NBC 10 Features Team IMPACT UVM Match
NBC 10 interviews fourth-grader Max White of Richmond, Vermont, who just became the latest team member of the University of Vermont men’s soccer team through client Team IMPACT.
NECN Features Client Team IMPACT
NECN interviewed client Team IMPACT’s CEO about how the Boston-based nonprofit continues to operate and help sick kids stay connected with their matched teams during the COVID-19 quarantine. See the full story, here.
New England Patriot’s Chase Winovich joined Team IMPACT’s Virtual Gala April 29th
Team IMPACT CEO Writes for Chief Learning Officer
Seth Rosenzweig, CEO of client team IMPACT, wrote a piece for Chief Learning Officer about building stronger leaders through volunteerism and mentorship. As the leader of the Boston-based nonprofit connecting children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, he is very familiar with the psychological and sociological effects of isolation and believes that this knowledge is something that all leaders and managers will now need to familiarize themselves with in order to lead effectively in this new reality. He shares what lessons leaders can take from this knowledge to help their isolated teams stay connected and inspired in this time of COVID-19 quarantine and social distancing.
“Philanthropy and volunteerism can help us navigate seemingly impossible situations and focus on silver linings — something we can all benefit from at a time like this. The lessons we can take from being mentors, for example, are many and can be applied to other areas of life such as leadership, management, self-control and more. How can you encourage your team to give back not only in a time of need but as a way of life?”
Read the full story, here.
Marketing During A Crisis
It’s a question on the minds of many Chief Marketing officers, marketing executives, and small business owners: “What should we do about marketing in the current COVID-19 crisis? Should we even be marketing?”
To Market Or Not To Market?
As has been said in the wake of past disasters, the answer is yes. The more important question is “How and what should we be marketing”? Marketing is often the first thing to go during a financial crisis – it’s an “easy cut” that doesn’t always have a stark, noticeable impact on the bottom line. (This is why measurement and analytics are so important!) But in difficult times, marketing may be more critical than ever. While it may not drive hot leads today, it will generate warm leads and loyalty for tomorrow when buyers begin to spend money again.
Moving To Socially-Minded Campaigns
Every organization now needs to refocus their marketing approach to be socially-minded. If your company’s previous marketing was all about your brand, it’s time to think differently. True, consumers and businesses may be slowing down buying today, but tomorrow will come and marketers need to be thinking about that in their strategy.
Socially-minded marketing during this crisis is focused on brands being a resource to customers and prospects today. Provide more information, share more insights, give more than you have previously. Consider pricing strategies, reductions, or payment plans that will allow your customers to stay with you during these tough times. Think about how your marketing actions today will build long term loyalty when we all begin to recover and spend again.
What Brands Are Doing It Right?
Take, for example, Planet Fitness. They swiftly conducted a series of smart marketing moves:
- On March 10, they sent a member newsletter on health and wellness guidelines and best practices for staying clean and healthy during flu season and among “heightened awareness around COVID-19.” (Because none of us yet knew the full implications!)
- They closed all clubs proactively (not waiting to be forced by government mandates) on Friday, March 20
- They proactively froze all member accounts, not charging any fees “during this time.” Considering that no one seems to know how long “this time” will last, this is particularly impressive. As long as their clubs remain closed, they will not charge membership fees. Admittedly, this is a difficult decision that affects the bottom line. But they immediately recognized their role in helping to stop the spread of Coronavirus (closing all clubs) and the financial strain that consumers were going to be facing. While the $20 I spend on my monthly membership isn’t going to help pay my mortgage, it does make me loyal to a brand that puts its customers first, and I’ll remember that.
- Thereafter, they did not send out any other newsletters or promotions until this Monday, March 23. They took their time to think carefully about what to market, how, and when.
- They are now offering free fitness classes for everyone – branded “Home Work-Ins,” streaming live daily Monday – Friday at 7 p.m., hosted by their trainers and celebrity guests. They require no equipment and are just 20 minutes or less. What a brilliant way to keep current members engaged and appeal to prospective members who a) may have no other workout options and b) have never tried Planet Fitness before and can now get a feel for how they treat their members, how they train, etc. The classes are also available on Facebook and YouTube after each broadcast, allowing fitness buffs to do them on their own time.
