WHY DO WE BRAND? HOW DOES BRANDING WORK?

TOPIC: Why do we brand? How does branding work?
PRESENTER: Theresa Whitehill, Jeremy Logan, and
WHERE: Caspar Community Center, 15051 Caspar Road, Caspar, CA 95420
COST: Free for Coast Women in Business members; $10 for nonmembers
(if interested in joining us, your first meeting is free)
SCHEDULE:
7:30 AM = Networking
7:45 AM = Introductions
8-8:45 AM = Interactive Program
8:45 AM = Announcements
9 AM = Meeting ends

Complimentary tea and coffee donated by Thanksgiving Coffee.

DETAILS: Join Theresa Whitehill of Colored Horse Studios, Jeremy Logan of The Color Mill, and Erica Harrold, a communications and business consultant, to discuss qualities of effective branding, how to develop your brand, and the ways this can lead to generating awareness and sales.

A brand is a perception or set of associations consumers have of a business. Your “brand” can be thought of as the public identity for your business. A strong brand quickly conveys what your company stands for, makes you recognizable to your audience, and helps you stand out.

Everything from company and product names to logo, packaging, and the look and feel of your promotional materials should be considered with your brand in mind. Developing a brand requires defining, articulating, and asserting your messaging, then translating that message into channels where consumers can interact with your business.

Please bring your vision statement along with your brand logo if you’d like to share ideas with others.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Theresa Whitehall

Design Director, Writer, and Cofounder of Colored Horse Studios (Ukiah and St. Helena, California)

With a reputation for excellence based on over 30 years’ experience in print and web development, Colored Horse Studios provides graphic design, editorial services, and project management for marketing and publishing, serving wineries, craft breweries, museums and culture, artisans, and entrepreneurs.

As an experienced writer and design director, Theresa finds that projects structured around a central story strengthen and distinguish her company’s graphical work. Many of their projects combine strategic development, copywriting, and copy editing with graphic design.

Founded in Mendocino County in 1993, Colored Horse Studios also maintains a studio in St. Helena. Their experience in the Napa Valley began with an artist-in-residence project for Stags’ Leap Winery in 1997 and has gone on to include a wide range of print and web projects. They are often called for consulting and graphic support services years after completing larger projects. Their projects often come to them via word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied clients and vendors, and they take pride in their standard of excellence—their strongest calling card.

Follow Colored Horse Studios on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coloredhorsestudios/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coloredhorsestudios/

Jeremy Logan

Owner and Creative Director, The Color Mill (Fort Bragg, California)

The Color Mill specializes in branding and Web design for small to medium-sized businesses. Jeremy oversees a team of designers that does everything from logo design to front and back-end Web development. He’s also experienced in Python and various automation techniques.

Erica Harrold

Principal, Erica Harrold Consulting (Northern California)

With nearly three decades of experience in communications, strategy, and organizational development work, Erica has worked in leadership positions for government officials, nonprofit organizations, and international businesses.

She credits much of her ingenuity and adaptability to the years she spent crafting effective messaging, lobbying elected officials in elevators, building coalitions, running get-out-the-vote campaigns, and working with the media. In her capacity as press secretary and chief of staff for Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, she played a critical role in his vision for the downtown area’s renaissance and arts. Her work as a consultant at Erica Harrold Consulting has allowed her to apply her decades of experience to assist business leaders and nonprofits in capacity building, brand development, and change-management initiatives.

Erica has a dedicated mindfulness practice which fundamentally informs her insights into both the human condition and the professional world. She holds a degree in political science and Japanese studies from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

Follow Erica on social media:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaharrold/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theericaharrold/

ABOUT COAST WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Coast Women in Business meets monthly to foster entrepreneurship and professional development on the Mendocino Coast and beyond. Membership fees are $50 annually or $10 per drop-in meeting.

Note: We welcome all—all races, all genders, all countries of origin, all sexual orientations.

Your first meeting is always free, and we offer a limited number of need-based memberships—please inquire. We’re sponsored by the West Business Development Center. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

Important Announcements

Upcoming meetings:

• August: Thursday, August 8 – topic: Creating the Best Images for Social Media – presenter: Baqi Kopelman
• September: Thursday, September 12 – topic: Design Strategies to Maximize Your Business – presenter: Torrey Douglass