CONTENT MARKETING Making the Case for - YOUR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS START HERE - Square One
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SUMMER 2020 YOUR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS START HERE
Making the Case for
CONTENT
MARKETING
with Michael Brenner
How Marketers
are Using Design
Thinking
Navigating the
Changes of
Facebook 2020
Brands We Love:
Original Grain
It’s
TIME
to win!
REGISTER
for our quarterly giveaway
and you could WIN a ladies Avalon
or men’s Whiskey Barrel leather
watch from Original Grain!
(Brands We Love—page 10)
WIN
one of these
best-selling books by
Michael Brenner!
(Cover story—page 6)
Scan the QR code to register or visit:
sqone.net/giveaway
WELCOME Summer 2020 01
Welcome to the Summer issue of ONE:ONE! EXPERT OPINION
Read insights from the following
contributors in this issue:
c
oordinated content is king! In this demonstrate the ROI of content marketing.
issue, we show you how print, digital, You’ve probably heard of REI, the outdoor
and social content can help you and retailer, but you may not have encountered
your brand engage more customers when Uncommon Path, a print magazine REI recently
coordinated in one common effort. launched to replace its catalog. Full of useful
Design thinking is something of a buzzword content such as environmental reporting,
right now, but what exactly is it, and how seasonal travel highlights, and outdoor-trend Michael Brenner
can marketers better succeed by adopting a stories, this publication has already become The keynote speaker and author teaches us
design-thinking mindset? We explain it all to the largest outdoor magazine in the country, how to build a case for content marketing
you, showing you how the process works and and readers quickly warmed up to the new and show ROI. (Pages 6-9)
why you should adopt it as well as sharing approach it brings to introducing its products
how three brands used design thinking through lifestyle experiences.
to conceptualize and execute successful Original Grain, producer of unique watches
marketing campaigns. made from reclaimed materials, is featured in
Mari Smith, CEO of Mari Smith our Brands We Love column. We admire the
International, Inc., and a premier Facebook- way their brand’s voice and content so closely
marketing expert, gives insight and guidance matches their products, with each watch being
to help social media marketers navigate completely unique and telling its own story
impending changes to Facebook in 2020. based on the materials used to produce it. Jesse Thomas
These include marketing through Messenger Finally, we show you how QR codes have The founder of JESS3 Labs shows off
and private groups and Stories while using not only evolved but also allowed marketers modern-day QR code design.
(Page 3)
both short- and long-form video content to to greatly enhance customer engagement by
foster engagement. creating omnichannel campaigns
Our cover story focuses on that move people seamlessly from
content marketing. Michael off- to online experiences.
Brenner, keynote speaker, co- Speaking of QR codes, we’ll give
author of The Content Formula, you a QR code moment of your
and author of Mean People Suck, own by asking you to scan the
teaches you how to build the QR codes throughout our
case for content marketing to publication to register for our
executives. He also covers how giveaways. You could win a copy Trish Witkowski
to create a budget that lets of Michael Brenner’s book or your The Foldfactory.com owner and
Drew Townsend 60-Second Super-Cool Fold of the Week
you develop the resources you Partner, Square One very own Original Grain watch! author offers two unusual direct mail
need to succeed and how to formats to consider. (Page 5)
Follow us online facebook.com/sqoneprinting linkedin.com/company/square-one-printing
01 Welcome 10 Brands We Love
Letter from a partner, plus a selection of A review of Original Grain, a watch company using
the key contributors writing in this issue. repurposed materials for exquisitely designed watches. Executive Editor
Cindy Woods, cmoteam.com
02 Insights 12 Design Thinking Contributing Writers
Applying design-thinking techniques to marketing Kate L. Harrison Tim Sweeney
Ideas, opinions, news, and trends.
strategies and campaigns. Greg Scruggs Trish Witkowski
06 Cover Story 16 Spotlight Design: Diann Durham
Michael Brenner helps us build a REI has stepped up their content game by replacing ©2020 All Rights Reserved
case for content marketing and their traditional catalog with a new content-rich Printed and distributed by Square One
track its ROI. magazine. Readers give it two thumbs-up! www.sqone.net
Summer 2020
INSIGHTS NEWS | REVIEWS | IDEAS | OPINION |
MOBILE MARKETING »
ticketing. People magazine has used QR codes
to provide a series of clues for a scavenger
hunt at Coachella, allowing attendees to
engage with their brand while at the festival.
