Addison Whitney Volunteers with Operation Christmas Child 2015
This past week, members of the Addison Whitney Charlotte office, as a part of the "AW Helping Hands" philanthropy efforts, volunteered their time with Operation Christmas Child, helping sort, inspect, pack and ship thousands of shoe boxes filled with toys and gifts for children in need around the world.
Their efforts helped Operation Christmas Child move closer to their goal of sending out 2.4 million shoe boxes from just the Charlotte center alone, and made a dent in the 11.2 million shoe boxes that will be shipped from around the world, with processing centers across the United States and Canada, in addition to locations in Europe and Australia. The boxes packed by the AW teams were then sent to children in Ghana, the Bahamas and Haiti.
Prior to volunteering at the processing center, AW team members collected donations and put together full boxes of their own to contribute to the efforts of Operation Christmas Child. These boxes were delivered and have been shipped to their destinations in some of the 150 nations served by the organization.
Thanks to all of the AWers who volunteered their time and efforts for this great cause!
Check out all of the pictures below:
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.
Don't Just Be a Brand - Live Your Brand
“Your Entire Company Should be Considered Your Branding Department.”
For both companies who are looking to create a build their brands to those who have set the benchmark for brand strength and longevity, this quote should stand as a mantra for creating a business culture where the core brand principles run throughout those in the organization.
It is one thing to “be” a brand, with a solid brand foundation built on the principles to which your brand stands, but to “live” the brand is to carry these same principles into your work and your interactions with those around you.
And this is how you truly spread the brand strategy to its fullest extent.
Every good brand portfolio and brand strategy should include actionable and personified elements, such as a brand personality and values. These are just two of many that make up a brand, but these elements are the ones best designed to be shown through the actions of your employees.
Those in your organization are the living, breathing, interacting faces and voices of your brand, who could potentially do more good (and also more bad) for it than any other aspect. You can have the world’s greatest logo, one that pops off advertisements and stands out among competitors, but if your own employees don’t believe in the brand characteristics for which that logo represents, then your brand strategy has a major flaw, and will continue to be playing from behind.
Another way to look at the concept of having your entire company be your “branding department” is that the widespread consumer mindset trusts individuals and in-person examples more than they trust advertisements and marketing materials. If they interact with an employee who truly understands how to live the brand and serves as a positive brand ambassador, then that impact will far outweigh what they see from a marketing standpoint.
As I mentioned before, this can also work the other way, which is often where the most problems arise. Especially for brands with established brand personalities, when an employee doesn’t embody those same characteristics, the uncertainty that arises about a brand can do great damage to its perception. This doesn’t just go for one-on-one interactions with consumers, but it also encompasses the actions of those same employees when working on behalf of the brand. Ethical breaches, crisis response, blatant mistakes that cause harm – they are all examples of not living up to the brand standard.
From the very top of your organization all the way down, your brand should be present in all of your employees and in how they act, speak and carry themselves – a strong brand is only as good as those who live it.
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.
New Report Highlights Importance of Strong Employer Brands
Employer branding, which has a reputation of being an afterthought in the branding process, is showing its worth in organizations throughout the world, according to a recent report from Randstad Talent.
The newly-released report found that 61 percent of human resources leaders studied felt that a strong employer brand is the most critical factor in attracting top talent.
Building a strong employer brand is an often overlooked but necessary aspect of the branding process, as this report reiterates. Organizations must continue to look inward when building their brand, taking into account the needs of their employees and how branding efforts will impact this group in addition to their external audiences.
Another stat that shows the shift in importance for employer branding is that 69 percent of organizations in India responded that they have increased their employer branding focus compared to where they were five years ago. This increase 
shows not only that these organizations are seeing the impact branding can have on their employee engagement, but also the rise in social media and online resources that potential and current employees have at their disposal.
These online outlets are prime spots for potentially damaging information to be posted, which can affect job recruiting efforts alongside efforts to keep turnover low. Without a strong employer brand, any negative piece of publicity will damage credibility with your employees, and will cause some potential employees to shy away, unsure of the true strength of the organization.
In these situations, it is important that employer branding either be included in an organization’s overall branding strategy and efforts, or that it follow a similar template for establishment. Strong brands can withstand negativity and thrive in showing the good that exists, which is especially important for internal/employer branding.
As mentioned before, not only can a strong employer brand assist in the recruiting and hiring of top talent, but it can also play into keeping that talent for longer periods of time. The younger generations of workers are inherently more transient than their predecessors – five years at one job is considered a long time, and very few spend their entire careers at one company. Because of this, keeping these employees satisfied and fulfilled in their roles is bolstered by a strong employer brand, which highlights the positive aspects of the organization and its benefits.
