why.

“Brand is a gut feeling.”
— Marty Neumeier
Author and Director of transformation, Liquid Agency

I spent 20 years in NYC working in an arena where strategy was an assumed component of a successful brand. It is called branding, after all. It isn’t marketing. It isn’t advertising. It is not about the what you are providing. It is about the why. Brand strategy is the story that identifies who you are, what you do, and why it matters. I do branding because I believe that finding the truth in your business will set you apart, shape the character of your company, and provide insight that will lead to an impactful and positive perception or “gut feeling.” As Marty Neumeier points out so brilliantly, “your brand is not what you say it is. It is what they say it is.”

what.

“Your brand position distills, focuses, and bottles the essence of who and what you can be on your very best day.”
— Austin McGhie
Author and President Strategy, Sterling Brands

Brand is not design. Design is the critical aspect of a brand that connects with the senses, sparks an emotion, and helps to communicate and differentiate, but it is not the foundation of the architecture. Design needs focus and that focus is found in a brand position. Who are you? Where are you? Who are you talking to? What makes you different? What makes you better?

See Jane will help you answer all of these questions and very literally define your positioning. I will also provide a strategic communication platform and brand voice that will ensure brand continuity. It is your story that will help your brand come alive.

work.

Areas of Expertise

Brand Development – Naming Development – Marketing Leadership – Project Management – Advertising – Social Media – Client Relations – Print and Packaging Production – Creative Management – Budget Management – Event Planning

Clients I have worked with in brand implementation and strategy include:

Kraft, Unilever, Colgate Palmolive, Nabisco, Nestle, M&M Mars, Stonyfield Farms, Trey McIntyre Project, Boise State University, Simplot, JUMP, Boise State Radio, Conservation Voters for Idaho, Pluto, Blueback Accounting, Hip Shot Productions, Lee Pesky Learning Center, Non-profit Center of Idaho, Michell + Palmer, Red Sky Strategic Communications, Goodwin Design Group, Idaho Public Television, Idaho Meth Project, Idaho Kombucha, Grove Hotel, Shore Lodge, Business Psychology Associates, OBG Associates, Walter Knox Memorial Hospital, Don’t Miss A Beat, Inwork Inc, Move(NYC)

my story.

the early years

1987 - 1989

I moved from Idaho to NYC in 1988 to work for A&M records. You see, music was my life and I wanted to make it my career. The career lasted for about a year and a half when I came to the realization that the music industry was not that glamorous.

With a communications degree from BSU, I decided to take a direction that would provide a creative outlet, and I landed at a brand packaging firm where I was hired as the receptionist because they liked my smile and my lack of a New York accent. I moved quickly into the studio as production manager and that is where my career in branding and packaging started.

the nyc years

1988 - 2007

It was the mid 90s and computers were taking over the industry. I worked on the first Mac and learned along with the rest of the world what would become a way of life. Landor Associates is where my world took a turn. It seemed I was more interested in understanding why people like a particular design than producing the design, and, thus, my eyes were opened to “branding.” It was at Landor that I decided to pursue a graduate degree in Communication Design while maintaining my position with the company. I would study more about why people like what they like and exactly what sparks emotion in consumer branding.

After leaving Landor, I joined Marc Gobé at Desgrippes Gobé where I learned Marc’s branding methodology called “emotional branding.” I also carried my production director title with me and continued to build on that expertise as well as retail marketing strategies. Ultimately, I landed at Sterling Brands where my passion with packaging, brand strategy, and account services collided. I started working with Kraft Foods on a very intensive production driven process and became the account manager responsible for design implementation. Sterling provided brilliant leadership in Simon Williams and Debbie Millman. To this day, Debbie is a good friend and continues to be an inspiration. The years following my tenure at Sterling provided further understanding of brand — brand as a gut feeling —brand as the foundation for my work with all other disciplines including marketing, advertising, and public relations.

the back home to idaho years

2007 - present

In 2006 after 20 years living in NYC I made a decision that would change my life forever. I had a baby. Her name is Declan. I thought long and hard about how to raise this human, and in combination with other variables, all arrows pointed West. I arrived in Boise in September of 2007 armed with a pretty tight resume that included design, production, marketing and my ever-expanding passion for brand. I secured employment at Oliver Russell. I wore a lot of hats and learned a lot about direct marketing and local advertising. Russ Stoddard (the Russell of Oliver Russell) asked me to help him run the branding division of the company. I would find the position would mean a role as marketing director, account manager, art director, brand strategist, and event coordinator. Most importantly, I continued building a large network of friends, colleagues, and vendors. It was that network that brought me to Trey McIntyre Project.

