Over the last four weeks, strategic business leaders and owners have come to us to go back to their branding and marketing foundations. They are focused first on their team’s safety and well-being. Most talk of the “return to normal” and taking it “day by day.”

They use this time to re-evaluate and plan. The COVID-19 crisis is causing business leaders to be strong and agile. One of our favorite client quotes over the last several weeks is, “With drive, passion and desperation, we will RISE!”

David McCormick, the C.E.O. of the hedge fund Bridgewater, was a Treasury Under Secretary during the 2008 crisis. At that time, he said, “America must step up to retain its economic might.” This rings true today.

Step up we must.

Another business leader told us recently, they feel like everything is, “Ready. Aim. Fire.”

This does not have to be.

Focus on your foundation first.

3 Strategic Branding & Marketing Fundamentals

• Define or re-evaluate brand architecture. Think of this as the foundation of your brand. It has four pillars: brand vision, brand personality, positioning and affiliation. Our branding process is collaborative. It builds conviction. The process is built upon perceptions and goals held internally by key stakeholders. Using all points of view, we ensure brands are both differentiating and emotionally relevant.
• Build or revisit your marketing plan. Every business should have one. Marketing drives new business development. Without those sales, you do not have the resources required for your business’s long-term stability and success. Therefore, as important as these plans are, most business owners and leaders do not devote enough time and resources to them. We tell our clients use a rifle vs. shotgun approach. Your services and/or products are not for everyone. The plan focuses on key targets who are most likely buyers. Think fewer, deeper. As a result, more meaningful strategic initiatives on a consistent basis develop connections and broaden awareness.
• Re-evaluate or enhance your website. Is your website true to your brand? Its personality? Is the navigation user friendly? For instance, lucrative website loads fast and is mobile friendly. In other words, make your site work hard for your brand. Don’t get the veto vote because it doesn’t.

Successful business owners and leaders take the time to develop their brand architecture. Then, they develop marketing strategies and plan to build a company with a purpose. Above all, remember, “With drive, passion and desperation we will RISE!”

As we are staying-at-home, trying to flatten the curve, how should businesses and non-profits adjust their marketing strategies?

Double down on digital.

There is substantial evidence to suggest that the next new normal will look very different. Much as 9/11 changed how we fly, this pandemic will change much of how we live our everyday lives.

Tap the Breaks

A business leader’s first reaction may be to slam on the breaks on marketing.  Knee-jerk reactions are not helpful. Decisions made from fear are not helpful.

Let’s gently tap the breaks.

Yes, overall spending on digital ads is down 33% and spending on traditional media is down 39% from what companies had expected to lay out. But Nielsen data shows that when people are forced to stay inside, they watch about 60% more content than usual.

And, there is more good news. Home goods saw a 51% sales increase in Q1.

Don’t stop all your marketing and advertising. If your company or organization stops marketing all together, when shelter-in-place ends, you will have to start all over again introducing your company to consumers and clients.

Double Down on Digital

Advertising is most effective when it is consistent. Shift your advertising spend instead of just stopping suddenly.

While everyone else is pulling back, you may be able to maximize your ad spend. Because there has been such a steep drop ad spending, your company can take advantage of cheaper rates and lower bids on pay-per-click advertising.

“The best time to double down is when others are not. You may not see the biggest return right away, but in the long term, you will.”

Neil Patel, Marketing Guru

The Return of Email

Email is a crucial part of your marketing mix. Remind your customers through email that although storefronts may be closed, they can still purchase your products and services online. Don’t go in for the hard sell, just be reassuring and compassionate. Remind them that you are here for them, in whatever capacity that may be, no matter what.

Your company is on the metaphorical Ark right now. Unlike the housing crisis and other events before it, we can see land (relief) in sight.

We are pleased to see companies coming to us to re-fresh their brands. Companies are asking us to update their collateral materials. And, some are asking us to help them double down on digital.

At some point, we will be able to go back to our everyday lives, with new and different habits to practice. Prepare now for that moment when you reach land. And in case we must get back on the Ark again, you’ll know what to do.

Pre-pandemic, crisis communication was primarily discussed in relation to a business dealing with the fall-out of actions taken (or not) by those associated with that individual business.

Now, businesses across the globe are in crisis due to a situation beyond our control. We can control how we respond, though. And, as business leaders, we must protect the brand.

