2019 - A year in review
Looking back on 2019 I am particularly grateful with the support I got from Kim, Michael, Kiki and the rest of the BR-ND team in backing up for me, while I had to sort out some personal stuff. Sometimes things happen out of your own control which has an negative impact on presence and feelings and 2019 was such a year for me.
Luckily business-wise BR-ND and 23plusone Friends had another successful year. Here you find a review of 2019.
A little elaboration on my personal bad stuff. For a good part of the year, I was suffering from an acute neck hernia which made it nearly impossible to be in a stationary position, type or write, and also sleeping was troublesome without strong painkillers. Luckily after 9 months, the hernia disappeared as suddenly as it appeared and by the end of 2019, I have fully recovered and am back happy, healthy and fit.
The other sad issue which took a lot of my attention, energy and love was the passing of Adriaan Went, my dearest and loving (step)father, after a long sickbed while fighting metastatic peritoneal cancer. As a patient, he got treatment by the good doctors and nurses of St Antonius in Utrecht, a longtime client of BR-ND. This gave me the opportunity to experience medical care from the receiving side of the table and my respect and gratitude for medical professionals have further boosted. Thank you all for the good care you all delivered to my father. May he rest in peace.
So far the bad & sad stuff. Now good things!
BR-ND Emotive Transformers
First a big thumbs up to our active clients in 2019. Obviously without them, it would all not be possible. I am grateful for the trust they had in BR-ND with making an impact and transforming their brands and organisations. Some of them are new in 2019, but for many of them, we have been working for several years. Again, thanks to all those business leaders for entrusting us with your business.
Below a list of our clients in 2019 and a brief sum-up of what we did.
ANWB. Portfolio & brand strategy, purpose and story of ANWB in the travel market.
Bernhoven. Brand activation and internal engagement and leadership development through storytelling in a hospital.
CPO. External validation of brand image and branding strategy of the post-academic legal educator of the Radboud University.
Dierenbescherming. Creation of brand story, purpose and brand (portfolio) strategy in the field of animal welfare.
Equalis. Brand purpose and story for a data consultancy in the medical market.
IENS / TheFork. Rebranding strategy, brand story and purpose for IENS rebranding to TheFork.
Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijkrelaties. Internal alignment at Logius, digital services of the Dutch Government.
NRG. Corporate rebranding strategy, new visual identity and an employer branding campaign for a nucleair medical organisation.
PACH. Brand purpose and story for a London based sales consulting firm.
PGGM. Preps for internal corporate story and purpose activation in 2020 for a large pension fund.
SOLV. Brand purpose and story for an Amsterdam based law firm
St Antonius. Various branding assignments.
UMCU. Creation of a brand story and purpose, for a new organization in Central Netherlands in cancer treatment & research.
Volksbond Streetcornerwork. Development of brand story, purpose and brand (portfolio) strategy, internal collaboration and engagement. Creation of a new brand as part of a merger to be launched in 2020.
23plusone Friends
Apart from the above client assignments, we have expanded the 23plusone Licensed Friends network lots. At the end of 2019, we are now with a peaceful army of 56 qualified licensees (last year this stood at 42). Excitingly we have grown further internationally with the establishment of a 23plusone Friends hub in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with by now already 7 Licensed Friends. And also the hub in South Africa has grown to 5 Licensed Friends. And we have welcomed several new Licensed Friends in The Netherlands. See here! Interesting is that we have succeeded in attracting younger professionals on one hand and larger corporate licenses on the other.
BR-ND People
2019 also has been another year in which we grew our team and again lived up to the promise to support the development of young talent. A first mention goes to Sam van den Brink, masters graduate from the University of Leiden, specializing in economy and consumer psychology. He joined us for half a year gaining experience before graduating and by now Sam is making a long trip discovering the wonders South of America. Sam has helped us out with many things, but his main focus was support on the rebranding of IENS to The Fork. It was a real pleasure having Sam around! Enjoy your travels, Sam!
