The story behind etc. Branding – who are we and why the name?
Unlike the official meaning of etcetera, etc. Branding is far from an afterthought, an unspecified addition or the end of a long and often tedious list of things to do or products to procure. Yet, as a business, we are fully aware that branded merchandise is often one of the last things thought about when it comes to marketing.
Whether it’s for a specific campaign or an event, the ordering of promotional products is usually the final task completed. Sometimes, it’s been forgotten, and other times it’s purposely left until the end because the products have to complement the rest of the marketing activity and meet the core objective.
Nonetheless, we thought a play on etcetera would make the perfect name for our business when we launched in 2015, but not just because of the word association.
A year previously, our founders, Tina and Emma, met at work and hit it off immediately.
Following a few years in account management, Tina went on to enjoy a 20-year career working in promotional merchandising for some major brands, including Garmin, Honda, McAfee and Johnson and Johnson.
Emma had been working in recruitment and account management for seven years before spending another seven aboard luxury superyachts as a Chief Stewardess. This is when she realised there was a niche market to supply high-end branded and personalised items for charters.
Striking up an instant friendship and sharing a similar passion for products and the same approach to consultancy, they thought, ‘why not go it alone?’
One trip to the garden centre café later, and the decision was made and etc. Branding was born. And if you haven’t worked it out yet, the name is a seamless blend of their initials – E for Emma, T for Tina and C for both their surnames, Campbell and Costick – what a clever coincidence!
Today, the pair have consumed millions of cups of coffee and far too much wine. But more importantly, they have been nominated for a couple of awards, supported hundreds of clients in multiple sectors and supplied thousands of products from their worldwide network.
No matter what your branded merchandise needs, we’d be happy to help.
