Unlike B2B or B2C peers, professional services organizations have a host of hurdles to overcome to successfully present a clear and cohesive brand story in a unique fashion. All too often, marketers find themselves stuck between building the firm brand or building practitioners’ brands. This session, presented by Ryan Schulz and Kalev Peekna, examines how the use of an umbrella brand and supporting practice area marketing can help drive an integrated and powerful experience. Kalev and Ryan use real examples to show how firms are using this approach to guide their content, thought leadership, events and digital strategies. The end result is a differentiated and memorable brand experience at every touchpoint. Key takeaways include: * An introduction to a new professional services brand model * A discussion on how to implement the model in a practical and achievable fashion * A deep dive into how practice areas, practitioners and marketers can embrace the framework * Real-world examples of firms that have embraced this new model

1. Presented by
A New Model for Creating Differentiated Brand Experiences
#1NWebinar:
From PSO to PSB
25 June 2019

2. “I hire the professional, not the firm.”
Every buyer, ever
2

3. Do people hire the firm or the professional?
3
Marketers want you to hire this.Buyers claim they hire this.

4. This is a classic example of what logicians call une question mal posée,
which is fancy-pants for that is a terrible question. Here’s what’s wrong:
You’ve asked the wrong person – Buyers can be remarkably bad at
understanding their own behavior.
You’re asking in the wrong context – It’s posed so abstractly that it’s
inapplicable to the real-world. Substitute a specific professional or a specific
firm, and you’d get different results each time.
It’s set up in favor of one answer – No one ever “buys” a firm, company, or
organization (This deserves some explanation).
Une question mal posée
4

5. The Absurdity of Buying a Brand
5

6. Which do you buy?
6
or

7. Which do you buy?
7
Which Do You Buy?

8. How would you answer this question?
Do you buy a specific detergent for your laundry, or do you buy any detergent from a
specific company?
How about if it’s worded like this?
Do you generally prefer to select a specific detergent (according to the type of
clothing, machine, scent, or other preferences)? Or do you prefer to simply purchase
“Tide” with the assumption that any of it would work well?
Do you really buy “brand basics?”
8

