Can small companies really build memorable brands? Absolutely, the power of being small and transmitting a consistent voice is something that the big boys are always striving to do. All of the well known brands we are familiar with all started small; Kellogg’s, Kerry Gold and Face book. We believe it’s important to consider what you want to stand for right at the very beginning. In my own experience, this is often in the head of the person who is starting the company, they know what it is they wish to create but are immersed in the mechanics of getting a business off the ground. No one will have more passion about their product than they do. It’s our job to help articulate and interrogate what it is they wish to create – their story – to ensure it is still relevant in the future. Things like customer service, creative, quality are things which can be reflected not just in the promotion but in the true experience the customer has with your company. How many times have big brands telegraphed, ‘you’re important to us’ yet you can’t access a real person or get a grumpy response from a sales assistant. This totally destroys credibility. For my money there is too much wastage chopping and changing amongst small business image and on promoting it. How much more powerful if you’re business can be relevant and meaningful to your target audiences, in every medium? To illustrate, McGinley Motors had been selling well known marques such as Volvo, Land Rover, and Peugeot in the northwest for years and built up a very solid customer base over 20 years, they’d done the hard bit. However there was still a disconnect between some of the big brand version of advertising for the local market. McGinley Motors had a valuable asset in their relationship with customers and by talking to them, it emerged that many didn’t realise that McGinley’s sold other brands, only the one they had bought; moreover when we spoke to general public, there was a low awareness of what other car brands were sold at the dealers. It seemed that the big brand advertising car models adapted for local press was having a negative effect and that the McGinley Motors brand had got lost in the sauce. One of the things we did straight away was to connect northwest events and locations to McGinley Motors which best highlighted the vehicle. E.g. All weather terrain – Donegal Mountain Rescue Team = Land Rover, Safety = Volvo, Donegal Rally = Peugeot. We developed a branding device and tagline to bring all of the communications together. 
Within months McGinley Motors noticed an impact on their sales and the number of people enquiring across the board not just cars we had advertised but all makes on the forecourt, including second hand. This also served as a rationale for these car makers to shift their marketing budget locally. So a wholehearted “yes” – small businesses can build meaningful brands.