QR Codes: Coupons – Through direct mail and print
BOOSTING
advertising, coupons can be made available
and redeemed by QR code. Starbucks used a
QR code to link to a digital coupon in a recent
Engagement in Print print campaign. Including coupons turns
your promotional piece or direct mail into a
trackable digital opportunity.
Designing a QR code game – Marketers can
W hen QR codes were introduced to the
general public about a decade ago, they
were primarily used to lead us to online content
adding code scanning features, with QR code
use among millennials and Gen Z expected to
fuel continued growth in the coming years.
introduce hyper-casual “Scan and Win” games
to engage passers-by, shoppers, or event
attendees using QR codes that lead to lucrative
such as manuals or nutrition labels. They Not only is QR code usage growing,
offers such as discounts, freebies, or exclusive
were visually unimaginative, chunky-looking, but because they lead users to a dedicated
passes, thus increasing conversion rates.
dotted squares with little indication of what webpage or landing page, they can provide
you might encounter should you take the time another valuable layer of analytics to track Experiential marketing – Create a unique
to open your scanning app and scan the code. advertising, direct mail, catalogs, and other experience for your consumer. Reebok used
To add insult to injury, poor download speeds print-related campaigns. In short, QR codes can QR codes to send athletes to custom-curated
resulted in painfully slow-loading landing pages be a great enhancement to any printed piece Spotify playlists based on the particular sport
and websites on mobile devices. QR codes and should not be overlooked. they participated in.
remained stuck inside that box for more than a Boring to brilliant – The Sukiennice Museum
decade, and the thought of a QR code holding COOL IDEAS FOR QR CODES in Poland added a whole new dimension to
a place as a legitimate marketing tool seemed Product packaging – Think beyond product or their paintings by having reenactors tell the
improbable. Fast forward and today their use nutritional information and engage consumers “Secrets Behind the Paintings.” When visitors
is growing rapidly—by marketers! According with multiple experiences that could include scanned each painting’s QR code, a video
to a recent survey by Statistica, an estimated a reorder page, instant coupons, recipes, or
11 million US households will scan a QR code short-form video. As a way to strengthen
in 2020. This is an increase from an estimated its position in the mobile space and further
9.76 million scans in 2018. And it is estimated engage consumers, Coke launched a campaign
that by 2022, 5.3 billion coupon codes and featuring a dynamic QR code on each can. Each
offers will be redeemed via QR codes. scan directed consumers to a unique video,
Savvy marketers seeking ways to move encouraging them to scan multiple times.
their audience seamlessly from offline to online
Posters and banners – Don’t just ask potential
Have a LinkedIn Profile?
know that QR codes are the proven (and Meet Your Personal LI QR Code!
trackable) gateway. They provide a unique customers to “Learn More”—offer them a
opportunity to enhance consumer engagement preview of your product. Send them on a virtual Open the LinkedIn app on your
beyond the traditional use in direct mail and tour of your store, restaurant, or manufacturing mobile device.
product packaging to other mediums, including facility. Don’t forget the importance of video Tap the QR code in the search
building wraps and event signage, creating here as well. Marvel Studios promoted bar at the top of your LinkedIn
a dynamic omni-channel experience. And Avengers: Endgame on movie posters using a QR homepage.
with smartphone camera technology now code that linked to a short trailer for the film.
Choose Scan to scan a code
having built-in QR code readers, the need for a Events – We already know how handy QR or My Code to view, share, or
separate QR code scanning app is a thing of the codes are for handling registrations and check- save your personal LinkedIn QR
past. Snapchat, Pinterest, WeChat, Instagram, ins, but they can also be used to preview an code to your photo gallery for
and LinkedIn have even joined the game by event or offer a discount on registration or future use.