You can measure a company’s communication and response during a crisis in months – the recovery, years. However, well-prepared businesses and non-profits recover faster.

Communication (internally and externally) during any crisis is paramount. This is regardless of the type or size of your business.

Communication Tips

1. Silence isn’t golden. Consumers expect brands to take positions on issues. Staying silent during this global crisis is risky. Leadership and brands alike may be accused of sleeping at the wheel. Digital communication, in particular, should continue ‒ because it is cost-effective. It reaches many quickly. It should not be stopped. Consider how today’s communications can build the relationships you need tomorrow.
2. Content continues to be king. Consumers, clients, parents, donors, etc. do not want email communication unless you are providing a vital piece of information. Now more than ever, inboxes are being overrun with e-mail communications from work, school, etc. Consumers provide email addresses to complete a transaction or to get a deal, not because they want reassurance in a time of crisis. Focus on the quality of your content. Keep the e-mail communication to a minimum.
3. Timing is important. Communicate as appropriate. However, you don’t set the timeline. Your key constituencies do. In today’s digital world, people have come to expect immediate responses. Remember, though – right or rushed. You can’t have both. Accurate, well-written communication is more important than just throwing something out there to be the first one out of the gate.
4. Meet your key audiences where they are. Know where your target audiences are most engaged. Where are they asking the most questions, etc. on social media networks? Meet them where they are. Continued communications on those networks make it easy to stay engaged.
5. Express empathy. Lives are at stake, literally and figuratively. People are sick. People have lost their jobs. Some don’t have the necessities to provide for their families. Leaders are working tirelessly. They are making hard decisions. These decisions affect the teams that they have built and nurtured. It is hard not to identify with what so many people are feeling and experiencing. Communicate that you are with them. You feel them. Authentically create connections. Utilize your business’s communications.
6. If you have an agency, use them. You are not only partnering with them for their graphics or marketing skills but also their experience. Agencies are experts. They know quickly and intuitively how to approach a crisis.

Crisis communication planning and strategy development require careful attention and time. But when done correctly, it builds a brand’s reputation. You gain customer loyalty.

We are here if you need us.

Click here for our crisis communication services list.

Also, we are here if you need other resources. We can help you run errands, etc. Lean on us. We are also good listeners. If you want to chat about something related or unrelated to COVID-19, reach out. Have a business dilemma you are noodling? A marketing idea you want to launch? In fact, holler. Thus, we are all in this together.

Marketing insights are ever changing in the year 2020. Front Porch Marketing is nine this month! To open our celebration, we thought it would be fitting to look at nine marketing insights to help grow your brand and top line. Are you on track for steady, long-term growth?

Nine Marketing Insights to Grow the Top Line

1. Brand architecture is paramount. Think of your brand like a pyramid and focus first and foremost on the base level. You can alter the other pieces and levels as needed, but the base must remain solid and stable. Need help designing that base? Start with a branding exercise.
2. Referrals are fabulous, but how do you grow them? According to a TrueSpace and Gallup study titled the Five Conditions Assessment, slow and steady (and a tight focus on your market), wins the race. “The project’s data shows that the tighter a company’s focus on its market, the stronger its revenue will be,” according to Charles Fred, TrueSpace chairman and chief executive.
3. Be consistent with your marketing. Shift your time frame and focus on long-term ROI, not just the instant gratification that comes with getting a flier or social media post out right now. For your brand’s long-term growth potential, consistency – in colors, words, logos, etc.- is key. Along those same lines, one single marketing campaign isn’t your silver bullet.
4. Blogging is alive and well. Choose your Medium (pun intended!) based upon your target audience’s preferences and vary your content to avoid direct product advertisement only, and blogging is still a huge piece of the inbound marketing trifecta.
5. Don’t underestimate the power of email marketing. Period. As the second piece of the trifecta, personalized email marketing is a direct, inexpensive and easy way to generate leads. Want to double down and double your leads? Of course, add automation.
6. Social media rounds out the trifecta. Social media’s influence has grown so much over the past nine years. With its ability to connect brand and audience through real-time interaction, social media is a hugely successful marketing tool. In other words, it is another avenue through which consistent, organic content can “give you wings” without exclusively hacking your own product. For instance, ask Red Bull.
7. The printed piece is not archaic. Direct mail, business cards, handouts and personalized birthday and holiday cards work. There is something timeless about printed pieces, particularly if your target audience tends towards paper over electronics.
8. No matter the size of your marketing budget, you can make your mark. For instance, social media, blogging and e-mail marketing mean anyone with a dream and a solid plan can connect with others quickly, easily, and cost-effectively. Don’t let minimal marketing dollars hold you back. Therefore, use the budget you do have effectively by building the right partnerships to execute solid marketing plans.
9. Teamwork makes the dream work. On the porch, we don’t take this lightly. In other words, we truly believe that to whom much is given, much is required. Giving back to our communities and supporting each other is a cornerstone of our personal and professional lives. Of course, make it a priority to connect with those around you.
   

