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Budget Tightening: Not for the Faint of Heart

So, we’ve got a conundrum here. Marketing budgets keep getting cut, yet expectations of marketers and the impact of marketing are steadily rising. What are ya gonna do about that, oh savvy marketer? Let’s take a look at how you might find new ways of conducting business that minimize the constraints of fewer dollars.

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The Lost Magic of Human Connection

I am a poorly designed human, resulting in an injury that put me in a boot. I am a stubborn human and was hell bent on making it to a family wedding many states away. I am a privileged human so was able to fly, using wheelchair service through the terminals. I am an extroverted human, leading to this blog.

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4 Steps to Make Your Data Dazzle

How many times have you heard a brand exclaim they are data-driven? It’s a phrase that many brands are using, but what goes into the data that drives them? Why are those brands so confident in their data-driven decisions? Below are a few considerations regarding data cleaning and data analysis when leveraging data for your brand. 

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Brand Messaging For Mergers and Acquisitions

Many of us have been there, either as part of the merger or the merge-ee company. This is a journey for both corporate staff and consumers/customers. It is critical that these key parties be given the right level of information at the right times in order for them to feel confident in the change and in the brand. People are looking for cues that they will benefit from, or at the very least not lose something based on, the new construct. 

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How to Circumvent the Idea Killer

2 points for each of these things you’ve heard before: 

 

  • “It would be over budget” 
  • “We’ve tried that before” 
  • “Upper management won’t buy in” 
  • “It’s not differentiated enough” 
  • “That’s gonna take too long” 
  • “Not enough margin” 
  • “Too similar to competition” 
  • “Not compelling enough” 

 

Got some points on the board? A bit disheartening, isn’t it? It’s really easy for us to get swept up in the “why it won’t work” and to poke holes in ideas before they’ve been given room to grow.  

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Stakeholder Interviews Set the Stage When Embarking on Brand Positioning 

 

We kick off our brand positioning projects with one-on-one stakeholder interviews. Why? Because getting an understanding of how organizational leaders perceive the promise of the brand and the needs of the target audience is critical to success. In addition, these interviews help to paint a picture of what is “blue sky” possible for the brand in the future. And it doesn’t hurt to get that extra touch of buy-in to the project at the onset.  

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