Real takeaways from the Marketing AI Conference for marketing leaders eager to integrate human insight with machine intelligence.
Halloween is a time to face your fears, and brands should do the same.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and while many organizations focus on technical defenses, the most significant risk often comes from human error.
The marketing industry continues to evolve heading in 2026. View the key trends impacting 2026 marketing plans and budgeting processes.
The evolving presence of AI in our daily lives is changing not only how we source information, but also how our own information is found and used.
AI tools are reshaping design, but brand identity demands more than automation.
In our line of work, listening is not a step in the process. It is the process.
In high-risk environments, safety culture isn’t a nice-to-have or a competitive advantage; it’s a business imperative.
While workforce reductions may offer short-term financial relief, they often come with unintended consequences, particularly when it comes to safety.
Safety ambassadors are one of the most powerful, and underutilized, tools for building a strong safety culture.
Building a safety culture doesn’t happen by accident.
In the fall of 2020, Wrexham AFC, the third-oldest football club in the world, was facing uncertainty.
Checking the boxes on compliance doesn’t guarantee a safe culture.
Organizational culture is a top priority for most companies given its direct impact on recruiting, retention and employee engagement
A strong visual brand is essential to standing out and connecting with your audience.
The commoditization of branding and marketing has been going on for years.
All levels of leaders play a pivotal role in embedding purpose into every aspect of the organization.
While performance goals and metrics are essential, they are not an employee retention strategy.
How to Activate Your Workforce For Cultural Success
Cultivating Culture from Within: Using Ambassadors to Fuel Success
Company Culture Launch Events: One of the Most Important — and Often Overlooked Factors in Successful Culture Building
How do you know if your organization might be experiencing internal communication fatigue?
Crafting an employee experience vision is an exercise in making leadership’s intentions for the type of environment and experiences they “want for” employees clear.
A strong organizational culture and employer brand directly influences your ability to attract, engage and retain top talent.
Many companies strive to create compelling cultures and employer brands but frequently overlook essential elements that can diminish the impact of their efforts
While industry benchmarks suggest allocating 7-8% of revenue to marketing for B2B companies, the optimal budget is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the importance of a strong organizational culture and compelling employer brand cannot be overstated.
Savage Brands is excited to announce the appointment of Steven Leeper as its new Chief Advancement Officer.
The landscape of SEO has undergone such a significant transformation that having an AI SEO strategy is now table stakes. Here’s how to get started.
In a time where external pressures and debate exists for and against ESG’s role in corporate strategy, the approach to sustainability reporting continues to undergo significant transformation.
If you haven’t yet developed a strategy for Google search’s integration with generative AI – aka Search Generative Experience (SGE) – there’s still time.
A look at how to get started with investing in social media for business by setting goals, grabbing baseline metrics and considering all the caveats.
While deeply understanding a niche market like manufacturing is foundational, it is the combination of this knowledge with an award-winning team’s expertise that truly drives success.
Creative B2B marketing campaigns aren’t just for consumer-focused industries anymore. Here’s how we adopt a B2C mindset for our B2B marketing clients.
By thoughtfully weaving AI into your marketing strategies, you can ensure they are resilient, responsive and ready to meet the challenges ahead.
In Part 1, we unpack what you can do today about getting your house in order.
By understanding the capabilities and potential concerns surrounding Chat GPT and other AI technologies, we at Savage Brands are committed to helping our clients harness the power of AI in digital marketing responsibly and effectively.
Our team shares its firsthand GA4 transition thoughts as we adjust to a new Google Analytics platform and anticipate the sunsetting of Universal Analytics.
In any industry, it is important to understand tools and adopt new technologies and resources.
The digital marketing landscape is quickly evolving and top marketers around the world are asking the same questions.
Every business benefits from improved local search rankings.
We live in a digital world where information is in the palm of our hands.
Leaders have a tough time attracting and retaining good talent today.
Real connection needs empathy, and when we can convey our feelings correctly, we can build connections easier.
Working remotely, or a hybrid model combining both in-office and from-home work, is here to stay.
This article is co-written by Care Gerland & Andrew Peng
Empathy in the design process makes sure that we honor every person who may interact with our work to assure that it is accessible for them.
Most of us don’t set out to offend, but are our unconscious biases impeding our ability to see how we are perceived by others?
Branding requires a significant investment of time, budget and resources.
A strong brand experience is imperative in today’s competitive, crowded business climate.
