In a frenetic world of information overload and constant digital noise, how can brands effectively capture attention and make meaningful connections with their target audiences? Five industry leaders shared their strategies for cutting through the clutter and driving impactful engagement at a recent Marketers That Matter® Forum. Their insights offer valuable lessons for marketers navigating an era of constant change and disruption.
Panelists at the MTM Forum, held at NMDP headquarters in Minneapolis, included:
- Molly Kinsella, SVP of Media and Creative, Best Buy
- Beth McGuire, Strategy & Transformation, Optum
- Dawn Hepper, Vice President of Channel Marketing, Cambria
- Erica Jensen, SVP of Enterprise, Innovation, Strategy & Marketing, NMDP
- Gino Giovannelli, marketing consultant and marketing instructor at University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business
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Leveraging Strategic Partnerships for Maximum Impact
Successful brand partnerships offer natural synergies with brand values, target audiences, and business objectives. This principle was exemplified by the experiences shared by the panelists.
Molly Kinsella of Best Buy highlighted her company’s recent collaboration with NBC Universal and the NFL. By creating custom content featuring NBC hosts that aired just before the football season opener, coupled with in-game sponsorship and logo visibility, Best Buy tapped into a massive audience of football fans – a demographic that aligns well with their high-end TV and home theater offerings.
“This was a sweet spot of getting really tight with where customers are engaged, where their passion lies,” Kinsella said. The partnership took about six to eight months to negotiate but was built on years of relationship-building with the NFL.
Dawn Hepper shared Cambria’s success through collaborations within their industry ecosystem. “We’ve leveraged a lot of partnerships, specifically with some of our key segments like the design channel,” Hepper noted. Cambria has partnered with renowned designers for webinars and social media content, showcasing how their products are used in real-world, aspirational settings. They’ve also collaborated with complementary brands like Benjamin Moore to expand their reach in the design space.
Balancing Global Reach with Personalization and Local Relevance
While broad national or global campaigns have their place, many marketers are finding increased success by doubling down on local markets and personalized experiences. This approach recognizes that consumers often have strong ties to their communities and crave authentic, relevant interactions with brands.
Strategies shared by the panelists included:
- Empowering local business partners with marketing tools and resources
- Hosting in-person events and trade shows to create face-to-face connections
- Tailoring messaging and offers to specific audience segments based on detailed customer data
- Leveraging local influencers and community leaders as brand ambassadors
Erica Jensen emphasized the power of sharing localized patient stories for NMDP, a global nonprofit. “We’re leaning into our known audiences – our supporters, donors, members, advocates, volunteers – and really connecting them with us,” Jensen explained. By highlighting the impact of their work in specific communities, NMDP has fostered deeper emotional resonance with both patients and donors.
Sharing Lessons from Major Rebranding Initiatives
Several speakers shared experiences leading significant rebranding efforts, offering valuable advice for marketing leaders planning for or going through similar transitions. Tips included:
Ground decisions in data. Extensive customer research should drive rebranding decisions, ensuring that changes resonate with target audiences.
Communicate the why. Clearly articulate the reasons behind the rebrand to get internal buy-in. Help employees understand how the changes align with broader business objectives.
Launch internally first. Give your team time to embrace and embody the new brand before external rollout. This help creates authentic brand ambassadors.
Celebrate milestones. Maintain momentum by acknowledging small wins throughout the process. This could be anything from the first use of a new logo to positive customer feedback.
Inject some fun into the process. Create excitement with branded merchandise, creative launch events, or internal competitions related to the rebrand.
Be patient and consistent. Changing deeply held brand perceptions takes time. Stay the course and maintain consistent messaging across all touchpoints.
Address emotional attachments. Recognize that people may have strong feelings about existing branding elements. Handle the transition sensitively, especially if eliminating beloved mascots or long-standing design elements.
