PROFILE
The 40-member team at Revolve work to provide scalable, nimble and digital-first solutions for enterprises of all sizes. Photos Contributed
Building brands Revolve helps clients communicate clearly with customers By Erin Elaine Casey
“B
randing is about helping an organization determine their secret sauce.” Phil Otto is Founder and CEO of Revolve Branding and Marketing. “Brand is a combination of reputation and expectation,” he continues. “Your vision, mission, values and purpose are the soul of your brand. Your name, logo and advertising are the skin of your brand. Get your business objectives right and your brand strategy writes itself.” Otto is sitting in his office overlooking the Bedford Basin with newly-minted Revolve Vice-President Mike Bardsley. “It’s important to work from strategy first,” adds Bardsley. “Our clients have something they need to communicate, but they don’t always have the expertise or skills to do that professionally and effectively. We’re a partner who’s focused on their objectives and success.” “Our strength is that we’re brand strategy first, and that informs our creative approach,” says Otto. “We were the first to start practicing branding 25 years ago when everyone else was still talking about advertising.”
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We have that wisdom and we are always complementing that with youth. And stickiness with staff is what leads to stickiness with clients.” — Phil Otto,
Founder & CEO, Revolve Branding and Marketing
APRIL 2020
Today, Revolve is a full-service branding and marketing firm with 40 communications professionals offering scalable, nimble, digital-first solutions for every size of enterprise, from small local businesses to multinational corporations. “We are very nimble and able to quickly adapt to the way society consumes information,” explains Otto. “We believe that small business is the backbone of the Canadian economy, so we want to make ourselves accessible to a wide range of clients, from start-ups to U.S. brands needing a Canadian lens on their marketing.” “We are a small business ourselves, so we never lose sight of how difficult that growth process is,” adds Bardsley. “We add value for each of our clients, no matter the size. There’s always an objective we can work together to reach, whether it’s revenue growth, sustainability or reaching new markets.” Values are what makes Revolve tick, whether it’s serving clients or serving the community. “Our values are strategic, creative, uncomplicated, initiative and caring,” says Otto. “We believe that the measure of a society is how well it takes
