Tackling a client's first foray into B2C marketing has been an uphill climb.  Whereas this client's B2B marketing is highly focused on reaching the decision-maker and defining the problems that can be analyzed and presented with options, by contrast to B2B, B2C marketing has seemed overly emotional, cheap and garish.

While demand for my client's services has never been better, striking the right emotional tone and validating the customer's situation is new and there's not a little anxiety about entering this new territory. 

So my strategy in leading this client into the B2C arena is ensuring that the brand's attributes are well defined and positioned.  After that, it's a matter of looking for ways to tease out a more client-facing positioning and finding that elusive emotional hook without resorting to hype and sizzle.

Part of a consultant’s role involves a little hand holding and emotional insight to get the client into a comfort zone and excited about going for the new direction.  Being solely a technical SME on branding can miss the point because relationships are built incrementally and trust is one of the key issues in any partnership. 

I find that the money can often take a back seat when working with new areas of business development.  Like any start-up, it's an up front investment.  The results that count are the conversion rates that become the new business. Nothing pleases me more than to see the satisfaction a client gets when new directions transform from anxiety and chaos into confidence and measurable ROI. 

Today, I sat on the other side of the table. I like these opportunities to work both sides - client and vendor, corporate and non profit, because a certain satisfaction comes from telling it as it is and seeing the problems through another's eyes.

I am affected by the passion of the non profit storytelling mode of persuasion. When the spark is lit, I am often very moved. I am equally swayed by the cool rhetoric of the business mind that thinks in terms of the bottom line, the ask and the takeaway. There's an elegance in watching the probing and challenging that goes into getting to the heart of a problem - defining the objectives, settling upon a strategy, working out the tactics. When both modes work together, it can be very creative. I think the trick is in being comfortable with different agendas, yet using both sets of skills to work at finding a way through to the same goal.

Today I was on the corporate side of the table watching a passionate advocate with a strong voice make a case. I expect that another time I'll be on that side of the table. I hope I can remember what I saw.

Yesterday's Globe and Mail featured an article of interest to independent communication professionals.  On the topic of independents and some strategies for surviving these economically challenging times, the article presents interviews and case studies on strategies for self-employed during economic downturn. 

As independents we've been hearing the drums from not too far away about the importance of thought leadership.  Virtually, every speaker at the AIP (Alliance of Independent Pracitioners) monthly seminars has proclaimed that 'thought leaders" should be able to offer and disperse a range of advice on every topic imaginable, from buidling trusted relationships to marketing strategic advice.  In the blogsphere, we see daily the emergence of writer's, PR practitioners, social marketers and marketing communications professionals, declaring  his or her own thought leadership platform.

Back to basics

Independent communicators should know that deep knowledge and experience accumulated through every project is the most strategic weapon they have.  Their personal brand is also honed from personal experience and is becoming important in the age of peer to peer communications.

Knowledge and personal experience go hand in hand, have influence over one another and can be a powerful combination.

Toolkit

The use of glossy marketing in opening the door to potential clients is not longer the way to go.  Getting in the door is now about making this powerful combination of professional experience, personal brand and knowledge into a toolkit .  It's one way to optimize thought leadership towards influencing both knowledge and relationships with the ultimate goal of generating business.

As a professional communicator you probably spend a lot of time building context within organizations.  Thought leadership leverages this actiivity by generating even more knowledge, which adds to the pool of resources Directors and Managers can pull from when driving solutions.  When carried out well, thought leadership will help you navigate within an organization and across lines of business. 

Summary

Nowadays positioning thought leadership as an attribute to your brand is essential. More and more companies are using PR to position advisors and marketing communications to measure results.

There may be a lot of noise out there, but good thought leadership never develops in a vacuum, rather it creates a community of interest. 

Push A Pencil speaks not only to what we do, but also to who we are.
It’s a simple way to express a key value we bring: Effective Strategy. Persuasive Messages. Achieving a Presence. Creating channels, experiences and platforms, establishing a unique identity and remembering a message so that your target audience is responsive and motivated.

The challenges to improving business performance are many and diverse: limited resources, deadly deadlines, market competition, budget restrictions -- to name a few. Keeping your target the focus without losing out to the realities of competing priorities is often the biggest challenge.

And what works? Getting the big picture, a thorough understanding of your business, markets, products, values and culture so that you 're not driven by tactics alone. With comprehensive problem solving, the right tools, and the steady conscientious guidance of the right strategy, we deliver quality and an ROI on the money you invest in communications.

And that’s an ultimate result of the work we do at Push A Pencil. It’s a key reason why Push A Pencil is the choice of businesses for content.  Companies such as; CIBC, Molson, Toronto Dominion Bank, Harlequin Enterprises, CBC, Kids Help Phone, Canadian Cancer Society and Toronto Police Service trust us, because delivering your message to your customers, your employees, and your stakeholders is critical to delivering results.

We provide writing, editing and consulting services from front end to delivery for:
•    Corporate Communications
•    Employee Communications
•    Marketing & Customer Communications
•    Public Relations
•    Video Scripts and Production
•    Intranet & Web Content Strategies & Writing

Contact us to discuss your next project.

Contact Us

Telephone: 416-935-0707

Web: www.pushapencil.com

Email: froberts@pushapencil.com