10. Which do you buy?
10
or

11. It’s a trick! There are 134 different types of Doritos:
Which do you buy?
11
Doritos 1st Degree Burn Blazin' Jalapeno
Doritos 2nd Degree Burn Fiery Buffalo
Doritos 3D's Jalapeño & Cheddar
Doritos 3D's Nacho Cheesier
Doritos 3D's Texas Paprika Flavour
Doritos 3D's Zesty Ranch
Doritos 3rd Degree Burn Scorchin' Habanero
Doritos After Dark Last Call Kebab
Doritos After Dark Southern Fried Chicken
Doritos Baja Picante
Doritos Baked! Cooler Ranch Tortilla Chips
Doritos Baked! Nacho Cheesier
Doritos Bits Zero's Texas Paprika
Doritos Black Pepper Jack Tortilla Chips
Doritos Blaze
Doritos Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch Tortilla Chips
Doritos Blue Grilled Steak
Doritos Burn
Doritos Chilli Heatwave
Doritos Collisions Blaze Ultimate Cheddar
Doritos Collisions Cheesy Enchilada Sour Cream
Doritos Collisions Chicken Sizzler Zesty Salsa
Doritos Collisions Hot Wings Blue Cheese Tortilla Chips
Doritos Collisions Pizza Cravers/Ranch
Doritos Collisions Zesty Taco Chipotle Ranch
Doritos Cool Ranch 100 Calorie Mini Bites
Doritos Cooler Ranch
Doritos Cooler Ranch Mini Go Snacks
Doritos Corn Chips Cool Original Flavour
Doritos Crunch Mix Nacho Cheese
Doritos Crunch Nuts Cool Ranch
Doritos Crunch Nuts Nacho Cheese
Doritos Dinamita Chile Limón
Doritos Dinamita Chile Limón/Cheetos Flamin' Hot
Doritos Dinamita Fiery Habanero
Doritos Dinamita Mojo Criollo
Doritos Dinamita Nacho Picoso
Doritos Edge Nacho Cheesier (low carb)
Doritos Extreme Kickin' Chili
Doritos Extreme Queso Grande
Doritos Extreme Zesty Sour Cream & Cheddar
Doritos Fiery Fusion
Doritos Fiery Habanero
Doritos Flamas
Doritos Flamin' Hot Nacho
Doritos Flavor Shots Atomic Chile Limon
Doritos Flavor Shots Blazin' Buffalo Rush
Doritos Four Cheese!
Doritos Gold Peking Duck
Doritos Gourmet Fried Chicken and Green Onion Sauce
Doritos Gourmet Sausage
Doritos Guacamole!
Doritos Heat Wave Barbecue
Doritos Heat Wave Chipotle Cream
Doritos Honey Chili
Doritos in orange bag (Israeli)
Doritos in yellow bag (Israeli)
Doritos Inferno
Doritos Italiano Tomato & Cheese
Doritos Jacked 3D Bacon Cheddar Ranch
Doritos Jacked 3D Jalapeño Pepper Jack
Doritos Jacked Enchilada Supreme
Doritos Jacked Ranch Dipped Hot Wings
Doritos Jacked Smoky Chipotle BBQ
Doritos Jacked Spicy Street Taco
Doritos Jacked Test Flavor: 2653 (Chocolate Chipotle Bacon)
Doritos Jacked Test Flavor: 404 (Caribbean Citrus Jerk)
Doritos Jacked Test Flavor: 855 (Spicy Street Taco)
Doritos Jalapeño & Cheddar
Doritos Jalapeno Cheese! Golden Toast Crackers
Doritos Jumpin' Jack Cheese
Doritos Ketchup
Doritos Late Night All Nighter Cheeseburger
Doritos Late Night Last Call Jalapeno Popper
Doritos Late Night Tacos at Midnight
Doritos Locos Tacos Cool Ranch Crunchy Taco
Doritos Locos Tacos Nacho Cheese Crunchy Taco
Doritos Megawhat Chilli Cheese
Doritos Megawhat Salsa
Doritos Mexican Hot Flavour
Doritos Mexicana
Doritos Mini 3D's Zesty Ranch Go Snacks
Doritos Mix Blazin' Buffalo Explosion
Doritos Mix Cheese Explosion
Doritos Mix Taco Explosion
Doritos Mr. Dragon's Fire Chips
Doritos Nacho Cheese
Doritos Nacho Cheese (Australian)
Doritos Nacho Cheese 100 Calorie Mini Bites
Doritos Nacho Cheesier
Doritos Nacho Cheesier (Taiwan)
Doritos Nacho Cheesier Mini Go Snacks
Doritos Nacho Italiano
Doritos Natural White Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips
Doritos Original Taco
Doritos Pepper Bacon
Doritos Pizza Supreme
Doritos Pizza-La Curry Monterey
Doritos Poppin' Jalapeno
Doritos Queijo Nacho
Doritos Ranchero Tortilla Chips
Doritos Rings Grill Flavor
Doritos Rollitos Cooler Ranch
Doritos Rollitos Nacho Cheesier
Doritos Rollitos Zesty Taco!
Doritos Roulette
Doritos Salsa Rio
Doritos Salsa Verde!
Doritos Salsa!
Doritos Sizzlin' Picante
Doritos Smokin' Cheddar BBQ Tortilla Chips
Doritos Sonic Sour Cream
Doritos Sour Cream & Onion
Doritos Spice 2.0
Doritos Spicier Nacho!
Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips
Doritos Spirals Sweet Barbecue
Doritos Stadium Nacho Inspired by EA Sports Madden NFL 11
Doritos Supreme Cheddar
Doritos Taco
Doritos Taco (Japan)
Doritos Tailgater BBQ Inspired by EA Sports Madden NFL 11
Doritos Tangy Cheese
Doritos Tapatio
Doritos Thai Pepper Chicken
Doritos The Quest
Doritos Toasted Corn! Tortilla Chips
Doritos Tortilla Chips Taco Flavor (retro bag)
Doritos Unidentified Flavour
Doritos Wasabi
Doritos Wild White Nacho Tortilla Chips
Doritos X-13D Tortilla Chips
Simply Organic Doritos Spicy White Cheddar
Simply Organic Doritos White Cheddar Tortilla Chips

