#86: Dear Woman w/ a Microphone, brands get political, the B2B curse, & how INBOUND ditched manels
Wait, is it fall yet?
Because I definitely wore boots yesterday.
---
In edition #86 of The World's Best Newsletter:
1. New piece: Dear Woman with a Microphone
2. Content Marketing By the Numbers
3. How INBOUND ditched manels
4. Brands get political
5. Levi Strauss CEO Takes a Stand on Gun Violence
6. Escape the B2B curse
7. Quote of the week - cognitive dissonance
1. New piece: Dear Woman with a Microphone
I attended a panel event recently featuring woman leaders. I was disappointed.
Read my open letter to all women with a microphone.
2. Content Marketing By the Numbers
This week, Boston Content hosted 200 marketers, both live and virtually, at an event in partnership with INBOUND 2018. "Content By the Numbers" featured yours truly alongside my friends Daniel Waas (of GoToWebinar) and Elle Woulfe (of PathFactory).
Read my recap here featuring 49 facts shared that evening, yes 49.
3. How INBOUND ditched manels
Speaking of INBOUND, read how they were able to achieve such stunning gender diversity in their speaker lineup this year.
4. Brands get political
This past week, both Nike and Ford took a public stand in the topic arena of NFL protests.
Ford, a sponsor of the NFL, voiced support for players exercising their right to free speech and peaceful protest.
"We respect individuals' rights to express their views, even if they are not ones we share," the company said on Monday. "That's part of what makes America great."
And we have all seen the powerful ad released by Nike (who supplies the uniforms for the NFL) featuring Colin Kaepernick to mark the 30th anniversary of "Just Do it."
Have you seen the full spot? Great copywriting.
Colin had been part of Nike's spokesperson portfolio since 2011... so, why did Nike decide to launch this campaign now? It begs attention to their timing.
Deliberate, provocative, meant to cause conversation and ignite debate. Talk about tapping into the zeitgeist. But there's a key to Nike's timing:
Recent studies show that 64% of buyers say CEOs should take the lead on change rather than waiting for government to impose it. (Edelman study.)
*** For the record: It would have been great to see this kind of fury from the Nike sock-burners when Chick-fil-A “took a stance” against your LGBT American neighbors & friends. Hypocrites.
5. Levi Strauss CEO Takes a Stand on Gun Violence
Another company spokesperson waded into the public narrative this week over a politicized issue - this time, guns. And this time, it was Levi Strauss & Co president and CEO Chip Bergh.
Bergh says:
"As president and CEO of a values-driven company that’s known the world over as a pioneer of the American West and one of the great symbols of American freedom, I take the responsibility of speaking up on the important issues of our day very seriously. We can’t take on every issue.
But as business leaders with power in the public and political arenas, we simply cannot stand by silently when it comes to the issues that threaten the very fabric of the communities where we live and work. While taking a stand can be unpopular with some, doing nothing is no longer an option."
Look at the language here, how he describes the brand:
"a pioneer of the American West... one of the great symbols of American freedom."
When you set your sights on such a lofty North star for the brand, decisions that seem "unrelated to a jeans company" are given a bit more context. And, you differentiate based on entirely new criteria for the buyer - but what I'm curious about is whether it impacts purchase decisions or long-term loyalty. Most importantly, does the CEO's stance translate into action that creates tangible change?
And buckle up, because you know this is only just getting started. Will it become the next PR stunt marketing trick du jour? To issue a statement about a hot-button political issue and ride the awareness generated by the controversy?
6. Escape the B2B curse
Speaking of differentiation... how do marketers break free from the pack when the pack looks the same to the buyer?
Read my latest article for Spiceworks, 5 Ways to Escape from the B2B Curse of the Consideration Set, in which I explain "first-thinker" advantage. This is the second in my series leading up to my big keynote there this October at Spiceworld 2018.
If you're going, let me know!
7. Quote of the week
"Cognitive dissonance doesn’t register when you’re white and terrified of losing your dominance."
From a powerful, poignant piece by writer, pastor, and activist John Pavlovitz. Highly recommended.
Next week I'm off to Columbus, OH and NYC. Ping me if you're around in either city!
Best,
Katie
PS: Share The World's Best Newsletter on Twitter, or LinkedIn (thank you!!)
NEXT WEEK! Ask Me Anything! I'll be part of Startup Boston 2018 answering questions, live on-stage, from real audience members. Oh boy. September 11th at 8:30am. RSVP here.
NEXT WEEK! I'm excited to be your emcee for the 2018 Women in Digital National Conference. I'll also be sharing a talk on (R)evolution: Suffragettes to Social Media. Join us in Columbus, OH September 12-14, 2018.
I've curated some of the best B2B marketing content and will be walking through them at this year's Connect to Convert event in Boston, October 3-5th, 2018. Save 20% with code BCVIP.
I am so so excited to be keynoting this year's Spiceworld 2018, speaking to a room of B2B marketers and sales teams. I'll dig into what makes the most transformative voices so effective - and how courageous brands move buyers from apathy to action. October 8-10th, 2018 in Austin TX. See you there?
Can I have your attention please? Hear me share my strategies for breaking through the noise at the MarketingProfs B2B Forum in San Francisco this November. November 13-16, 2018, San Francisco. Use code "B2BFriend18" and save some cash!
Learn more about how to book me to speak.