The week began in the U.S. with Labor Day, a holiday signed into law over 100 years ago by Grover Cleveland to “recognize the dignity of labor.”
At Brand Federation, Labor Day takes on special significance as the day the company was founded in 2018. The date is not a coincidence. From the start, our partners believed the working world was ripe for change and that Brand Federation could celebrate the growing independence of workers in our field.
Long before the rise of Covid and the “Great Resignation” our partners saw the potential for brilliant marketing leaders to liberate themselves from the trappings of large corporations. We had an evolved view of how we could depart from the constraints of space and time to encourage workers to work when they want to from wherever they choose to be.
Along the way, we asked and answered several key questions about the nature of professional consulting:
At Brand Federation we are united in the belief that when people live their best lives, they do their best work. A simple concept that has guided every decision since our founding.
So, this Labor Day week, as we mark our fourth anniversary, we celebrate the members and clients who have made this Federation such an incredible success.
Thank you all.
Sincerely,
Kelly O’Keefe
Kelly O’Keefe, co-founder and managing partner at Brand Federation, is a respected brand strategist known for his leadership in corporate brand strategy. He is formerly a professor and chair of the creative brand management program at the VCU Brandcenter — a master's program for advertising, branding and creative problem-solving at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business. He’s an inductee in the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame, a former Richmond Ad Person of the Year, as well as Virginia Entrepreneur of the Year; and he has been a strategic brand advisor to corporate clients like Capital One, Carmax, GE, ESPN, Walmart, Dominion Energy, UPS and many other leading organizations.
