Can Your Brand Survive You?

The Business of Food

by Jennifer Barney

Can Your Brand Survive You?
1-min read

It was 2010 and my plane was taxiing from Austin Texas. I was returning home from the Whole Foods Global offices where Barney Butter had been accepted nationally! 
 
Feeling good in economy class, I received an email that I’ll never forget. Another retailer offered to feature Barney Butter on an end cap display with signage in all of their stores. If we wanted to participate they needed hi-res photography and long form copy, pronto. Like, while I’d still be in the air.

With battery on red I quickly messaged my office manager (I had no marketing team yet!) and instructed her to pull out my newly completed Brand Guide. I was going to have to trust her to do it! 
 
That’s when I realized the true value of solid Brand Foundations and Brand Guidelines (thank you, Ptarmak). These are the living tools and backbone of every brand. As a founder, it’s easy to rely on yourself for all decisions and creative. After all, the brand was born of you and your gut. You can easily discern if something is on brand or not, and you can give accurate direction to a skilled Adobe Suite freelancer anytime you need, day or night.

But successful brands outgrow their founder’s ability to be omnipresent.

Wise founders know they need to engage trusted creative partners to draw, tease and flesh out the brand story so that the work of visual identity (think logos and more), imagery (illustrations, photography, video), messaging (long form, short form, captions, tag lines) and content (social media posts, PR) can be developed. A Brand Guide is the deliverable that exists to be referenced by anyone, anytime, to accurately and consistently direct all collateral needs 24/7. 
 
Years later, after selling Barney Butter, the brand continues to spread-the-love all over the nation with the same look, tone and feel I had developed by a trusted creative marketing partner. 

If you're in need, here are some of my favorite food product packaging design & branding agencies:

Ptarmak, Austin
Faven Creative, Boulder
Interact, Boulder
Buttermilk Creative, Minneapolis

All my best,
Jennifer

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I'd love to hear from you - get in touch at jennifer@3rdandbroadway.com