The most successful business leaders draw outstanding performances from their teams, much like the conductor of an orchestra. Just as an orchestra is comprised of distinct sections for strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion, a company has departments, teams, and often, dealer networks that need to be in harmony. It’s when they fall out of sync that the business, brand, products and people, including customers, suffer. A great leader will unite, align and inspire the best performances, bringing out all that differentiates and elevates a brand. Here are six ways to accomplish this:

Focus on the Team

Just as conductors turn their focus to the musicians, leaders must focus on their teams, ensuring they are performing at the highest level, together. Each department must understand the role it plays within the larger organization so it can create a masterwork. When people understand their responsibilities and roles, they can be truly productive. They’re also more likely to collaborate, which minimizes redundancy and enhances overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Give Meaning

While conductors do not play a single note, they are ultimately responsible for beautiful music. An organization’s leader does not manufacture or sell the product but is responsible for inspiring all of those who do. It’s a leader’s role to provide significance to every individual who represents or affects the enterprise and ensure the right people are playing the right parts. One key person or department that is disengaged will negatively affect success for all. But when team members recognize their importance and the value of what they bring, it instills a deep pride that motivates them to perform at their best.

Part of giving teams meaning is communicating what differentiates a company or brand. An employee who believes in the uniqueness of their company is much more likely to be loyal, rather than viewing it as a steppingstone to bigger and better things. They recognize and appreciate their role in delivering something no one else does.

Protect the Brand’s Essence

A company’s story is its great masterpiece. You would never try to rewrite the music of Beethoven or Mozart. Similarly, leaders shouldn’t allow their company’s brand essence to get diluted. It’s their role to champion and reinforce the brand’s differentiation and mission throughout the organization. That means taking the opportunity to reinforce differentiators in every discussion, whether it’s an internal meeting with just two people, a large all-employee meeting or a one-on-one conversation with a customer.

Inspire Team and Solo Performances

The best orchestral performers are able to seamlessly play together with other musicians, as well as deliver solo performances when asked. Good leaders are able to build teams that can do both. Sometimes the job calls for strong people who are comfortable working independently. Other times, collaboration is needed to develop the right solution. The most effective teams are able to easily switch between the two styles of working.

Build Harmony

Just like an orchestra, a company needs to be in sync, playing off the same sheet of music. Leaders must align their teams with company goals and the brand story. In other words, everyone must be moving in the same direction to be at peak efficiency. You can imagine the sound that would emanate from a group of musicians all playing a different composition. The varying tempos and notes would clash together into an unpleasant, random mess. In business, building harmony throughout an organization takes work. You might find yourself sounding like a broken record, but keeping teams aligned means constantly reinforcing the most important aspects of your business—your mission, vision, values, story and uniqueness.

Coach Teams to Greatness

The role of a conductor is to provide feedback, guidance and encouragement to musicians, helping them reach their full potential. In the same way, leaders should direct and provide the resources their teams need to achieve the company’s goals, as well as their own professional goals. This can take the form of training or coaching sessions that build on employees’ skills.

There’s much for leaders to learn from the way a conductor directs an orchestra. The best leaders, like the greatest conductors, bring out exceptional performances in their teams. They understand how to maximize individual strengths and bring them together to differentiate and deliver on the company’s mission. Try leading like a conductor and discover your organization’s greatest symphony.

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Ideas, innovation and progress are stifled.

When team members are kept separate, ideas and innovation are stifled. Creativity and input across departments is essential to generating new ideas that fully answer the needs and desires of customers. Some of the best ideas are the result of seemingly disparate groups coming together and each sharing their unique views and expertise to solve a challenge or create something entirely unique. It’s also energizing to brainstorm with colleagues you normally don’t interact with day-to-day. It provides a fresh perspective to all.

The focus is taken off what matters most: customers, relationships, growth, sales, morale and passion.

When silos have built up within a company, the focus turns inward. There’s little to no sharing of ideas, resources, goals or information. It’s “each department for themselves.” Customer service takes a back seat to a contentious mentality, turf wars and general one-upmanship. This results in everything from lost sales and loyalty to the complete collapse of an organization. A thriving business aligns goals across all departments and promotes a culture of collaboration to the benefit of customers and its employees.

Disagreements begin to breed discontentment.

