HubSpot - 🤔A lingering suspicion...

Malört is one of Chicago’s mascots. What would Malört’s mascot be, and why?

Sokratov: A 31-gallon galvanized steel trash can with a lid. Both are perceived as being unappealing or gross, and the cans last a long time — similar to the long-lasting flavor of Malört.

Sokratov then asked Chris Savage, co-founder and CEO of Wistia: What unconventional marketing approach would you like to take, and how would you go about doing something you haven't done before?

But let’s jump forward in time.

Dawn Keller, CMO at California Pizza Kitchen, asked Lia Haberman, founder of ICYMI:

What do you think is the top thing that stands in the way of marketers being successful, and why?

Haberman: By nature, marketers are cheerleaders for the brands they represent. However, this sometimes leads to their identities becoming so closely tied to the products and services they promote that they struggle to talk about the company in a way that doesn’t sound like a sales pitch.

You can be passionate about a brand and still remain objective. Think about the product as a customer would, without letting loyalty cloud your judgment.

The more marketers adopt a consumer perspective, the better they’ll be able to communicate benefits in a way that truly resonates. This approach can even help them identify opportunities and areas for improvement that might go unnoticed if they’re too busy being the brand's biggest fan.

Then Haberman asked Matt Zaremba, director of marketing at Bodega:

If budget was no issue, what’s the first thing you’d do as a marketer?

Zaremba: If budget wasn’t an issue, I think I’d allocate those resources towards surprise and delight, rewarding our community and customers.

Growing up as a skateboarder I remember how much it meant to be acknowledged by brands for supporting them, whether that was receiving a sticker pack, a handwritten letter from the team, or some other small gesture.

That’s the core of building brand loyalty… Looking out for your customer and the community forming around your brand, what you do, and what you stand for. 

It’s a two-way street and I think more than ever, brands need to contribute, not just broadcast. So if budget wasn’t an issue, I’d focus on even more promo’ing of product, surprise gifts with purchases, and throwing events in more cities to connect with our community in person, building positive energy and creating memories.

We jump again to when James De Feu, senior director for performance marketing at Zapier, asked April Sunshine Hawkins, co-host of the Marketing Made Simple podcast:

What's one marketing trend you think most people are overhyping, and why?