The metaverse jetted into the collective convo late last fall when Facebook announced a name change to Meta.
Companies are spending a lot of time, money and effort to develop ESG strategies and targets.
ESG reporting is a communication channel where you can showcase who you are and what is important to you.
Changing a culture is rooted in changing behaviors and stories.
If you can take these simple steps in developing your ESG strategy you’re well on your way to solidifying a stakeholder network that is invested in your success.
This article was co-written by Sydney Isaacs & Lisa Pham of Abernathy MacGregor and Bethany Andell of Savage Brands
While some companies still print their sustainability reports (a contradiction in sustainability practices, we must say), more and more are moving to an online presence.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) analysis can help you to identify risks and opportunities for growth.
How can you keep Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) top of mind when there are other priorities?
ESG work is a very aspirational and inspirational undertaking, and as such, deserves to be talked about in aspirational and inspirational ways.
ESG performance has become vital for businesses in recent years.
As stakeholders press organizations to lead the change in society’s greatest problems, company executives are considering reporting their environmental and social performance as much as they report their business performance.
Creating a sustainability report (SR) takes significant efforts from multiple content authors and subject matter experts across your organization. After it is done, you will be flush with content that can be used in a variety of ways to further your business.
Once your environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) strategy is aligned to your organization’s purpose and values, you need to ensure it is understood, believed and lived.
Sustainable investing and shareholder activism set new expectations for companies in society.
In the world of sustainability, data is king. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting is highly complex and finding ways to make it simple and easy to understand is imperative when a range of stakeholders with varying levels of comprehension about your industry are looking at you.
Creating a compelling purpose statement is both an exciting and daunting task.
Creating a purpose statement is an intense endeavor.
Many leaders are getting curious about the power purpose possesses to transform their organizations.
The failure rate for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) sits between 70 percent and 90 percent.
Your values aren’t enough to inform how people are supposed to act in your organization.
When you commit to leading with purpose, your traditional “mission, vision and values” statements must shift.
Culture drives everything you do in your business and, in order to meet the objectives you have set out for yourself, it’s imperative that those who work for you are clear on the kind of culture you seek to create.
As the outward-facing aspect of your business, your brand must make clear what your organization cares about and reflect what it stands for.
Purpose is the lynchpin for building an engaging and lasting brand or culture; and every business needs one.
Values are a critical element to a brand or culture’s foundation.
We believe that in any effort, where one starts has everything to do with where one ends up.
As our organizations develop and as our beliefs about the role of business evolve, our Foundational Statements may need to change.
As our conversations have kicked off with clients regarding improvements for their annual and sustainability reports, common needs have emerged:
If you went into remote work with a not so great culture, that has probably followed you. But it is never too late to start working on making it better.
All businesses are trying to save time and money, and do more with less.
The last six months have prompted leaders to rethink their customer sales experiences.
Leaders we work with are concerned about how to address the realities of today’s remote and virtual world,
I recently had someone ask me, “What’s your favorite part of a project/engagement?” “Oh, that’s definitely got to be the…well…hmm,”
Marketing messaging during a crisis requires tact. Use the pandemic as an opportunity to build trust. Learn how to reframe messaging to elevate your brand.
In a time of crisis effective leaders are bolstered by purpose. Learn how purpose guides them in decision making, strategy and communications.
As the Corona virus endures, its impact on corporate work life becomes increasingly profound. In this new “virtual” reality, leaders must now switch from their initial survival mode to a model that releases the energy, creativity and motivation of their workforce. How can a sustainable post-Corona business model be developed?
Learn why you need intentional culture that is values- and behaviors-based for a virtual and remote work environment.
How do you keep culture continuity when your whole workforce is at home?
As I write this, the Houston Astros are fresh off of hiring a new manager.
Two cups of coffee, a few clicks of the mouse and BAM! – analytics that’ll blow your boss’ socks off, complete with context, emphasis and emotion displayed so you don’t have to add, “you had to be there” to the end of your marketing report.
Ah, yes. If only it was that easy.
In late 2018 we began having conversations around our focal point for 2019.
Recently 181 CEOs of the Business Roundtable released a new statement, “The Purpose of Business”.
Bethany talks to Tony about the importance on not only articulating your purpose but making sure every decision in your business feeds it.
Bethany had a chance to talk to the team at Forbes Books Radio on how purposefully she changed the trajectory of Savage Brands.