Disagreements go hand-in-hand with business silos, which breed discontentment. When the silos are torn down, disagreements will still happen and emotions will even run high at times, but it’s ok as long as people are part of a cohesive team. Sharing the same goals, they can work together to achieve them, even if it means disagreeing with each other to ultimately make a solution or product better.

Employee turnover increases.

Employees caught in business silos often don’t see the big picture or understand their role in achieving the company’s goals. This narrow view prevents them from recognizing the true value they bring to the larger organization, causing low morale, isolation and disengagement. Teams that understand their value are more satisfied on the job and less likely to jump ship and explore other opportunities.

Work quality suffers.

Business silos create a combative, unhealthy culture. It’s difficult to do your best work when you’re constantly in a battle with other departments or concerned about protecting yourself and your position. And when information isn’t readily shared among departments, solutions, products and services are developed in a vacuum, leading to poor quality and design. Ultimately, the customer experience suffers.

Overcoming business silos can be a challenge, but it’s essential to a successful, thriving organization. It begins with leadership setting the right tone and encouraging collaboration and teamwork. Try establishing goals or assigning projects that require employees from different areas and functions to work together. Ensure everyone is aligned with the company’s mission and vision. This can be achieved through internal branding efforts that bring employees together and emphasize they are all on one team, working toward the same goals. My company has even created internal branding events where employees sign a banner with the company’s values and mission. It creates a visual statement of their unity and commitment.

Step by step, a company can remove business silos and foster a culture in which employees work with, rather than against, each other. When that happens, it paves the way for greater innovation and ultimately greater success.

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I’ve collaborated with business leaders for over four decades. They’ve come from companies of all sizes, industries and degrees of success. I’m happy to say most of them have done an amazing job at the helm, inspiring employees, differentiating their brands and driving customer loyalty, innovation, quality and productivity. There are certain universal qualities and actions that propelled these leaders and their businesses to the top. Let’s take a look at them.

Differentiate and Elevate

Leaders have told me that discovering and celebrating their brand’s differentiation was one of the most rewarding experiences of their career. Like any great journey, differentiating takes time, but it’s well worth the effort. It can transform a company from being just another product or service to being in demand. Discovering a brand’s unique qualities and sharing that story not only builds value, sales and customer loyalty, it also drives employee satisfaction and engagement when it’s celebrated with them.

Embrace Different Ideas and Approaches

Great leaders seek out different ideas and approaches and embrace difference. The best leaders maintain an open mind, knowing the next great idea can come from anywhere. It expands their perspective and creates an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered to make an impact. A diversity of ideas gives leaders more ammunition to overcome challenges and make more informed decisions that drive growth.

Resist Brand Homogenization

If you’re the leader of a company that has acquired many other brands in the same segment, it can be tempting to “streamline” them. This transforms once-unique companies into boring, mediocre, one-size-fits-all brands that no longer have their own personality or value. It’s demotivating to employees and ultimately blurs brands, possibly to the point of extinction.

Guide, Counsel and then Trust

For leaders, it can be difficult to resist intervening when something isn’t done the way they would do it. They have their own vision and when that’s not realized, the easiest response is to step in and fix it. But that can demotivate teams and damage morale. True leaders realize different approaches do not necessarily mean something is wrong or inferior. Instead, they coach and guide their teams, while trusting them to execute their vision.

Give Significance

It’s a leader’s role to provide significance to every individual who represents or affects the enterprise. That includes helping their team understand the value of what they do at the company. When employees recognize the importance and meaning they bring, they are less likely to look at a company as merely a steppingstone to bigger and better things. It instills a deep pride that reduces turnover, improves quality and elevates the experiences provided to customers.

Address the Invisible Elephants

Don’t be the leader who avoids addressing the invisible elephants that exist within a company. If there are issues, employees usually sense it, whether they voice their concerns or remain silent. The natural reaction is to fill any void of information with negativity. Great leaders avoid the void and speak the truth. Even if they don’t have all the information they need or can’t share it yet, they update employees as much as possible. Key players resist the temptation to wait until they have all the details before telling their employees anything—a sure recipe for disaster.

