WE BUILD BRANDSTM that stand apart in the marketplace, enhance brand value and create deep, lasting connections with consumers and partners.

Partner

Ed O’Hara believes that great agency work should aspire to the condition of great art.
His name is synonymous with great branding too, and his extraordinary success in the field has made him the field’s noted expert, appearing on ESPN’s “Outside The Lines”, CNN, CNNfn, MSG Network and The New York Times TimesCast. In addition, he is regularly quoted in various leading publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, SLAMOnline, Inc.Magazine and BrandWeek. Ed was a contributing author of Designing For Brands (with Emily Potts, Rockport Press), and a regular guest speaker at numerous business seminars and other leading industry functions. Ed also holds seats on the National Sports Marketing Network Executive Advisory Board and the Queens College Business School Advisory Board.

The founding partner of SME is also a former Fine Arts major and abstract painter who enforces his artistic ideals as the company’s Chief Creative Officer. Ed’s unparalleled expertise and vision has been the driving force behind SME’s indelible reputation and remains the backbone of the company.

He believes in building great brands. He also believes in the greatness of Tom Waits, the latent greatness of the NY Jets, and the inevitability of change. He’s proud to work his Puerto Rican/Irish heritage, saddened by the destruction of our fragile planet, and unbending in his championing of just causes, including such non-profit initiatives as OSA Conservation, the Genetic Disease Foundation, America Scores, Up2Us, Hope for Heroes, the Ray Festa Melanoma Foundation and the Parrish Art Museum of Southampton NY. Ed lives with his wife and 3 sons in Centerport, New York.

Process

Assess

  • Project Assessment
  • Needs Analysis
  • Objectives

The SME process begins with a meeting between leadership in order to establish teams and functions, set objectives, map the development process and respective needs, discuss barriers/ opportunities and articulate expected outcomes.

Listen

  • Brand Audit
  • Market Insights & Trends
  • Competitor Analysis
  • Qualitative Research
  • Quantitative Research
  • Benchmarking

The Listen phase is an opportunity to understand and absorb the brand’s relevant universe through the extensive use of primary and secondary research.

Define

  • Brand Essence
  • Benefit Development
  • Identity
  • Strategy
  • Positioning
  • Marketing Planning
  • Media Planning

The Define phase identifies the clear, compelling and actionable attributes that will set the brand apart, delivering a grand strategy that inspires all future communications activities.

Express

  • Creative Execution
  • Print Production
  • Digital Production
  • Radio Production
  • TV Production
  • Outdoor Production
  • Experiential Marketing
  • Media Buying

In the Express phase, the brand’s strategic foundation blossoms into a complete communications plan of compelling expressions.

Engage

  • Conversation Management
  • Campaign Tracking
  • Social Media Monitoring
  • Social Media Engagement

The Engage phase activates the newly developed communications plan to fully engage the target audience in open dialogue.