Many advantages come from the modern marketing landscape due to the technologies and data that marketers possess. Unfortunately, truly fair lenders can potentially put themselves at serious risk by unintentionally excluding certain populations from their marketing offers as a result of targeting what they view as desirable audiences. In this installment of Compound Interest, we will examine how financial institutions can steer clear of redlining risks from purely a marketing perspective.

From being told to “Just Do It!” to the “now more than ever” pandemic lectures, we’ve all been viewed as “vessels.” The brands we love have, on occasion, transitioned their messages from what they can do for us to what we need to do or do better. Enough! Advertising brands this year need to focus on how they are useful and relatable to us and not judge us against their standard or lecture us. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss how consumers are fatigued by assertive marketing (cause or otherwise). We’ll also explore how brands might better relate to them.

Peanut butter and jelly. Taylor and Travis. Sun and sand. Coca-Cola and the Olympics. Lowes and Building Homes for Heroes. Some things just go better together. For nonprofits and corporations yet to form a strategic alliance, a considerable opportunity awaits. There are many obvious (and less obvious) benefits, including brand perception, social impact, improved employee retention, and heightened community engagement. Forming the right partnership can provide incredibly important benefits to both the nonprofit and the corporate sponsor. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll delve into nonprofit-corporate partnerships. Find out why nonprofits and corporations should partner, why these relationships are mutually beneficial, and learn what criteria each should consider in their selection.

The doofus dad stereotype, which was a negative and inadvertent byproduct of the explosion in social change in the late 20th century, saw dads in not just ads but all media slide from their status as head of the household to the bumbling dads in popular TV series and commercials beginning in the mid-50s with Ralph Kramden. Just like purchasing a bad tie from Amazon or a bottle of cheap cologne, people only write about the doofus dad topic in the second and third weeks of June to commend Father’s Day every year. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll try to do something different. Instead of just complaining, we’ll discuss fathers in advertising and the shifts we see happening.

Happy Mother’s Day! Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and an estimated 84% of U.S. adults will be celebrating this year. This day can bring a variety of emotions, and it can mean different things to different people, but at its core, it’s a day to celebrate the motherly figures in our lives and share our appreciation for all of the work, both visible and invisible, that they do every day.

As frontline healthcare professionals, nurses play a critical role in our society. They provide essential care and support to patients in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. Every year, National Nurses Week begins May 6th in the United States. This week is an opportunity for healthcare organizations and the general public to recognize nurses’ contributions and vital role in our healthcare system. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss the importance of recognizing National Nurses Week in healthcare recruiting.

When we talk about diversity in marketing, we first have to identify that we’re talking about target audience diversity—racial, ethnic, and sexual diversity and inclusion. Marketing diversity can refer to a product or geographic diversification. This article is about the inclusion, exclusion, targeting, and stereotyping of women, minorities, and the LGBTQIA+ community and our industry’s efforts to improve. As marketers, our job is to be on the edge but not over the cliff. In college, we were told that we both mirror and mold our zeitgeist. So, while we were subject to the time and cultures of the said past times, we can and should still be judged for the directions we led.

Consumers, investors, employees, policymakers, and business partners are becoming more interested in learning the benefits of ESG, driving its importance and complexity for companies and institutional investors. While it’s predominantly linked in its most formal executions with publicly traded corporations, there is value to smaller private companies and brands to enhance or grow a halo effect if done properly, with purpose and authenticity from all involved. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’re not giving advice on developing an ESG initiative. Instead, we’re focusing on 11 ideas to boost your ESG branding by leveraging your practices.