Thanks for NINE FINE years!

Above all, we are only able to celebrate nine years on the Porch because of our clients, advocates, friends, family and team. A heartfelt thank you to each of you – past, present and future. Of course, we love what we do and are ready to rock with you this year!

A trade show is one of the few occasions when your customers (possibly many of them) are in one place, so it’s important to treat a trade show not as just an isolated event, but as a condensed version of your overall marketing strategy.

Here are five tricks to rock your next trade show:

1. Orchestrate a plan. Well in advance of the show, set your goals and determine how best to capture the attention of your audience.
2. Plan and strategize your exhibit. Think outside the (exhibit) box. Aim to be unique. Focus on impact, not on size. With the right planning, even the smallest exhibits can be impactful.
3. Make your presence known at the trade show. With your customers in one place, they will even come to you if they know you’re there – the very definition of a captive audience. Reach out before the event to let them know you’ll be there and give them a compelling reason to find you. Tease a new product/service launch, new partnerships, event-specific promotions, etc.
4. Bring it full circle. At the show, be sure to capture your customers’ information. Feed attendee information to your sales team to strike while the iron is hot! Follow up, follow up, follow up!
5. Track the trade show ROI. Track new sales and opportunities back to the trade show in order to determine the ROI. Consider what worked, what didn’t, and whether that specific event would be worth doing again in the future.

Make the trade show work for you by making sure it meshes well with your marketing plan and brand strategy. If you need help building the foundation or executing your vision, the Porch is ready to rock. Give us a call.

We can be creative because we can’t all have Burger King’s Valentine’s Day marketing budget. Creativity and resourcefulness and love abound. Use your existing marketing channels and / or tools to show your smitten.

Each year, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with love ones sharing cards, flowers, candy or gifts. Some mark the day with a Galentine’s Day celebrating, toasting the joys of female friendship. Others toast to being single.

The Chief Rocker’s family is particularly fond of this holiday. For instance, think rose pedals in the hallway, balloons in the kitchen, special breakfast and candy and little gifts for the kiddos. In other words, face throwing a kiss emoji.

Valentine’s Day is a few short days away.

We welcome our clients and advocates sharing their Valentine’s Day traditions with us by commenting on this post, emailing us or leaving comments on our social media posts. Hey, tweet them to us! Heart emoji.

Creative Marketing Love

1. Utilize email marketing. Begin with a charming subject line. Include emojis. Make sure your message is delightful and apropos.
2. Endear your social media followers with creative content. Branded tiles with a lovely message. Run a contest for best love story, love-themed poem, etc. Create a video. Use relevant hashtags where appropriate. Check out this Twitter hashtag tool.
3. Add some tenderness to your website. Blog about Valentine’s Day with relatable to your clients, industry or overall business. Add a popup with a charming message. Change your header to be Valentine-themed.

Here’s another creative idea.

Next year, consider sending an inventive Valentine card to your team, client and advocates. We know people that can help you with this from concept to production.

We heart the one from Corps Team Dallas this year.

Above all, be ours?

Are you meeting customer expectations? We all know the importance of customer service when it comes to running a successful business. In this social media obsessed world we live in today and the age of instant feedback, excellent customer service can go a long way, but an excellent customer experience can go even further!

Until recently, the quality of product and service provided were the keys to winning customers and earning their business. But today, a new factor has come into play and that is providing the best customer experience.

A recent Walker study found that by the end of 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator. Customers will stay loyal based upon the experience and if you can’t keep up, they will move on (bye, bye).

Happy customers remain loyal customers.

