Small Company, Big Brand

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Patrick Hanlon, CEO of branding company Thinktopia and author of Primal Branding, says he's struck by the consistency in the model of what it takes to build a brand. In his book, Hanlon lays out seven assets, or "pieces of primal code," that go into making a great brand: a creation story, creed, icon, rituals, sacred words, dealing with nonbelievers, and a good leader.

Never underestimate the power of story, says Hanlon. Take Pom Wonderful: Its Web site includes an entire history of the company and the pomegranate itself. "All brands are a narrative; the story is what draws us in," says Hanlon.

Once customers are in, it's often a company's value system, or creed, that keeps them coming back. Zipcar has been careful to partner only with companies that jibe with its own brand.

So far, Zipcar has successfully cross-promoted with XM Satellite Radio (XMSR), Whole Foods Market (WFMI), and Ikea, but "couldn't imagine putting a Hyundai or a GM (GM) into our fleet, because they don't fit the values of our urban environment," says Griffith. He says the trust the company builds through disciplined partnerships is a big reason why one-third of all new Zipcar business is driven directly through word of mouth.

BIGGER THINGS TO COME.

Heavy.com is another small company that holds its own in street cred. Its viral videos and clips aimed at 18- to 34-year-old guys spread quickly among the 12.5 million users who visit the site each month.

For Heavy.com's staff, the most difficult task isn't trying to invent the next big thing but rather allowing users to communicate what they'd like the site to be. The result is continual reinvention. One of the latest additions is the "massive mating game," where users watch videos of women, then answer trivia questions about them. The grand prize? A "mac-daddy date in Vegas with one of the girls."

Aside from having great brands, all of these small companies have one thing in common: They probably won't be small for long. Growth among them has been prodigious. Zipcar, for instance, expects to double last year's revenues, going from $15 million to $30 million. And Heavy.com went from more than $5 million in revenue last year to an estimated $15 million to $20 million this year.

In the end, successful companies find what their particular customers want and the most creative ways to give it to them. "Imitation is the sincerest form of boredom—it's easy to rip off someone else's great idea," says Hanlon. "The main thing to be is to be different."

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Jeffrey Gangemi is a freelance writer based in Mendoza, Argentina.