It has been my experience with TMP where I have felt most successful in combining all areas of expertise. As a non-profit organization, it was critical to combine skills and utilize experience in order to maximize efficiencies in time and money. It was also in the non-profit arena that I was able to experience the monetary value in building a strong brand.

In March 2014, Trey decided to disband the company, so my time with TMP came to an end. The only answer to a follow-up was to start my own consulting business. That business is called See Jane. I focus on brand strategy and marketing services for non-profits and independent businesses. My passion for brand will live on in every client with whom I collaborate.

testimonials.

Branding is how you build a community around a shared idea or a shared feeling. Jane understands on a deep level how to organize and galvanize a team, organization, or city around what truly matters to them and their constituents.
John Michael Schert
Visiting Artist and Social Entrepreneur The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and UChicago Arts
Co-founder Trey McIntyre Project
The work Jane did was excellent. At first it seemed hard to understand how it would translate into productive communications and company growth but as the work progressed and Jane's brand strategy report evolved, we saw things beginning to fall into place. The work we did with Jane was critical in creating a strong foundation for our brand. We will use it to build on now and into the future of BPA.
Sarah Woodley
Chief Executive Officer Business Psychology Associates
At Don't Miss A Beat we had been very successful in executing our vision but not communicating it. Jane not only assisted us with branding, she educated us about the concept and effect it has on our business. Furthermore, she solidified our positioning and helped us create a cohesive messaging platform that makes our work and mission very clear and effective to the world. Her insight produces solid and extraordinary results immediately.
Ulysses Owens Jr.
Grammy Award winning jazz drummer Co-founder of the Florida based non-profit Don't Miss a Beat
After a good two hour branding session with Jane, I had new insights into what differentiates my work and makes it unique. The questions she asked and the answers that came to light gave me a more complete sense of self and what my company offers. It’s become the foundation for what I articulate to clients in a complete and authentic manner, which sets all my projects off on the right foot.
Andy Lawless
Owner Hipshot Productions
We just completed a business recast of our company after eleven years. Jane helped us not only refine our message, but also rename our business to reflect the next level and stage of development. She provided guidance, listened, reflected back what she heard and then worked her magic to creative an active and living brand and name that captures our essence.
Beth Geagan
Owner Shift Strategies
During my first brand workshop with Jane at Trey McIntyre Project I learned that brand is not only about the visual expression of a product, it is also about connecting and reassuring the consumer how they feel about that product. Understanding brand more deeply helped me to take on a greater responsibility for the company I was a part of. Jane taught us that brand lies within the personalities and ethic of the company and at TMP we all represented our brand. It wasn’t just about our logo, graphic design, or website. The internal qualities are what will lead to a lasting brand.
Chanel DaSilva
Dancer, Choreographer, Educator
After being in business for 3 years as the stereotypical accountants, we were ready for a change. We wanted to swim against the current, be different, and stand out. Jane guided us through our branding and naming processes. She took all the little pieces we thought we were and arranged them into perfect harmony. We always were Blueback, but Jane helped us discover it, and, most importantly, BELIEVE it. Since our work with Jane, we have seen increased revenue/client acquisition. The branding material See Jane delivered has given us a consistent platform in which to communicate to our potential clients. This consistency has translated into more qualified leads —ultimately more conversion with less effort.
Jay Holmes
CPA and Co-Owner Blueback Accounting
Jane's spirit, personable nature, and accomplished experience resonated through in her branding workshop, which energized and helped us to cultivate our company values and the messaging needed to communicate our brand in a simple way. Her workshop empowered us with the necessary emotion to connect to our customers, staff, and the outside world. It was truly one of the most invaluable exercises we have gone through since forming our small company and gave us solid direction moving forward.
Justin Yonk
Partner / Creative Director Pluto
Jane Naillon is brilliant at crafting and implementing brand strategy. Thanks to her expertise, defining our organization's brand was eye-opening and inspiring. Under her intuitive direction, we became more effective and focused as we better understood our company's values and product. Jane has immense capacity and is one of those team members who can take your organization to the next level -- making it great fun all the while.
Kristin Aune
Arts Professional and Educator
Dance Faculty Punahou School
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