With inflation and interest rates on the rise, how can you
economy-proof your strategy and build a deeper connection?
I’m no Economist but…
80% of chief economists believe that by raising interest rates we’ll curb inflation. With what can be best described as a rather blunt model, we hopefully won’t see an enthusiastic RBA raise rates too much more and plunge us into a recession.
So, what can brands do when the cost of cash is increasing, and their boards want to ensure they don't over-invest in marketing?
Thankfully, there’s some robust data that shows how investing wisely in building deeper relationships with customers can keep your brand in high demand.
Now is the time to be using highly targeted, RELEVANT content to engage your core customers in a way that adds value to their lives.
Here’s some data that the chief economists haven’t seen:
According to local research from May 2022 by consultancy firm Crowd DNA:
- 84% of Australian consumers took some form of action (buy, share, follow, or save) after engaging with a recent piece of brand content. The most common action (34%) was purchasing a product.
- 73% of consumers agree with: “I feel more positively towards a brand that provides valuable content to me.”
- One in two Australians feel that staying connected to a brand through content makes them feel like they’re part of a community.
According to the Global Content Marketing Institute:
- Content marketing generates three times more leads compared to outbound marketing, and costs 62% less.
- Only 34% of Australian consumers believe brands are truly meeting their content needs. Which means that 66% are looking for more.
Here lies the opportunity to make sure your brand is in demand in the current environment.
At 3rdspace we talk about key content drivers and how all content needs to check off at least three of these five drivers:
As an example, we recently worked with Winning Appliances around their involvement in The Block TV show.
The partnership with The Block played two roles:
Firstly, to position our brand idea of “Creating Your Forever Home” with Winning in front of new audiences.
Secondly and more importantly, to use a myriad of formats to inspire, educate, and involve the audience in a timely and relevant way with exclusive content.
We enlisted interior designer Kate Walker and Winning interior expert Kate McGlone to take customers behind the scenes of The Block with a sense of inspiration:
We created 5x3-minute films that tapped into what customers were thinking about when designing their home:
- Kitchen designs to express your personality
- Design with sustainability in mind
- Game changes in innovation
- Space saving design
- New design & colour trends
This allowed us to highlight Winnings partner brands and products that were used by contestants in The Block in a relevant, inspiring, and educational format.
We also engaged with one of The Block's host Darren Palmer to appear in an updated TVC that ran across the Nine Network, highlighting how you could create a winning home in every sense:
With this wealth of content, we created teasers and cut downs, and seeded the films to our various personas via socials and an in-depth automated marketing program. This drove people not only to a landing page but to deeper product information from each episode, and exclusive product offers.
This holistic approach to content enables brands to invest wisely. With data and a range of analytical tools, brands can truly understand the value of their existing customers, and how the lifecycle with those customers can be built upon by delivering content that’s relevant to their persona and needs.
Ultimately this enables the brand to evolve that conversation through to further sales.
If you’d like to find out more about this approach to delivering Content ROI, please reach out rob@3rdspace.com.au
Rob Logan Founder and content economist!
You’re probably thinking…‘purpose - another marketing buzz-word’. And you’d be right - purpose-driven marketing has risen to the top of the marketing agenda, but, for us at 3rdspace, purpose-led marketing isn’t a trend, it’s in our DNA. And it’s no longer something that brands can ignore - they have to define it, and most importantly, demonstrate their beliefs and actions to gain consumer trust and cement relationships.
Purposeful purpose
First let’s dust off our marketing 101 books and remind ourselves of what a purpose is - it is the reason a company or brand exists (or, as Simon Sinek now labels it, it’s your Just Cause). It is not CSR, it’s not sustainability. Yes, those may be policies or initiatives that back-up your purpose, but alone, they are not it.
Most brand’s have a purpose, many spend thousands crafting it to put on their ‘about’ section of their website or beautifully printed brand handbooks, often never to be looked at again. But the world-changing events of 2020 propelled brands to ‘stand for something’ and perhaps this is partly the reason that, over the past 18-months, purpose-driven marketing has become distorted.
It’s been well publicised that consumers are increasingly seeking purpose-driven brands. In Deloitte’s Global Millennial Survey, it was reported that 60% of millennials and Gen Z plan to buy more from brands that supported their workforce and positively affected society during the pandemic. And, according to Kantar - purpose-driven brands have grown at twice the rate of others. So you can understand why brands want a piece of the purpose pie, but to be truly purposeful, it shouldn’t take mass-publicised events to make you speak out as a brand. Brand’s should have a voice if it’s relevant - a voice honed in purpose to be authentic, otherwise it will only damage consumer trust, not improve it.