Consider these statistics:

• 1 in 3 customers will leave a brand they love after just one bad experience.
• Research by American Express found that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience.
• 49% of buyers have made impulse purchases after receiving a more personalized customer experience.
• Customers that rate companies with a high customer experience score spend 140% more and remain loyal for up to 6 years.

Customer experience (aka CX) is the biggest opportunity businesses have to reduce customer churn and increase revenues. The problem is, most businesses think of customer experience and customer service as one in the same when in reality, customer service is only part of the many pieces of customer experience.

Simply put, customer service is a single touch point with a brand, while customer experience includes every touchpoint a customer has with a brand from the first time they hear about you until after completing a purchase – basically the perception the customer has of a brand. While you may think your customer experience is one thing, the customer may see it as something completely different and that is what the actual customer experience is.

Managing customer perception should be the top priority for every business and having a strategy for customer experience is the best way to make that happen.

Customer expectations are rising.

The expectation is that every single interaction with a brand be the best that it can be.

Below are several strategies for creating a great customer experience:

1. Create a clear customer experience vision that is customer focused and can be communicated within your organization. This statement will act as the guiding principles and drives the behavior of your organization.
2. Understand who your customers are and you can get to know their needs and wants.
3. Connect emotionally with your customers.
4. Collect customer feedback. It’s the only way to know if you are delivering on your promise. Try using live chat tools, conduct a focus group or send an email with a follow-up survey. Hey, even pick up the phone, for instance. In other words, get feedback, share it with the team and fix what is broken.
5. Develop your team to the standards of your vision. Using the feedback collected from customers, identify the training needs for each member of your support team.
6. Use employee feedback to improve the customer experience. Because, it’s your team who are interacting the most with your customers so give them an opportunity to share their ideas.
7. Measure the results of your customer experience investment. There are several metrics available for tracking customer experience over time which include Customer Effort Score, Net Promoter Score, Customer Satisfaction Score and Time to Resolution. These tools allow you to track the success or failure of changes you implement that might affect your customers.

Customer expectations are at an all-time high and word spreads fast! The importance of the customer experience increases because the customer becomes even more empowered. Customer experience is an area that needs constant attention.

Because, a greater focus on customer experience strategy, businesses will see a reduction in customer churn and an increase in revenue growth.

Need help developing your customer experience strategy?

As a marketer AND a business owner, I want to start the year off right and lay a strong marketing foundation for the year.

For example, we completed our 2020 business plan. We crafted our marketing plan, budget, blog schedule and content calendar.

What other components should we deploy for our 2020 marketing foundation?

For some reason, I guide marketing strategy for our clients even in my sleep. Chief Rocker, therefore, should walk her talk when marketing her own business. I am determined to do just this consistently, authentically and with purpose in 2020. Cheers to the New Year!

Four Marketing Foundation Fundamentals

1. Define and know your brand. A prospective client asked us recently if they needed new photography. As a result, our answer was we didn’t know. We didn’t know their brand. Communication coming from its content and leadership lacked clarity. Consequently, no connections were being made. The brand wasn’t defined. Define your brand and rock it.
2. Team conviction. “Be the brand, Danny.” Can’t help but quote Caddyshack here. For instance, everyone within your team believes your brand’s importance. Your company stands for a specific and important promise. Therefore, the brand and your marketing must be championed internally.
3. Consistency. Thirdly, deliver on your brand promise at every touch point. Inconsistency dilutes customer/client faith in the competency of the organization.
4. Discipline. Fourthly, stick to the plan. Meet your marketing calendar deadlines. Likewise, follow your content and blog calendars to a tee.

In conclusion, may these marketing foundation fundamentals rock your brand and top line. Use them for the New Year. Make your brand come alive for everyone it touches.

Around this time each year on the Porch, we take time for reflections. Reflections on the year – significant events and experiences, lessons learned, and what changes we hope for the next year.

The concept of time was a popular theme among the Rockers’ reflections this year. Perhaps this is because not only is another year ending, but another decade, as well. Perhaps it is because time holds such value in our lives. It is a constant reminder to embrace the here and now with an eye toward the future.