- They quickly updated their website to reflect the new campaign, “United We Move: We’re Bringing The Gym To You.”
Other brands did not move as swiftly or as carefully. They may not have considered just how vital intelligent, socially-minded marketing is in a crisis like this. They continued to think only with a promotional viewpoint and not a research-based, customer-first mindset. Sending your regular newsletter with a side note on COVID19 was not enough. Here’s a different tale from Vineyard Vines:
- On March 13 Vineyard Vines sent a newsletter out encouraging customers to continue shopping in their stores because “they remained open.” A note that the company had stepped up their “already rigorous store cleaning protocols,” was included and that they wanted to be a place of “respite and positivity” during this time. I was surprised that they didn’t instead promote online shopping and encourage people to stay home – both for their employees’ and their customers’ sake.
- Over the next two days, on March 14 and 15, they continued to send newsletters with regular promotions such as “Spring Print Spotlight,” and “Sale’s on Sale.” They lacked any new thoughts/positioning on why consumers should even think about shopping for Spring weather or vacation clothing during this time of uncertainty and social distancing.
- Later on March 15, they sent a second newsletter of the day stating their stores would be closed through March 27. They did announce that they would be paying employees for any previously scheduled shifts and that their website would remain open. Still, there was no real positioning on what they were doing to help employees for the long term, why customers should consider continuing to spend money with them, or to connect their tagline, “Every Day Should Feel This Good” to what customers could do to stay positive and “feel good” during such a time. I consider that a lost opportunity. They could have shared ideas for staying positive, being resilient, keeping entertained, etc. that tied to “feeling good.”
The next day, they were back to their regularly scheduled “40 percent off” newsletters.
Finally, Monday of this week, they started to tie it in, offering “the most comfortable work from home styles,” and a new hashtag, “whaleathome,” accompanied by a website featuring “Tales of the Good Life from our friends, activities and inspiration for whale-you’re-at-home, and more to give you a brief escape from these uncertain times.” They began promoting images of people wearing and using their products at home and they tied in “We hope this reminds you that Every Day Should Feel This Good.”
Two Different Approaches
Of course, I acknowledge that every brand is different, and not all have something to offer that can tie into the social distancing and isolation we are all currently faced with today. However, this shows the difference between the two marketing strategies and approaches:
- A fast-moving, research-based, customer-first vs. sales first, resourceful and socially-minded campaign that will build long term customer loyalty
- A sales-first, slightly oblivious, self-absorbed campaign that barely acknowledged a new reality for the entire globe for over a week
In times of crisis, marketing is essential, but it changes. Swift moves backed by critical thinking, and research are vital. Crisis experts should be consulted, and it’s better to halt promotions until you have a clear strategy in place. Keep this in mind as you continue to navigate the murky waters we are all swimming in today, with no definitive end in sight. How will you connect with and help your customers during this time? Stop thinking sales-first for now, and start building loyalty-based campaigns that will help both you and your customers when we reach the recovery phase.
What brands have you seen doing a good job marketing during this crisis?
What’s Wrong With My Marketing?
In the day and age of social media and digital communications, nearly everyone fancies themselves a marketer. And I suppose that in some ways, everyone is – we’re marketing our personal brands: our roles as parents, leaders, authorities and whatever else is hot at the moment. We share our company’s marketing content across social networks. We chime in with something cool we saw on YouTube and suggest our company do something similar.
But not all marketing is created equal. While something may work for an Instagram influencer, it likely won’t have the same success for a B2B company, for example. Yet, here are five things to check in your marketing that can apply to just about any brand:
- You’re too self-centered. Social media has brought out the narcissist in a lot of us, but that doesn’t mean focusing on just your company and products will engage an audience. Sure, it may work for Kim Kardashian, but it’s not likely to work for your security product in the same way unless you intersperse other helpful and informative information in between your company and product updates. Your content needs to be about your audience and their needs and wants, not just about you. In addition, you can no longer expect your audience to come to your properties – you have to reach out where they are, across multiple networks.
- You lack visuals. Even a B2B brand can and should be using imagery in their social media. Tools like Canva make it very easy to create unique, branded images.
- You haven’t jumped on the video bandwagon. Hubspot reports that 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video and that 88% of video marketers report that video gives them a positive ROI. Video can be simple and inexpensive – anything from your CEO speaking to a smartphone camera, to product or program overviews, man-on-the-street videos interviewing people at a conference, or more complex pieces like explainer videos. People tend to engage with and share videos more than text-only content, so it’s a crucial component to smart marketing.
