Authentic Blog - Marketing Insights for Growing Businesses

How to build brand trust using social media in an era of distrust

It’s no secret that how much a person trusts a brand impacts whether they’ll purchase from it. Sixty-seven percent of respondents to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer said they’d buy a product from a company with a good reputation, but also said, “unless I come to trust the company behind the product, I will soon stop buying it.” This sentiment is especially strong among young adults, the upcoming generation of buyers. (more…)

How to strike a balance between innovation and perfection in marketing

There’s a delicate balance between progress and perfection in marketing. When businesses strive for perfection, decision-by-consensus slows or stalls efforts. Innovative products, campaigns, and services never make it to market, or a competitor launches their offering first, diluting your offering and investments. On the flip side, there’s a risk of moving too quickly and promising something that the business can’t deliver on or launching something that doesn’t meet customers’ needs. Failing to deliver on a promise erodes stakeholder confidence and trust. (more…)

Focus, fear, and flexibility — why they matter to business growth

Focus is the act of choosing where to invest and, more importantly, where not to. It recognizes that every business, no matter its size or type, has limited resources (time, money, energy). If you spray these limited resources in many directions, you dilute your efforts. If you point all of your available resources to 3-5 focus areas, you’re going to move further, faster — with a clearer understanding of how each investment impacts your business. (more…)

Agility: an essential ingredient for brand relevance in a changing world

We are quickly approaching mid-year, and business leaders everywhere are thinking about how they move forward in an undefined new world. Whether a business has been booming, shuttered, or stalled, the second half of 2020 is going to be monumental in separating companies that will thrive from those that will merely survive. (more…)

Activating your service plan to genuinely support stakeholders [SERVE•ival Part 3]

The rapidly-evolving nature of a crisis requires marketing and communication teams to stay nimble by listening carefully to their key stakeholders, adapting quickly, and leaning more purposefully into the turns. (more…)

Allocating your resources in the right direction [SERVE•ival Part Two]

Crises often put businesses in one of two scenarios. They are either suddenly thrust into survival mode or, in some cases, the disruption of the crisis creates a growth opportunity. Regardless of how a crisis impacts a business, marketing and communication teams need to be ready to strategically allocate resources in the right direction, make quick decisions, and communicate clearly and frequently. (more…)

Brightside Chats Podcast: Jennifer Zick on branding and marketing through crisis

How should brands show up in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis? Should every business take the same approach to content and messaging? And what good things could happen for brands through all of this? These are just some of the topics discussed in a recent conversation between Authentic CEO, Jennifer Zick, and Justin Keller, a podcast host and brand leader in Houston, TX. (more…)

Assessing your brand’s opportunity to serve [SERVE•ival – Part One]

When crises hit that disrupt life for businesses and communities, marketing and communication teams must react quickly and strategically to determine the best path forward for the brand. If marketing teams choose the wrong path, they risk coming off as careless, disingenuous, and opportunistic. Customers and employees have increasingly high expectations of brands, and failing to navigate a crisis the right way could be all it takes to lose once-loyal stakeholders. (more…)

Own your brand — Why you need to invest more in the marketing assets you control

Every business, no matter its size, type, or revenue, has limited resources to direct toward marketing. Unlimited marketing budgets don’t exist, and that’s especially the case for the small to midsize businesses we work with at Authentic. When resources are limited, a company must invest in creating brand value through owned marketing media and assets (e.g., website, blog, content). These assets are essential to building marketing programs that deliver returns. (more…)

Podcast: Jennifer Zick featured on Twin Cities Wellness Collective

Jennifer Zick, CEO and Founder of Authentic, joined Twin Cities Wellness Collective podcast host, Alex Morrall, to share her journey to starting Authentic, how to Overcome Random Acts of Marketing®, and prioritize our best ideas. (more…)

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