The strongest brands during the pandemic have been those that demonstrated their authentic empathy through their actions in a way that solidified their bond, not only with their target audiences, but also with the wider communities in which they operate.
Ray George helps clients develop and deliver on fact-based marketing strategy decisions. He brings years of experience helping clients research, develop, manage and implement marketing strategies. Since joining HawkPartners, Ray has led marketing and brand strategy projects in many industries, including healthcare, financial services, professional services, education and technology industries. Ray’s particular area of interest is brand strategy, not only exploring how to best position brands to help deliver on business goals, but also how to bring brand strategies to life in compelling and innovative ways.
Prior to joining HawkPartners, Ray worked at Prophet, a brand strategy consultancy where he honed his brand positioning and architecture skills. Prior to joining Prophet, Ray was a Vice President at J.P. Morgan managing a firm-wide client analytics team that assisted setting client acquisition and retention strategies as well as drove efforts to create a more client-focused organization. Before J.P. Morgan, Ray was a manager in Ernst & Young’s Performance Management practice and started his career with Andersen Consulting.
Ray has taught a variety of courses and workshops, including the AMA’s two-day course Successful Corporate Branding, spoken at numerous marketing and industry events and guest lectured at the New York University and Columbia graduate and undergraduate programs. He has also written a number of articles on brand-related topics for American Banker, Advertising Express, Pharma Times, Risk and Insurance and Strategy Magazine.
When not reading about the latest in brand innovation, Ray is an avid reader of contemporary fiction and historical non-fiction, and refuses to give up on the Chicago Cubs.
Ray received a BA from Williams College and MBA from Darden School of Management at the University of Virginia.
Perspectives by Ray George
Spotify, or any company who has undergone a recent acquisition, faces key decisions related to their brand management. Our team suggests three best practices to optimize a brand's portfolio, particularly when extending into new offerings.
B2B companies face a unique set of branding challenges, including sales-driven cultures and focus on short-term returns. Ray George shares solutions to addressing these obstacles and tips to guide branding strategy and tactics.
Netflix demonstrates the complexity brands face when defining competitive context, especially in markets where competitive categories continue to evolve.
Routine brand check-ups can help avert a public colonoscopy – how KFC’s approach to brand health turned a chicken shortage into a branding case study for the ages.
Despite FIFA scandals, Russia and the failure of Team USA to qualify, the World Cup presents an unparalleled opportunity for brands to engage with fans worldwide.
Brands must balance near-term positioning with long-term requirements for growth. Learn how an elastic brand can do both.
Bringing a brand strategy to life requires authenticity, particularly when your audiences face an increasingly uncertain environment
Three keys to capitalize on current-day uncertainty to strengthen loyalty and overall brand health
Make your product a crucial component of your customer’s success.
Avoid these common mistakes to stay on the path to successfully aligning your employees around your brand
Originally published in Advertising Express magazine Who are the pioneers of ingredient branding? When did it start getting used? Intel receives much of the credit for making “ingredient branding” known across the C-suite with the success of its Intel Inside campaign; whereas, several brands pioneered the concept before them. Consistently, the pioneers were high tech, […]