Branding

I have a branding brain; I couldn't turn it off if I tried.

While this makes watching ads a fun exercise in brand evaluation, it also helps me build and maintain brands for my employers. Here are some examples of how I've supported brand development in previous roles.

Mini Case Study 1

Unitus: How can we stand out in a commoditized market?

Unitus, a community credit union based in Portland, OR, faced a challenge:

Consumers can get their banking done anywhere. So why should they bank with Unitus?

I worked with our Chief Strategy Officer, VP, AVP, and Senior Graphic Designer to build this Brand Guide. It shows employees how we can take their honestly held goal to respect each member as an individual human person and connect it to our brand promise to support them when other institutions won't. It explains how each employee is part of our "brand" and reinforces why their work every day matters.

Unitus Brand Guide - Cover

A guide to help solidify our brand identity, helping all staff understand what we stand for and what makes us different from other financial institutions.

The Unitus Brand

"Our brand isn't our logo or tagline. It isn't what we say we are. It's the way people feel when they think about us. It strengthens or weakens during every single member interaction."

If You're Reading This...

"Our members won't remember everything you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel."

Unitus Brand Guide - Cover

A guide to help solidify our brand identity, helping all staff understand what we stand for and what makes us different from other financial institutions.

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Meaningful excerpts

"Our brand isn't our logo or tagline. It isn't what we say we are. It's the way people feel when they think about us. It strengthens or weakens during every single member interaction."

"Our members won't remember everything you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel."

Mini Case Study 2

PS&D: Why should I give your company the time of day?

Provider Solutions & Development, a physician recruiting organization based in Portland, OR, faced a challenge:

Their audience of physicians are notoriously busy, inundated with messages from recruiters, and weary of the whole system after countless scars working with same-same staffing forms who put their own interests before those of the people they claim to serve.

So why should they bother with PS&D?

This brand guide was a collaboration among me and half a dozen other Marketing team members; I was responsible for the email marketing. Click through the slides for details about how I helped PS&D put their best foot forward in email.

PS&D's Writing Governance Guide

A guide for vendors, teammates, new employees, and all so we can maintain brand quality throughout our communications.

Email Marketing Brand Basics

Starting with the essential fundamentals of a well-written email.

Yet More Email Marketing Best Practices

If by now you're thinking "most of this is just how to write well in general," trust your instincts.

PS&D's Writing Governance Guide

A guide for vendors, teammates, new employees, and all so we can maintain brand quality throughout our communications.

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Jacob Schnee

Branding

Mini Case Study 1

Unitus: How can we stand out in a commoditized market?

Meaningful excerpts

"Our brand isn't our logo or tagline. It isn't what we say we are. It's the way people feel when they think about us. It strengthens or weakens during every single member interaction."

"Our members won't remember everything you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel."

Mini Case Study 2

PS&D: Why should I give your company the time of day?

Meaningful excerpts

Be specific. Make it clear how their life experience will be better.
Paint a picture they can imagine.

Avoid cliche marketing tropes.
We want to make a 1:1 connection with our readers, not sound like an ad.

Use the present tense.
Use parts of speech that are immediate and actionable.

Use 2nd-person "you" to speak directly to the reader.
Make the email feel more personal and immediate.

Branding

Mini Case Study 1

Unitus: How can we stand out in a commoditized market?

Meaningful excerpts

"Our brand isn't our logo or tagline. It isn't what we say we are. It's the way people feel when they think about us. ​​It strengthens or weakens during every single member interaction."

"Our members won't remember everything you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel."

Mini Case Study 2

PS&D: Why should I give your company the time of day?

Meaningful excerpts

Be specific. Make it clear how their life experience will be better. Paint a picture they can imagine.

Avoid cliche marketing tropes. We want to make a 1:1 connection with our readers, not sound like an ad.

Use the present tense. Use parts of speech that are immediate and actionable.

Use 2nd-person "you" to speak directly to the reader. Make the email feel more personal and immediate.

"Our brand isn't our logo or tagline. It isn't what we say we are. It's the way people feel when they think about us. It strengthens or weakens during every single member interaction."

Be specific. Make it clear how their life experience will be better.
Paint a picture they can imagine.

Avoid cliche marketing tropes.
We want to make a 1:1 connection with our readers, not sound like an ad.

Use the present tense.
Use parts of speech that are immediate and actionable.

Use 2nd-person "you" to speak directly to the reader.
Make the email feel more personal and immediate.