INSIGHTS Summer 2020 03
COOL FINDS »
played a “tell all” about the painting from
A Creative Artistic Challenge
the “painters.”
Meet Jesse Thomas, founder of JESS3 Labs.
Customer service – Avoid social media
slandering by giving buyers a direct way Experts in data visualization, his team realized that
to reach you. Add the telephone numbers with the ever-growing spread of smartphones, QR
of your customer service department to
the QR code so consumers can scan and codes have gained in popularity. Thinking there
call to get issues resolved immediately. might be more visual possibilities in the world of QR
These support QR codes can be printed
on packaging, brochures, or even codes beyond simple black squares, they decided to
shipping boxes. explore a range of creative designs with different colors,
Dynamic QR codes – Dynamic QR code
shapes, effects and mediums, being careful to not jeopardize
solutions provide you the ability to change
the destination address to which the QR the functionality of the codes.
code redirects to. A boutique chocolate
shop in Manhattan added a dynamic QR
code to a single direct mail piece, asking Thanks to Jesse for designing a
recipients to scan it every day for one week
to receive a unique offer each day. The special QR code for our giveaway
number of daily scans was higher than for this issue of ONE:ONE.
any previous direct mail campaign they
had implemented. Scan and register!
Other Great QR Code Uses We’ve Seen
• Give people an easy and quick way to
leave a review.
• Incorporate location coordinates using
Google Maps or Waze.
• Connect to a provided free Wi-Fi service.
• Promote upcoming events—link a QR
code to prerecorded messages from
presenters, entertainers, or your
keynote speaker.
• Give fans an “inside look” at a new
product launch or promotion.
• Link to exclusive enrollment or
registration offers.
Four Things to Keep in Mind
1. Ideally, your printed QR code should be
no smaller than 1.2" (3 cm) square.
2. Landing pages connected to a QR code
should be optimized for mobile.
3. Add a compelling and informative CTA.
Let the user know what they get in return
for scanning the QR code.
4. Create a colorful, branded, or custom
QR code. n
Summer 2020
INSIGHTS NEWS | REVIEWS | IDEAS | OPINION |
SOCIAL MARKETING »
Facebook 2020
STORIES
Stories are growing five times faster than
feed content, according to Smith, and they
are a quick way to engage users through a
2019 marked Facebook’s 15th consecutive marketers who are used to measuring organic countdown to an event, a poll, or a short quiz.
year of growth for both active users and time reach and targeting ads through the News Feed. Marketers are probably familiar with Stories
spent on the platform, and 2020 has shown With challenge comes opportunity, though, from Instagram, which has 500 million daily
no signs of slowing down. With more potential and Smith says that marketers can achieve users; what you may not know is that Facebook
customers on Facebook than ever before, success by focusing on four areas: and Messenger also have 500 million daily
many marketers consider Facebook to be an users, making them ripe for your story content.
MESSAGING
essential part of their social marketing plans.
The open rate for ads in Messenger is an VIDEO
What changes have come, and will come,
amazing 84.3 percent, with a click-through Content is still king, and video will remain
to Facebook’s family of apps, and how can
rate of 28.3 percent, making Messenger ads the king of kings. In fact, Facebook suggests
marketers best navigate these changes in order
a terrific complement to any email marketing posting video to your business page twice a
to ensure success for the second half of 2020?
strategy. Look for greater Messenger marketing day to foster engagement. Streaming viewers
Mari Smith, CEO of Mari Smith International,
automation through chatbots, which can allow will have the opportunity to purchase products
Inc., and a premier Facebook-marketing expert,
users to set appointments and can provide and services in-stream, making video even
provided us with guidance and insight to help
automatic updates and generate leads. more important to your social media marketing
keep your social media marketing on track.
