Stand by Your Brand
Alberta’s largest companies put as much sweat and equity into branding as they do offering quality goods and services. Those who kick butt at brand management understand that a brand can hold as much value as a tangible asset
On the consumer front, a strong emotional attachment to brand messaging is why they’ll drive by an Esso, but head 10 blocks down the road to gas up at a Petro-Canada station. Follow these Venture 100 and Next 100 brands and you’ll find a steady stream of profits and loyal customers.
1. Its primary business today is poultry, but in its early years Lilydale supplied powdered eggs to the British allied soldiers during the Second World War.
2. Cumulative sales of Smart Technologies’ interactive whiteboards surpassed $1
billion earlier this year.
3. Cottagers, barbecue lovers and farmers have made the propane division of Superior Plus Income Fund its most profitable business unit.
4. The 2006 merger of Capital City Savings, Servus Credit Union and Safecu Credit Union created the largest credit union in Alberta, operating under the Servus Credit Union brand.
5. A former government-owned brand that once carried more than $150 million in debt, ATB Financial has defied skeptics. Last year it began offering 30-and 35-year mortgages to home buyers.
6. Petro-Canada pumped up brand loyalty in 1995 with the introduction of the Petro-Points card.
7. Low-cost air carrier WestJet remains firmly in the hearts of Canadians despite orchestrating a plan to spy on rival Air Canada.
8. The Forzani Group, Canada’s largest sporting goods retailer, continues to roll out new franchise banners with the 2007 addition of Hockey Experts, a one-stop shop for hockey players.
9. Its corporate social responsibility and environmental initiatives appeal to the 400,000 plus Calgary Co-op members.
10. The Brick Group added six more stores to its chain of furniture outlets in 2006.
11. No need to say the name of this company. Its dog is said to be one of the most recognized brands in North America.
12. Safeway Canada’s ubiquitous blue and yellow coloured no-name products have been cast aside for a more design-savvy look.
13. The Katz Group expanded its consumer reach this year by hanging the Rexall name on a soon-to-be-built University of Alberta building and becoming the title sponsor of the Edmonton stop on the Champ Car World Series.
14. United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative added one more store in Grande Prairie in 2006 to its network of farm supply stores and petroleum outlets across Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C.
15. Western Canada’s construction boom secures Finning Canada’s title as the No. 1 seller of Caterpillar equipment.
16. Iconic giant Imperial Oil has changed the face of the petroleum industry since opening Canada’s first service station in 1907.
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