Q&A: What Our Associates Have to Say About People-Based Marketing

Minda Kuckuck, Strategic Communications Supervisor:

A recent survey conducted by HubSpot Marketing showed that the top two reasons people consume blog content is to learn something new or to be entertained. The lowest ranking reason? To learn about brands and products. The results of this survey help support and confirm what has been said by my colleagues: Individuals make purchasing decisions, and in order to connect with your audience you have to know what they care about. What are their challenges? What is going to resonate with them, provide them with value, and interest them enough to consume your content? Knowing the answers can help you develop loyal customers and brand advocates.

Lisa Niebuhr, Creative Director:

Writing always starts with understanding the audience. Always. Let’s be honest — as marketers, we’re often too close to all the effort, thought, and time that goes into creating our product or service. We know it’s amazing and think everyone will agree just by reading about why we think it’s great. But that rarely happens. We have to understand what the audience actually wants or needs. It should not be about the story I want to tell. It’s about the story they want to hear.

Anna VandeVenter, Senior Digital Strategist:

Leverage research-based personas for your marketing strategies to ensure that targeting, placements, and messages align with your customer profiles. Personas developed through stakeholder interviews give you first-hand knowledge of your customers’ motivations, buying habits, on- and off-line behaviors, and more — all of which should serve as the North Star for your promotional efforts.

Bill Zahren, Senior Copywriter:

Because they deal directly with the ideal customer every day, sales teams can usually offer invaluable insight into what benefits of a product or service best move customers to say yes. They can also help marketers understand customers’ biggest needs and how their product/service best satisfies those needs. They also know their strengths and weaknesses compared to the competition, and what customers like best about both the product/service and the sales process. All of that is gold to marketers.

Diane Heldt, Strategic Communications Supervisor:

On the strategic communications side, being able to do case study site visits or phone calls with actual customers can provide a wealth of information and allow you to interact with people actually using the products in the field. You see them in their environment, hear how they talk, and watch them use the product. I think it’s also helpful to go on social media to see how users are talking about your product or brand. What do they like or what do they complain about? They’re not filtering themselves there and it can be eye-opening.

Anna:

Personalization is key. From retargeted ads to personalized email marketing messages, I connect most with brands who target me as an individual customer.

Bill:

For durable goods from HVACs to cars, when a brand gets me I feel like I can trust their sales reps to start by understanding my needs and then provide me with the most cost-effective solution. I feel they respect and value me as a customer, so much so that they will sell me a product/service that drives a little less profit for them if that’s the right product to fit my needs.

Lisa:

Honestly, when a brand really “gets” me, I don’t even think about the fact that I’m being targeted. It doesn’t feel like marketing. It feels like a personal conversation or a great thing that I discovered.

Anna:

I see Target as a leader in corporate responsibility, which truly places the values of its customers at the center of its program. Their response to last summer’s movement has included a number of social justice initiatives, including donations, scholarships, partnerships, programs, and more to support Black-owned businesses.

Bill:

I think small businesses have a huge opportunity here to develop relationships built on trust with customers that big brands can’t match. I’ll pay a bit more (and am very loyal) to business people I can trust to put my interests first. For national brands, Starbucks does a good job in this area. Their product is always good and the people they hire seem to like working there, which makes a huge difference in customer experience. Plus, they have great corporate responsibility policies that make me feel good about buying from them.

Diane:

I definitely want to buy from brands that have a track record of treating their own employees well and that place an emphasis on good customer service. I’m a big fan of the department store Von Maur. It’s such a relaxing experience to shop there and they offer great customer perks, like an interest-free credit card and free shipping. Their cosmetics counter regularly calls or texts me when there is a sale on brands they know I use.

Minda:

I pay a lot of attention to whether or not I think a company/brand is being authentic and if their values align with mine. If they don’t, I’m very unlikely to purchase their product or service. There are a lot of great examples of businesses that are built on the mission to create a high-quality product in a manner that empowers people and supports a more sustainable world. One example is ABLE, a fashion and lifestyle brand that employs and empowers women as a solution to ending poverty. Looking at larger brands or companies that do this well, Patagonia has built their business and brand around staying true to their values of creating a more sustainable world and addressing environmental issues.

Interested in what other Two Rivers Marketing associates have to say about brand experiences? Check out our Q&A: Giving B2B customers the best experience.