Live the Brand

Highly effective leaders “live” their brand. They not only sell their products, they own them. They become walking brand ambassadors who connect with customers on a deeper, personal level. Leaders like this truly understand what drives value in their company and gain a clear vision for their company’s future.

Be Accessible

What happens when a major customer issue or opportunity arises? The best leaders make themselves accessible and immediately jump in. You can build lifelong relationships when the customer knows you care. Conversely, if a leader is never available to discuss a situation, that makes a statement. Accessibility also goes for employees. When leaders take the time to listen to their team, they earn their respect and loyalty.

There’s more to being a great leader than impassioned speeches, shaking hands and keeping shareholders happy. It takes listening, inspiring and, yes, even being vulnerable at times. An effective leader can have far-reaching impacts on a business, from increased profits to building brand value to elevating employee morale and customer loyalty. While these leadership traits may be second nature to some people, for most, being a good leader happens over time through trial and error. Like anything else, the more work you put into it, the greater the rewards.

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When was the last time you faced or wrestled with a morally challenging business decision? How did you handle it? Were you left with a paradoxical outcome? Or with a meaningful, integral and satisfying solution? Did you simply take the risk of the consequences and make the decision autocratically? Or did you center yourself and use more objective reasoning, resulting in a more sustainable fair exchange? Did your decision result in a zero-sum game or a non-zero-sum game?

In the early 1990s, I was contacted and requested to consult for the founder of a rapidly growing website developing company headquartered out of Florida. The company was quickly scaling up and expanding its operations to meet the urgent new demand for business websites in the US and other countries throughout the world. The founder was hiring hundreds of website developers, with their newly emerging technical and graphic skills, from various colleges. The founder presented me with what he termed his sleepless night-initiating, business challenging, moral conundrum.

His number one performer in website development package sales was a recently hired woman who was selling more website development contracts than five of the other existing sales specialists combined. Her recent coming on board seemed critically vital to the rapidly growing company. The founder was admiring her performance, was a bit now dependent on her, and felt she was definitely adding to the company’s stability, brand and image.

During this same time, his cofounding business partner of three years, who was initially very active in helping build phase one of the company, was now slacking off. He was uninspired, a bit debaucherous, and no longer considered by the founder to be very contributive and productive, yet he was still unfairly receiving 49 percent of the current business profits—at least according to the founder’s current subjective perceptions. The founder disclosed that he felt that their initial business partnership arrangement/agreement was no longer a fair arrangement for the efforts the cofounding partner was currently providing, in comparison to his own.

The founder either wanted to renegotiate the terms of the original agreement or buy his cofounding partner out, since his attempt to try to get his partner to be more focused, strategic and actively engaged was not being effective or fruitful, which was more than frustrating and enraging him. He also felt the cofounder’s lowered work ethic was also rippling down to some of the longer-term sales specialists and administrative staff and catalyzing similar less-productive entitlements in some individuals in a few of the departments.

The founder, though, had a bit of an additional challenge. The cofounding partner was “secretively” having a recently discovered, passionately intimate affair with the number one saleswoman. So the founder’s dependency on the saleswoman and his simultaneous desire for independence from the cofounder was leaving him with a challenging moral paradox. How does he approach this sensitive issue without disrupting the current growth of the company? Particularly, since the company’s current executive management policy was to disallow such romantic affairs between executives or between executives and non-executives.

If he challenged the cofounding partner on the relationship issue and his reduced productivity, and it was not done with finesse and sensitivity, it could jeopardize the dynamic he currently had with the recently hired, highly productive saleswoman, due to her potential paradox of priority and loyalty.

The founder was running various scenarios around in his mind about the fallout of confronting his cofounding partner, and about its impact on a potential decline in the percentage of the profits, and about its impact on her performance and commitment to the company—over her loyalty to the cofounder.

If he stuck his head in the sand and attempted to ignore the situation, he would further perpetuate in his mind the seemingly unfair exchange, the out-of-integrity scenario with his cofounding partner and the corporate policy infringement. This would lead to further degrees of confusion, resentment and an imbalance in workloads between the two, which would eventually resurface and again have to be faced and confronted.

The founder was certainly admiring the saleswoman’s productivity and was conscious of her upsides and unconscious of her downsides. He was simultaneously quite resentful of the cofounding partner and was, in contrast, conscious of his downsides and unconscious of his upsides. He was therefore caught in the subjectively-biased web of a harsh, emotionally-trying reality—a seeming moral paradox.