Randstad’s recent findings are a welcome piece of information for those advocating the need for strong employer brands, and as the numbers continue to rise, so too will the awareness of those not already on board.
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.
Addison Whitney Designers Kick Off Summer with Sum Art Show
Art, design, music and beer. Is there a better combination to kick off summer? I didn’t think so, and that’s just how Addison Whitney’s designers spent the first day of summer last Friday, June 21st.
Organized by our very own designer, Chris Cureton, Sum Art was a celebration of art and Charlotte’s growing creative community. Our designers, along with other local artists, gathered at Birdsong Brewing Co. to showcase original pieces and celebrate the start of summer. It was a fantastic show, and all who attended had a great time! Take a look at what our designers had to say about the experience, and check out the video to learn more about each of their pieces.
In their words:
“Sum Art was a great opportunity to bring art and design to the Charlotte community. By putting the focus on consumer experience, much like the brands we help develop, the show appealed to a much broader audience. It was amazing how an art show became such a fun event for all parties involved.” – Chris Cureton, graphic designer
"Sum Art was the perfect way to kick off summer – enjoying art and beer with friends and fellow artists in the community. There was an array of styles and media which made for a great show. I was thrilled to participate and look forward to more events like this in Charlotte!" – Cathleen Foley, design manager
"What I loved about the Sum Art show is all the variations of one question, what summer meant to us. And, how the personalities of all the artists shined through their work. I was truly honored to be a part of the show this year and hope to participate in coming years as well!" – Nick Irwin, design director
“I had a great time at the show and really enjoyed talking with the other designers/artists. Each and every one of us has unique memories and experiences of summers past and that definitely came out in our work. I was really impressed by the array of work that was shown and found it so interesting to see how seven different people interpreted one word.” – Karlie Winchell, graphic designer
Welcome Garrett Lee Jobes
We are so excited to welcome Garrett Lee Jobes into the world, and congratulate Allison and Andy with their new blessing. Garrett was born at 8:15pm on Wednesday, May 11, weighing 7lbs, 10oz and 20.5 inches long.
Allison is a member of Addison Whitney's Verbal Branding Department, and our entire team has been speculating on what this creative gal would name her son. Garrett is the fourth generation of Lee in their family.
Congratulations Allison and Andy. We can't wait to meet the new addition!!
AW Helping Hands: Birthday Blessing
Through AW Helping Hands, a company-wide volunteer initiative, Addison Whitney employees jump started the month of May by throwing a birthday party at the Salvation Army Center of Hope in uptown Charlotte . Bright Blessings is a non-profit that operates projects for thousands of homeless children across the Charlotte region. Its core program “Bless-A-Birthday,” is a monthly birthday party given at a homeless shelter to enliven the spirits, and celebrate the birthdays of the shelter's children.
Many Addison Whitney employees volunteered to attend the party at the Center of Hope, home for women and children. The team assembled goody bags and transformed the home into an energetic party scene. The party included tables for crafts & coloring, game spots, and of course, cupcakes! Volunteers and kids alike spent the evening enjoying their time together playing games, mini-bowling, competing for prizes, and to see who could walk away the most candy.
As the 50 children sang a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" to this month's guests of honor it was especially touching to see the grateful and happy smiles projected from every mother's face. Judging by the happy parents and chocolate covered faces of the children the party was a huge success! We at Addison Whitney are so glad we got to celebrate the May birthdays with the children, and look forward to the next opportunity to lend a helping hand to our community.
Contributed by: Emily Hassell
Addison Whitney On the Go
Addison Whitney team members are often on the road, visiting clients, attending conferences and meeting with partners, so we've asked our frequent flyers to send us photos from the road. Every Friday we'll post a new picture, and it will be up to our readers to guess where they were!
Can you guess where we were this week?
Submitted by Beth Anne McPheeters, Manager, Brand Strategy
Submit your guess by posting to comments, and we'll reveal the answer the following Friday. Now get guessing!
Welcome Emmerson Rose Everidge
The entire Addison Whitney team would like to welcome Emmerson Rose Everidge to our family. As our newest "designer-in-training", Emmerson will learn from the best, our very own Kristin Everidge, Manager of Visual Branding.
Baby E was born April 28th at 7:53am, weighing 8lbs, 10oz and 20 1/4" long. Congratulations Kristin and Brannon. We are so happy for you!!