Meetings at Trone Brand Energy take place in conference rooms dubbed the Swarm, the Alpha and the Mason Jar. The cheeky names tie into the shop's guiding philosophy of the firefly effect, a natural phenomenon in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains in which fireflies synchronize to blink in unison.
The idea that compelling brands operate similarly to fireflies was inspiration behind a 2010 rebranding. The transformation ushered in new management, a new name, new ownership and a new office in High Point, N.C. It also put a new emphasis on data.
"We go through a very deep insight process," said Trone President Doug Barton. "Every brand does have a story, and how well that story is told is what drives its energy today."
The energy at Trone is clearly robust: Projected revenue for 2013 is $7.5 million, boosted by a holiday campaign for California jeweler Shreve & Co. that doubled the retailer's daily sales.
