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ENGAGING MARKETING MINDS VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 of Willow
Printing
Group
A
ccording to the Winterbury Group, your message, and it shows that you are investing in the relation-
almost half ($27.3 billion) of the the $59.5 ship and not merely trolling for bites.
billion spent in digital advertising in 2015 Our cover story, "Stoking Creativity," is focused on the kind of
was dedicated to search engine market- thinking needed to make hard decisions and elevate your brand.
ing. Another $24.9 billion was spent on Our second feature, "The Fall of the Story," delves into the unwant-
display advertising, which means that ed content that is clogging up our lives and lowering the value of
over $52 billion of the total spend was some brands out there. Both stories remind us that in these noisy
used on vehicles that dont necessarily times, we need to focus on using channels and tactics that help us
conjure up images of high quality. build our brands. Enjoy.
The idea that digital advertising is the path to the consumer Warmest wishes,
these days is odd. Consider the number of marketers that toss out
an endless amount of content just so their search results escalate.
While many of them may believe in the constancy of the social
post and the perceived low
cost of social marketing, EVERY CHANNEL IS JEFF EKSTEIN
these strategies may be CRITICAL THESE Publisher
cheapening their brands as DAYS, BUT BEING A
a result. TRUE RIGHT-BRAINED
Permission-based mar- MARKETER AFFORDS
keting respects the fact that YOU THE ABILITY TO
In This Issue
we as consumers dont want RETHINK ALL
brands invading our lives OF THEM.
and making unnecessary
noise. There are numerous
brands that have made their
name on mass appeal, but the organizations that endeavour to 06 Stoking creativity
Why the right brain
achieve a more sophisticated persona demand a deeper connec-
ignites success
tion and a more intimate way to engage. By Michael J. Pallerino
Every channel is critical these days, but being a true right-
10 The fall of the story
brained marketer affords you the ability to rethink all of them. Marketing is a house
Print, for example, still is the only vehicle that can literally touch of cards without
us. It lets your clients know that you put a little extra time into compelling content
By Charles Lunan
14 Trending with...
PUBLISHER EDITORIAL & CREATIVE DIRECTION
Jeff Ekstein Brought to you by: Willow Printing Group. Bestselling author
Willow Printing Group (aka Willow) is pleased
Joseph A. Michelli
MANAGING EDITOR to bring you connect, a bi-monthly publication 15 What's your story
Linda Whitehead created by and for marketing minds.
Survey shows goals
Wed love to hear your feedback on this publica- 03 Publishers letter of content creation
ART DIRECTION tion! Call us at 905-660-1515 ext. 224, email our Fish or cut bait
Brandon Clark publisher Jeff Ekstein at jeff@willowprint.com or
visit us at www.willowprint.com 04 The Inbox
This issue of Connect is printed on Endurance 100lb Silk Text available
from Unisource Canada.
Inbox
Culture is everything.
Culture is the brand."
Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank on the importance culture plays in the success of
your company and your brand
INSIGHTS
STUCK ON YOU
Survey shows the importance of customer experiences
ince the days of the Mad Men, brand awareness has been the most
important objective on a marketing to-do list. But according to
Salesforces State of Marketing survey, things are methodically
shifting toward customer engagement. The study, which surveyed
nearly 4,000 marketing leaders worldwide, shows that 88 percent of
marketing teams are starting to view the customer journey as the
most critical goal to the success of their overall marketing strategies. Heres a look
at what todays marketers deem as their top priority:
Brand awareness
Higher levels of
customer engagement
Other
Book Rec
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems
and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days
By Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky & Braden Kowitz
The process begins by defining the An idea that is developed and on those things you would do differently.
specific sales challenge and considering put into action is more important Everyone has the ability to be creative
all the current solutions, including what than an idea that exists only but being creative is determined by
competitors are doing or the way someone as an idea. Edward de Bono whether or not you act.
used to do it. Once the tried-and-true The simplest approach to stoking From a leadership perspective, its
ideas have been acknowledged, Donnolo the fires of creativity is to find strategies about providing an environment where
says its time to step out of your comfort that take you beyond those been-there- your employees are empowered to act on
zone and consider unrelated ideas how done-that approaches. And most times, their creativity. And that means building
problems are solved in other industries, in that process is harder than it has to be. a culture that embraces cleverness and
other cultures, in other periods of history. Mark Montini, CEO of marketing-tech- the mistakes that come with it.
This is the discovery phase, and its nology company Promio, believes that One of Montinis friends works for
what most people skip when they go creativity can be simply defined as a company that regularly rewards
through a typical brainstorming session, approaching something from a unique employees who advocated concepts that
Donnolo says. Most jump straight to the perspective. Think about it, and you will ultimately failed. In addition to handing
final stage application, where tried-and- agree with Montini when he says that out rewards for achievement in various
true ideas usually are plugged in. Every there isnt a person alive who doesnt areas, it also presents awards for the best
couple of weeks, I get calls from clients see several things daily they would do ideas that didn't succeed in the end.
asking how companies in their industry differently. It can be as simple as how to It really illustrated that the company
implement cross-selling or how they speed up the line at the local Starbucks valued creativity and fully embraced the
motivate their sales teams. But they dont or as profound as a new brand position reality that failure is the primary risk
really want to know how other companies for a large corporation. Montini says. If you build a culture of
are doing it. They want to know what to Everyone is creative, every day, fear, youll find that the status quo reigns.
do, because right before they called me, Montini says. Whether or not you can be In my opinion, management/process
they were grasping for solutions and creative depends on whether or not you and creativity are mutually exclusive.
replicating the status quo. choose to, or if you are empowered to act Creativity comes from empowerment
Get comfortable with feeling lost. Assemble the right team. Grow with the flow.