- You’re not involving your customers. I’m sure what you have to say is very interesting, but third parties are always more credible, especially if they’re your customers. People want to hear from people like themselves, which is why social media influencers are so popular now. I like how Ted Rubin recently described influencers as possessing “the unique skills necessary to create a community and a willingness to serve the community they build.” (Read: not necessary celebs.) And, brand trust is a fickle thing. However, people tend to trust friends and even a friend’s network who they don’t personally know or, heck, other reviewers (even strangers) on Yelp or Trip Advisor – more than they trust brands. Get your fans talking and sharing for you!
- You’re not analyzing. It still surprises me when I speak to prospects who are not measuring their marketing or PR in any form. Marketing well is not inexpensive, so don’t you want to know your ROI? We worked with three new clients this last year that didn’t have anything set up – not even Google Analytics. Reviewing your analytics on Facebook or Linkedin isn’t enough – you must track ROI around what matters most to the brand, such as purchase intent and sales – not likes and follows. And, the numbers don’t mean much if you’re not analyzing what is happening behind them. Where are your fans and followers finding you? How long are they staying? Where do they prefer to engage and in what way? What’s their buyer journey look like? What content is really driving prospects to the top of the funnel? What content is working with which audience? These are all elements that will supercharge your marketing and differentiate you as a true marketer.
Following these five basic guidelines can help you stand out as a marketer and continually get better. Just like the phone, social media channels don’t make everyone a good communicator just because they have access. It takes strategy, thoughtful presence, and consistency to do marketing right.
Branding Lessons From Political Slogans
What does a “Great America” mean to you?
A generic political slogan like Trump’s “Make America Great Again” can be so appealing because you get to define it for yourself, vs. a politician telling you very specifically what to think. It opens up possibilities for everyone. Trump fan or not, like many celebrities and artists, he’s a great marketer.
Take, for example some of these less generic presidential campaign slogans. They don’t leave a lot of room for interpretation:
- “Who but Hoover?” – Herbert Hoover
- “Forward with Roosevelt” – Franklin Roosevelt
- “I like Ike” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
- “Win with Warren” – Elizabeth Warren
It may be surprising that Trump did not use his name in his slogan like many candidates. Meanwhile, his 2020 presidential campaign slogans used to-date are not as open but do play on the successes he’s had:
- “Keep America Great”
- “Promises Made, Promises Kept”
What can your brand learn from examining these political slogans? We extract several lessons to keep in mind when branding your next marketing campaign:
- Identify your target audience – are you trying to appeal to a niche, or open up and appeal to a wider population?
- What can you learn from your existing fan base to shape your next slogan or tagline? Ask your customers what they like best about your product or service and use this feedback to shape words and images that appeal to them.
- Know the pain points and use a little FUD – Trump played upon pain well, appealing especially to voters across the US who felt like their place in the world was being threatened. He played upon this fear and made them feel like he understood them better than any other candidate.
- Keep it simple – Trump uses very simple language and leaves a lot up to interpretation. When your audience can easily understand what you’re saying, their brand recall will be stronger.
- Puff your chest – there is no doubt that Trump is a positioner. He is practically the epitome of “fake it ‘til you make it,” given his reported financial background and history. No matter. He says what he wants people to hear and believe, and for him, it works. Now, in the “real world” we have to be more careful – false claims and failed promises will come back to bite you. But take a look at what you’ve done for customers, what declarations you’ve fulfilled, and use them in your campaigns and tag lines. Better yet, let your customers do the talking for you by having a campaign slogan or tagline contest. Often, our customers open our eyes and have the best, most practical viewpoints of what our products or services really do for – or mean to – them.
Marketing inspiration is all around us. Today’s political climate is no exception and can offer a lot of lessons – and raise some questions – about how to best connect with your audience. Examine them in the light of what you need to accomplish and you may breathe some fresh air into your messaging.
Together For Safer Roads Launches Accelerator
Our client Together For Safer Roads has announced its third annual Global Entrepreneur Program, a unique accelerator focused on early stage startups in transportation and road safety.