A great example of purpose-driven storytelling is by world-leading technology corporation, NEC. We’ve worked with NEC for the last two years and everything we do is embedded in their purpose, captured in their Vision: Inspiring and Transforming Experiences and Mission: we’re here to help solve tomorrow’s technology challenges today. This is done by defining and demonstrating how NEC products and services help organisations to create value for business, customers, communities and the world.
Bleed purpose
To be truly successful at purpose-driven marketing, it can’t be just marketing, it has to be ingrained throughout your whole business, from the inside out, and that starts in the boardroom.
Our 3rdspace model combines four key areas, to ensure your purpose-driven content creates action:
1)
What is your purpose? When did you last re-look at it? Now is the time that brands need to dust-off that brand book and re-assess. The cultural landscape has changed at an expediential rate. Does your purpose truly bleed through your organisation? If not, then why not?
2)
Your purpose is the beginning of company culture. It has to be aligned to your business priorities. It's a myth that profit and purpose can’t coexist - just look at Nike.
3)
People aren’t just consumers or customers, they’re your employees (we like to call it human-to-human). If the recent Brewdog frenzy has taught us anything, it’s to start from the inside-out. If your people believe in your purpose then your consumers are more likely to.
4)
Don’t market your purpose, market the impact you want to/have and decide how you’re going to measure it - something any CMO focused on ROI will welcome. It’s about re-thinking the impact you want to have as a business, so in the long run your business has the best chance of appealing to the greatest number of customers. It’s about questioning, clarifying and proving why you do what you do, because businesses that exist with the sole reason of creating shareholder returns have no role in tomorrow’s world.
How do B2B brands like NEC do this? Firstly, NEC doesn't talk to clients about its purpose. They start by aligning their people around the idea and how they can create value, then they extend these conversations through storytelling on owned, earned and paid platforms like their website, LinkedIn and other platforms communicating to clients about the impact and legacy they want to have.
Whether that’s hosting virtual events, like NEC’s Immersion for Australia's most senior business leaders, inviting them to take ‘a long hard look’ at what the world could look like post Covid-19; The Creating Value Series hosted by Dylan Alcott (Paralympian, NEC ambassador and advocate for people with disabilities) which heroes those who achieve the extraordinary, through a positive mindset; Or most recently, National Gallery of Victoria partnership with Quantum Memories by Refik Anadol, which used world-leading technology to create the most revolutionary data art humanity has ever seen. Demonstrating that in a time of so much uncertainty, NEC believes there is so much possibility when we look forward with a positive mindset for change - in pursuit of orchestrating a brighter world.
David Borean, Vice President Brand and Customer Experience NEC says “As a future-focused technology organisation, the very reason we exist is to help solve tomorrow's technology challenges today. By putting this purpose as the central thread through everything we do, we are able to remain true to who we are, and in turn, consumers see the positive impact that combining humanity and technology can have to create new value for communities and the world.”jasaseo.link
It’s not for everyone
A purpose-led approach isn’t for all, but as expectations and socially-conscious mindsets grow, brands must evolve their purpose at the speed of culture, to create an emotional connection with their people, cementing them as a brand for the long-run.
3rdspace is a content marketing company whose purpose is to help purpose driven brands connect with the values of purpose driven consumers. If you’d like to chat about developing a tone of voice guide for your brand to better connect with your consumers our team of marketing & content strategist, behavioural psychologists and creatives are here to help. rob@3rdspace.com.au
Looking for more inspiration? Check out more blogs here
Find out more about our clients and work here
Download our Free Content With Purpose Handbook
As Mother’s Day in Australia approaches, Rachael Sullivan - 3rdspace UK’s Strategy Director and mother of one toddler, Felix - ponders the complexities of modern motherhood and how marketers can create content that better connects with mums today.
Motherhood is arguably the most significant life transition many women go through, making it a conundrum for brands and marketers as this life transition inevitably brings about a change in values, hopes, fear actions and behaviour.
According to the Mom Complex, three out of four mums still say companies have no idea what it’s like being a mum. Yet the reward for those who get it right is significant with mothers reportedly controlling 85% of household purchases and having a collective spending power of $2.4 trillion.
So why is marketing to mums so complex? And what is it that many brands are missing?
Firstly, it sounds obvious but it’s something too easily forgotten – people are individuals, not labels. “There is a danger in focusing on the fact that people are mums. Being a mother is fundamental, but it isn’t the defining thing about you” says Justine Roberts, Mumsnet.
Motherhood comes in many different forms. On the surface of it there are new mums, stay at home mums, working mums, single mums, mums to kids with special needs, rural mums, urban mums, two-mum families, mums of many, mums of one, expecting mums, mums to teenagers, foster mums, adopted mums, absent mums and bereaved mums. Scratch a little deeper and you’ll find a minefield of mum personas – hands-on mums, competitive mums, perfectionists mums, socially conscious mums, eco-conscious mums, freeform mums, fit mums, easy going mums, working mums and mum entrepreneurs. But it’s key to understand that in any given week she may be ALL of these things.
