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Robert Davies
Branding Strategy SherpaWhy did you decide to join Sherpa Marketing?
Because I know Julie from work at prior companies – she is reliable and always “present.” She has a gift for reducing anything complex to a simpler version of itself and then getting it done. We have complementary skills. I am a strategist. And as every strategist knows, the strategy is only as good as the organization’s ability to execute it. The processes at Sherpa have been tested “at high altitudes.”
What is your role on the Expedition?
My specialization is in brand strategy development. I design and implement the processes that create brands. Leadership interviews, brand auditing, competitive benchmarking, marketing research, brand concept development and campaign planning. Our “Market Mapping” protocol helps create a vision with respect to branding strategy.
What is different about your process?
Several things. First, I would say that it is proven across many industries and not-for-profit sectors. We have been using a suite of tools successfully for over ten years. While we have evolved our techniques and methodologies, the principles remain unchanged. Second, we are efficient. Partly because we have done this so many times and partly because we have very good processes. It helps when you’ve been up the mountain before. Third, our approach is inclusive. We include key brand stakeholders that will live with, and share in the implementation of the strategy. It is the only way to do it. We create a collaborative environment that uses the subject matter experts you have on board in the most efficient way possible. There are many paths up the mountain but only one is the most efficient. Finally, we are thorough. Our process relies on the principle of triangulation. We collect information from three “contexts” including the organization itself, the key constituencies or stakeholders that the brand depends on and, finally, the competitive set or peer group. This insures that recommendations are robust, durable, implementable and, frankly, exciting to those involved with their execution.
What is your professional background?
I have worked at several advertising and marketing communications agencies. I have worked at large, multi-national agencies and small, closely held agencies. In the last three agencies in which I have been an employed, I either started or ran a brand strategy practice area. My greatest talent, I suppose, is as an assimilator of information. I have an ability to collect and analyze information but also to perform the non-linear thought processes that lead to creative breakthroughs.
What else do we need to know about you?
I too am an outdoor enthusiast but live at lower altitudes in the foothills of North Carolina. I divide my time between Charlotte and Flat Rock, North Carolina. I enjoy hiking, biking, swimming and being a Dad (on most, but not all, days). I am writing a book on post-modernism, designing and building furniture and leading the Stephen Ministry at my church.