Push beyond what you know. Define roles and include alternative views. Dont rush the process. Be patient and
allow ideas to evolve.
Combine unrelated ideas. Collaborate as an individual.
Find parallels from different sources. Avoid group thinking. Ask the right questions.
Questions are more powerful than
Become a student of history. Understand other perspectives. statements. Use them intentionally.
The past is a great source of parallels. Embrace diversity on your team.
Be persistent. Dont be dissuaded by
Produce an abundance of ideas. Get comfortable with criticism. doubt. The best innovators encounter
Think broadly beyond the status quo. Expect the skeptics to divert you. resistance.
Think in divergent directions. Dont accept the accepted. Check degrees of change.
Include variety in your ideas. Push beyond and ask why. Understand how your idea will fit with
and enhance the current state.
Know that less is more. Walk away from the problem.
Bring your solution to its essence. Allow your mind to create new
combinations and epiphany moments.
Athletic and outdoor brands own the space and they continue to
raise the bar. In its annual corporate sustainability report, outdoor
gear retailer REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) now lists informa-
tion still considered trade secrets by some brands, including a list of
all its overseas factories by name and location, aggregate results of
factory audits, and the percentage of factories they've placed on pro-
bation for failing to meet REIs environmental and labour standards.
Such transparency is fast becoming the new coin of the realm in
a world where more and more middle and upper-class consumers
expect to know not only where their products are made, but how
the workers who made them are treated, what the brand is doing to
lessen their carbon footprint and even what they are doing to bring
manufacturing jobs back to North America.
Staking out a leadership position on sustainability also has creat-
ed a steady stream of content, including stories about Timberlands
work reforesting Haiti and Grand Trunks efforts to begin sourcing
some of its hammocks in the United States.
Founded in 2002 by two surfing buddies to import hammocks
they discovered while surfing in Thailand, Grand Trunk beat a
much larger competitor to begin making nylon sling hammocks in
the United States.
It took the small company several years to piece together a
supply chain capable of delivering hammocks that meet its quality
standards and price points. The OneMade line ultimately will have
to compete on quality and price. In the meantime, however, the
venture has distinguished Grand Trunk in a rapidly growing, but
increasingly crowded market.
Skillful storytelling, that generates compelling content, sure
beats adding to the torrent of "me-too" content that is softening the
content marketing world.
I
Bestselling author
Joseph A. Is the goal to not make your
customers work so hard?
Michelli Yes, businesses are competing in an
increasingly Uber-ized society. Uber
n his latest book, Driven to Delight: Delivering World-Class Customer customers simply pull out their phones,
Experience the Mercedes-Benz Way, bestselling author Joseph A. Michelli, PhD, push the app, and then a car pulls up and
provides an insiders look at the iconic brands approach to creating and takes them where they need to go. They
sustaining customer experiences. The sought-after speaker and organizational get dropped off. No money is exchanged.
consultant has become a globally recognized thought leader in customer Brands are being forced to find ways to
experience design by creating masterful roadmaps that help transform the make their customers entire experience as
relationship between leaders, employees, and the customers they serve. His effortless, frictionless, and yet as personal as
books, which also include The Starbucks Experience, The New Gold Standard, possible. Dont forget how complex life is for
The Zappos Experience, Leading the Starbucks Way and Prescription for your customers. From there, pick apart your
Excellence have all hit No. 1 on The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today deliverable and figure out how to maximize
bestseller lists. Here are his thoughts on the importance of building customer loyalty today: its ease. Customers leave because brands
dont think through the degree of effort it re-
Is it fair to say that loyal So, what are we doing wrong? quires to do business with them. They dont
customers are hard to hold Companies have great intentions. They provide solutions. They dont simplify every
on to today? want to delight their customers. Some un- touch point. When its not almost effortless,
Yes. After struggling through years of dertake these big service initiatives, only to customers leave. Wouldnt you?
turmoil and uncertainty, the last thing you see their efforts fizzle quickly or never take
need is to take customers for granted. And root. The problem is that their great inten- Isnt it all about your brand
yet, if your company is like many, all your tions are at odds with their culture. When being authentic?
fervent efforts to attract and retain them thats the case, theyre doomed to make cer- Companies must strive to hire people
fall curiously flat. Its not that theyre tain, predictable mistakes. The mistakes are who truly care about customers. And
storming angrily out the door; its that their inevitable. Whats worse is that companies thats just the beginning. Train your
experience with your company is not dont even know theyre making them. employees to connect on a human level.
enthusiastic more ehh, than wow. Its not about scripting, but about help-
Do companies spend too much ing them realize what customers really
COMPANIES MUST time chasing new customers at want and need, and then empowering
the expense of existing ones? them to provide it. While its essential to
STRIVE TO HIRE PEOPLE Too many companies are directing too practice disciplined hiring in the search
WHO TRULY CARE ABOUT much money toward acquisition and for people with emotional intelligence,
hardly any toward retention. The ratio is those capabilities have to be awakened
CUSTOMERS. ITS NOT lopsided. Consider car dealers that spend and reinforced through the training pro-
ABOUT SCRIPTING, BUT huge amounts on commercials that scream cess. Immerse your employees in your
at people to come in. What theyre not brand so they truly understand what
ABOUT HELPING THEM spending money on is employee training its like to be the customer. Collect and
REALIZE WHAT to make sure that once these customers are share stories of customer delight. Touch
in the door, theyll come back. Ive noticed the hearts of team members as well as
CUSTOMERS REALLY companies that are good at acquiring their minds. When you do, theyll genu-
WANT AND NEED, customers often are not good at retaining inely want to serve the customer.
them. The key is to be great at both to
AND THEN EMPOWERING use those youve retained to help with your
THEM TO PROVIDE IT. acquisition curve. A lot of brands miss the
message here. The cost of acquisition is
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