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Q&A with 360’s Philadelphia Office GM Vince Powers

What is the role of marketing and communications in business today?

Marketing and communications are the heartbeat of any organization. Today a host of stakeholders – customers, investors, business and community partners and employees – expect to hear from brands and business leaders, not just episodically, around earnings or an executive appointment for example, but day in and day out. It’s up to marketing and communications to develop and ensure messages reach and resonate with stakeholders, considering the range of channels available today. Standing out amid a sea of competitors calls for multiple touch points – from news and lifestyle media to social media, search, events and sponsorships, partnerships and more – showing up in ways that are authentic to your brand and relevant to your customers.

Are influencers important to every business in every sector or just certain ones? Does my brand need to be on TikTok?

Influencers can be defined in different ways for different types of businesses and, in the realm of social media, influencers can play a role in driving word of mouth and even sales. Certainly, for consumer brands, TikTok, as well as Instagram, YouTube and, surprisingly still Facebook, can be powerful platforms for reaching customers. Influencers, or creators as we often refer to them, can offer a compelling and efficient way to connect with consumers on those platforms. We start by determining which platform or platforms a brand’s target is spending the most time on and then use criteria specific to each brand to identify influencers we want to partner with for a specific activation. For example, for one of our clients that wanted to reach homeowners to inform and educate them about a new line of pest control products, we partnered with micro influencers in key regional markets who have strong engagement with their followers. It proved to be a successful and cost-effective way to build awareness and generate interest. Spend also drives the scope of the activation and we like to reserve part of it to boost the most engaging influencer content to efficiently extend reach. For b2b marketing and some consumer marketing, I’ve been impressed with LinkedIn’s offerings, particularly its growing thought leadership features that can be utilized to elevate CEO and other executive voices.

How can companies respond to the news of the day, including local, national and international issues? Should they?

With so much happening in the news cycle on any given day, it can feel overwhelming for business leaders. If you have clarity on what your brand stands for and what’s most important to your stakeholders, you’ll be a step ahead – able to capitalize on rapid-response opportunities by being part of the news of the day in a way that advances your brand. We sometimes refer to that as “newsjacking” or “culture jacking,” and it’s why it’s important to have a team who is actively watching, listening and translating news, trends and emerging conversations to strategic communications opportunities. Being able to be in the moment like that can accrue benefits to your brand over time, too, as your brand becomes a go-to resource for journalists and audiences across social media.

There are also times – especially amid current events and social issues – when business leaders must critically evaluate whether they should respond and what a response should look like. While there are always inherent risks, even difficult issues can present opportunities for an organization and brand to demonstrate engagement, compassion and accountability. Before responding, it’s important to have clarity on what you know and don’t know and be prepared to put employees and customers first.

How can we gain more visibility for our CEO and leadership team?

There is so much value to CEOs and other executives playing an active role in marketing and communications today as the chief spokesperson and chief thought leader. An effective executive communications program starts with an ownable platform for the CEO and business. What is your CEO passionate about? What is their vision? What was their journey to their role today? How can they add value to the broader landscape around your business and brand with their POV? All of that informs development of the CEO’s storytelling platform. From there we focus on content – for example, preparing the CEO for real-time commentary in the media and developing contributed articles for target publications – and building the executive’s social media profile and voice. Speaking opportunities and community events are typically part of the visibility-building plan, too.

How can companies evaluate their investment in marketing? Can PR move the needle in terms of sales?

Historically, PR has been thought of as a top-of-the-funnel contributor, and certainly PR can very effectively cast a wide net to fill the funnel for brands. Today, PR is delivering at more points along the customer journey, driving reviews and other endorsements, traffic, clicks and audience and sales growth via earned media, influencer marketing and social media activations. Moreover, PR plays a lead role in building and protecting brand reputation in ways other marketing simply can’t. While reach is still important, we’ve evolved well beyond counting impressions to measure PR’s impact.

This interview first appeared in The Philadelphia Business Journal, July 26, 2024.

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