I had the founder make a thorough list of the downsides to the saleswoman that he was blind to and a list of the upsides to the cofounding partner, which he was also blind to—in order to balance out his perception. This would level the playing field and center himself back into his more objective executive function in his forebrain since he was enraged and functioning from his amygdala and emotionally overreacting. This calmed down his emotional subjective blindness and helped him perceive more fairly and objectively these two individuals. Once he perceived the balance to both individuals, he was able to come to a more reasonable solution and not impulsively and instinctually react.

He then had a meeting with the leading saleswoman and explained how important it was for her to share her highly polished selling skills with the remaining sales teams. This would help sales be a bit more evenly distributed, so as to not discourage the remaining sales specialists and not have the company too dependent upon her. When he was admiring her and blind to her downsides, he feared her loss. Once he leveled the perceptions, his anxiety calmed, and he was able to help her be more accountable to the company in a newly broadened way.

He also met with his cofounding partner, and instead of lashing out with his previous emotionally pent-up rage, he more calmly revealed to his partner the stats concerning his performance. He asked his partner what he was experiencing or going through since his productivity had so declined that it was not like his previous performing self. He also asked if he was unfulfilled in the role that gradually emerged from the growth that they now had. Was he contemplating alternative directions? Was he aware of the impact his distraction was having on the performance of the teams he oversaw? Was he feeling that he was contributing all that he could to the company? Was he contemplating other company positions? Was he wanting to retire early? Was he aware of the impact his relationship with the new saleswoman was having on the teams below him and on corporate policy infringement? In other words, he had a discussion that brought the integrity back between them and cleared the repressed emotions and uncertainties.

The cofounding partner openly admitted he was currently disengaged, was wanting to pursue a new direction for the company and was feeling that the founding partner had different intentions long-term than him. So they hashed the differences out and came to a conclusion that they were going to add another new department to the company, which allowed the cofounder to become reengaged and add new services that contributed to the overall long-term profits and growth.

The cofounder realized that his affair was leaving the company vulnerable and was not setting or exemplifying the standards originally intended and he was misleading himself and the saleswoman on his true long-term intentions. So he then humbly communicated his concerns and feelings to the saleswoman and requested that they reestablish a more professional relationship since he intuitively knew it was probably not going to be a long-term relationship, though he sincerely appreciated the time they had together. He shared with her that her talents and position in the business were far too important to take the risk of potentially jeopardizing them by being a bit irresponsible, though he was sincere with his passionate short-term feelings.

These two discussions cleared the air and energies up between all three individuals and helped reignite the cofounder’s focus on the business mission. One of the lessons learned was that: Earning money without engagement, meaning and fulfillment can lead to amygdala-based debauchery. But earning money with meaning, and fulfilling careers with engagement, can lead to integrity, sustainability and philanthropy.

Once the cofounder was re-engaged in his business, his behaviors become more governed and focused, his productivity returned, and he and the founder’s original partnership arrangement was back on track. The saleswoman was also partly relieved since she knew she was walking a bit on fire and could have jeopardized her position and career path and credibility.

The new department allowed the cofounder to be reinspired by the business mission. It also enabled him to be more of a spokesperson for the emerging specialty field in universities and in public media and therefore allowed him to participate in a greater leadership position in the website development market. The founder was sleeping again and was refocused and inspired.

Returning to integrity and sustainable fair exchange in business relationship transactions when confronted by such morally challenging business decisions pays off, physically, emotionally, mentally, vocationally, socially and financially.

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The luxury market has long grappled with the pervasive issue of counterfeit products. As we move into 2024, a groundbreaking solution emerges to combat this fraud: Entrupy.

Entrupy is an innovative app designed to authenticate luxury products. By scanning the item and analyzing its SKU, this app utilizes advanced AI technology to swiftly determine its authenticity. This tool is invaluable, especially when purchasing from unfamiliar sources or resellers. Entrupy meticulously inspects the intricate details of luxury goods, offering a staggering 99% accuracy in verifying their legitimacy.

