“Fran not only helped me to articulate a vision for GCP Applied Technologies that captured the essence of our brand, he worked with our marketing teams, sales people and customers to develop a program that spoke to the company’s vision from the board room to the job site. Once Fran captures the essence of what you do the message is clear, impactful and fun and your team says ‘we can sell that’. Fran helps companies communicate what is great about what they do.”
— Greg Poling, Retired CEO, GCP Applied Technologies, a $1B+ global company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“At Huntington Bank, Fran pushed us to find ways to stand out in a commodity marketplace and to create a distinctive brand. He started with bold statements that helped inform our strategic foundation, and then quickly helped us explore and commit to those ideas. His leadership and counsel led to our reframing Huntington’s internal culture, products and services, customer experiences, and the introduction of the ubiquitous green pens we gave away in branches and continue giving away today. It was his firm belief we could exist in a category all by ourselves that helped propel us on a new Brand journey and to ultimately do things we never thought possible.”
— Steve Steinour, CEO, Huntington Bank, a leading regional bank headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Bank assets of $100B+
“The magic of Fran Kelly is that he makes great branding feel easy. His decades of focus on and refinement of his craft across a wide variety of industries give him rare perspective and wisdom that leads to a crisp and clear sense of what will help the market understand and appreciate us.”
— Lorne A Adrain, Founder and Chair of Global Fellows in Courage, a Human Rights Foundation, Providence, Rhode Island
“I am a second generation owner and Managing Partner of a 50-year old family owned vineyard and winery property in the Dundee Hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The business is entering a new phase of development which is allowing us the opportunity to reimagine our brand and our relationship with our customers. Fran led us through his proprietary “7 Steps to Brand Success” process helping us identify four core pillars of our brand’s unique identity. He encouraged all members of the team to express their hopes and dreams for the company’s future, ultimately arriving at a cohesive brand statement that resonated with all involved. We intend to take Fran’s advice to consider this a living document - to be updated and refined over time - that will guide and align our actions going forward, ensuring a consistent and inspirational brand expression into the future. I especially valued Fran’s supportive approach to the conversation because everyone felt heard, appreciated and empowered throughout. I look forward to keeping Fran apprised of the success we achieve due to his guidance.”
— Page Knudsen Cowles, Managing Partner, Knudsen Vineyards, Willamette Valley, Oregon
“Understanding the core essence of a brand and staying relentlessly focussed on it are the keys to building a strong and enduring consumer franchise. Fran was pivotal to our business success by leading us to identify our unique point of difference and remaining faithful to it in all of our messaging. He is always easy and fun to work with … proven abilities to impact the business.”
— Randy Papadellis, Retired President & Chief Executive Officer Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. Lakeville, Massachusetts. A $2B+ global brand.
What the heads of three leading U.S. boarding schools say:
Millbrook School
“Fran Kelly took the time to get to know Millbrook School inside and out. He partnered closely with our brand leadership team, inspiring engagement, excitement and trust. And he then brought his impressive experience and creativity to build a brand strategy that is both authentic and a refinement and which has been wonderfully effective in admissions, alumni and relations and fundraising.”
— Drew Casertano, Headmaster of Millbrook School, Dutchess County, New York
Webb Schools
“Like many schools, Webb offers students and families a highly engaging learning community that lasts a lifetime. But describing this experience and our story in a clear and powerful way is easier said than done. Fran served as our trail guide in analyzing our data and trends, building our branding filters, and forging a brand in which our entire community is deeply excited. As we head into our Centennial Years, I couldn’t more pleased with his work on behalf of The Webb Schools.”
— Taylor Stockdale, Head of School at The Webb Schools, Claremont, California
Buxton School
“Fran guided us in a process of self-evaluation and discovery that enabled us to capture in a tag line what we are all about. It is short and concise, but it really does run through everything that we do. It has helped us to bring all our activities into alignment, whether educational or promotional and, not incidentally, to present ourselves more concisely and more substantively to the world around us.”
— Graeme Fincke, Former Board Chairman. Buxton School, Williamstown, Massachusetts
“Fran Kelly helped me, and my team, tap into the essence of Mi’s brand, fully appreciate it ourselves, and communicate it to others. Fran is an empathic and insightful listener, and he led us through an engaging creative process that yielded tangible results. The work we did together was a joy!”
— Susan Lusi, President & CEO of Mass Insight Education and Research, an education focused non-profit headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts
“I had the good fortune of working with Fran when I first took over as the President & GM of WBZ-TV/CBS Boston, and the timing could not have been better. While his wealth of experience and expertise certainly helped us shape our external brand message, the most significant benefit came from his collaborative approach in working with our entire leadership team. He helped us gain brand clarity and brand confidence. The other aspect that has been invaluable is the relationship we fostered during the process….that has continued well beyond the initial scope of our work together.”
— Mark Lund, President & GM of WBZ-TV/CBS Boston, Massachusetts
“Everyone in Chicago knows and loves Portillo’s. But as we open restaurants in new markets, we need to communicate what the brand stands for. Fran helped our team capture the essence of the Portillo’s experience and articulate it in a fun and compelling way.”
— Mike Miles, Chairman, the Portillo’s Restaurant Group, Chicago, Illinois. A Berkshire Partners portfolio company with 60+ locations nationwide.