A billion seconds equals 46 years. A billion minutes, 2000 years. A billion hours? A billion hours ago, it was the stone age.

And how about a billion dollars, what does that equal? Hmmm, a billion dollars equals Coca Cola's annual budget for promoting their brand. Turning red and white with envy yet?

Imagine what you could do for your business, business unit, or organization with a 10th of that budget? Or, maybe 1,000th of that budget. Heck, that's still a million bucks. What could you do with a 10,000th of that budget?

More than you think.

You see, lots of companies and organizations think branding is only for the "big guys" — Coke, Nike, Volkswagen, Microsoft. But the truth is, if you have a company, you have a brand. And the effectiveness of how you communicate that brand should not depend on how big your budget is, but how strong your message is.

Take Bayard's Chocolates for example. A 66-year-old family-owned New Jersey company, Bayard's Chocolates had been a stale business for the past decade, surviving because of customer loyalty and employee dedication the likes of which are rarely seen. Spending next to nothing on communications in the 1990's, the Bayard's brand began to fade into memory. Then in November 2004, Bayard's was sold to a New Jersey family of candy makers, the Glaser family. Today, the Glaser vision is to bring Bayard's back to life.

Bayard's, like all companies and organizations, needs to communicate with key constituencies. For them, and likely you, these constituents are the customers you serve, the employees you hire, and others that interface with your brand. The objective behind these communications is to create interest and awareness about your company. Deeper than that, though, it is to build a community of people to which your brand is a part of their life.

So when Bayard's came to Paragraph, we researched their competition, interviewed employees, and conducted market research to define who that community is made of, and discover the "what's in it for me" for each community member. This helped us get to the root of what makes Bayard's so special, and what it is that will allow us to consistently reach people in a targeted and economical fashion to revive the brand.

"We did a lot of due diligence to find the right agency," said Kevin Glaser, Bayard's new vice president. "And Paragraph was the only one that understood how to first uncover our story, and then help us tell it in a way that resonates with customers of all kinds."

The same methodology that works for Bayard's works for Paragraph clients of all sizes and industries … Reading Terminal Market, Pennsylvania Bio, NFL Films, and even business units like The Hartford's affinity and association team, Aramark's business dining services, and Aramark's campus dining services.

And it can work for you. Whether you're big, small, or smack-dab in the middle … a B2B, B2C, professional service, financial, or healthcare company … or even a non-profit organization, you can build your community by communicating your brand's value and defining your difference at key points. The key is knowing what to say and when.

Sometimes that means knowing simply what to say when answering the phone. It may also mean sending out targeted direct marketing to a few select prospects, and maintaining a smart web presence. Or, putting together a better sales presentation so your message is consistent at every touch point. But, rarely does it mean a Super Bowl ad or the back cover of Newsweek.

So relax, have a Coke and a smile. And forget about needing a billion dollars to make a point. Because if your message is right, your brand will matter most to the people who matter most to you.