However, Entrupy isn’t the only line of defense against fakes. Consumers should also be vigilant about the quality and craftsmanship of their purchases. Luxury brands like Rolex, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton are commonly targeted by counterfeiters, who sell these knock-offs at inflated prices. To avoid falling prey to such scams, closely scrutinize the finer aspects of the product.

The impact of counterfeit luxury goods extends beyond tarnishing brand reputations. These fakes often compromise on quality, utilizing inferior materials, potentially hazardous chemicals, and even flammable components. This not only diminishes the consumer’s experience but also devalues the genuine articles by associating the brand with substandard quality.

Entrupy steps in to safeguard both consumers and their beloved brands. Signing up for the service is straightforward – download the Entrupy app and select a suitable plan. Plans start at an affordable $119 a month for five scans, a small price for the peace of mind and financial security it offers. This service eliminates the need for costly appraisals or the risk of investing in dubious products.

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The moment your jet touches down, the journey towards your next destination begins. With NYC Limousine VIP, expect nothing less than a seamless transition to wherever your heart desires. Stepping off your private jet, you deserve a travel experience that echoes the luxury and comfort you’ve just left. That’s where we step in.

NYC Limousine VIP is more than a service; it’s a promise of elegance, safety, and unmatched comfort. We are at your beck and call to whisk you away from FBOs, airports, train stations, cruise ports, hotels, and other transit hubs. Our fleet of luxury vehicles, paired with our highly vetted professional drivers, ensures that every journey is as refined and secure as your flight.

Imagine this: you’ve just arrived at your destination, but the day’s travels aren’t over yet. NYC Limousine VIP is adept at tailoring our services to your unique needs. Need to dash between two points? Our point-to-point service offers a flat rate for direct transportation.

In a post-pandemic world, travel dynamics have shifted, and not every journey calls for a flight. For those intercity travels, we offer a luxurious alternative. Glide from one city to another in the supreme comfort of our vehicles, redefining long-distance travel. Require a car at your disposal for the day? Our flexible hourly rates cater to your schedule, whether it’s multiple stops or an extended tour of the city.

Twenty years ago, our journey began in the heart of New York City. Today, our footprint spans the globe. From the romantic streets of Paris to the bustling avenues of Singapore, our commitment to luxury ground transportation remains unwavering.

Specializing in group dynamics with our fleet of shuttles and buses, NYC Limousine VIP effortlessly manages transportation for meetings and events. Whether it’s a small gathering or a large group, our team excels in providing smooth, coordinated travel services.

You arrived in the skies in style; let your journey on the ground reflect the same sophistication. Choose NYC Limousine VIP for your next luxury ride and experience the epitome of ground travel elegance.

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Most areas of the real estate market have seen substantial price increases since 2020. These increases, along with increased interest rates, have made it hard to make deals pencil out and show cashflow. Even though my company MC Companies looks for deals every day, the ones where there is potential for cashflow are few and far in between.

Because it is hard to find cash flowing deals, this is the point in the cycle when people start trying to get creative to make cashflow work. I love the creativity and I do this in my own company. Some people look at adding additional dwelling units or upgrading units to provide more cashflow. Even looking at buildings that are managed poorly or are undervaluing their rents are hidden opportunities to make a deal work.

However, there is one strategy I am strongly against that many gurus are recommending, and I want to address this “strategy” and the issues I have with it in today’s environment. Adjustable rate mortgages or ARMS, are a tool that some are recommending people use in order to make the cashflow work. For those that don’t know how an ARM works, it essentially is a mortgage rate that fluctuates and is not fixed. Depending on the terms, the ARM will determine how often it can adjust its rate, but no matter what, it is not a fixed rate. People go for these mortgages because the initial rate is lower.

This is a big bet to take on the Federal Reserve. If you take out an ARM, you essentially are betting the FED will lower rates significantly in the next couple of years. However, if they don’t, then you will be cruising for a much higher rate than if you locked in to fixed rate debt. Ross and I have locked in most of our properties, and the few we have left to refinance we are currently working on as we speak.

A few other things to consider about adjustable rate mortgages is even though they go up, they don’t necessarily go down when rates start to fall. Normally they hold steady or continue to increase. This puts people in a bind like it did in 2008, when the downpayment has increased so significantly, the borrower cannot even make their payment.