We love the opportunity to showcase our AAF-Houston members, and this interview with Jackie Dryden is a lesson in getting your brand out there, so it’s understood, believed and your brand advocates are telling everyone.
Listen to Bethany’s conversation on how to help companies uncover their purpose and align it with their operations, culture, and brand to achieve enduring success and lasting relationships on the Dov Baron Leadership and Loyalty Podcast.
You know the feeling: You’ve just left a meeting in which everyone has discussed a pressing issue, considered the pros and cons, and arrived at a plan for moving forward that everyone can agree with.
Watch Bethany answer some tough questions on power and money for WatchHerWork.
Watch Jackie answer some tough questions on career transitions, office dynamics, and believing in your creativity for WatchHerWork.
The 2018 Conscious Capitalism Annual Conference was chock-full of inspiring speakers. Themes ranged from recovering from failure to building sustainable, profitable companies with the greater good in mind. The themes that most resonated with me were centered around connection and purpose. They are captured here as reminders and inspiration for us all.
Bethany Andell talks to Laura Richardson of Frazer about how she leads by example. Laura explains how as a leader you cannot be afraid to open up about failure, as it leads to trust.
Bethany Andell is discussing values with Laura Richardson of Frazer. Laura talks about how they arrived at their core values and how she uses humor to remind everyone to have fun.
Listen to Bethany’s conversation on conscious leadership and building a culture on purpose on the The Modern Leadership podcast.
Bethany Andell talks with Laura Richardson, CEO of Frazer, about purpose. Laura talks about the unintentional culture of her grandfather’s company and explains how they unleash the potential of every employee at Frazer.
It is an absolute requirement to be the steward of your organization’s purpose and live out the values you claim.
Bethany Andell is discussing values and purpose with Curtis Hite of IT services firm Improving. Curtis details success through involvement, a way to give recognition to employees going above and beyond. His is a point system that is getting amazing results.
Savage Brands’ Bethany Andell continues her discussion with Curtis Hite of IT services firm Improving. Curtis explains what he and his stakeholders are doing to rebuild trust in the IT community.
Savage Brands’ Bethany Andell interviews Curtis Hite of IT services firm Improving. Curtis is building his brand with a culture based on the teachings of Conscious Capitalism as he seeks to rebuild trust in the IT community.
Listen to Jackie’s conversation on how companies build an authentic and sustainable organization and brand, on the Recalculating for Small Business show.
These are just some of the moments that struck me last week when I attended my 4th annual Conscious Capitalism Leadership Summit:
For companies in transformation due to rapid growth, strategic transition or M&A activities or those in need of revitalization due to poor employee engagement or lackluster business performance, having a solid business ‘operating system’ in place will likely make the difference between success or failure — enjoying a return on investment or realizing sunk costs — on the work that must be done to reach a vision.
While the specifics of how you craft your company story will vary there are several fundamental elements of purposeful communication that cross all channels and media. Begin by getting your arms around your authentic story, matching your narrative with your image, and then following through with flawless execution.
While most companies want tribal brand loyalty, many are unclear about how to create raving fans that believe in and support a company’s Purpose. Creating advocacy is a journey—belief and trust can’t be built overnight.
Lack of alignment between what is said and how a business operates will quickly derail any attempt to becoming a purposeful brand, and erode trust. Even the most devout believers in a company’s why will quickly become discouraged if the way a company conducts business does not match what it professes to stand for.
My friend Darcie Durham with Boeing hosted me at the Greater Houston Partnership leadership luncheon. The speaker was Indra Nooyi, the CEO of PepsiCo and it was moderated by Scott McClelland, President of HEB. I don’t hear much about “corporate” PepsiCo and before this talk I didn’t know much about Indra. However, what she had to say about leadership and building a sustainably successful company was so in sync with how I view the role of leaders in business today that I felt like we were kindred spirits.
What is it with these Millennials? Well maybe we aren’t all so different after all. While much is written about the “Millennial effect” on the workplace, when it comes to the shared mindset of purpose in the business environment, this is driven not by one, but by two generations at opposite ends of the career spectrum—Millennials and Baby Boomers.
Savage introduces an experience designed to help you tap into the positive powers of play—and to reconnect with your true purpose.
Having a mission statement is more than a declaration of a company’s intent. A mission statement should be memorable, invoke inspiration, and call the audience to action. But having a mission statement and living it are entirely separate things.