Further, I mention Daniel Kilian Cohen Stuart, our trainee from Windesheim Honours College, who joined us for a summer internship. And we haven't parted since Daniel has accepted the junior seat on our Impact Board. Thank you Daniel for your work and advice, see you in 2020!
Then a special word of gratitude for Piri Bodon. Piri joined us the year before as trainee, but now has extended her stay at BR-ND as project lead supervising the merger and rebranding of Volksbond Streetcornerwork. And all this next to her studies at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in Policy, Organization and Management. Lost of respect and love to Piri, it's a pleasure having you around.
And then there is creative wizard Ayu Koene, studying at the Technical University Twente direction engineering for sustainability. Ayu joined us this summer as a freelance design diva overhauling the BR-ND graphics and styling. You might have seen her first creation recently when we recently relaunched our booklet on Brand Portfolio Strategy. Thank you Ayu, we need more of your work in 2020!
At the end of 2019, we also welcomed Maja Šimundić, from Croatia and studying Psychology at Leiden University. It's been a short ride so far, but Maja has been doing already great work on new consumer validation of the 23plusone cards. And Alison Pasquariello, Native-American and armed with a Masters in logic, joined BR-ND driving our external communications, newsletters, and event organization. Looking forward to working with both of you in 2020.
Last year we worked together with several longtime allies. It is always a pleasure to work with our friend Kim van der Brugge on various things and 23plusone training sessions. Also special mention of Carmen Philips, for supporting big-time with 23plusone schools and spreading the gospel. Also big thumbs up to Frederik Melchior for his leadership and storytelling training at Bernhoven hospital. And not to forget the glorious naming duo Ivo Grupping & Elles Koch, with whom we created several new brand names and brand architecture solutions. In 2019 we also worked again with our friend Hans Prummel, brand name creator, on a new brand for Volksbond Streetcornerwork, to be launched in 2020. And obviously, I have to mention design diva Kiki Hartmann, my charming roomy at the BR-ND office, for creating yet again amazing graphic designs for many of our clients. And copy maestro Victor Silvis, helping us out on employer branding campaign.
Then there is the one and only Michael Cortino. Mike has been around for a while already and proving himself to be a most steady and reliable gentleman, always ready to help out, take initiative, be productive, Mike you are a rock in the branding! ;) For everything, everybody and especially for your good work as community lead 23plusone Friends.
Then I am proud to mention that we have formally installed our Impact Board in 2019 and have had two sessions already. This board consists of Monique Buijzen (representing scientific conscience), Michiel van Beek (representing Licensed Friends), Mylene Heystek (representing manufacturing), Maarten Thijs (representing large services) and Daniel Cohen Stuart (representing the future). Thank you all for your ear and wise counsel.
A last personal thank you goes to my long-time biz partner Kim Cramer. For a good 14 years, Kim has kept up with me professionally and my many oddities. Thank you for that!! <3 2019 was another year of your loyal friendship, with our weekly sports, our irregular yearly skiing trips in the French Alps, business trips to Kuala Lumpur, Barcelona, several gastronomic highs and uncountable discussions on branding, happiness, idealism, and the astonishing world around us. I can only hope our bond will last forever!
For those of you interested in our financials, our preliminary numbers over 2019 look fine, both our top-line and bottom-line have consolidated or maybe gone up a bit. All we can hope for is that 2020 will be likewise or more successful in terms of positive impact and (inter)national growth (I hope).
And yes, I have also witnessed that 2019 was a turbulent year in terms of massive protests against climate change, dissatisfied farmers, teachers, pro-democracy, wealth disparity, etc. Although these developments might be troubling and should caution us all, I decide to continue seeing things positive, not to despair and trust that we will get the job done through inclusion, diversity and collaboration. For example, organisations like the United Nations are doing super work with their Sustainable development Goals for 2030. All we can do as individuals and free organisations is making positive impact in our circle of influence, however small. That’s all we can do!
We know that our success - provided external markets remain favourable - depends on the people we work with and their positive drive. I am personally committed to creating positive conditions, being inspirational, empathetic and supportive to everybody. And I am happy to be fully back at your service in 2020.
Amsterdam, 3 January 2020
Alexander Koene
BR-ND
