Talk the talk

Pat Kinsley, managing director of the Neworld group, a brand building consultancy, talks to David Clerkin.

Tell me about brand building. What’s the secret to a strong brand?

The primary element that needs to exist is internal belief and commitment. It’s essential that all stakeholders in a company believe in the brand and live up to the challenge of continually reinventing it. The brand story must be built around a clear idea. It’s about capturing people’s imagination.

What do you do for clients to help them build their brand?

We gain a complete and thorough understanding of our client, their business goals and the marketplace in which they operate. We identify the core elements that are unique to a company and from this we develop successful and strong brands. This holistic approach ensures an effective and strong corporate identity is built.

Who are your clients?

Our clients include Barry’s Tea, Irish Pride, Bank of Ireland, John Rocha, Cuisine de France, Dulux and Tourism Ireland.

What piece of work are you most proud of?

I’m proud of every project we have worked on, but if I have to name a favourite, I would choose the creation of the People in Need brand. We do this as part of our on-going charity initiatives and it has been a real success story generating e34m over the past 16 years.

You started out in New York. How did you end up over here?

We celebrated the 20th anniversary of my arrival in Ireland last month. I came to Ireland when everyone else was emigrating to the states - the plane was empty! I was looking for something different out of life and I surely found it. We started Neworld in a basement in Baggot Street. We survived the 80s and in the late 90s created a custom-built studio in Harold’s Cross. Today we have a mix of 35 thinkers, doers, creatives, number crunchers and gurus between offices in Dublin and New York.

What big mistakes do companies make with their brands?

Underestimating their value.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve seen?

Billy Connolly making his ill-advised comment about Ken Bigley. Billy Connolly’s brand has core values of fun and a good-natured spirit. For the first time he diverted from the core essence of his brand and this has confused the market about what he stands for.

Who would your ideal client be?

I would like to change the market perception of Cod Liver Oil. When mentioned to the public there are negative brand associations with this product, which we like to term “the cringe effect.” We would like to change “the cringe effect” into “the smile effect.”

How easy is it to quantify the success of a rebranding campaign?

Success always lies in the bottom line and we understand the importance of that to our customers. We do this with every customer measuring increases in revenue and margin right through to brand recognition, shelf impact and overall brand appeal to the market and third parties.