Now you may be thinking if that were to happen, you can always refinance into fixed debt, but the question is, can you? In 2008, property values went down. Ross and I owed more to the bank than what the properties were worth. What saved us was the cashflow. If the property you purchased no longer is worth what you bought it for, you cannot refinance. If the payment becomes too high for you to make each month, now you are in a dilemma. You can’t refinance, you can’t sell, so you either make the payments or walk away from the property. That is not a position you want to put yourself in.

In times of high inflation and a very aggressive FED, you only want to be in fixed debt. Sure, the FED may lower rates in the next couple of years and real estate values may remain strong. If this is the case, I will still hold my position, because as an experienced investor I know these are not gambles you want to take. Play the long game. Play for cashflow and use fixed debt in times like these where rates are going up and values are not. Don’t try and make deals work by taking risks; find deals that work fundamentally with the current fixed rate environment. Remember, slow and steady always wins the race.

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Building brand communities has changed a lot over the last 25 years. Back in the day, in-person events, meetings and shows, as well as newsletters and magazines, helped owners find likeminded enthusiasts who had a similar passion for a brand or product. Brands would promote owner loyalty by creating and supporting owner clubs. Volkswagen still has clubs around the world devoted to a shared love for its vintage models. Think Beetles, Buses and Rabbits . . . oh my. While groups like these remain vital to creating and maintaining an owner culture, brands also have at their disposal a world of opportunities to build communities online and via apps. The companies that do it well foster a sense of belonging among owners and differentiate their brands in the minds and hearts of customers like never before.

Spreading Brand Positive Word-of-Mouth

How often do you scroll to the consumer reviews before making an online purchase? Often, it’s the first thing we do, even before reading a product description or specifications. And it stands to reason that the more expensive a product, the greater importance we place on the opinions of current owners. According to Nielsen’s 2021 Trust in Advertising study, 88 percent of global respondents trust recommendations from people they know more than any other channel. Online communities are opportunities for consumers to talk and share opinions with each other, spreading that ever-important word-of-mouth and driving purchases.

Sharing Ideas

Whether it’s discovering new ways to use a product or sharing ideas for future offerings, online communities give customers a voice. LEGO has been extremely successful at cultivating an online owner community. It’s estimated there are 400 billion LEGO pieces in the world, which, stacked together, would circumvent the Earth five times. That’s a lot of pieces and a lot of customers with plenty to share. The brand harnessed that creative energy into LEGO Ideas, a community where customers can post their product ideas, view challenges, collaborate and share their love for the iconic toy.

Creating Brand Community

When you think of the most loyal, diehard owners, you think Harley-Davidson. In addition to the hundreds of clubs in existence around the world, the iconic brand has created a thriving network of enthusiast chapters centered on the love of riding and passion for Harley motorcycles. Harley Owners Group, or H.O.G.®, is the official Harley community where owners have opportunities to share their love for the brand both in-person and online. Whether they’re competing with other chapters in ride challenges, attending rallies around the country or sharing stories from the road, owners are united as H.O.G. members.

Thinking Differently

As of 2023, there are more than 1.5 billion active iPhone users in the world. That’s not counting the millions or likely billions more who own Apple Watch, iPad and Mac devices. This megabrand created the Apple Support Community for customers to connect with each other, ask questions, find advice and learn more about the products from experienced community members. They’ve even gamified it so members can earn points for different activities like answering another member’s question, uploading a user tip or attending a community meet-up. Imagine how many customer support questions Apple would be fielding if this online community didn’t exist.

Innovating the Future

What better way to gather customer input than an online owner group? While the traditional R&D process drives future product development, thinking of owners as co-creators produces a more open platform for innovation. Brands like BMW, Ikea, Starbucks and Unilever have all supported a sense of community among customers by seeing them not merely as end users of their products but people who can contribute ideas for the future.

Today more than ever, opportunities abound for customers to connect with each other and share their passion for brands and products. Companies that build and foster owner communities establish deeper customer relationships, generating loyalty, goodwill and positive word-of-mouth. Whether online, in person or a combination of the two, owner groups are an effective, smart brand strategy with far-reaching rewards.

