Gerry was able to completely rebrand our company under a very aggressive timeline (a mere 6 weeks!) and did so in way that enabled the entire Leadership Team to participate in it which resulted in a sense of joint ownership and collective pride around our new brand. Being a government contractor, we were faced with the challenge of trying to differentiate ourselves in a rather crowded market. We knew we had unique passions that set us apart from the competition, but we had no idea how to weave them into our marketing materials. Gerry was able to quickly assess the competitive landscape and develop a BrandStory that clearly ties our passions to increased performance for our clients which has enabled us to stand out from our competitors. The entire Leadership Team was very pleased with the end products, and we have already seen good results from our new image and marketing materials. We could not have asked for more!

We knew we had a good idea for the data protection market, but we didn’t know how to distinguish ourselves amidst much larger IT players. STW helped us transform our idea into a stand out message that excites and compels. STW guided us to understand our unique corporate cultural qualities and then translated these values into a compelling theme that became the foundation of our branding and marketing message. Gerry Lantz helped us capitalize on the humanistic qualities that make our brand stand out in a field of technical offerings. The STW BrandStory process quickly distilled the essence of what we were trying to communicate and give IPR a language framework to consistently promote the brand message. That’s not all. Gerry helped us put this message into work by supporting us with copy and form as we began to turn the message into materials for various media.

"What a savvy marketer can teach us about an authentic conversation between a brand and its customers and their stories. Dove’s “Real Beauty” and “Self-Esteem” Campaigns" Gerry Lantz presentation to Golden Fleece International Org. Story Conference, May 5, 2007, Washington, DC

“Gerry, you blew me away with your presentation. Your ability to tell a story is superb. You held us rapt, glued to your words and images. There were times when the whole room was rocking with laughter and other moments I was touched deeply by the humanity you highlighted. It was one of the best presentations of the conference!”

“In 2007, we decided to rename our nonprofit organization to better reflect our mission and the concern and compassion our agency has demonstrated for more than 100 years while helping Brooklyn’s most vulnerable residents overcome their emotional difficulties.

“We found the name we were looking for, thanks to Gerry Lantz of STORIES THAT WORK. Gerry conducted focus groups with our executive team, clinicians, clients, and funders, took that information, analyzed it, and distilled it into dozens of possible names and tag lines. From that list, we chose Brooklyn CareWorks…Warm Hearts, Helping Hands, Better Lives because we believe it succinctly captures what we do and who we are as an agency--we care about the clients and the communities we serve and the services we deliver work. The reaction to the name change has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Gerry Lantz and his Stories That Work approach to personal branding proved to be right on target for me in helping me articulate what I had to offer any prospective employer. Rather than rely on the hackneyed and clichéd to communicate who I was and what I had to offer, Gerry helped me to craft stories about myself that were genuine and attention-grabbing. The Stories That Work approach was both a natural and effective way to build confidence and enhance personal communication in my job search. I believe it played a key role in my landing a new job.

We found ourselves in a situation where our current brand name was no longer usable due to a trademark issue. Your BrandStory Strategy Guide was an invaluable preparation tool that allowed us to take a step back and review our communication targets and goals.

This tool not only ensured that you had the working knowledge you needed to create a powerful brand name for us, it also enabled us to reaffirm our positioning strategy. Instead of just shooting off names hoping one would stick, you took the time and effort to make sure that the name had impact, was catchy, easy to remember and most importantly communicated very succinctly our message to two distinct targets--banks and atm users. The result--a new brand name that completely blows away the original.

I had the opportunity to work with Gerry Lantz to help me develop a personal "branding" message. Although I have been consistently involved in formal skill development programs for many years, Gerry's approach was very direct, efficient and personal. He listened carefully and tailored his program to my specific needs. His process helped me articulate my strengths and unique value proposition in a natural, conversational way that has proved to be very effective when meeting with clients, prospects and business associates.

I would highly recommend Gerry to any executive or business owner who is looking to create a unique and marketable image for themselves, their team and their company to help them grow in a fiercely competitive environment.