In the summer of 2003, a group of long-established suppliers (with plenty of industry awards among them to boot), decided to co-publish an e-newsletter. The purpose of the publication was, simply, to assist distributors in their efforts to be successful.

Our first issue of The Brand News was released in November 2003. Since then we’ve heard from dozens of readers, industry veterans as well as newcomers, expressing their thanks for this educational and marketing tool. In response, we created a web site in the fall of 2004 – www.thebrandnews.net – to provide distributors with an easy way to find out more about us, request our catalogs, brainstorm with case histories and review past issues.

Be sure to drop us a line if you have ideas on how to improve The Brand News. (See the feedback button in the upper-left corner of each issue.) And if you aren’t already, we encourage you to give each member of our group a chance to demonstrate how they can make you – and your clients – look good.

OK, So I Was Wrong…


This is embarrassing to admit but there are times when I have a tendency to judge companies and people by their appearances. It is unfair and I was reminded of this recently. The story follows…

When I hooked up with my husband four years ago, I inherited two big dogs and a cat. Frankly, I wasn’t thrilled; I was used to small dogs and my cat experiences were limited and not pleasurable. So for some time my role with animal care was limited (food, water, making kennel reservations) and Bob continued to do the lion’s share of the work.

One day he asked me to help take the dogs to the vet. The moment we pulled in front of the animal hospital I gasped. The one-story structure was probably built in the 1940s and didn’t appear to have been touched since. The white stucco exterior was so worn you’d think the building belonged in a community filled with blighted houses.

Inside was even more alarming. The wallpaper in the waiting room was yellowed from age and half-peeled in several places. None of the plastic chairs matched. The front counter was actually a ledge on top of a Mr. Ed-style half-door. Behind the counter I noticed a bookshelf with antiquated-looking books (a first edition of the annals of veterinary medicine, no doubt) and what appeared to be one of the early models of a Smith Corona typewriter. While we waited for the doctor to appear (there was no receptionist) I couldn’t help notice the bathroom (the door was open). There, in all its glory, was a rust-stained toilet, a rust-stained sink, a broken continuous-towel dispenser and a faded window curtain that couldn’t possibly have provided privacy from people getting in and out of their cars in the parking lot. Yikes!

Ever since that day I’ve periodically given my husband a hard time about the vet. Are you sure he’s even qualified to practice veterinary medicine? What if the medicine he doles out is past its effective date? How do you know the examining room is even clean? But Bob always shrugs it off, assuring me that Dr. M is probably more qualified than “some of the hot shots” who manage 24-hour care facilities with fancy equipment. And since the animals were healthy, who was I to argue?

Fast forward to Easter Sunday this year. We woke up to find Friskie, my beloved cat (it didn’t take long, he’s full of attitude and spunk and makes me smile), lying listlessly on our bathroom floor. Since he usually wakes me up several times at night to play or demand fresh food, we knew something was wrong. At first we thought he had eaten something he shouldn’t have, and needed time to work it out of his system. But by nighttime we noticed he could only move using three legs and he cried if we tried to help him. I barely slept that night I was so worried.

First thing Monday morning we brought Friskie to see Dr. M. I am not exaggerating when I say it took him about 30 seconds to locate a small puncture wound on one leg, which was covered by a tiny matted tuft of fur. I was relieved, of course, but, more importantly, impressed. Dr. M’s presentation may be awful but he’s got the goods.

Since this incident, I keep wondering how many good companies get overlooked because their pitch is unpolished or their appearance is in need of an overhaul. Who knows – maybe Dr. M is at a stage in his career/business where he doesn’t care about the size of his practice. But I don’t think that’s the norm. I just hope that the suppliers and distributors who say they are hungry for growth are carefully scrutinizing how they come across to prospective buyers and, if need be, are taking steps to ensure that their marketing communications don’t go unanswered.

Thanks for your continued support of The Brand News and your feedback.

Best regards,

Cathy Cain-Blank
Editor
cathy@thebrandnews.net