strategy. How long should your video be? Smith
To start, Smith says that Facebook’s pivot GROUPS
suggests short videos should be 5–15 seconds,
to privacy has continued to expand. She sees Groups have a prominent position in
while a long-form video should be at least three
changes to Facebook’s desktop design that Facebook’s new desktop design, and Smith
minutes in length. Facebook especially wants
will mimic the existing mobile app design and believes they are one of the best ways to
creators to publish long-form videos, since that
prioritize groups and Stories over the News engage users. Some ideas to engage audiences
is the length Facebook uses for inserting ad
Feed. This redesign leaves the News Feed with through groups include broadcasting “live” in
breaks (in-stream ads, pre-roll or mid-roll).
much less ad space, while ad placements in your group and by posting a high-performing
videos (both pre- and mid-roll), in Stories, and blog post as an in-group ad to help redirect WANT TO LEARN MORE?
in Messenger will grow. Smith also believes that traffic to your site or to a landing page. Useful Visit marismith.com to read informative blog
Facebook will emphasize smaller, more intimate analytic tools you may notice in groups include posts or to join her Social Scoop newsletter
communities to users, creating a challenge for reach stats and a boost button. mailing list. n
[Top Four Takeaways]
[1] Publish Engaging
Video Content [2] Embrace
Stories [3] Adopt Messenger
Marketing
Video, especially live video, gets the Create native, vertically integrated The future of Facebook is privacy,
highest reach and engagement on micro-content for both Instagram and that includes conversations
Facebook. Smith suggests a content and Facebook. Always remember that between businesses and consumers.
ratio of 70 percent video, 20 percent mobile users love to touch their phones! Messenger ads function just like email
image, and 10 percent text or link posts. Be sure to include interactive content campaigns, with higher open and
Keep in mind that video and image such as polls and quizzes to increase click-through rates. Messenger chatbots
posts can also include links and CTAs, engagement and involve your audience can help generate leads as well as
so there’s no need to create separate in your story. improve conversations and customer
text posts for them. service. Check out ManyChat.com or
MobileMonkey.com.
INSIGHTS Summer 2020 05
THAT’S FOLD-TASTIC »
Trish Witkowski specializes in creative
solutions and engagement strategies for direct
mail and marketing. She is also the curator of
the world’s most exciting collection of folded
print and direct mail samples, sharing the best
of her collection on her popular e-video series,
60-Second Super-Cool Fold of the Week. Check
out our two super-cool folds below, and request
the dielines directly from us!
THE TULIP
The Tulip fold is a truly artistic specialty format that can
be modified in many ways to create different opening
experiences. The reveal is achieved by adding diagonal
folds across selected panels, which forces the panels to
collapse inward. When opened, the panels reveal in a
flowerlike manner.
The Tulip fold is 17.053" by 8.512" unfolded and
finishes to a 6" by 6" square format. The Tulip fold
is best produced in a text weight sheet to avoid
bulkiness and expansion. A bit of expansion is
common with this format, due to the angled folds.
This format requires an envelope if mailed.
Scan this code with your mobile
device to watch it unfold!
THE MEANDERING ACCORDION
The Meandering Accordion is a fun and playful
accordion format that changes direction
[4] Build
Groups
Niche 180 degrees as it goes from start to finish.
The Meandering Accordion fold is
23" by 11.5" unfolded and finishes
Start building your niche community
to a 5.75" by 5.75" square format.
by having your Facebook business
This format requires an envelope
Page create one or more private
if mailed.
groups. Niche groups are the best way
to get the right message to the right
audience through microtargeting.
Increase engagement in your groups
by broadcasting live on the group
page and by targeting content such Scan this code with your mobile
as blog reposts to those groups. device to watch it unfold!
06 Summer 2020 COVER STORY
THE CASE FOR
CONTENT MARKETING
By Tim Sweeney
Michael Brenner, keynote speaker and coauthor
of The Content Formula, teaches you how to build
a case for content marketing and show ROI.