2019 Reflections from the Porch

For me, 2019 has been all about soaking up the memories made while marking milestones in my children’s lives. My son is a senior in high school. My daughter is in kindergarten. So, the passing of time, in our family, is marked by their “last firsts.” It is time that seems to pass so quickly you blink, and it is over. Yet, a tragic loss of someone dear to my family in May has made me realize how painstakingly slow time can pass when grief is involved.

There have been some fabulous surprises, as well. My son’s football team made it to the state semi-final game, a first in his school’s history, which ended his football career on a high note. Go Rangers! Our fabulous client, Faith Family Academy, took it even further and brought home their first State Championship Title in Boys Basketball.

Whether in the happiest of moments or the saddest, this year has provided so much opportunity. Opportunity to be grateful for the time spent with family, friends, co-workers and clients. It has taught me to be present in each moment, to give and receive grace, and to spend my time doing things that make me a better person, wife, mother and business leader.

For lil’ rock, Maria Gregorio, the time is now. “I tend to get caught up in ruminating about the past and worrying about the future. I do this so much that I forget that these days are ‘the good old days.’ In the movie Kung Fu Panda, Master Oogway says, ‘You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There is a saying: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.’ So, here’s to moving into 2020 more mindful to live in the present.”

Soak in the Power of Relationships and Reinvention

Part of living in the present is spending time with people and things that fulfill you. Rock Star, Vanessa Hickman: “I am thankful for relationships and community. Love is one of the most profound emotions known to human beings. I spent 2019 soaking in the love of the people around me and doing life with my family.”

Classic Rocker Greg Asher took this advice to heart. He is still reflecting on his reflection for the year.

Often, being present in the moment allows you to see a future need or desire more clearly. This year, we added All-Around Rocker, Lori Rahlfs, to the Porch: “Lately, I find myself thinking about the power of reinvention. The blessings and challenges that come with each stage and phase of life. Each, personally or professionally, calls for us to re-imagine or reinvent the life we are living. Then, we can satisfy new or future needs.”

The Rock, Tara Engelland: “I came across this quote earlier this year, and it has stuck with me. ‘Don’t fear failure. Fear being in the exact same place next year as you are today.’ It’s important to remember when working with clients to grow or start their business. It is a reminder that you must take risks to get to where you want to be personally and professionally.”

Our Goals for 2020

As you look to 2020, set realistic and thoughtful goals to define or reinvent any part of your life that needs a change. Seek to find something that allows you to really focus. Are you considering re-entering the job market? Try these tips from Corps Team Dallas. Has it been a while since you’ve enjoyed an evening out with a friend or loved one? Go see a Ballet Frontier performance.

Whether your 2020 goals are to live in the moment, or to re-imagine, or (re)define your mission or your brand, there’s no time like the present. Like the beautiful jewelry from our treasured client Ellen Hoffman Designs, time is intricate and precious. May you spend it wisely and wrapped up in moments with those you love. We wish you a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year (and New Decade!), Friends!

Practicing gratitude as a business leader can be challenging at times. Sometimes it is hard for business leaders to know what to be grateful for because of the many hats we wear, and the myriad of opportunities thrown our way each day. The big stuff often overshadows the tiny pieces of our everyday lives for which we should be grateful.

However, science has shown that regularly practicing gratitude makes you happier. Doing so makes you a better leader, which makes your team happier.

Want to be thankful at a time when it seems impossible?

Consider these things to find an attitude of gratitude:

1. Focus on the here and now. Ask yourself what you are grateful for this very minute. Perhaps it is that you made it safely to work or appreciating your computer didn’t choose this instant to crash.
2. Actively listen to a team member. Take time to truly listen to people when they talk to you, even though your mind is going a million different directions.
3. Each time you talk to a team member, thank them for something. It doesn’t have to be a big something. Acknowledge a nicety they did for a teammate or client. Say a simple thanks for sharing their thoughts with you. Let them know when they brighten your day.
4. Remember your “why.” Consider how the work you do benefits the people for whom you do it. Be thankful you have the opportunity to lead.
   

As a leader, go beyond. Go beyond yourself. Focus on showing thanks to others. Take it beyond Thanksgiving. Focus on practicing gratitude beyond this season of Thanksgiving.. Strive to live a life of gratitude, not just a season.

Julie Porter, Chief Rocker, is grateful for her precious family and their health, Texas high school football and the fabulous Front Porch Marketing team, clients and advocates. She tries to focus on showing gratitude to others daily as often as possible.