12. So, what’s going on here?
Do I buy Doritos or not?
12

13. $^%@#$@
!!^$$$$%@
#$$!#%^&
(@!#$#@#13
When we ask someone, “do you hire the
professional or the firm,” what we’re really
trying to assess is the impact of brand. Too
often, we avoid talking about brand. We treat it
like a four-letter word.
This hesitation happens because of a
misunderstanding of how brands function. This
is particularly true in the professional services
space because brands operate differently in
people-based, expertise-based organizations.
We’re trying to talk about brand without using the word.

14. And Why They Really Do Matter
14
How Brands Work

15. Many people often have a very narrow vision of what a brand truly is. Its connection
to core functions of the business and business strategy often feel opaque.
Brand basics
15
Confidence in tomorrow
Logo
Tagline
Colors

16. Many people often have a very narrow vision of what a brand truly is. Its connection
to core functions of the business and business strategy often feel opaque.
Brand basics
16
Confidence in tomorrow
Logo
Tagline
Colors
Creative Expression System

17. Brand is what people are saying about you when you aren’t in
the room. So, what are they talking about? Essentially, there are
three things that they are talking about.
The big secret: brand is simple
17
Reputation Relationships
Thought
Leadership =

18. Brand is what people are saying about you when you aren’t in
the room. So, what are they talking about? Essentially, there are
three things that they are talking about.
The big secret: brand is simple
18
=
Failure to adequately frame the conversation surrenders
your brand story to everyone else. Some levers are easier
to control than others.
Reputation Relationships
Thought
Leadership

19. Managing reputation is not about controlling the message. It’s about managing the
experience of an organization. It has more to do with the corporate character of an
organization (purpose, promise, persona, mission, vision, values, guiding principles,
core beliefs, etc.).
Developing corporate character is all about distilling and building personal belief
in an authentic story that inspires people to act together.
Brand is all about character
19
Relationships
Thought
Leadership=

20. Brand is all about character
20
“Character is like a tree and
reputation like its shadow.
The shadow is what we think
of it. The tree is the real thing.”
Abraham Lincoln

21. 21
In the B2B and B2C spaces,
we often use the word brand
interchangeably with the word
"company" when referring to
top performers.

22. Brand is the shorthand we use when talking about industry leaders, category definers,
and high performers. Ultimately, we’re talking about core differentiators.
“Brand” defined
22
• Performance
• Value
• Innovation
• Product Development
• Specialized Experiences
• Luxury
• Personal Experience
• Values
• Mission
• Purpose
• Etc.

23. Confidential 23
B2C and B2B brands
accept and embrace
this dynamic. They
know name recall is
worth its weight in
gold.
There is no
substitute for being
“top of mind.”

24. B2C and B2B brands typically experience dramatically inflated valuations due to
“intangible assets” (brand).
The real value of “brand”
24
https://martinroll.com/resources/articles/growth/branding-numbers-measuring-brand-value-equity-marketing-activity/
NYSE and NASDAQ
+70%+50% - 75%
Fortune 500

26. Innovative
Change Averse
Collaborative
Difficult to Work With
Trustworthy
Shifty
The professional services space is filled with
“brand messages” built upon generic value propositions.
We call it The Sea of Sameness.
If no one would claim the opposite of an idea, chances are, the idea
isn’t big enough to build brand on to begin with.
High Quality
Low Quality
Responsive
Slow to Reaction
Team Player
Selfish

27. Why is the professional services
space like this?
27

28. Do we not care enough?
Is it too expensive to brand?
Is brand really just a four-letter word?
Are practitioners truly afraid of brand?
28

29. 29

30. We know that there’s a little more
to the story for professional
services.
30

31. There are some structural differences that make “doing brand” more difficult for
professional services.
• Ownership structures present challenges.
• Practitioners often own their own books of business.
• Business Development and Marketing often serve different masters.
• Brand requires a singular vision, from a singular leader.
PSO pain points
31

32. What does “brand” actually do?
32

33. Brand drives
revenue.
• Shortens the sales process by
framing your perspective.
• Creates awareness because it
makes you more visible.
• Makes you sought out for reasons
beyond simple conversion.

