Branding & Identity

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Stand Out from the Competition

At Smith Kroeger, we believe brands are all about the customer. What’s in it for them? An organization’s brand promise and identity are irrelevant unless they fill a consumer need, whether emotional, product-based or both. Consequently, we guide our clients to build brands based on clear, tangible benefits.

Smith Kroeger has been perfecting the science of brands since 1962. In the 1970s we created the Wells’ Blue Bunny “feature flavor” ice cream concept. We opened up new markets for Armour Foods in the 1980s by repositioning ham as a premium meat. The 1990s found us reviving the brand promise for the massive East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System. And since 2000, we’ve strengthened brands for companies like Conagra, OPPD and the Nebraska Lottery.

SK Brand Development Process

Our brand development process consists of four phases.

We begin by conducting qualitative and quantitative research that helps us gain a solid understanding of a client’s current brand or current market position (if we are building a brand from scratch). This phase includes internal interviews and surveys, customer and non-customer focus groups and brand-recall phone interviews.

A solid branding strategy and direction creates an authentic, ownable position for our client and provides an emotional/rational reason for prospective customers to choose it. The strategic steps in this phase include:

  • Review of any existing research, customer feedback and marketing materials
  • Analysis of new Phase One research
  • Development of a creative brief containing a situation analysis, objectives, target markets, budgets, timeline and metrics for assessing results
  • Development of a unique brand promise

After a brand promise is developed and approved by our client, Smith Kroeger proceeds with creative materials that include:

  • A strategic roll-out document that specifies how the new brand will be launched internally and externally and includes media/creative recommendations and a chart of hard deadlines for deliverables
  • All branded collateral (printed, digital and social)
  • A branding guidelines booklet

The Brand Sustainment phase of our process includes:

  • The assignment of a Smith Kroeger brand team (account manager, creative director, copywriter/producer, public relations specialist, social media specialist, production manager, media planner/buyer, digital designer and proofreader) dedicated exclusively to our client
  • The involvement of this team in the ongoing management and coordination of the brand sustainment campaign
  • Follow-up brand-recall research performed 18 months after the rollout of the campaign

Branding & Identity Services

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