May 28, 2010
How Did We Get Here?
Take a second to step back and think about how you got to where you are. Is this where you thought you would be? Are you going in the right direction? This, among many other reasons, is why we decided to start GD Squared over three years ago. We took a step back from our lives and asked ourselves if what we were doing was helping us get to where we wanted to go.
After working with different companies, we realized that we were missing something with the marketing materials we were creating. We would be brought in to design a couple of nice pieces, but they weren’t a part of the organization’s long-term goals. We would invest a lot of time (and the clients would invest a lot of money) on one-off projects that didn’t generate the right amount of buzz. And there is a good reason for that, one piece can’t do that on its own.
After going through this same cycle time and again, we knew that there had to be a better way. We wanted to create solutions that fit in with a bigger goal, and we needed to find a way to help clients infuse a culture of design into their organization. This was an awakening for us as we discovered how many companies don’t know what their long-term goals are.
A company’s brand can only be successful if it is based upon a larger strategy and then managed well over time. Up until this point, there has not been a good way for mid-sized companies to execute that plan without incurring the cost of a large agency. That’s where we found our niche, and so we created a small marketing and design firm that strategically works to uncover an organization’s brand and show their customers who they are, why they are different, and why people should care.
So that is how we have gotten to where we are today. Our Big Idea is constantly evolving, and we wanted to let you in on a little secret about where we’re headed:
We want to become a part of our client’s company. We want to spend time at their office, go to meetings, and even hang out at the water cooler. Essentially we want to be their branding department without them having to bring on an internal staff. Getting inside their company gives us the ability to really uncover what makes them tick and gives them the branding system and financial stability they need to grow their business. With this working relationship, we can build a bond and continue to consistently and creatively communicate their message with a long-term plan in mind. This allows us to provide outside perspective from inside their brand.
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