When we purchased Century Graphics, we thought very little about the name because our clients knew us and what we did. Besides, it was much easier to leave well enough alone. As new business owners, we had other things on our minds.

A few years later, we decided we needed to re-evaluate who we were as a company and determine a new vision for who we wanted to be. As I’ve mentioned before, the people you hire help define the future. And, like many other companies, we realized we were already down a new road and the services we were providing to our clients had extended beyond what our name implied. In fact, in many cases our name had become a detriment to our business direction and it was holding us back.

The mental process of deciding to change what had been a safe and sure thing was not easy. We were reluctant to give up a part of our culture and history. “What will our current clients think?” was first of mind. However, it was clear that we already had our current clients … it was searching for the best and brightest new clients that we now needed to think about.

As a communications and design agency that invigorates brands through smart, inspired, creative solutions, we needed a name that evoked a sense of wonder and not only stood out from the crowd but was memorable. And so Go East was born. Yes, we were east of the Cities and, yes, we wanted our clients to go in a different direction (not “West, young man”), but what we wanted most was a name that fit not only who were were, but who we planned to become. Considering our future, rapidly changing technology and the changing needs of our clients, Go East works on so many levels.

We were (and still are) very excited about our name change. Redesigning our marketing materials and creating a new message and voice that was in alignment with our business strategy was an exciting process. Our employees are proud of who we’ve become and understood their role in making the vision come alive. It was almost as exciting as our beginning … except it wasn’t about buying a business, it was about re-introducing ourselves and bringing our new identity to life.

What do you think of when you see or hear “Go East”? We’d love to hear from you.

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As a company that helps clients build their brands, we, too, must continue to build our own brand. At Go East, we realized we could either let the process take care of itself, or we could guide and direct its growth. The latter certainly takes more effort, but we’ve found that spotlighting individual employees who live our brand makes it more relevant to those around them. Go East recognizes employees who are loyal to our brand in a number of ways. Two of them are by established programs: Brand Moment and Brand Leader Awards.

At each monthly staff meeting, we give one or more Brand Moment Awards. The winners of these awards are chosen based on nominations given by their peers. The award recognizes an individual who embodies our values and personality traits in a single act, someone who demonstrates the Go East brand in the eyes of our stakeholders. We recognize the winner with a unique award and $50 in cash, as well as peer recognition, which, in itself, goes a long way.

Brand Leader Awards are presented by the Leadership Team. Each quarter we determine who in our organization consistently lives the brand and who we’d like others to emulate. Again, peer recognition has tremendous value. A cool award and $200 cash is given with pride.

As an owner, there is nothing more important than having employees embrace a brand and clearly understand their roles in building it. When employees understand who we are as a company and where we’re going, it makes describing and selling our services an easy and enjoyable venture. Continuous direction and acknowledgement help ensure that our brand comes to life every day.

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You have to admit, we’re busy. Time flies by at hyper-speed, and how often do we take the time to sincerely say thank you to our business partners? Even though a sincere thank you should be said at every available opportunity, don’t let the holidays pass by without taking the extra step. All too often, a generic, business-required holiday thank you is mailed out and, as a receiver, I sometimes wonder … did this get sent from the heart or out of necessity?

In today’s business environment, our business partners, whether clients or suppliers, are more valuable to each other than ever before. The end-of-year holidays give us an opportunity to reflect on the past year and to think about those who have made it possible for us to do what we love. Take some time and show a genuine appreciation for their participation in your success.

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As we all know, there are many touch points that reflect a company’s image. How you interact with people when representing your company, how you respond to client situations that are complicated and even how your delivery vehicle is seen on the road.  

I believe office space carries a great deal of weight in a company’s image. How are you perceived when a prospect walks into your office?

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Celebrating a business anniversary is a very special event, and it’s even more special when you are a founding partner.

When you open the doors on that first day of business, you tend to think about the next day much more than 10, 20 or even 50 years down the road. But before you know it, you are celebrating milestones of success.

There are many reasons to celebrate an anniversary: to let your clients and prospects know of your sustainability in business, to strengthen your company’s brand and to attract new clients. However, there is one reason that stands out for me — to thank those employees that have helped your business succeed.

Every principal of an organization understands the value of a good employee. During the decades, you see them come and go, and in one way or another, every one of them has helped shape your business into what it is today.

Go East has seen a lot of changes over the past 20 years, but the company has successfully retained its warm personality and appeal because of its employees. And that’s a trait worth celebrating.

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The way I see it, design is more valued today than ever before. In particular, the automotive industry seems to have embraced both that idea and an historic perspective, acknowledging that the last 40+ years have seen some long-lasting and much appreciated design and turning full circle. From functional to powerful and exciting, the new designs of the American muscle car are more exciting than ever. I can’t wait to take one of these for a ride.

The new Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger — and now the Chevrolet Camaro — have seen that embracing a bit of the past will (and has already) help them become more recognized and re-strengthen their brands.

It also shows that brands are not easily forgotten. The Pontiac GTO was a great example. When they introduced the the “new” GTO in 2004, I and many others assumed the retro styling would be the primary design driver. I was disappointed to see it was just another “new” car. It was not a GTO.

I believe that embracing a bit of the past and adding a 21st Century touch to it can do wonders for a well known brand.

Now, let’s see what Pontiac can to with the Trans Am.

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