The Root
Brands begin at the root, emanating from a collection of core truths buried in the heart of a leader. The root holds a brand together, provides a sturdy foundation for growth and defines the culture and human experience.
Intrinsic Branding
The practice of organizing your brand around this root is called intrinsic branding.
Intrinsic branding is building your brand from the inside out, rather than the outside in. Intrinsic branding is a long game. It’s also the most sustainable, actionable and practical way of differentiating your brand over time.
Intrinsic branding requires leaders who have high emotional and spiritual intelligence, are driven to change the world with their work, and are strongly opposed to sameness.
Brand Discovery
We work with these leaders through a process called Brand Discovery. Brand Discovery is done several years into a growing business, or a re-brand of an established business.
You’re already great at what you do. Brand Discovery gives you the words to describe that great work.
At the heart of the Brand Discovery process is a Root Session.
The Root Session
The Root Session takes you to a place you’ve been told does not matter in business — to your heart. The true heart of the matter, the heart of your people, the heart of why you exist.
Within this collective heart is a map in a bottle that leads to a brand. We smash the glass and orient the map for you.
In one day together, we will help show you the future of your brand.
About The Root Session
Re-connecting past passions to future vision, the Root Session is a one- to two-day solo or leadership team retreat in Austin or Scottsdale (or your location) to begin to organize your brand around your mission, articulate your beliefs as a message and set a course for how this message will be shared with world.
The Root Session moves you away from chasing slogans and tactics to speaking your message from your heart to an audience eager to receive it. Together, we lay the foundation of differentiation and create a unique category of distinction and set your word of mouth flywheel in motion.
The Root Session will establish:
- a set of standards to scale your mission and culture
- the way to talk about your brand, message and offerings in any conversation
- how to attract your ideal audience and repel those who are a drain on your time and resources
- alignment of your brand strategy with your business model and growth strategy
- a level set of brand intelligence to enable you to make the right marketing decisions
The Root Session is like nothing you have ever experienced. Part strategy session, part therapy, part adventure, the Root Session will re-arrange your thinking, re-orient your direction and re-invigorate your joy.
The Root Session will be thrilling and immersive, kicking off the remaining Brand Discovery with many practical deliverables and tools, including:
- Brand Perception Survey Results + Analysis
- Graphic Recordings: Session notes as visual art.
- Brand Narrative: Your mission, message and category delivered as a foundational narrative that for conversations, marketing copy, proposals, etc.
- Brand Strategy Deck: a true-north of your brand beliefs, standards, message and category to return to, as well as to share with others.
- Brand communication tools, including: open letter template, web content planning template, stump speech template, brand story guidelines.
- Content coaching with our Chief of Story, Jen Lawhead.
- Weekly project updates and inspiration from our Chief of Staff, Cat Weise.
- Three months free membership in our clients-only BrandDefiers community.
What Our Clients Say:
“I believe people die. Stories don’t.” After my Root Session, I was a bit timid to say such a strong opening statement (Root Belief). But what I found is that it got people’s attention in a positive way. They wanted to know more. I was thrilled with that. So thrilled that I opened with that on the home page of my newly-designed website: https://www.lifestoriesalive.com. Thanks to Emily, Justin & Jen for your guidance while helping me get to this point.
Mike O’Krent, founder – LifeStories Alive – Austin, TX
Branding for Root + River is something from the heart; more human. They certainly see the value and have all the knowledge necessary to educate about the marketing machine and the mechanics that go along with what is traditional marketing. The difference is that they are helping you find the core- the human aspects of your brand – before even considering the machine. I spent the majority of my time with Emily and Justin. They are outstanding facilitators with exceptionally well balanced and complimentary strengths. They tune-in, understand, empathise, challenge, extract clarity and courage, and set you on a path to use it.
Evan Westerlund, partner – GeneractAB – Malmo, Sweden
We walked away with new perspective, but I think more so, we now have clarity on what makes us special––why certain clients love us. And now, we’re better able to share that with folks who don’t know us. Justin and Emily have helped us see and communicate the best in our business. It’s the best money we’ve spent all year.
Mark Debiniski – Baltimore, MD
Ready to get to the root? Book us.