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Help wanted sign in window to represent employer branding and recruitment marketing

Poor Employer Branding and Recruitment Marketing: Today’s Biggest Threat to Business Recovery

f you are like many companies, a return to normal means staffing up to pre-pandemic levels as we bounce back. However, in many business verticals, something’s different. People aren’t clamoring to take that job you have advertised on Indeed or LinkedIn. Recruiters are having challenges finding just the right candidate for you, and when they do find the right person, the candidate may have different expectations than what you are offering. If you are having trouble filling critical roles, from production and service jobs to executive roles, it might be time to ask if your company’s approach to recruiting is part of the problem. In today’s Plain Talk newsletter, we’ll talk about poor employer branding and recruitment marketing practices that are slowly starving businesses across the country and how to avoid them.

Woman speaking into phone to represent optimizing for voice search

Optimizing for Voice Search: Is It Time to Panic (Again)?

In today’s Plain Talk, we’ll look at the ensuing panic this faux statistic created and then separate fact from myth to get to the bottom of just how important optimizing for voice search is to your business.

PriceWeber PriceWeber
11 min read
Jul 01, 2021
Woman holding phone surrounded by icons representing omnichannel marketing for convenience store channels

Evolving Convenience Store Channels for Brands: C-Stores In An Omnichannel World

Over the past 18 months, an entire industry built on convenience had to work diligently to make itself even more convenient­­—practically overnight. The addition of delivery services, click and collect, curbside pickup, and changes in store formats, websites, and loyalty programs all had to be executed in months rather than years, and all under steadily decreasing traffic for fuel. Many of the conveniences created and habits formed are expected to stick as increasingly, consumers are expecting brands to operate seamlessly across all retail channels. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll talk through the role evolving convenience store channels should play in your brand’s omnichannel marketing plan.

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Financial Services Branding for Traditional Institutions: Can You Bank On Your Brand?

For traditional banks and credit unions that enjoy strong name recognition, the value of their name carries equity. For many years, this has been a fixed dynamic that isn’t lost upon anyone in the industry. Over the last few years, traditional institutions have had to compete more and more for customers with non-traditional entrants to the industry. Conventional wisdom has been that this disruption means that traditional institutions should begin investing more in technology. But what should it mean for their marketing investment? In today’s edition of our Compound Interest newsletter, we’ll look at the value of financial services branding for traditional banks and credit unions. We’ll explore why your focus on innovation can’t come at the expense of your brand.

Crowd of people walking around a trade show to represent the future of trade shows

The Future of Trade Shows: Will They Still Be Your Super Bowl?

According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, there were roughly 9,400 business-to-business trade shows in the U.S. in 2019. These trade shows, by some estimates, represented a $15 billion industry that was forecast to exceed $17 billion in 2021. More importantly, these shows routinely represent critical sales opportunities for businesses of all sizes. Then in 2020, COVID-19 came and not only wiped out the shows, but also the critical sales opportunities they offered. The climb back to trade show “normalcy” is predicted to be slow as shows and businesses scramble for virtual solutions to bridge the gap. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss the past and future of trade shows and talk about whether the trade show of today or tomorrow will still be your business Super Bowl.

PriceWeber PriceWeber
10 min read
May 18, 2021
Multiple shots of golfer swinging club representing what author learned about customer journey analysis while golfing

The Customer Journey Analysis and Lessons From the Links

When we consult with our clients and evaluate their lead generation and other marketing practices, we often find that follow-through is their biggest challenge. Much like a great golfer takes a video of their swing and self-evaluates to improve their game, a company needs to frequently take an honest look at its marketing practices—the whole customer journey—and assess if the follow-through is lacking. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide to performing a customer journey analysis for your business.

PriceWeber PriceWeber
12 min read
Apr 22, 2021
Fishtail image representing story in article about how to manage your online reputation

How To Manage Your Online Reputation: 3 Tips

In today’s hyperconnected, digitally focused world, reputation management is a 24-hour job. With countless social media platforms available for both fans and foes to say anything, anytime about your brand—like that time shrimp tails were found in a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch—these posts can easily influence a company’s success and even redefine a brand for the better or worse. That’s why smart brands are keeping an eye on the conversations surrounding their organizations and their products and are engaging or even guiding those conversations to boost brand image and customer satisfaction. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss how to manage your online reputation management. We’ll explore where it happens and provide three useful suggestions for how you can come out on top.

A micro-influencer in healthcare marketing recording a video on his phone

The Rise of Micro-Influencers in Healthcare Marketing

When we think of online influencers, it’s easy to instantly think of a celebrity or someone on Instagram with a blue checkmark by their name and one million plus-followers; sharing their favorite makeup or facial cleanser – but in reality, these types of influencers aren’t what’s driving the high user engagement rates – rather their micro-influencer counterparts are. In fact, when it comes to online influencers, bigger isn’t better. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll investigate micro-influencers in healthcare marketing. We’ll look at their sway on healthcare decisions and what you should do about it.

PriceWeber PriceWeber
7 min read
Apr 13, 2021
$100 dollar bills with Ben Franklin wearing mask to represent customer behavioral changes during the pandemic

Consumer Behavioral Changes During the Pandemic and What Still Lingers Today

The country is emerging from a generation-defining disaster in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of December 2020, the U.S. had 10 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic. According to Yelp, by September 2020, over 97,000 businesses had indicated they closed their doors permanently. Plus, the global media attention to the virus has led to a sharp increase in public fear about germ safety. While all that seems gloomy, U.S. consumer confidence remains solid, gross domestic product (GDP) is heading in the right direction, and America seems on the way to a sound recovery. While we don’t expect a rash of saltshaker thefts, we do think it’s likely that some behavioral changes sprouting from the past year may remain long after the pandemic is history. In today’s Plain Talk, we’ll dig into some of the long-term implications of consumer behavioral changes during the pandemic and how to adjust to meet them head-on.

People behind the scenes at a photoshoot to represent considering content assets

Do Your Content Assets Satisfy Skyrocketing Web Use?

Brands globally worked to build or upgrade their websites and online stores in response to the pandemic, which is no surprise with the closures of brick-and-mortar businesses. However, what many brands did not prepare for was the impact that skyrocketing internet use had on the relevance of their digital image and video asset library. In today’s Plain Talk, we’ll explore how brands should use content assets like photos, video, and animation to maximize sales and value in digital channels.