The 2020 Program is focused on addressing problems and building solutions in three core areas:
- Intelligent Transportation Services: Creates new, safer road usage patterns and options to create more seamless, safer connections across modes of transportation, transportation infrastructure, and/or road user communities
- Commercial Transportation Safety: Improves the safety outcomes of commercial drivers, commercial vehicles, and/or road operators critical to commercial transportation
- People-First Transportation Solutions: Focuses on putting people and their road safety vulnerabilities at the heart of product design, thereby reducing the exposure for all road users simultaneously
Startups interested in the 2020 program can read details and apply online until September 30. A GEP Pitch Night event is slated for early December, where the cohort will be announced.
Can Tech Make Safer Drivers?
Client Octo Telematics has partnered with ICBC for a one-year tech pilot project, recruiting as many as 7,000 drivers to see if technology can improve their driving and make B.C. roads safer. Octo will provide the telematics platform to track driving behaviors, monitor distracted driving, and provide an overall driving score.
“Participants will use a small smart tag that communicates with an app installed on their smartphone. As an incentive, participants will receive rewards in the form of gift cards to popular retailers and restaurants. Drivers will complete various driving challenges to increase their chance at rewards. The safer your driving, the more rewards you can earn.”
The pilot results will help determine how ICBC might use telematics in the future. Other insurers may also find interest in the results and how insurtech can make better drivers.
To sign up or read more details, visit http://bit.ly/OctoICBC.
Say No To FOMO Marketing
Often, when a new client comes to us for marketing help, they are overwhelmed by the scope of possibilities and in particular, the social media landscape. Of course, we help them to understand that not every idea is applicable to their business. “But what about x social channel? We see everyone doing it now,” they’ll often retort.
The scope of marketing software and social media channels is indeed vast and overwhelming. But in reality, not everything is right for your business needs. Just because you see GoPro doing some very cool thing on a social media channel does not mean it will yield the same results for you or even that the social channel is applicable to your audience… especially if you’re a B2B company. Marketing strategy built from the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is naive at best, and irresponsible at worst.
Instead of looking around at what everyone else is doing and thinking “We need to be there, too,” step back. Ask yourself these four things before you kick off your marketing brainstorm, and ensure that your strategy makes sense for your needs and isn’t born out of FOMO:
- Start with your business goals – marketing is not an island unto itself. It’s there to support the business and help roll out the red carpet for sales. What are the overarching business goals that marketing is supporting?
- Analyze the competition – ok, so we said don’t fret over what everyone is doing, but definitely check out what your competition is doing and more importantly, if it seems to be working. Learn from their mistakes so you can avoid making your own.
- Understand your customers – in fact, ask them where they hang out online. Where do they prefer to consume content? The answers for a B2C company are likely much different than a B2B company. THIS IS ALL THAT MATTERS – that you’re reaching the right audience, not every audience.
- Analyze your resources – what is the size of your marketing team? How many minds do you have to brainstorm great ideas with? How many bodies do you have to execute the work? What is your budget? These questions alone should demonstrate how not all marketing is created equal. Ensure that your strategy and social media efforts are of reasonable proportion to your resources. It’s much worse to start a marketing campaign and fail to execute well because you tried to do too much, vs. taking on smaller efforts that are executed flawlessly.
Starting with these four simple questions can help your marketing team to keep the eye on the prize and not get fearful that they aren’t doing the latest cool thing. Marketing trends come and go. Trust your expertise in knowing your customers and prospects and communicating with them where, when and how they want to communicate and consume content. If they start to demonstrate a change in social channels, you can begin to explore.
Put Some Spring Into Your Marketing
Happy Spring! It’s hard to believe we’re already rounding the corner to Q2. Here are a few quick tips to breathe new growth into your marketing:
1) LISTEN to your customers – what value are they seeing? What else could you offer to them? What do they need in 2019?
2) ENGAGE – beyond promotion of your own content, how is your brand talking with – not just at – key audiences?
3) EDUCATE – certainly your team has a wide array of knowledge across a variety of business or industry topics. Share resourceful content with your audience that educates or helps them – vs just sharing your own branded content about your business.
4) ANALYZE – measure what’s worked well in Q1 so far. Are your images and messaging aligned? Do traffic and leads indicate your marketing content is working? Has the buyer’s journey changed at all? Pivot accordingly.
