End-to-End Campaign Support
A company’s reputation can make or break its bottom line. In Edelman’s 2020 Trust Barometer Special Report, 53 percent of respondents say trust in the company that owns the brand or the brand that makes the product is the second most important factor when purchasing a new brand, second only to price (64 percent). This trend is only intensifying as 70 percent of Edelman’s respondents also say trusting a brand is more important today than it has been in the past.
So, what does it take to improve brand reputation and build trust with consumers? A coordinated, cross-functional effort with impactful stories and captivating content strategically deployed to target audiences. We have worked and continue to partner with corporate communications and marketing teams to turn this ambitious approach into doable, scalable, and manageable programs.
“Cross-functional integration is the only way a brand can see the full impact of its storytelling. With every campaign, event, or product launch, we map out the ecosystem of opportunities and identify where our story should be deployed.”
– Dave Solce, Manager
Start with the Audience
We first work with our clients to develop a comprehensive understanding of what makes their audiences tick. Developing this baseline requires a thorough knowledge of current stories, trends, and perceptions. Our robust social listening and reporting practice keeps a pulse on these key indicators and provides real-time insights as impressions increase and sentiments shift. This research informs messaging adjustments and content recommendations.
Content is King
Speaking of content, we create a lot of it for our clients: social content and response sheets, custom direct email communications, thought leadership and sponsored content pieces, and briefs, talking points, and scripts for presentations and events. To inform this content, we have project-managed testing at the hyper-local level across different markets and worked with our clients to segment audiences and tailor messaging.
“The importance of consistent content cannot be overstated. However, a certain degree of flexibility needs to be built in so a brand can lean into what’s working and leave behind what’s not.”
– Logan Sykes, Senior Manager
Measuring Impact
While reach and efficiency are often heralded as the supreme metric for content, we believe in the power of attention, relevance, and impact. We develop bespoke KPIs for our clients based on this philosophy and implement the systems for data tracking needed to measure them. Our regular reporting and strategic advisement provide our clients an elevated awareness around their campaign’s current effectiveness, future trajectory, and tactics for optimization.
Solutions in Action
We have built a brand advocacy program for a client to share brand-positive stories through personalized direct email communications with corporate influencers. This work includes researching and identifying key changemakers based on characteristics, such as location and industry, and managing and streamlining the program’s extensive database of influencer contacts. We can segment the lists by influencer type, location, and other demographic information, enabling hyper-targeted and audience-specific communications.
We also lead the program’s email sends and metrics and advise on content strategy. We work in lockstep with the client’s social media and advertising teams to align and integrate stories with the company’s overall digital strategy. While the program’s results are highly confidential, we have seen significant boosts in NPS scores and marked improvements in earned media coverage.
Final Thoughts
Strategizing, developing, executing, and tracking. We bring all aspects of marketing and communications plans to bear for our clients in order to bring about meaningful reputation change.