Defining the brand

The first précis for the new Stone Bridge Biomedical site came in last week,  a summary of the discussions I’ve been having with my brand consultant.  It was right, but wrong, complete, but with gaps.  There was a problem, but as I fiddled with the outlines,  understood it’s a problem with how I express my business, how I frame the story.

Think about how people introduce themselves:

 I came from…, earned a degree…, worked for…, live in… 

They talk about their resume, not themselves: I, I, I.

In social settings, if asked, I try to start with a light story about what I’m doing that illustrates who I am rather than lit qualifications.   I’ll keep it relevant and brief, ask a question or two, and look for a shared basis for connection and conversation

But the top-line definition of my business was coming across like a resume:

Began in 2009….developing patient monitoring software…moved to contract development for other organizations…then consulting and teaching…currently 3 major projects.

Narrative doesn’t tell the story, and it was leading to a web site of snapshots, not exposition or connection.

 

To make a human connection, I needed Stone Bridge to have definition and motivation, not a qualities and waypoints.

I fiddled with ideas from shallow (“What do you do better than anyone else; why would you be the first person a customer would call?”) to deep (Compelling unmet need, large market; Sustainable differentiated positioning; Scalable business model; Why us; Why now).  I thought about what I offer my customers, how I look to them, what I do well, what they want most.

 

Working together with the branding mentor, it came down to this:

Identity: Stone Bridge Biomedical develops proprietary medical devices, with an emphasis on

• Commercialization of ideas
• Professional care providers
• Class II devices
• European markets
• Tailored planning and resources
• Rapid, focused execution

USPs:

• Process: Well-defined and compliant
• Team: Draws on a broad, experienced network
• Speed: Focused effort by a personalized team
• Location: Embedded in Europe
• Successful:  Solutions delivered to market

Customers:

• Universities, hospitals, companies defining the commercial potential and development path for patents, prototypes, or spinouts
• Startup companies needing planning or resources to accelerate development
• Investors needing objective diligence or experienced project definition.
• Established companies exploring new technologies, geographies, or markets

With this brand-in-hand, I think that we can go on towards the important communication elements: An “at a glance” depiction of the company’s focus and business model;  presentation of our unique offering; description of our products in context of our  services; validation that we succeed at what we do.