In May we launched our inaugural brand camp and thought it would be great to do a follow-up with one of our first campers, Ben Washer of Reach Records, to see "Where are they now?".

From Ben Washer, Co-Founder Reach Records:

A year ago, we moved our record label to Atlanta and through a friend I soon discovered a branding company called Matchstic that was making waves in the city.  These guys really opened up my world to how much branding is a part of every single organization in the universe, whether you like it or not.  So when they asked me to be a part of the first Brand Camp, it took about half a second to reply “Yes!”

Probably the most fun I’ve had in Atlanta this year involved my two days at Brand Camp with my co-founder, the matchstic founders, and 4 other business owners from various disciplines.  The energy and discovery packed into that time proved way more valuable to us than the cost of entry.  Call me a Brand Camp fanboy now.

How did Brand Camp help us?

Often retreats mean you get excited, then forget about everything a week later.  (It would take another post to describe how this isn’t your typical retreat.) Here is why we walked away with valuable discoveries that stuck with us and produced results.

Powerful Communication
You go back home with something called a “Brand Brief”, which basically identifies your company and gives you the tools to describe who you are quickly and powerfully.  I used to take 10 minutes to ramble on about what we do when someone asked us “What is Reach Records?”.  Sure they might end up understanding, but now I can say it in 1 minute with more clarity and punch than ever before.

Consistency Internally
Our staff always knew who we were, sort of, but if you asked each of us to describe what Reach Records was, chances are you would hear something different every time, based on our personal biases.  After Brand Camp, the staff now has what they’ve always wanted from their leadership: answers to the questions, “Who are we?” and “Where are we going?”  They became more excited about their role in our label, and are able to communicate our identity just as good as the founders.

Focus
When you are passionate, you tend to say yes to every opportunity that comes across your plate, because that means more opportunity for the world to taste what you are passionate about!  Unfortunately, doing everything usually means doing nothing with excellence.  Brand Camp allowed us to identify who we are so we can start saying “No” to the wrong things, and “Yes” to the right things.

Even as I type this I’ve got my well worn, coffee stained Brand Brief on my desk.  It’s traveled through several states and many meetings with me.  This year is turning out to be our best ever and our experience at Brand Camp is definitely a major factor in helping us see who we need to be in order to grow and fulfill our mission.

If you are reading this, and you have a company of any size or type, do yourself, your staff, your customers, and your industry a favor by contacting Matchstic and getting the next available slot.

——–

From Blake

There is one more spot available for the August Brand Camp (Sunday Aug 15th – Tuesday Aug 17th) at historic Blue Ridge lake in the North Georgia Mountains. Get on it quick! Click here to get more information or to reserve your spot.

Back to Blog