Articulon Named Agency of Record for St. Patty’s Run Green 8K
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It seems to me that what these banks are touting as a differentiator is actually what makes them all the same. Brand is not created on what makes your company or product the SAME as your competition, but what makes your company impossible to replicate.
One of my favorite definitions of brand – and what breeds brand loyalty – comes from Dr. Jay Barney of Ohio State University. According to his VRIO model, a brand has to possess the following attributes:
• Valuable – Solves a problem or fills a legitimate need for your customer
• Rare – Something that your competition doesn’t have
• Costly to imitate – Almost impossible for your competition to replicate
• Organizationally leveraged – Your company compliments and communicates the brand value on all levels
I’d like to ask those CEO’s the same question again, but in the VRIO context: “What makes your bank different?”
I imagine I would hear more about HOW they service their customers, how their organization is structured that makes them able to do so, what innovative products they have created to better serve their communities, how their business strategy is stronger, and ultimately, why they have STAYING POWER over their competition.
I’ll give a couple of examples of NC community banks that have established brands with staying power, in my opinion.
Live Oak Bank, based in Wilmington, NC, has positioned itself as a resource for Dentists, Veterinarians and Pharmacists. “Lending more than Capital”.
Square 1 Bank touts the “Power of the Entrepreneur”, and promises to provide creative and focused financial services and advice for start-ups and innovators. They go beyond traditional banking to providing consultation on business plan, executive searches and connections to the venture community through their Square Roots program.
Now THAT provides value, is rare, costly to imitate and permeates the entire organization.
And that is what we mean when we say, Never Stop Differentiating.
Regency Donates $30,000 to Local Nonprofit
RALEIGH, N.C. (February 24, 2011) – Eric Beguelin, managing partner of Regency Office Products (www.regencyofficeproducts.com), announces today that the company is contributing more than $30,000 to the recently established nonprofit 1in9 (www.1in9.com). Started in 2010, the organization strives to financially support women enduring breast cancer treatments in a means that removes the red tape.
“Having personally experienced the life changing news of a breast cancer diagnosis, it didn’t take long to realize that there are so many patients and families in need of support,” says Beguelin. “By sponsoring 1in9, Regency is able to make an impact in a quick and effective way, and will positively influence the recovery of breast cancer patients today.”
Proceeds from 1in9 are donated to patients in ways that will ease the emotional and financial burdens related to cancer care. Examples include: transportation assistance, lodging, food and medical co-pays.
In addition to a monetary contribution, Regency’s marketing and promotional departments are responsible for the resources used in starting 1in9.com and initiating its marketing efforts. By utilizing its position as a Top 100 Print and Promotional Distributor, Regency has been able to jumpstart the nonprofit’s campaigning by providing top-of-the-line marketing, print and promotional materials.
For more information on corporate sponsorships of 1in9, visit www.1in9.com/sponsors.
About Regency Office Products:
Founded in 2002, Regency Office Products is one of the fastest growing, independent office supply companies in the United States, and a Top 100 Print Distributor according to Print Solutions Magazine. The entire staff of Regency is committed to providing a Total Office Solution, specializing in five 5 major product categories: office products, printed material, promotional items and apparel, marketing services, and shredding and recycling. Regency is headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., and has offices in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Nashville and St. Louis. For more information, visit www.regencyofficeproducts.com or call (888) 973-4362.
About 1in9:
One in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. 1in9.com is a website and blog dedicated to supporting breast cancer patients and their families, and raising awareness of their needs. The proceeds from 1in9 are donated to patients in ways that will ease the emotional and financial burdens related to cancer care including: transportation, lodging, food and medical co-pays. In addition, 1in9 strives to promote community awareness regarding the incidence of breast cancer and the importance of early diagnosis through yearly mammograms, physical exams and monthly self-exams. For more information, visit www.1in9.com or call (919) 582-9798.
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Brady Upgrades to Save UNCW Nearly $9 Million
WILMINGTON, N.C. (February 22,2011) — Sustainability at its best will be showcased at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 23, when University of North Carolina Wilmington Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo tours $4.5 million of mechanical and electrical upgrades that will save the state of North Carolina $8.9 million. The tour will begin in Alderman Hall, room 215.
Chancellor DePaolo will tour the newly renovated campus facilities, which include upgrades such as energy-efficient boilers and solar tubes, with Jim Brady, president of Brady Services (www.bradyservices.com), the energy solutions provider who serviced the upgrades. In July 2010, Brady, a Trane® franchise that provides high-efficiency HVAC systems and comprehensive building solutions for commercial and industrial facilities in N.C., began the upgrades at UNCW as part of a performance contract.
The UNCW performance contract, the first in the 17-campus UNC System to include day lighting as an energy savings strategy, guarantees at least $333,000 in annual energy savings, a total of $8.9 million over the 20-year life of the agreement.
Trane Comfort Solutions Inc. assumes the financial risk of the project, enabling UNCW to use future energy savings to pay for up-front costs and eliminating the need to use capital improvement budgets to upgrade systems. The agreement guarantees that if energy savings projections are not achieved, Trane will write the university a check for the difference. Energy savings audits and financial reconciliation will be conducted annually.
The unique day lighting solar tubes added to Randall Library will be toured, along with additional upgrades designed to increase energy efficiency and/or reduce water consumption including HVAC upgrades, automated lighting, added connections to central plants and more.
Brady Services provides administrative and engineering support, as well was management of the installation of the energy conservation measures. Brady Services, a N.C. company, provides sustainable, comprehensive building solutions for commercial and industrial facilities. For more information, visit www.bradyservices.com or call 1.800.849.1915.