Mums tend not to like being defined as being a mum. The modern mum is (hopefully) feeling less pressure to fit into one category and more freedom to give herself permission to have a life and ambitions outside of being a mum. And that could be as simple as a side hustle or a full-blown ambition to climb Mount Everest. And herein lies the issue for content marketers: millennial mums don’t want to be defined purely as being mums. In fact, most women don’t tend to like to be referred to as ‘mum’ by anyone other than their close family and children.
The purpose of parenthood has changed. For most Australians today, the decision to have a child is deliberate and purposeful. As such, parents today give far more thought to how they might bring up their children in a world where there is more conflicting information than ever before. Anxiety has become the cornerstone of contemporary parenting. Yet overwhelmingly, millennial parents have more intimate and equal relationships with their children than in the past. According to Forbes, parents today spend 2x more time with their kids than previous generations. What once was deemed an action entirely for procreation, parenthood is now a source of meaning and happiness in life.
How can content better relate to mums?
1. Don’t talk to mums how you’d talk to your mum. Mums are complex, so steer well clear of generalizing them. It’s important to research not only their behaviours but their feelings, opinions, fears and aspirations. Content marketing shouldn’t reflect the key differences - instead it’s important to find the space of shared values and celebrate your brand’s niche connection with a smaller group of like-minded consumers.
2. Mother’s Day is not the time to focus on marketing to mothers. Most mums are only interested in hearing from their kids and partners on Mother’s Day. Mummy friendly content creators know this. The benefit of content marketing and social media is that it allows for a deeper connection to form with mums who are connecting with a certain mindset at different times. Influencers can be a great way of identifying with certain mums. Australia blogger Constance Hall has a huge following of “disciples” that identify themselves more boho/freeform mums, engage with provocative posting style, buy her products and fiercely defend her when criticised. Understanding how your content should live within Constance’s space as opposed to say, Carrie Bickmore’s is extremely important.
3. Brands that are trusted by mums (and dads) don’t tell their customers they understand them, they show them and include them. Brands like Tommy Tippee’s ‘The boob life’ campaign, found a place of shared purpose to create content with meaning that resonates beyond stereotypes. In a global campaign they were able to demonstrate that they understood, saw and appreciated that just like every child, every mum is different, she’s real and proud of it.Which brands do you think do the best job of marketing to mothers? What would you like to see more of? If you’d like help with finding the place of shared purpose between your brand and your customers to provoke action, please get in touch.
And a happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there. And to our absent mums and babies who didn’t make it here, you are forever in our hearts.3rdspace is a content marketing company whose purpose is to help purpose driven brands connect with the values of purpose driven consumers. If you’d like to chat about developing a tone of voice guide for your brand to better connect with your consumers, our team of marketing & content strategists, behavioural psychologists and creatives are here to help. Contact rob@3rdspace.com.au
Looking for more inspiration? Check out more blogs here
Download our Free Content With Purpose Handbook
Now in its tenth year of business, 3rdspace - the Sydney-based content company - announces it is expanding its offer to the UK.
This expansion is driven by client demand and favourable growth in content marketing. Founder of 3rdspace, Rob Logan, said “It’s a strategic move that absolutely enables us to embody agile working, centered around our clients changing needs. Allowing global clients across Australia, Asia Pacific and Europe, to have 24/7 access to a broader range of strategic thinking, content production and amplification.”
3rdspace UK will be headed up by Partners Rachael Sullivan, as Strategy Director, and Kat Martin as Client Director, with the extended 3rdspace offering being based in Yorkshire, England.
Rachael Sullivan was a big part of the development of the 3rdspace offering in its early days, working with Founder, Rob Logan, to define the businesses purpose-based approach to creating content. Rachael has most recently worked in the UK as Strategy Director for Intermarketing Agency with other agency experience at Ogilvy & Mather, and brand side roles, including heading up Brand & Creative Strategy for Vodafone Australia. This role sees her return to 3rdspace as a UK Partner, heading up strategy globally.
Kat and Rachael met when they worked together at Intermarketing Agency, where Kat was previously Client Director. She brings a wealth of 360 marketing experience from both brand-side, at Sony Music and Universal, and agency-side where she headed up global teams for adidas, The North Face and Anytime Fitness, and more recently, content offerings for UK brands Whole Earth and Clipper Teas.
Rachael says - “The past year has been tough, but it’s also been an exciting time to work with 3rdspace’s clients. Attitudes towards consumerism are changing and we’re seeing a need for greater connection with brand purpose at a business to business level. It’s a personally rewarding approach and one that is proven to drive business results for our clients.”
