Gray Matter at White Space

We recently onboarded a new client who doesn’t have a CMO. They have tons of experience supporting their brand with the digital channels and PR. They’re in the design industry, so they’re fueled by creativity and innovation. They understand the value of metrics in proving the ROI of their marketing.

But, they came to us because they realized they needed something they called “high-level strategy” in order to use their marketing budget more intelligently. 

Seriously, when I heard that I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.

In the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to be introduced to other marketing related firms that do things I don’t do--or don’t do well enough. In the past I viewed this as competition, but now my mind is changed. 

Oftentimes, we come into a business relationship to help focus strategy, messaging, and planning. We have implementation programs with our in-house “machine,” and project manage to sustain aggressive timetables and provide air-cover for client teams.

Email unsubscribes are okay--really.

Your email unsubscribe experience will influence how people feel about your brand.

Helping people unsubscribe from your emails will actually have a positive impact on your email deliverability and internet service provider reputation, the goodwill of your customers and prospects, the health of your email list, your bottom line, and more.

Here are some stress-free concepts to think about.

As we embark on two late-2019 brand messaging projects, I’m reminded to stand my ground on the balance between brand values-based messaging and product features.

Customers (whether B2B or B2C) are increasingly adamant that the buyer experience be holistically enjoyable. Yes, they need your product or service to solve their problem, but they also want to believe they're making a good decision -- and you need to be able to describe why they should invest in you.

Only three percent of customers believe marketing is relevant. As in, 97 percent of customers do not? 

It’s a staggering statistic for those of us who put everything into helping our customers define (and refine) their brand voice, craft the right messaging, and effectively deliver it to their target markets. Unfortunately, many companies don’t fully comprehend the intricacies of what makes marketing work. Simply throwing money at “marketing” is an inefficient and wasteful strategy.

Recently, a friend asked for a WSMG credentials deck to send along to a referral. I’m so grateful, but I always pause and ask: Is this really a good idea?

Credentials decks are about the “what” of what you do. It functions like a checklist. Do they do what I need?

But, it’s hard to convey the unique why-and-how in a two-dimensional asset.

A recurring theme in my recent history of blog posts has been the Storybrand framework, which really focuses on tightening up your messaging and setting your audience, your customer, as the focal point. They become the hero of the story.

A common belief is that Storybrand is best utilized in smaller to mid-sized companies. 

I'd argue that’s a misconception.

As we know, physicians hold the golden ring: the referral or endorsement of health-related products and services.

On paper, it looks like we have to jump through a lot of hoops to reach referring docs who might send patients to physical therapy, weight loss, wound care, or diabetes locations to get the care they need. But, physicians are people too, and you can often reach them with integrated marketing tactics without duplicating spend, or devising physician-only messaging. 

Technology is changing the way we look at--and proceed with--sales. Sometimes, we rely heavily on technology and its predictive capabilities, especially in the beginning stages. The good news is that over half of organizations are using sales tech to effectively accomplish the following:

• Social selling (57%)
• Lead gen (57%)
• Activity management and tracking (56%)

The clock is ticking towards 2020, faster than many would like. All the slicing and dicing of budget planning that takes place during the next two months is a necessary evil--and is often dictated by a predetermined (and stiff) organization chart. But, just because the org chart provides structure, it doesn’t mean it’s truly cost efficient.

Here’s an example, another “blast from the past” reference...