Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Crask
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Clarity is the one thing top brands have, and underperforming brands need to have.
My career is a journey of transformation, where I’ve helped brands of all sizes and stages discover their true essence and purpose. This has led to a profound impact on their presence and people, inspiring them to reach new heights.
Early in my career as a designer in the Chicagoland area, I worked with various agencies, each offering a unique perspective and depth of work. This diverse exposure has equipped me to delve into different niches, including brand development, website UI and UX, and strategic marketing.
In 2006, I founded Brand Shepherd and partnered with B2C and B2B brands such as Johnson & Johnson, Dinovite, Standex International, and dozens of small and medium-sized businesses.
My work has given me a deep understanding of the practical distinctions between Branding and Marketing. I’ve worked with product brands for consumers, helping them stand out on the in-store and digital shelves, demonstrating my expertise in the field.
The late 2010s brought me to the Knoxville area, where I run Brand Shepherd today. I recently added two new services: A web-focused service called shepx and a brand development framework called Vibe, Tribe, & Why™.
The Brand Shepherd team comprises professionals in Knoxville, Cincinnati, Philly, and abroad. The brands we partner with are located all over the US.
My focus, though, has remained the same since my career began: I give clarity to brands.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I believe the global pandemic years of 2020 to 2022 created a systemic change in the roles of branding, marketing, and consumer behavior.
This has created a scenario where professionals in those fields, like me, either read the room and adjust accordingly or fade out of relevance while grasping tactics from the previous ways.
So, we are now in an era when many creative services pros don’t know what they don’t know. This is perhaps the biggest challenge the Creative Services industry has faced, ever.
For my part, I believe the shift has one overarching fact: Brands that have clarity will thrive.
Clarity about the new roles of Branding and Marketing — they are not the same thing.
Clarity about their presence.
Clarity about their people.
Clarity about their purpose.
Clarity is now the most important thing a brand can have, and getting it requires a fresh perspective, which can be challenging to gain and implement.
It’s also a challenge because we are in the early years of a paradigm change, so different ways of thinking can initially seem strange.
We’ve been impressed with Brand Shepherd, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Brand Shepherd delivers clarity to brands of all sizes and stages.
We do this by growing, guiding, and protecting the brands we partner with.
We grow brands with effective and adaptable strategies to serve their ideal customers. No matter the size or stage of your brand, we create and adapt the right strategy.
We guide brands with a range of creative services, such as website design and development, brand identity systems, product packaging branding, and deck/slide design—whatever the brand strategy requires.
We protect brands with savvy reputation consulting and technical protection for their website(s) and brand assets.
Our brand clarity framework is called Vibe, Tribe, & Why™. It has delivered clarity to top brands of every size and stage. Corporations such as Standex International and Middleby, B2C brands like Dinovite and Davis Chocolates, and B2B brands like Carter-Hoffmann and Lincat have all gained clarity about their brand’s presence, people, and purpose through Vibe, Tribe, & Why™.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
The biggest risk I have taken is splitting Brand Shepherd up into 3 parts.
After many years in business as expert generalists, I saw that the value of a generalist agency was starting to wane.
So, reading the room, I took stock of our overall business flow and saw that there were three flows:
• Tangible product brand work
• Just need a website
• Brand consulting
Brand Shepherd messaging was refreshed to focus exclusively on working with brands that make a tangible product. In Knoxville, that’s not too many at all, but in Cincinnati and Chicago – plus many other areas – it’s a huge market that we have 15+ years of experience in.
I then created a web-focused digital service called shepx. It’s all about on-screen brand experiences for those brands that just need a website (or app).
There are times when a brand already has an in-house team or capabilities, but they lack a brand shepherd to lead it with the kind of experience and tact I offer, so I offer fractional brand consulting through dancrask.com.
What started out as a whole brand, Brand Shepherd, is now three brands, and it has been more successful than I had hoped.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brandshepherd.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandshepherdofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandshepherd
- Other: https://shepx.us
