As a brand development firm, one of the most valuable services we offer might surprise you. It's objectivity.

So often, an organization's intuition on their brand is colored by deep engagement in their work. Those last couple words sound like a good thing, don't they?

But whether you are a sole proprietor, or a CEO of a global brand, the minute you dive into your work and market, your objectivity is compromised. You begin to see things in a different light through different filters (both positive and negative). Your busyness, or lack thereof, taints the "truth". This skewed vision now begins to impact your decision-making and your brand.

It could result in an unrealistic view of your loyalty status (either negative or positive) and in that case, you would be connecting with your marketplace under false pretences, which would be recognized quickly and have immediate ramifications. Alternatively, your view on your communications/advertising could be skewed because your in-house creative department (which you spearhead) followed your direction to the "T".

While no one is absolutely unbiased (we all bring our life experiences to the table), there are those of us who are keenly aware of our potential for bias and have put training and processes in place to be that valuable, unbiased opinion. This, mixed with a talented and experienced marketing pool, and combined with the client's strong knowledge of their work and marketplace creates an atmosphere of massive potential.

That is my biased opinion. What's yours?

Andrew VanderPloeg Guest Blogger, Consultant

Andrew served at Bark for over 20 years before recently taking over the role of Vice President of Marketing & Communications at ShareWord, one of our favorite organizations.