34. You can charge
more for the same
d*&# work.
• There’s a reason solo practices
don’t charge $1200+/ hr
• There’s a reason solo practices
don’t do the most impactful work.
• There’s a reason solo practices
aren’t the first to get a call.

35. Brand creates
client stickiness.
• Clients are attracted to more than
just outcomes.
• Branded touchpoints give clients
value adds that can be
differentiators in and of
themselves.
• It gives clients a bigger, better story
to tell about your brand.

36. For good or bad,
the firm takes
the credit.
• “No one ever got fired for hiring
George” is not a thing. Sorry,
George.
• The firm is always a part of the
story clients tell.
• The reputation of a firm can
(and almost always does) outlive
lateral moves.

37. Brand attracts
and retains talent.
• Draws out like-minded laterals.
• Can nurture new recruits and give
them a sense of belonging.
• Can offer a rallying cry that
promotes cross-selling and
collaboration; the holy grail.
• Gives employees an additional
reason to stick around.

38. People will
actually want to
work with you.
• You won’t be at a loss to explain why
“prestige” should matter to Gen Z.
• Laterals want to calm clients by
telling them they are headed
somewhere good.

39. Brand in PSOs
39

40. 40
Things to keep in mind when
bridging the gap between a PSO
and a PSB

41. 41
Brand positioning needs to align
with a brand’s actual experience.
1.

42. If you choose a client-friendly, easy-to-use brand positioning, and your actual client experience
feels like a struggle, clients won’t buy it. Clients choose you based on your track record, but
clients tell stories about you based on their experience. Aspiration needs to work in collaboration
with reality.
Authenticity meets aspiration
42

43. One of our clients prided itself on being “easy to work
with.” They used it as a differentiator against coastal
competitors. Which is probably why the firm’s
leadership was surprised to hear the opposite from
many clients – that it was, in fact, “difficult to use.”
The problem? Invoicing was irregular, opaque,
and confusing.
The solution? Complete transparency and a new
digital portal.
The lesson? Brands cannot aspire beyond the
experience they’re ready to deliver.
Example: walking the talk on client experience
43

44. 44
There is a strong relationship
between reputation and brand
awareness.
2.

45. What shapes a brand’s reputation?
45
Thought
Leadership
Client
Experiences
The
Results

46. A large, New York-based firm, who has a reputation for being a formidable opponent and a firm that
helps to “create the law,” was starting to get the reputation amongst lawyers as being a sweat
shop. In response, the firm leveraged PR tactics to help manage the brand and correct the story.
Example: managing brand reputation
46
Reputation
We work harder
than others.
We also care
about people.
We are the
dynamic
powerhouse.
Stories and Proof
(Results and Thought Leadership)

47. 47
Professional services brand
architecture is different than in
most other markets.
3.

48. A New Brand Model
48

49. Brand architecture
49
House of Brands
Holding Company
Branded House
Master Brand
Hybrid Approach
Asymmetrical
What most
professionals
think it is.
What
professionals
think marketers
think it is.

50. This is the first thing you want to pop into anyone’s mind. It might be some key
differentiator, but it could be something arbitrary that is incredibly memorable.
Building a professional services brand
50
Umbrella Brand

51. This is where you can create true differentiation by introducing a more complex value
proposition. Not all practices are created equal. Be clear about your salient selling points,
but make sure you have proof.
Building a professional services brand
51
Practice/Discipline Brand
Umbrella Brand

52. This is where your practitioners get to add their own personal brand and experience into
the story. The trick is to get them to build off of the larger brand story.
Building a professional services brand
52
Practice/Discipline Brand
Practitioner Brands
Umbrella Brand

53. This is where your practitioners get to add their own personal brand and experience into
the story. The trick is to get them to build off of the larger brand story.
Building a professional services brand
53
Lots of room for interpretation
Practice/Discipline Brand
Practitioner Brands
Umbrella Brand