Kat adds - “The timing is right for Rachael and I to start this new venture in the UK. Our purpose-led proposition is a perfect fit for the current business climate and, most importantly, consumers changing demands through the pandemic. It’s clear the need for good quality creative content and communications is stronger than ever. While traditional big budget advertising has taken a tumble, content has gone from strength-to-strength. We aim to provide a powerful solution for brands looking to build engagement with their customers, without having to invest in large scale traditional advertising.”
3rdspace founder Rob Logan says: “This decision to expand is timely given our recent win of three international CMA content awards, including Strategy, Best Use of LinkedIn and Best Use of Video. While Kat and Rachael’s talent and passion gives me a lot of confidence in being able to extend our offering to a range of international brands we are working with. Rachael has been a part of our family and a trusted partner through the growth of the business in Australia. When Rachael suggested Kat come on board it felt like a natural fit - they have a great working relationship from their previous roles. We are totally aligned on helping brands with purpose create content that relates to the values of their customers, and doing it in a way that drives real action and results.”
The 3rdspace proposition is to put purpose at the heart of the conversation to drive action. Clients on the 3rdspace roster include NEC, Sygneta, EY, The NRMA, United Nation Development Programme’s Business Call to Action, Eden Brae Homes, MBL Seminars, Winning Group and Globus Travel.
For more information contact:
Rob Logan: rob@3rdspace.com.au +61 419 722 151
Kat Martin Kat.m@3rdspace.com +44 (0) 770 3618 110
Rachael Sullivan Rachael.s@3rdspace.com +44 (0) 753 5535 352
In past blogs we’ve explored how COVID has handed CMOs and brand marketers a rare opportunity to reset purpose statements. Re-stating purpose for a new world, and having your content live your purpose, will go a long way to forging connection with an audience, with purpose and social good becoming even more central to customer perception.
That said, if your tone of voice still sounds like 2019, your purpose might not have the support it needs.
Tone of voice needs a re-jig too
The words you choose, their formality or not, how short or long your sentence constructions are, the way your string them together grammatically - these all communicate something about what your brand stands for. They need to align with your purpose and “speak” to your customers and prospects, if you want to connect emotionally.
Here are 4 tonal things to check as you tread a confident path through 2021:
1.Do you still know your audience/s?
Attitudes and behaviours have changed since 2020 and vary across geographies. People are working differently, they think differently about spending and how they pay for things; some are more cautious, some are more optimistic.
Employees have new expectations of their employers especially around safety; citizens have new-found trust in institutions they’ve seen acting in their interests.
Some values may have become more important as a result of the pandemic, evident in the trend towards self improvement.
So do you know who your customers are and what matters to them in 2021? If not, now’s the time to find out, whether through your sales team’s conversations with customers, through audience research and surveys, or monitoring your social media and customer service interactions.
If you need inspiration for tone, check what content is popular for your audience, whether that’s on LinkedIn or Tiktok.
2.Does your tone of voice document reflect those customers?
Look at your tone of voice styleguide and check if it still rings true for the audience you’ve identified.
Should there perhaps be a more comforting tone in areas where there is still doubt and anxiety for your customers? Should you emphasis hope, in a time of economic recovery? Should you dial down the more strident persuasive sales talk? What does your audience need right now? What are they going to need in six months?
(And if you don’t have a tone of voice guide, it might be time to write one. Get in touch, we can help.)
3.Have you differentiated yourself?
No matter whether you’re a consumer brand aimed at teenage skaters or a global consultancy seeking C-suite eyeballs, you won’t be memorable in the mind of your audience if you sound like all your competitors.
Look at that tone of voice styleguide. Could it just as easily apply to most of your competitors? How could you tweak it so it’s unique, yet still true to your purpose? How do you bring more humanity and personality into your voice, so you’re remembered for all the right reasons?
4.Have you re-examined all your touchpoints?
COVID taught us all how to conduct vast chunks of our lives online, with apps, Zoom and bots now a fact of life. In 2020, we jumped ahead five years in consumer and business digital adoption in about 8 weeks and consumers have far greater expectations for brands’ digital capabilities. This acceleration of digitalisation brings so much potential for user journeys to be seamless.
But fast design and implementation sometimes means cutting corners. Check all those digital innovations you introduced so quickly during 2020 and check how they sound. Is there consistency across channels in language, tone, terminology?
Only if you express the same tone in every instance, can you build that familiarity, that persona that people recognise and come to trust.
While it doesn’t make sense to change your tone of voice for every crisis or economic hiccup, it doesn’t hurt to dig back into your purpose and decide how that is best served by the personality and syntax you’re using, at this moment in time.
3rdspace is a content marketing company whose purpose is to help purpose driven brands connect with the values of purpose driven consumers. If you’d like to chat about developing a tone of voice guide for your brand to better connect with your consumers our team of marketing & content strategist, behavioural psychologists and creatives are here to help.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out more blogs here