Recently, I wrote a post about the meaning of branding. Here is the second of two examples of the branding process.

I was hired in 2004 to help evolve the Centennial brand from stealth to the world class recognized industry leader that they really were and are. I started at the brand development side. I questioned everything from the mission statement, the core values, the development of a value statement, etc. There were difficult sessions from the president on down. I even talked with the competition. I wanted to know the perceptions, the beauty, the soft and the hard spots. The process took about six months to bring to a point were we could craft a branding statement and move forward.

Today we have a brand store that gives insight to this brand thinking, but at the high level look at our elevator pitch.

We realized that our brand was about people, solutions, and living up to our promises and that we are a different kind of company. So we made sure that we pulled this brand thinking into our themes, our designs, and our approach to all the marketing and sales. Once the brand platform is crafted and believed and understood, the communications and marketing development efforts flow from here. We realized that our key growth efforts were building brand awareness and building a body of knowledge around JOC and Centennial. We also focused on the media and public relations side based on this brand thinking.

Brand is a challenge, because if left untended and cared for it can grow all weedy and diminish over time. People begin to change it, shape it to their view and next thing you know you are no longer aligned and it is hard to be honest with yourself and the organization all the time.

David Carrithers is vice president of marketing at Centennial Contractors Enterprises where he leads daily operations of its corporate brand management, market development and sales programs. Carrithers has over 25 years of experience in marketing and new business development. Carrithers has managed brand assets valued in the multi-billions of dollars, including the brands of American Express, MasterCard, General Motors, AT&T, Air Products & Chemicals, Motorola, Bell South, M&M Mars, Rich Products, Xerox, Diebold and American Cyanamid. Carrithers has been awarded two US Patents, and is recognized as an industry expert in customer and employee loyalty programs in the US. He is the global creator of the first stored-value cards and gift cards. He presents on business management, project management, relationship management and brand and product development. Carrithers has also served as industry chairman for Center for Job Order Contracting Excellence, a board member for the Alliance for Construction Excellence and IFMA Industry Ambassador to China in 2007. He blogs at www.CentennialNOW.blogspot.comand tweets @CentennialNOW.