Tonight, we had the incredible opportunity to host an exclusive branding workshop with Strategic Factory, and wow, what a night! We explored the essence of branding, how it connects to a company’s purpose, and dove into real-world examples that brought everything to life.
Our special guest, Bobby Cardoni, Director of Business Development, gave us an inside look at marketing strategy. Bobby studied Broadcast Communications at Virginia Tech, but soon realized he preferred creating stories behind the scenes rather than behind the mic. With 20 years in radio, he’s worked closely with clients and stations to build standout marketing campaigns. Now at Strategic Factory, he helps businesses bring their internal and external marketing initiatives to life.
What is Strategic Factory?
Proudly family-owned and operated, Strategic Factory has been delivering top-notch marketing solutions for over 25 years. As Maryland’s premier single-point provider, they handle everything from print, digitally enhanced direct mail, signage, and branded materials to apparel, promotional products, creative services, and digital marketing, all under one roof!
As a local Maryland-based business, they’re passionate about helping companies grow with tailored, results-driven marketing strategies. When you partner with Strategic Factory, you’re not just hiring a marketing team, you’re gaining a powerhouse of innovation, creativity, and expertise. They want to bring your brand to life!
What is a Brand?
A brand is the identity and reputation of your business. It’s the perception customers have based on their experiences with your products, services, and interactions.
But a brand is so much more than just a logo or a color palette; it’s the feeling people get when they experience your business. It’s how customers connect with you when they use your products, step into your store, or engage with your team.
Your Brand Is:
The perception customers and employees have of your business
Your mission, vision, and values brought to life
The emotions and experiences tied to your brand
Cultural mottos, inspirational messages, and defining adjectives
A strategic framework, your brand guidelines, that keeps everything cohesive
Defining a Brand’s Purpose
Branding is about creating a memorable experience that speaks to your audience. It’s the subtle details that make a big impact, from designing a welcoming environment to showcasing your company’s values and personality. Whether it’s infusing your brand colors throughout the space, branding everyday items like mugs or notebooks, or showcasing your culture through team messages and visuals, every element contributes to the overall experience.
The key is to make your messaging clear and concise, ensuring that what you say, and how you say it, reflects your brand’s identity and leaves a lasting impression. It’s about making your space a genuine reflection of your brand, one that people feel, see, and connect with.
Brand Application
There are countless ways to bring your brand to life! Use vinyl on cinder blocks, apply branding to mobile vehicles, or add dimensional letters on building exteriors. Frosted windows and doors create sleek visuals, while creating signage helps guide visitors. You can brand walls, windows, doors, and floors, even wrapping elevators to immerse people in your brand. The possibilities are endless, and the ceiling is the limit! Best of all, you can put your logo anywhere or on anything you want!
The most important thing to remember is that we are all walking billboards, promoting brands through the apparel we wear. Having branded clothing for your employees and customers helps to extend your brand’s reach and maximize its visibility. It’s a simple yet effective way to keep your brand top of mind everywhere you go.
Why is Marketing SO Important for Brands?
Marketing is crucial for brands because it helps to create awareness, build relationships, and drive loyalty. It’s how you communicate your brand’s value to your audience, connect with potential customers, and differentiate yourself from the competition. Effective marketing keeps your brand visible, tells your story, and builds trust, ultimately leading to increased sales and long-term success. Without it, even the best products can remain unknown!
Brand Exercise Activity
Branding is all about instant recognition and the emotions it evokes. To illustrate this, Bobby showed the AMA audience images of simple, everyday items: a cup of coffee, a phone, and a soda bottle, asking us to shout out what came to mind.
Coffee? The crowd immediately responded with Dunkin’ and Starbucks.
Phone? Voices called out Apple, Google, Samsung, and Verizon.
Soda bottle? The room echoed with Coke, Sprite, and Pepsi.
These brands have mastered marketing so well that we don’t just see a product, we see them. Their presence is so deeply ingrained in our minds that even the sight of an object triggers their name. That’s the power of branding.
Bobby’s Favorite Marketing Campaign
While Bobby has many favorite marketing campaigns, the one that stands out the most to him is Snickers's “You're not you when you're hungry" campaign. He believes it perfectly captures the essence of relatable humor while effectively communicating the product’s message, transforming a simple snack into a solution to a common problem. It’s memorable, impactful, and resonates with consumers on a personal level.
AMA would like to give a big thank you to Bobby Cardoni from Strategic Factory for sharing his incredible expertise with us today! His presentation was packed with engaging details and invaluable guidance on branding and marketing strategies. We’re grateful for his time and expertise, as he shared valuable insights that we can immediately put into action!
-Skyler Klein
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