One of my favorite ad headlines states, “You don’t open a Bike Shop to Run a Balance Sheet.” You open a bike shop because you love bicycles. You are passionate about riding them, talking about them and sharing them with others. This is how most great businesses are started. Someone with a personal passion recognizes a need in the marketplace, takes a risk and starts a company to share their vision with the world.
What happens when you have mad scientists on staff? Just check the manifesto. (The magic is not only in the ink.) Savage’s Bethany Andell continues her visit with Patricia Quinlan, chairman and owner of InkJet Inc.
Purpose and behavior can bring a company’s values to life. Are your employees advocates for your brand? Savage’s Bethany Andell continues her visit with Patricia Quinlan, a maverick spirit who is also chairman and owner of InkJet Inc.
There are many ways to make a company successful. At InkJet, mission, vision and values are purposeful to the tribe and critical to the individual. But what is the benefit of doing this? As it turns out, every company has many different stakeholders, and the common ground for all starts with connecting around purpose. Savage’s Bethany Andell interviews Patricia Quinlan, a maverick spirit who is also chairman and owner of InkJet, Inc.
A few weeks ago I got to attend my first Conscious Capitalism Conference in Philadelphia, PA. As a designer and an introvert, I wasn’t sure how much I would get out of it personally, but I was so excited for the opportunity to promote the Savage way and support fellow Savages.
In preparation for Conscious Capitalism 2017 in Philadelphia, Savages attending the conference had the opportunity to define what “play” personally meant in a workshop with Corey Blake at Round Table Companies.
This was not a question most people expected to be asked at the 2017 Conscious Capitalism Conference in Philadelphia. But from the moment people sat down in the big comfy armchair to get their caricatures drawn, they knew something was different.
Values rooted in passion and a strong purpose offer a winning combination for his company, and for their clients. Bret Farrar is back. The CEO and founding partner for Sendero Consulting visits with Savage’s Bethany Andell.
The CEO and founding partner for Sendero Consulting visits with Savage’s Bethany Andell to talk about the importance of having strong core values, and then demonstrating them everyday.
Inspired people engaged to work together towards a common purpose. That’s what you’ll get at the 2017 HR Houston Gulf Coast Symposium, Savage will be on hand to help you “Stand Out” with our hosted Unique Session. These interactive sessions offer the opportunity to personally participate and walk alway with greater learnings.
Conscious Capitalism 2017 is designed to deepen your practical application of the principles of Conscious Capitalism with high potency keynotes, new content for teams, multiple tracks of hands on practicums and rich opportunities to connect with and learn from peers.
If you want to attract and hire good talent, your workplace user experience will be a factor. Bethany Andell continues her discussion with Lauri Goodman Lampson, president of PDR, a workplace consulting and design firm.
It’s a new world out there and the way we work is changing. Today’s workforce does not need a “warehouse,” it needs a “hub” of connections and collaboration. What’s a leader to do? Savage’s Bethany Andell asks Lauri Goodman Lampson, president of PDR, a workplace consulting and design firm.
How do you get maximum energy from your employees? Is it about purpose, and where does strategy fit in? If you’re doing it right, it all works together as it connects and inspires. Savage’s Bethany Andell chats with Lauri Goodman Lampson, president of PDR, a workplace consulting and design firm.
Your executive team is a key stakeholder group in any rebrand process. The key here is to include them and to follow a strategic process. Why? Because you can’t solve big brand fragmentation challenges just by having a team work on the tactics – a new logo, or a new website. Robin Tooms interviews Chris Levy, Global Marketing Director at Quest Integrity, for ways to keep this process on track.
Budgets are tight, so wouldn’t you want to make sure your ad dollars are hitting your intended audience? Myles Rose, Digital Marketing Operations Manager for Gulf States Toyota shares some digital marketing tips to keep your ad buys safe and secure.
It’s all about culture and values. Does your brand platform deliver yours? Robin Tooms gets specific with Chris Levy, Global Marketing Director at Quest Integrity.
Marketers are concerned about omnichannel marketing, but this brings about new integration challenges, such as ‘what happens with the data on the backend?’. When you have the ability for your various systems to share data, such as with a Data Management Platform (DMP), you can better ‘connect the dots’ with all interactions. Myles Rose, Digital Marketing Operations Manager for Gulf States Toyota shares some insights from the Google Performance Summit and how Google is playing a friendlier role in a DMP.