Jensen shared how NMDP’s rebrand from Be The Match initially faced internal resistance. “We had to spend a tremendous amount of time educating people on why brand matters,” she explained. By consistently reinforcing how the changes would help the organization better serve their mission and reach more patients, they were able to build strong support across the organization.
McGuire of Optum, a UnitedHealth Group company, shared her experience with a recent rebranding process: “We launched a brand platform for the first time for United Healthcare a year ago. It was an 18-month process, and entirely customer led. Every decision we made throughout the whole process was based on insights and research because that is really hard to argue with.” Kinsella added insights from Best Buy’s recent rebranding, emphasizing the importance of customer insights and internal communication. “We have spent a lot of time launching the brand first inside our walls,” she noted, describing extensive presentations to retail teams and company-wide communications about the strategy and everyone’s role in bringing it to life.
Navigating Your Marketing Career
The diverse career paths of the panelists offered lessons for marketers at all stages:
Seek opportunities to fill skill gaps. McGuire intentionally moved to a strategy role earlier in her career to bolster her digital marketing expertise during a critical industry shift.
Find your sweet spot. Giovannelli emphasized the importance of finding work that you both enjoy and excel at, noting it took years of career pivots to discover his passion for marketing education.
Embrace unexpected moves. Kinsella shared how transitioning from strategy to lead a creative team, while unconventional, provided invaluable new perspectives that enhanced her overall marketing approach.
Go where the energy is. Multiple speakers advised paying close attention to where your company is investing and growing, and positioning yourself to be part of those initiatives.
Stay curious. All speakers stressed the need for continuous learning in the fast-paced marketing world, whether through formal education, side projects, or simply staying closely attuned to emerging trends.
Harnessing AI Wisely and Responsibly
While still in a relatively early stage, AI has already transformed marketing workflows and offers an array of possibilities for enhanced efficiency and creativity. Potential use cases discussed included:
- Automating repetitive tasks like image editing, freeing up creatives for higher-value work
- Generating multiple content versions (email subject lines and ad copy, for example) for A/B testing
- Adapting messaging and visuals for different audience segments at scale
- Optimizing digital ad campaigns in real-time based on performance data
- Analyzing vast amounts of customer data to uncover actionable insights
However, the speakers unanimously cautioned against viewing AI as a replacement for human creativity and strategic thinking. Giovannelli emphasized using AI as a starting point: “AI gets you from zero to 30 in seconds,” he noted. “It’s up to you to go from 30 to 50.”
The panelists also discussed responsible AI adoption in marketing. Some tips included:
- Use AI as an idea generator, but rely on human judgment for final decisions and creative direction.
- Maintain robust first-party data practices, as high-quality data is essential for effective AI implementations.
- Be transparent with customers about AI usage, particularly in customer-facing applications.
- Regularly audit AI outputs for potential biases or unintended consequences.
- Invest in AI education for your marketing team to ensure they can leverage these tools effectively.
Embracing Agility and Authenticity in an Ever-Changing Landscape
The marketing world continues to evolve at a rapid pace, driven by tech advancements, shifting consumer behaviors, and global events. But the fundamental principles of effective marketing remain constant: understand your audience deeply, communicate authentically, and deliver genuine value. This sentiment resonated throughout the Forum discussion.
By staying curious, embracing change, focusing on establishing real connections, and leveraging new AI tools wisely and responsibly, brands can break through the noise and create real, lasting impact.
The most successful marketers will be those who balance innovation with tried-and-true principles, while keeping the human element at the core of their efforts. This was exemplified by reminders from the panelists about the importance of nurturing human talent even as we embrace new technologies.
In essence, the panelists’ collective wisdom reinforced that while tactics and technologies may change, the core of marketing success lies in understanding people, communicating effectively, and consistently providing value in an authentic way.
Forum moderator Kathy Hollenhorst is a Marketers That Matter® Advisor & Chief Community Officer.
Marketers That Matter® is a community of top marketing executives coming together to pioneer the future of marketing, sharing real-time experiences, and solving current challenges.
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