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Companies that have been around for 80, 90, 100+ years are quite amazing. They’ve been able to withstand competitive and economic challenges, internal divisions . . . even wars and pandemics. So, what is it that they’re doing so right? The most successful companies have maintained a steadfast focus on keeping their brand signal strong and reinforcing what makes them unique. At the other end of the spectrum, those that have faltered have failed to keep their differentiation front and center. After all, when you’ve been in business for years and years, shouldn’t everyone already know what makes you special? It’s a risky assumption, considering industry newcomers can gobble up market share by more aggressively touting their advanced technologies, the products they’re developing or the streamlined processes they’re using. All the while, they can make long-standing companies look like dinosaurs.

Established brands that find themselves struggling often have a hidden innovation, whether it’s brilliant technology, an innovative feature or industry-leading engineering, manufacturing or service process, that isn’t being fully leveraged. That innovation must be protected, especially when there’s new ownership or leadership at the company. What’s special about the business must remain at the forefront during any big changes.

Companies that have lost their brand signal have audiences—employees, dealers, distributors, customers, suppliers, shareholders—who crave a more energized vision for the company’s future. People want to have confidence in the company who employs them or whose products they buy or sell. That can only happen when a brand has a clear, established vision.

So how does a business that has lost its brand signal find it again? It can re-engineer its brand. Re-engineering is defined as the systematic starting over and reinvention of the way a firm or a business gets its work done. For fatigued brands, re-engineering requires a deep dive into all the technical areas of manufacturing, identifying advantages and differentiators that can distinguish them in the industry and help regain or retain its position. This deep-dive process may unearth some existing processes, technologies, etc., that also need re-engineering.

An upcoming new product introduction can be an ideal time to re-engineer a brand. By leveraging the launch of a new product and all the marketing efforts that go along with it, a company can re-ignite its brand.

Brand re-engineering requires total engagement of all employees and those who represent the brand. Because this process goes far deeper than a logo or slogan, it’s important that all parts of a company play a role in the effort. Without this level of involvement, the initiative will be doomed to be repeated in the coming years. It’s an intensive process that reveals information that may not have been previously considered but can actually help clarify a vision and strategy for the brand moving forward.

A company can significantly elevate its success by re-engineering its brand. The most obvious positive business results are increased sales and an energized vision and focus. That elicits a boost in morale among employees and the sales channel because the brand is once again seen as a force in the industry. In essence, the sleeping giant is awakened. A roadmap for the future is clearly laid out, and that’s something that generates confidence.

Brand re-engineering also increases brand value. Some brands have more equity than others, but every brand has value. Apple’s brand is estimated to be worth over $297 billion. When a company increases the value of its brand, the overall value of the business is positively impacted. When brand value increases, it opens opportunities to new markets and segments, which in turn means more sales opportunities.

Companies, especially those that have been around for many years, must leverage everything they do that makes them unique in the marketplace. That un-named process that makes a product far superior to others, that million-dollar investment in new technology, that cutting-edge manufacturing method—they all have great potential, if leveraged correctly. Long-standing companies will retain their place at the top of the industry if they focus on keeping their brand signal strong.

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According to Peter Greenberg, Partner at Ester Bruzkus Architekten Berlin, stated, “We combined our expertise in residential, hospitality, retail, and workplace design to make a generous and welcoming neighborhood center for guests of all ages – in particular older guests for whom online banking is unfamiliar and for whom the re-design of banks is often alienating.”

Futhermore, the PSD bank embodies the talents of its community in Berlin. The interior design incorporates materials sourced from both local and German manufacturers. The furniture, interior art, and crafts, are all locally produced, showcasing the bank’s commitment to supporting local artisans.

PSD Bank’s intimate community space cleverly blends shiny metals, pickled woods, and terrazzo with recycled materials. The historical colors meticulously preserved over a century of paint layers, add a touch of authenticity. The bank seamlessly blends contemporary and traditional design principals, resulting in a harmonious style.

Spanning an impressive 950 square meter, the bank features an exquisite open-floor plan, centering the banking hall, with two separate corridors branching out. The design prioritizes reusing and recycling materials wherever possible, even restoring the building’s historical shell.  The original dark wood columns and stone flooring proudly stand as a bastion of the community’s past.

The PSD Bank Berlin-Brandenburg eG holds immense potential to become Berlin’s latest community hub, offering a wide range of possibilities for its patrons and the city as a whole.

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