Multiple brands, bundled solutions, corporate strategy, and rebrands can create chaos on so many levels. And where is the customer in all of this? Robin Tooms asks Chris Levy, Global Marketing Director at Quest Integrity Group.
How does a non-profit take on a huge, complex campaign and do it with limited resources? Very creatively! Robin Tooms interviews Lisa Gagnon, vice president of marketing for the 2017 Houston Super Bowl Host Committee.
Branding challenges for a fast-growth company can be complicated on many levels. Where do you start? Robin Tooms asks Chris Levy, Global Marketing Director at Quest Integrity.
Why would a company want to spend money on something like a Data Management Platform (DMP)? (Hint: because working from insights means that your ad dollars are hitting the right people.) Robin Tooms talks DMP with Myles Rose, Digital Marketing Operations Manager for Gulf States Toyota to hear about one way companies counteract this challenge.
We’ve all heard about how important it is to be thought leaders in our industry, but this is easier said than done. See how IHS has shaped strategic conversations at its CERAweek conference. Robin Tooms gets the whole story when she hosts Shavonnah Schreiber, director of global campaigns and events at IHS, Inc.
What is a Data Management Platform (DMP) and how do you use it? Robin Tooms talks about why this is more than marketing’s next “shiny object” with Myles Rose, Digital Marketing Operations Manager for Gulf States Toyota.
Savage Brands’ President, Bethany Andell and Chief Purpose Architect, Jackie Dryden were interviewed by PKF Texas for their series, “The Entrepreneur’s Playbook®” in a series of conversations on Using Savage Thinking to Lead with Purpose.
Logos are challenging because you have to get across the core essence of your brand in just a few marks. And this challenge is even greater when the audiences are broad. So how do you appeal to the many audiences of the Super Bowl while keeping the core idea of excitement? Robin Tooms asks Lisa Gagnon, vice president of marketing for the 2017 Houston Super Bowl Host Committee.
Robin Tooms hosts Shavonnah Schreiber, director of global campaigns and events at IHS, Inc. to talk more about account-based marketing and how to execute on this approach.
Savage Brands’ President, Bethany Andell and Chief Purpose Architect, Jackie Dryden were interviewed by PKF Texas for their series, “The Entrepreneur’s Playbook®” in a series of conversations on Using Savage Thinking to Lead with Purpose.
It’s the Super Bowl—sponsors, brands, the NFL, the community, the fans—so many stakeholders! Robin Tooms asks Lisa Gagnon, vice president of marketing for the 2017 Houston Super Bowl Host Committee about the different audiences they keep in mind with the brand.
Savage Brands’ President, Bethany Andell and Chief Purpose Architect, Jackie Dryden were recently interviewed by PKF Texas for their series, “The Entrepreneur’s Playbook®” in a series of conversations on Using Savage Thinking to Lead with Purpose.
What is account-based marketing and how does it work? Robin Tooms asks Shavonnah Schreiber, director of global campaigns and events at IHS, Inc.
Savage Brands’ President, Bethany Andell and Chief Purpose Architect, Jackie Dryden were recently interviewed by PKF Texas for their series, “The Entrepreneur’s Playbook®” in a series of conversations on Using Savage Thinking to Lead with Purpose.
Two brands for the upcoming 2017 Super Bowl hosted in Houston. Why? Robin Tooms asks Lisa Gagnon, vice president of marketing for the 2017 Houston Super Bowl Host Committee for her perspective on why the Host Committee has an additional logo.
Is it possible to be MORE strategic in how you market services, solutions and expertise? And how do you know you’re still on point? Robin Tooms gets specific with Shavonnah Schreiber, director of global campaigns and events at IHS.
We’re creators. We’re dreamers. We’re shapers and shakers. We’re high-five collectors and truth slingers. We’re believers in a better world. We are Savage Brands.
A huge initiative like the NCAA Men’s Final Four means lots of branded events – with each event offering a different value for specific demographics. That’s a lot of targeted marketing! Robin Tooms visits with Rachel Quan, VP of external operations for the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Houston.
The 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four Houston Local Organizing Committee is in full blitz mode, especially now that Rodeo is over. Robin Tooms interviews Rachel Quan, VP of external operations for more insight on how they manage their media dollars to drive attendance.
In January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg proclaimed, “Men still run the world…I’m not sure its going that well.”
It’s not just a game or two, it’s a total EVENT (and so much more)! Robin Tooms interviews Rachel Quan, VP of external operations for the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four Houston Local Organizing Committee to talk about how she built excitement within Houston so that we benefit as a community.
