| Type | Public (NYSE: OMC) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brand Consulting |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | New York, New York Los Angeles, California San Francisco, California London, United Kingdom Dubai, United Arab Emirates Shanghai, China Beijing, China Hamburg, Germany |
| Key people | Alan Siegel Chairman David Srere Co-CEO Chief Strategy Officer Howard Belk Co-CEO Chief Creative Officer Jason Cieslak Managing Director, Los Angeles Philip Davis President, EMEA Warren Wang Managing Director, China |
| Services | Research, Brand development, Simplification, Digital |
| Employees | 250 |
| Website | www.siegelgale.com |
Siegel+Gale is a global strategic branding firm that employs over 250 people, including corporate branding specialists, designers, writers, account managers and consultants. The company was founded in 1969 by Alan Siegel and Robert Gale. Siegel remains at the firm as the Chairman. David Srere and Howard Belk act as Co-CEOs. Siegel+Gale is a part of Omnicom Group (NYSE-OMC)[1]. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai, Beijing, and Hamburg[2]. It serves a wide range of corporate, non-profit, and government clients. Its corporate tagline is “Simple is Smart.”
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Siegel+Gale was founded in 1969 by Alan Siegel, an advertising, public relations and design-trained executive, and Robert Gale, a designer. The company was first operated out of Siegel’s apartment in New York City. Gale sold his share of the firm in 1974. In 1988, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Saatchi & Saatchi, the global brand advertising and marketing firm. After 10 years, Siegel+Gale organized an employee buy-back of the firm in association with a venture capital firm and Fleet Bank (now owned by Bank of America, Inc.). In 2003, the firm was acquired by the large marketing and communications company, Omnicom Group Inc.
Siegel+Gale began with the development of brand identities for clients like Uniroyal (revamping the company’s corporate identity and launching marketing and communications projects in Europe and South America) and Pitney Bowes (image and messaging revamp)[3]. In 1980, Siegel+Gale went on to work with the Interbank Card Association to form a new global identity for Master Charge, that included the company's name to MasterCard.[4] Co-founder, Alan Siegel, taught the first law school course on the subject of plain-language writing, which is reflected in the company's tagline, "Simple is Smart." Siegel+Gale publishes an annual research report called the "Simplicity Survey" detailing current marketplace trends related to simplicity.
In the 1970s, Siegel+Gale began translating complex legal, government and business documents into Plain English.[5] It gained media coverage[6] for using plain English to simplify and clarify legal documents, such as loan applications, mortgage agreements, insurance policies and leases. During this period, Siegel+Gale also created user-friendly, readable utility bills, telephone bills and insurance policies. During the Carter Administration,[7] Siegel+Gale was retained by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to simplify individual taxpayer instructions and forms. The current 1040 EZ form, originally the Short Form, grew out of this work.[8] The firm continues to work with the IRS and consistently receives industry recognition[9] .
The first self-administered U.S.Census Form was developed by Siegel+Gale as a test during the 1980 U.S. Census. The form proved to be a cost effective alternative to door-to-door interviews.
Simplification continues to be a major practice area for Siegel+Gale. The firm continues to guide corporations, government agencies and non-profit organizations to simplify brand imaging, communication strategies, organizational processes and online usability.
In the 1980s, Siegel+Gale transformed corporate and brand identity programs into the concept of "Corporate Voice," defined as a concept that "begins with a company's inherent values and encompasses all the ways it interacts with its various audiences–unifying its diverse exposures to build a coherent, focused personality for the corporation."[10] Siegel+Gale now publicly refers to this concept as "Brand Voice."
Siegel+Gale created the first comprehensive Global Voice programs for 3M to convey its ‘Innovation’ positioning, and TRW, the Cleveland-based Aerospace company. In addition, the company was also responsible for the Mellon Bank positioning, based on the theme “one of the banks that defines banking.”
In the 1990s, Siegel+Gale began to apply its simplification and clarity expertise to online communications. It launched siegelgale.com and created online identity strategies for a range of clients, including Ernst & Young (Ernie), Kodak Professional and the College Board.[11] It continues to help companies build media programs that distinguish their brand.
Siegel+Gale has created branding programs for 3M, AARP, Allstate, American Express, Bayer, Boise, Caterpillar, China Youth Development Foundation, Comcast, Czech Airlines, Dell, Disney, Dolce (satellite television), Dow, EmblemHealth,[12] Eurotel, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Girl Scouts, KAUST, Lexus, Merrill Lynch, Microsoft, Motorola, National Basketball Association, Norsk Hydro, Pfizer, Prudential Financial, Saudi Aramco, Sony, Tata Consultancy Services, The New School, Xerox, and Yahoo![13], among others.
Siegel+Gale is also dedicated to helping not-for-profits build brand identities that enhance their ability to achieve their missions. Clients include Girl Scouts of the USA.,[14] Phoenix House,[15] Legal Aid Society,[16] University of the Arts [17] [18] Americas Second Harvest (now Feeding America), BreastCancer.org, The New School, The Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, Florida State University, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science & Technology), and The Museum of Arts & Design.
The firm has also received many awards for the work it has done for its clients. Some of these recognitions include: REBRAND 100, Best of Awards for ICFJ[19]; 365: AIGA Annual Design Competitions 30, Award for Outstanding Design, Branding Brochure for EmblemHealth [20]; Web Marketing Association's WebAward For Outstanding Achievement in Web Development, Best Associations Website for Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library; Communicate magazine Transform 2010 Awards Best corporate rebrand for a spin-off or new company-Gold and Best rebrand from a not-for-profit organisation-Gold for the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation[21]; and a Pro Bono Publico Award in recognition of the pro bono work in the rebranding of The Legal Aid Society. [22]
On Saturday, October 17, 2009 friends, alumni, clients, and employees gathered at The New York Public Library's Astor Hall to celebrate 40 years of 'Simple is smart'. At the event, Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting, presented an official proclamation by Mayor Michael Bloomberg marking Friday, October 16, 2009 as "Siegel+Gale Day in the City of New York." The honor was accepted by Siegel+Gale founder and Chairman Alan Siegel, accompanied by Siegel+Gale Co-CEOs David Srere and Howard Belk.[23]