Insights | Where better brands are built

Brand identity: more alive and complex than ever

 

Brand design is now multifaceted and shape-shifting. The proliferation of various digital platforms and the growing diversity of devices and screen formats require brands to be alive and dynamic.

Innovation at Garant: investing upstream, rather than repairing downstream

 

In 1895, Télesphore Garant forged his first farm tools in the village of Saint-François-de-la Rivière-du-Sud. Today, the company Garant still operates in the same location, and has grown into the largest manufacturer of non-motorized gardening, construction and snow removal tools in Canada.

 

A leading player in the field of continuing education in Quebec, Technologia is evolving in a highly competitive education market that is going through transformative change.  In such context, accompanied by BrandBourg, the company has recently decided to push its repositioning initiative further, in the hope of modernizing its value proposition and distance itself from other players.  Cyril Vulgarides, CEO at Technologia shares his outlook on the importance and relevance [...]

IBM, IGA, GE, EY, RBC – What’s the Story?

 

Our clients often wonder if they should consider using abbreviations or acronyms as brand names, or whether they ought to contemplate changing their name or simplifying it to make it easier to say. And they want to make sure that their name will not be confused with anyone else’s. These are all reasonable concerns, and in what follows we’ll try to shed a little light on them. First of all, as we pointed out in a previous article on brand names, when it comes to [...]

 

Entrevue avec Robert Mercure

 

The Palais des congrès de Montréal is revitalizing its brand.

 

So much has been said and written about solidarity and corporate engagement during crisis situations like the one we are experiencing currently. How do we ensure that these good intentions become lasting realities? Pierre Léonard, Senior Partner at BrandBourg, talks to Lucie Bourgeois, President and Founder of Umalia, a firm specializing in societal engagement and focused on the impact that organizations can have in their communities.

 

Written by BrandBourg in collaboration with Sylvia Morin*   *A former C-suite strategic communications executive whose corporate experience includes many transformational M&A transactions, Sylvia has held leadership positions in corporate affairs, branding and corporate communications at Astral Media (now Bell Media), MolsonCoors, BCE Emergis and Teleglobe.   This article is part of a series on the definition and role of a brand strategy. See “Five [...]

Our VP creative talks about brand issues

 

Yann Mooney has made a name for himself internationally as a thinker and creative leader. He is a reference in the field of branding. He worked at SID LEE for 20 years, both as creative director and as partner to the agency's most important clients in Canada and abroad. In recent years, his work done while leading highly reputable multidisciplinary creative teams has been recognized by prestigious organizations around the world. Customers who have benefited from his expertise [...]

 

The COVID crisis has brought digital transformation to the forefront of organizational concerns. Is it essential to the survival of an organization or brand?  Benoit Giguère, VP Creative and Content, ponders this with two renowned digital transformation leaders: Olivier Laquinte, CEO of Talsom, and Simon Éthier, VP Consulting at Adviso.

 

To help us better understand how innovation benefits organizations, we speak with two pillars of research and consulting in Canada, Charlie Wilton, cofounder of Sklar Wilton & Associates, and Michel Berne, founding partner at Ad Hoc Research, and also with a few clients for whom innovation is part of the organizational DNA.

LE CENTECH

 

INTERVIEW WITH CENTECH GENERAL MANAGER RICHARD CHÉNIER   Established in 1996 by the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) in Montreal, Centech assists technology companies with strong growth potential. Recognized by the UBI (University Business Network) as one of the most successful university-based incubators in the world, Centech is a real force for growth. It has produced one of the highest concentrations of high technology entrepreneurs [...]

Interview with Rosa Checcia, Vice President, Marketing, Lactalis Canada

 

For several years now, BrandBourg has had a strategic and creative AOR with Lactalis Canada, the Canadian division of Lactalis Group, the #1 dairy group in the world. With the recent acquisition of Kraft’s natural cheese business, Lactalis Canada adds Cracker Barrel, Amooza and P’tit Québec to their portfolio of beloved brands that includes Black Diamond, Astro, Lactantia, Balderson, Beatrice, siggi’s, Président and Galbani. In the following [...]

 

Choosing a name for your child is a very meaningful decision because the name you choose becomes an expression of your child’s unique identity and sense of self. Studies have shown that children who don’t like their names are at greater risk of having low self-esteem. Studies have also shown that a person’s name can play a role in their attractiveness to others. The choice of a brand name is equally momentous, which makes brand name development much more than just a name generation exercise.

Positioning and the role of corporate culture

 

For several years now, BrandBourg has had a strategic and creative partnership with Premier Tech,* a multinational company based in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec. In the following exchange with BrandBourg's President Christian Pichette, our client Jean Bélanger, President and Chief Operating Officer of Premier Tech, shares his vision of branding and the role of Premier Tech’s Corporate Culture in the success of his company.

Interview with Françoise Bertrand*

 

In the spring of 2019, BrandBourg sat down with more than a dozen specialists to discuss the role of the brand in corporate strategic planning. That conversation served as the basis for our thinkpiece  Five branding principles for effective governance.   To pursue the matter further, BrandBourg called upon Françoise Bertrand, an experienced business director who participated in our panel of expert.  The interview was conducted by Christian Pichette, [...]

 

“A company's dashboard is like that of an aircraft: it has several screens that help you pilot the aircraft well. It’s imperative to have a screen – i.e., KPI's – dedicated to the brand.”   - Michel Lanctôt, Executive Director, Groupe Médicus and member of various boards of directors     Branding is often a neglected element of strategic planning exercises. Yet it is an essential tool in an organization’s [...]

The fruits of a collaborative effort

 

Premier Tech is a Quebec multinational corporation based in Rivière-du-Loup. It is active in three main areas: horticulture and agriculture, industrial equipment, and environmental technologies. The company has experienced remarkable growth since it was founded in 1923 and currently operates in 27 countries with a team of 4,500 employees.   This stellar growth, which stemmed from a series of acquisitions and innovations in a rapidly changing marketplace, prompted [...]

Bon Matin

 

Here is a good illustration of the essential role played by brand story, strategy, and research in developing a strong brand.   The health bread category is an ultra-competitive space, one that’s dominated by a handful of brands, among which Bimbo Canada, with its flagship Bon Matin line, is the undisputed leader. A health segment pioneer in the 70s, Bimbo has maintained a strong market presence ever since, in an environment where new brands are constantly vying [...]

The icing does not make the cake.

 

by Pierre Léonard, Senior Partner There is no ready-made recipe for making your organization desirable.   In the age of Glassdoor and transparency, creating and building an employer brand requires a well-thought-out approach which involves the organization’s senior executives and its human resources, marketing and communications officers. An approach that is informed by an accurate assessment of the field, i.e., the employees themselves.   Four [...]

AN ESSENTIAL DIGITAL TOOL

 

Anyone who has had the opportunity to take part in the creation or repositioning of a brand knows how gratifying and demanding this experience can be, and how much this initiative can impact the future of an organization. This highly strategic endeavour also represents a significant investment, and must therefore bear its fruits.   This is why it is so important to develop a rigorous implementation plan and the right tools to put the brand back on track. Upon its launch, [...]

THE IMPORTANCE OF MANAGING ITS BRAND AND ITS CORPORATE CULTURE

 

When two companies merge, or when a company buys out another, both parties work hard at implementing the best deal possible, thereby ensuring new peaks in performance for the newly formed organization.   Legal, financial and tax consultants are gathered. Products and services are put forward, along with client lists and territories. Management styles and equipment are compared. Everything and anything that's quantifiable and forecastable is carefully covered.   However, [...]