing team members from our visual branding and verbal branding teams, finding out what gets their creative juices flowing, and asked them their thoughts on the question: Where do you find inspiration when starting your creative process?
Check out their answers below!
Cathleen Foley, Director of Visual Branding
"Whenever beginning the creative process, I start with research. I like to learn as much as I can about the subject matter and let the research spark inspiration.
The findings can manifest in different ways – a shape, a color, or even a font choice. It also helps to associate meaning to every decision in the creative process."
Brittany Scott – Manager, Verbal Branding
"My inspiration begins with brainstorming – I love to browse online and then write down everything I can think of related to a particular topic.
I explore specialized resources and research unique words/phrases related to my ideas. (For example, if I’m thinking about a company or product working strategically towards a goal, I may think about chess, which is a very strategic game. I’ll then research chess moves and other chess-specific phrases that might symbolize strategy and success.)"
Dave Dixon – Senior Graphic Designer
"For me, there’s no one go-to source for creative inspiration. Sometimes it’s the obvious answers, like a well-constructed logo or particularly inventive package design; other times it’s something a bit different, like the latest soccer gear or the navigation design in a video game.
Whatever the project at hand, I’ll look for something in the creative brief that catches my attention, a phrase or concept that might be unique to the project. From there, I try to extrapolate on that idea and follow the various pathways that inevitably branch off from that starting point."
Rachel Loucks – Junior Verbal Branding Associate
"Broadly speaking, I get inspiration from all kinds of places. When naming, I regularly borrow concepts from astronomy, mythology, architecture, chemistry & biology, music, famous figures, and the plant and animal kingdoms, as well as words from other languages.
More narrowly, I use a couple of resources regularly during my creative process. One of my preferred tools is OneLook - acts as a thesaurus, dictionary, and subject index, and is especially helpful in finding new ways to speak to classic concepts."
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 our Newest Team Members!
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 - Account Director Michael Ryan, Project Manager Kathryn Pearce and Senior Graphic Designer Dave Disxon. 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:
Michael Ryan, Project Director
What has been the most surprising aspect of working with Addison Whitney so far?
The incredible talent and expertise the team possesses as a whole, along with the amazing teamwork. Everyone is extremely knowledgeable and very helpful in whatever you may need. Great work atmosphere.
What is your favorite brand and why?
My favorite brand is Mercedes. It represents one of the oldest and most respected automotive brands in the world. Mercedes is a brand that has pushed the envelope for years and continues to grow and change over time. Mercedes is adaptable and clearly defined. This is a brand that stands for high standards and engineering excellence.
What is something about you that would surprise people?
I am an award winning cook! I cook for both relaxation and enjoyment
Kathryn Pearce, Project Manager
What has been the most surprising aspect of working with Addison Whitney so far?
The environment is the most surprising aspect. For my first real job outside of college, I had the expectation that no one would remember my name or want to know anything about me, but on my first day I sat in on a call and the consultant introduced me to the client, saying my first and last name! I was shocked as I had just met him! Everyone here is so friendly and wants to know who you are, so I felt right at home my first week of work!
What is your favorite brand and why?
I think that Dove would have to be my favorite brand. Not the soap, but the chocolate. I love chocolate, maybe a little bit too much - I probably need a frequent flyer card for how many of their products I buy!
What is something about you that would surprise people?
I think that I am a very awkward person. I say it all the time, my friends make fun of me for it because they say I’m the least awkward person and that I could make friends with a brick wall. For how outgoing and personable I come off as, I think inside I just feel like I’m really awkward and feel like I’m in awkward situations.
Dave Dixon - Senior Graphic Designer
The most surprising aspect of working at Addison Whitney:
Perhaps that a small company with a group of cool and extremely creative people are hidden among the big buildings and big companies that seem to dominate the Ballantyne area.
My favorite brand:
I’m not sure I really have a favorite brand, but one that’s generated a lot of customer loyalty with me is Levi’s. Between the jeans themselves and the ads surrounding them, they’ve really managed to find that sweet spot of "effortless cool”.
What would surprise people about me:
I’m a huge nerd when it comes to the aesthetics of sports uniforms, and specifically soccer. I was featured as a guest writer on ESPN.com’s Uni Watch column, providing a breakdown of the uniforms for all 32 teams in the 2006 World Cup. Most of the image links are broken at this point, but here’s the link.
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 the Newest Members of the Addison Whitney Team
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.
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 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.