Coordinating thousands of volunteers requires a massive effort, a strong strategy and detailed communications. Robin Tooms interviews Rachel Quan, VP of external operations for the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four Houston Local Organizing Committee.
In their most recent edition on newsstands, Wealth Management magazine released an intriguing story on the gradual decline of physically printed annual reports published by publicly traded companies.
Nonprofits have unique needs around communicating with volunteers and donors to help drive support for their programs and those needs, in turn, can present specific messaging opportunities. Robin Tooms interviews Thao Costis, CEO of SEARCH Homeless Services.
When a brand name can paint a picture for your organization’s purpose, it creates a platform for conversations, and helps to guide the way you tell your brand story. SEARCH has a great name in House of Tiny Treasures, and Robin Tooms interviews Thao Costis, CEO of SEARCH Homeless Services to learn why.
What’s in a name—other than a brand challenge? Robin Tooms interviews Thao Costis, CEO of SEARCH Homeless Services.
Moving up is always a positive. For Houston’s SEARCH Homeless, it’s especially meaningful. Robin Tooms interviews Thao Costis, CEO of SEARCH Homeless Services.
Do brands—even innovative ones—need updating? Can a good brand really get stuck with an outdated perception? Steve Lufburrow, President and CEO, Goodwill Houston answers all in his interview with Robin Tooms.
If you sell an intellectual product (that’s focused around people and expertise), how does that change your approach to building a brand? Robin Tooms visits with David Skinner, CEO of KCA, an energy consulting firm focused on technology and strategy.
What’s the best way to celebrate a 70-year-old brand? Consistently live the mission, of course! Robin Tooms interviews Kym King, Vice President of Public Relations at Goodwill Houston.
As an autonomous part of Goodwill Industries, an international organization, each local group has a certain responsibility to protect the brand. Robin Tooms interviews Steve Lufburrow, President and CEO, Goodwill Houston.
Should branding and corporate strategy be aligned? We think so. Robin Tooms visits with David Skinner, CEO of KCA, an energy consulting firm focused on technology and strategy.
Even in my groggy morning stupor, I couldn’t help being curious about the graphic posters lining my route to work. “Save the Tamales from Ronald McDonald,” they read. The posters looked almost political in nature – black with an iconic fist raised into the air, grasping a — tamale?
Managing partnerships takes work, nurturing, focus and constant reassessment—somewhat like a marriage. Robin Tooms talks celebrations and analogies with Audrey Trevino, Global Branding Manager at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Can an international brand help the local affiliate? Under the right circumstances, it can add tremendous benefits. Robin Tooms interviews Kym King, Vice President of Public Relations at Goodwill Industries of Houston.
A new study by CompTIA on cybersecurity habits in the workplace shows that careless employee behaviors around technology are the biggest threats to information security in organizations.
Is your brand thinking about innovative ways to communicate and connect with your audiences? Robin Tooms interviews Steve Lufburrow, President and CEO, Goodwill Houston to discuss how Goodwill has used music, and music partnerships, as a powerful communications tool.
HOUSTON – (Sept. 28, 2015) When Savage Brands Design Director and Principal Doug Hebert attended a concert by Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder, he expected to enjoy his favorite singer and a fantastic show. He got much more when Vedder inspired him to help make a difference in the lives of people battling a devastating and rare skin disease—Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).
As a company, Savage has been reading thought-provoking books and discussing them together, talking about how their insight might apply to our work. We recently finished Start with Why by Simon Sinek, which encourages people to take a step back to understand why we do what we do.
Design is everywhere – and in more places than you probably realize. You recognize it in billboards and book covers, but it’s also in the architecture and décor of your favorite coffee spot, along with the napkins, coffee packaging, in-store signage and even what the barista is wearing.
I recently went to a client kick-off meeting with MOGAS Industries, a valve company that we are consulting for. It was a rainy, dreary day when we pulled up to a bright and welcoming campus.
Many companies create corporate social responsibility or sustainability reports, but few are actively marketing their sustainability efforts. If you haven’t thought of your corporate sustainability report as marketing content, it’s time to start.
It’s a challenging market and your company is trying to get work done. You need your employees to get on board and help you achieve your goals together. It’s easy right? Send a few emails, call a couple of meetings and everyone knows what’s going on.
What does your company’s vision look like? Can you picture it? Can you hear and taste it?
