Brand Evolution

Towards the end of 2023, I began my three-year strategic vision casting. I re-evaluated my business and what I wanted it to look like by the end of 2026. Through the process, I discovered I evolved over the past three years, perhaps more than ever before. And with my evolution, it was time for a brand evolution also. I want to do more writing, training, teaching and speaking. I want to talk about how brands can positively impact the world.

Consider this: Whether you’re a consultant working one-on-one with clients, the owner of a small business, or a business leader who works with thousands of individuals worldwide, you have the power to brand for good.

So, what exactly am I talking about? For some people, it’s the direct impact they make through their work, while for others, it’s how they use some of the profit from their business to create a positive impact. Maybe your business is committed to reducing its carbon footprint or employing people from underserved communities. Or you sponsor community projects or donate to nonprofits. Doing good is in the brand’s DNA.
I’ve spent over three decades helping businesses, nonprofits and individuals build their brands. I’ve helped raise millions of dollars for nonprofits. I’ve worked with worldwide companies creating strategies and writing copy. I spent nearly a decade working with a social services and advocacy agency. I also led PR and corporate social responsibility for a large US retailer. I’ve been fortunate to have had many great experiences but EVERY experience has left an imprint on me and taught me something about marketing, business and myself.

I shared some of these lessons along with strategies and tactics I’ve used and still use with my clients in the first 87 episodes of the Prosper Project podcast. I interviewed guests who have achieved an aspirational level of success. Whether directly or indirectly, I was aware that most, if not all, of my guests were using their businesses to create positive impacts. I’m grateful to have met them.

But from the time I decided to name my agency the somewhat cumbersome name Prosper for Purpose, I knew that my calling was to use my communication skills to help brands do more good in the world. To do well to do more good. Any of you who have been listening to my podcast for any amount of time probably also want to do more good. I plan to share more of what I know to help you get from vision to impact.

In future episodes, I’ll discuss brand influence and how to build it. I’ll address topics including the four Cs of content, the PESO model for communications, and other strategies, techniques and tactics I use to help my clients.

My podcast has always been about service. Hiring an agency is a necessity for some businesses but a luxury for most. So what are the alternatives? You can source information on your own or hire someone for a fraction of agency rates. Let’s look at these two options for a minute.
If you source material yourself, you need to trust who you’re sourcing it from. Let me give you a clue: The most popular people on social media are not typically the most skilled or they have no experience with a business like yours. You could buy a bunch of books or courses and you’ll probably find conflicting information.

Option two is to hire a freelancer, coach or consultant. The challenge here is that the best ones cost nearly as much as an agency and you still have to do the work yourself. And the ones who seem reasonable often don’t deliver measurable results. That’s because these are typically people with little experience who are essentially learning on your dime rather than cutting their teeth in an environment where they’re managed and learning from people more experienced than they are.

I’ve had more than a few clients come to me after trying both options. So why am I telling you this?

As I mentioned earlier, I discovered I want to talk about how brands can have a positive impact on the world. But for many people, that looks like them standing on one side of a stream with the impact on the other. I want to be the bridge.

I want my podcast, now called Brand for Good, to be a real resource for you. I’d like to hear from you. Tell me what your marketing challenges are, and I’ll address as many of them as I can in future episodes. My expertise lies in strategy, storytelling and PR, as well as brand identity, influence and impact. In the next episode, I’ll talk about why influence is the true currency of the online market and how you can grow yours. I can’t wait to share more ways you can complete a brand evolution and brand for good.