As an identity company that puts word-of-mouth front and center, we have a lot of start-ups come to us seeking help building a compelling, memorable identity. And there’s an infectious excitement that we have in being a part of that. So we’re always on the lookout for start-ups that have done it the right way.

You might think it’s obvious to the rest of us, but most of these start-ups don’t realize that their identity is the single most important aspect of their business. (That seems to be true for a lot of Fortune 500s as well.) And a great example of how to build a compelling brand identity from the ground up is quickly growing outdoor clothing company by the name of Arborwear.

Arborwear is quirky. It has personality. It begs to be talked about. And whether you agree with the methodology or not, Arborwear has been built around it’s leader, Paul Taylor. I’ve actually had several phone conversations with Paul, and he’s exactly who’d you expect to be talking to from their website and print collateral. He’s funny. He’s personable. And he’s a down to earth guy who just happened to have a great idea to start a company that makes quality products.

But what I love about Paul is he already knows that quality products aren’t enough these days. So he has built a business on clothing that’s durable and comfortable while attracting kindred spirits. Arborwear lends itself perfectly to WOM - you naturally want to show others the simple, clean website and catalog.

Does Paul have some work to do? Sure. Any CEO of a new company has their work cut out for them. But this little company is turning the heads of the Carhartt’s of the world. And believe it or not, those big, faceless brands are worried.

Now THAT’S exciting.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 20th, 2005 at 7:10 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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