Listen. Serve. Repeat.
8 milkshake Taste Test 2021
in on which data and insights are key.
“Although marketing jargon is overused
and in time tends to lose its meaning
or become cliché, if we look at the
terms commonly used, it’s clear that
communication is about connection,”
Hubble says. “Customer engagement is
explicitly about drawing customers in,
and even a precursor to marriage, the
most intimate of all connections. After
customer relationship management is no
different than any other relationship—
friends, family, co-workers—in that if
you neglect it, it will in time result in the
person or community being drawn to
someone else or some other brand.”
So, as the art of conversation rises,
the plans of attack center on being
The secret is that marketing will
not work in isolation. Hubble, founder
and CEO of Bastion db5, says that the
cohesion of product, marketing and
post-sale service, along with a focus on
customer needs is extremely powerful. It
all starts with engagement—particularly
those conversations a brand has with
its community. “There are many reasons
brands need to be able to effectively
communicate with their communities.
First, it’s paramount and unavoidable,
because whether intentional or not,
brands communicate every day with their
customers. That communication can
come in a variety of ways, including social
media posts, interacting with a company
employee, how the brand is displayed
on shelf, and how the brand treats its
employees.”
The bottom line, from where Hubble
sits, is that communication—regardless
of the channels—is about strengthening
the brand relationship with your
customers. It is an area in which db5
thrives. A consumer insights and strategy
consultancy, db5 specializes in qualitative
and quantitative research, brand
strategy, innovation and communications
dedicated to helping global businesses
and disruptive startups empathize with
their targets so they grow. Working
throughout North and South America,
APAC, Europe, Africa and the Middle
East, Hubble and his team help discover
new paths to transform and grow, honing
arlier this year, fullservice
design firm MMI
Agency partnered with
skin care brand Olay on
the #FaceTheSTEMGap
initiative, which was
designed to inspire girls
to pursue future careers
in STEM. On February
11, the International
Day of Women and
Girls in Science,
hundreds of teachers
across the country
received a science
kit from Olay that
included educational lesson plans, equipment and inspiration
from female scientists, technologists, engineers and
mathematicians. Also included in Olay’s conversation to raise
awareness to a larger segment of its target audiences were
stories from teachers on “Good Morning America.”
MMI Agency CEO Maggie Malek says the philosophy
at the heart of the campaign was pretty straightforward:
to listen to the community you want to serve. The entire
platform was constructed after conversations Olay had with
its target audience—teachers and moms. At a time when
the country desperately needed help with the concept of
remote schooling, MMI conducted surveys that uncovered a
huge void in student access to hands-on materials, labs and
worksheets.
“The initiative led to so much love from teachers and
parents online and a huge increase in ‘Women in STEM’
search,” Malek says. “Olay also had the opportunity to tell
authentic science stories. Today, more than ever, people
want to know that the brands they’re investing in share
similar values and viewpoints as their own. This is a big
change from, say, 10 years ago when mass advertising
was still very effective. Technology has made for savvier
consumers who don’t trust mass advertising as much;
they’re looking for a deeper connection.”
Malek says it is not just about seeing brands advocate for
certain causes anymore, although that still can be effective
if it’s genuine, but instead, it is about consumers hearing
brands say: “First of all, we care about you. And we also
care about the things that you care about.”
The first key is devising a playbook—creating an
engagement strategy based on the channels your
customers are interacting on. Brands do not have to be
active on every single channel, just the ones that target
their audiences. “I believe that consumers are going to
continue to demand transparency from brands,” Malek
says. “As they develop their communications plans for the
months and years ahead, they must consider how and what
they will share on an ongoing basis.”
If you let them be your guide, your customers will tell
you what they want. For brands wanting to stay engaged in
today’s highly interactive landscape, conversation should be
the most critical tool in your tool kit.