54. This is ultimately the only thing that really matters. These stories will be the thing that fuels
your brand and the reputation you develop.
Building a professional services brand
54
Lots of room for interpretation
Client Experience
Practice/Discipline Brand
Practitioner Brands
Umbrella Brand

55. A powerful reputational story that is easy to remember and easy to tell is a compelling
business development tool. In the professional services space, reputation is everything.
Building a professional services brand
55
Lots of room for interpretation
Reputation
Client Experience
Practice/Discipline Brand
Practitioner Brands
Umbrella Brand

56. Let’s unpack that a little further. How do we build each layer? What’s in it?
It all starts with a brand platform.
Building a professional services brand
56
3. Persona
The basis for the brand’s
tone and voice.
2. Purpose
The rationale for your existence;
an internal rallying cry.
1. Positioning
Why customers choose you.
Your competitive edge.
4. Promise
Client focused; often translated
into tag-lines or a campaign.
Essence/ Brand Idea
The intangible way people
feel about the brand.Client Experience
Practice/Discipline Brand
Practitioner Brands
Umbrella Brand

57. For subsequent layers, we should focus on and extend specific parts of the platform.
Practices should focus exclusively on differentiators and collaboration.
Building a professional services brand
57
3. Persona
The basis for the brand’s
tone and voice.
2. Purpose
The rationale for your existence;
an internal rallying cry.
1. Positioning
Why customers choose you.
Your competitive edge.
4. Promise
Client focused; often translated
into tag-lines or a campaign.
Essence/ Brand Idea
The intangible way people
feel about the brand.Client Experience
Practice/Discipline Brand
Practitioner Brands
Umbrella Brand

58. If we build the other layers correctly, we allow practitioners to focus almost exclusively on
their own differentiators (which is the thing they are often best at anyway).
Building a professional services brand
58
3. Persona
The basis for the brand’s
tone and voice.
2. Purpose
The rationale for your existence;
an internal rallying cry.
1. Positioning
Why customers choose you.
Your competitive edge.
4. Promise
Client focused; often translated
into tag-lines or a campaign.
Essence/ Brand Idea
The intangible way people
feel about the brand.Client Experience
Practice/Discipline Brand
Practitioner Brands
Umbrella Brand

59. The client experience should almost always reflect a firm’s reputation, which is connected
to the overarching Essence/Brand Idea.
Building a professional services brand
59
3. Persona
The basis for the brand’s
tone and voice.
2. Purpose
The rationale for your existence;
an internal rallying cry.
1. Positioning
Why customers choose you.
Your competitive edge.
4. Promise
Client focused; often translated
into tag-lines or a campaign.
Essence/ Brand Idea
The intangible way people
feel about the brand.Client Experience
Practice/Discipline Brand
Practitioner Brands
Umbrella Brand

60. Meet ADVISAGE
60

61. Building a (hypothetical) professional services brand
61
ADVISAGE
Let’s Meet
Practice/Discipline Brand
Practitioner Brands
Umbrella Brand

62. Building a (hypothetical) professional services brand
62
Firm
Practice
Partner
Client
Experience
Advisage
Advanced Analytics
Patricia Maker
Firm Structure
Showing you the way.
Experience that sees
around corners.
Here are three ways that
I have helped clients see
around corners.
Sample Framework
ADVISAGE
Practice/Discipline Brand
Practitioner Brands
Umbrella Brand

63. Building a (hypothetical) professional services brand
63
Where does this show up?
Overall look and feel, firm narrative.
Practice copy on the website,
practice brochures, events, etc.
Bio material, speaking events,
pitches, proposals, press.
ADVISAGE
Firm
Practice
Partner
Client
Experience
Advisage
Advanced Analytics
Patricia Maker
Firm Structure
Showing you the way.
Experience that sees
around corners.
Here are three ways that
I have helped clients see
around corners.
Sample Framework

64. Conclusion
64

65. Where to start
65
1. Take a closer look at how you stack up all three levels.
2. Identify advocates or champions internally at every level.
3. Find a trusted partner to help build and document the work.
4. Commit to the long path and actionable outcomes.
Firm
Practice
Partner
Client
Experience

66. Thank you.