With 90 PE and 35 portfolio company engagements under our belt, MonogramGroup is the most experienced brand agency for PE firms & portcos in the US.
Our track record has enabled us to gain unique insights into how these companies eat, breathe and sleep. As their go-to operating partners in brand, we deliver transformative, enduring value creation. This has never been more important in a challenging exit environment where we put our proven brand playbook to work.
Here are the top five lessons we’ve internalized that have led to enduring relationships and outperforming expectations, time and time again.
#1: Speaking the speak and understanding the individuals
Fake-it-until-you-make-it is the kiss of death when working with PE & portcos. Thoroughly understanding the terminology, playbooks, market trends, attractive sectors and more are table stakes when providing counsel and creative work in this arena.
Most PE professionals have attended world-class business schools, earning degrees that take years of smarts, hard work and discipline to attain. Not only do they hold themselves to the highest standards, but everyone they hire as well.
On the other hand, founders of portcos vary vastly in background, education and life experience. Understanding the psychology of business owners who have poured blood, sweat and tears into the businesses they’ve founded in order to to yield optimal outcomes reimagining their brands requires empathy, patience and a leadership mindset.
#2: Creating value through differentiation
When it comes to standing out with a fresh narrative, PE firms can sometimes be their own worst enemies and cling to the same-old-same-old. From our experience, those who are confident, ambitious and genuine with their messaging, visual identity and a consistently delivered digital presence – within the context of a pretty small box – distinguish themselves quickly in a very crowded market.
The same is true for portcos that operate in highly competitive, yet often fractured and unsophisticated sectors. Whether plans involve growing through M&A or organically, equipping marketing and sales teams with best-in-class strategies and content to win new opportunities, or preparing for an exit to a larger PE firm, brand unity and consistent delivery create a more effective path to achieving short and long-term business objectives.
#3: Winning hearts & minds with cadence and agility
The pace of PE and portco engagements vary drastically from client to client, and even workstream to workstream within an engagement. The client’s ability to focus personnel, time and mindshare into branding projects directly impacts the duration and time efficiency of each engagement. We’ve embraced this predictable uncertainty, and have processes in place to minimize the impact of ebbs and flows.
At the end of the day, our high standards and passion for serving our clients don’t have an expiration date. We’re all about the gratification of the brand journey shared with our clients every step of the way.
#4: Providing clarity and transparency
For most PE and portco clients, working with us is typically the first time they’ve participated in a brand or marketing project. We collaboratively guide each through the process with open and honest communication, educating them at every turn on what to expect and why, how to make informed decisions and where our progress stands.
We take our client’s faith and trust in us to heart, operating transparently and proactively. We understand how we get there is just as important as the end result.
#5: Going the extra mile in several directions
PE firms make calculated bets to ensure their portfolio companies yield the highest multiples at exit. We operate with the same mindset as our PE-related clients, matching their intensity and drive by always turning their feedback and requests into opportunities.
In addition we also embraced the human element in this digital era, where virtual meetings are the standard. Whenever possible we arrange face-to-face interaction with our clients, because what we learn in the same room is virtually impossible to replicate over Zoom. Of course virtual meetings are essential, but making a concerted effort to meet in person and observe the client’s physical environment, how they interact as a team and learning about their non-work lives significantly deepens our understanding of them.
Read more here to learn how and why MonogramGroup runs the best brand engagement in private equity.
Article led by: Kevin Grube
Edited by: Scott Markman, Lou Petrongelli