Tag Archives: Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne

Brand Power

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What is a brand? It’s a living, breathing entity that succeeds or fails as a direct result of every action undertaken in your business. It’s about so much more than logos and packaging; it must reflect the values at the very heart of your company.

Exchange Director Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne of Genius Foods has spent years nurturing the Genius brand and she shared the wisdom garnered at a recent Exchange Focus Dinner.

Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne

Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne

For the members around the table, the knowledge and experiences shared are already having a direct impact on their businesses.

Keith Wight of SST Sensing believes a brand is much more than a company or product name, it is a combination of a promise to customers of quality and reliability, and something they relate to meeting their needs.

When creating a brand you should start with the needs and expectations of the customer, ensuring the brand resonates with importance to them rather than simply being a quirky name.

Keith, the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year 2011, added:” I am currently looking for an International Business Development Manager and will put greater emphasis on branding for the position than I would have previously done.”

Highlights for Andrew Robert Gordon were being able to pass on benefits of experiences and ideas for others at the table.

“Don’t be afraid to punch above your weight is a good reminder to those who already do, like myself,” said Andrew, whose business is Andrew Gordon Butchery and Fine Foods.

“The points that resonated with me and my business were that of having your team having the belief and passion for what the business is all about, and for them to fully understand my reasons for high standards, top quality produce and first class customer service.

“I will be introducing new booklets and wall charts within my business detailing our company values and standards as a reminder to all what we stand for.”

Feedback from other attendees:

“The value of this event was hearing anecdotes from the range of experience in the room and not just the speaker.”

“Key tip for me was to focus on what your brand means, and building personality and character in the brand.”

Speaker biog – Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne

New Chairman, Chris van der Kuyl, on the future of the Exchange

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Chris van der Kuyl, CEO of BrightSolid, was appointed Chairman of the Exchange at the Annual Conference. He’s hugely ambitious for the organisation over the next 12 months, and spoke of the challenges and opportunities facing Scotland’s entrepreneurs.

In his opening address to the conference, Chris said: “While the economic outlook continues to be gloomy it is inspiring to see so many of you seeking out the opportunities that occur in challenging times, that’s the definition of an entrepreneur, that we actively seek out challenges and change.

“Nobody got up the day that the banks crashed and did back flips, but by the end of the day, or the next morning, when we’d done all the risk assessment, most of us knew what was going on and started to think about the opportunities it would create.

“In the next few years ahead of us, in the UK and in Scotland, it’s going to be historic, we’ve got the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and some kind of referendum. The spot light will be on us, as a nation, both the UK and more specifically, Scotland. We in the Exchange need to be acting as an incredibly strong voice for the entrepreneurial community, we’ve got to look at the challenges and opportunities ahead and be debating them, discussing them and acting on a strong and coherent message that supports the growth potential of every Scottish entrepreneur in business.

“None of us knows where that is going to be, but we can be a pivotal point for that debate, encourage that debate and support us all in trying to get the best outcome. Because what do we care about? We care about a thriving environment to do business in. There are great entrepreneurial opportunities, whether they are barriers blown out the way when it comes to red tape or access to finance, and its very important we do take a strong position whether that’s with sister organisations across the country, like the RSE who are spurring on the intellectual debate or the governments of the time.”

Chris also shared his thoughts about the new Board directors, appointed at the conference.