Recently, I had the privilege to see a company whose brand advocates inspired action and loyalty. My husband and I were in the unenviable position of being in dire need of a new car, the old one having finally given up the ghost. Our search took us to two dealerships – one we had been attracted to by radio commercials promising unbeatable deals, and one that had been recommended to us for the positive experience of working with them.
Science fiction gives us a glimpse into the future, like the sci-fi thriller Minority Report, set in 2054, that demonstrated an interesting concept: the ability to market based on facial (or, in the case of the film, retinal) recognition. We’ve already seen companies try to harness this sort of technology to put clients’ messages directly in front of their prospective customers.
Savage has always been a forward-looking company – whether we were leading the way in testing technology to enhance the skills of our designers or designing websites before most firms knew what a URL was – so when we began to hear whispers about the impact of corporate purpose, we knew we wanted to be early adopters.
It all started with a powerful idea – the notion that doing business purely based on time or price is not the best way to build brand loyalty. The team at Savage realized that when companies value themselves based solely on what they do – selling things or hours – they are leaving out the most powerful part of the equation: purpose.
What does it mean for a business leader to be truly committed to purpose – and to lead a company that brings its purpose to life every day? We asked Savage President Bethany Haley: What does it look like when a CEO believes in purpose and walks the talk?
Folks who work in creative roles are all too familiar with the idea of creative block, but you don’t have to be in a traditionally creative role to experience a lack of creativity just when you need it most. By any name – writer’s block, designer’s doldrums, accounting apathy, marketing malaise, programmer’s procrastination – the frustrating lack of inspiration is just as hard.
Recently, a Texas restaurant shut its doors temporarily, noting on its sign that it was “closed for an attitude adjustment.” When we hear the phrase “attitude adjustment,” we often think of a parent correcting a child who’s not acting the way he should – and that’s just what this restaurant owner was doing with his business. After noting that his workers’ customer service was not meeting the standards he expected, he announced the restaurant would close for a time of reflection, training and staffing changes.
Forbes magazine recently published an article that confirmed what we at Savage preach to our clients: “People don’t come to work every day for just a paycheck, and customers aren’t indiscriminate shoppers anymore. They both want purpose, they want to believe, and they want to feel like they’re part of something large than themselves.” Purpose – it’s our favorite word at Savage.
We’re looking forward to a great year at Savage. Last year, Savage Brands renewed its commitment to purpose: We believe that by helping companies deliver on their purpose, we are revolutionizing Corporate America.
When I speak to companies about connecting with their purpose and creating compelling mission and vision statements and acting on it, I usually get a lot of nods.
A company with engaged employees is easy to spot. In these organizations, the culture is clearly defined and employees understand the purpose and goals they are working toward. Simply put, there is a feeling of shared success.
Your company is sending out communications every day, but do these messages paint an accurate picture of your customers’ experience with the company? If your customers see a disconnect between what you say you do and what your employees actually do, then that creates a “credibility gap” for your brand.
Whether you’ve set out to intentionally create one or not, your company has an HR brand. An HR brand is more specific than your overall brand, and is internal to the company – it encompasses the way your employees experience your workplace and talk about it, the way leadership deals with internal issues and the beliefs employees have about why it’s important to work there.
When companies participate in M&A activity, they understand that there will be challenges associated with combining two unique businesses into a single entity. How customers will react to the combined business is a big concern. Managing customer expectations, ensuring that the company’s external brand is shifted smoothly and value remains high all need to be addressed in the external rebrand.
A strong, positive culture is a critical part of a successful business — and an even more critical part of successfully combining companies through an acquisition or merger. Jackie Dryden, Savage’s Creative Strategist, talks about the role culture plays when combining organizations.
Every company has a culture, but it can be purposeful or it can be accidental. If no effort has been made to maintain it, culture will define itself.
We’ve blogged about how we came to the realization that we needed to formalize our sustainability policy and we’ve gone into details about the environmental and economic aspects of our policy, but we’ve saved the part that we’re most proud of for last: our commitment to social sustainability.
The other day we blogged about how we came to the realization that it was time for Savage to have a clear sustainability policy when a potential client for a sustainability report asked about our own policy. Fast forward a couple of years, and now we’ve worked to integrate sustainability into every facet of our work. We formalized a holistic policy based on three tenets of sustainability – environmental, social and economic.
Some days, learning something from a client can be as simple as rethinking a typeface choice because of their reaction. Sometimes, it can completely revolutionize the way you do business.