Summer 2020 07
E
xecutives think content marketing
“ should promote products,” says best-
not watch or care about golf. “She asked the
question ‘What’s in it for the customer?’” And
of a keyword or search term that someone
in your industry would use when asking a
selling author Michael Brenner. “But as Brenner explained, they found that with golf question or trying to solve a problem, then
we hate ads and we ignore product promotion.” sponsorships the answer was simple: not much. search for that online. What you’ll see is a
As the CEO of Marketing Insider Group In many industries, the race to know the list of other people who “own” that answer
and the author of multiple books, Brenner has most about the customer is a bit of a modern- simply because they spent time answering the
spent the last two decades championing a day space race. A now-famous quote from question for a curious audience. From there,
consumer-centric approach to marketing and the Senior VP of Gartner Research, Peter create a list of ways you would like to answer
sales. A sort of Pied Piper of content marketing, Sondergaard, sums it up perfectly: “Information the question. Brenner recommends tools such
he believes it is much more difficult to show is the oil of the 21st century, and analytics is the as BuzzSumo and AnswerThePublic, both of
ROI on advertising than it is for content combustion engine.” To put customers at the which he uses every day to show him what
marketing (which he defines as customer- center of everything you do, you need the oil questions his audience is asking and what
focused content published consistently on a that runs the engine. content it is engaging in.
platform that is owned by the brand). Brenner says there is really no difference
“Content marketing is an annuity,” Brenner between the way to build a content marketing
explains. “Its value is easy to show, and it strategy for a B2B company and the way to
continues long after we publish it, due to the build one for a B2C company. “The content
nature of the content being online, on our own is very different for a bank that is trying to
platform, and ideally creating value for our help their customers buy a house or save for
audience. If you get any ROI from ads, it stops retirement than it is for a technology company
the moment you stop paying for the that has to explain what their technology is and
ad placement.” what it can do,” Brenner says. “But the process
to define the strategy is the same: define the
Part 1: BUILDING THE CASE keywords your customers are using, find the
FOR CONTENT MARKETING content they are already engaging with, then
According to eMarketer, 60 percent of create a plan that maps frequently published
marketers create at least one piece of content content to those two insights.”
every day. Still, many executives are adamant Brenner says that SEO is a pretty good
that marketing should focus on products, so way to prove the value of your customer-first
the biggest challenge with getting permission mindset, but there’s a caveat. “Most brands
and a budget to do planned content marketing rank in search engines for their own name, but Brenner recommends
is that it is counterintuitive. “When we ask for a then you are only showing up for people who tools such as BuzzSumo
budget to publish content that doesn’t promote already know you,” he says. “When you look
products, executives think we are wasting time at more searched, generic keywords, there and AnswerThePublic,
and money,” Brenner says. is tremendous value in ranking for those. For
The first step, he believes, is to put the
both of which he uses
example, I rank number one for my company
customer at the center of everything you name, but I also try to rank on the first page for every day to show
do and honestly ask what is in it for them. the search ‘What is marketing?’”
A favorite example of Brenner’s is that of His point? There is more value in him what questions
consulting and technology services company answering customers’ questions, because his audience is asking
Capgemini. Their executive team wanted to more people are searching for answers than
sponsor a golfer, as many of their competitors searching for your company name or services. and what content it is
were doing. After studying the data, however, So, how should you and your company
one of the company’s executives recognized
engaging in.
get started mapping content to your customer
that the majority of their target audience did base? Brenner says the simplest step is to think
08 Summer 2020 COVER STORY
“When I was asked to lead content
marketing at SAP, I was given no budget but
a mandate from the executive team to build
our ‘thought leadership’ online,” Brenner says.
“The only way to create content without a
budget is to tap into the experts that sit inside
your organization. And I knew I couldn’t force
anyone to do it.”
Brenner found 12 employees who were
already sharing their expertise online and asked
them to join the company’s efforts. When those
12 employees received recognition for their
contributions, other employees raised their
hands to help. “Today, the platform I built for
SAP has thousands of contributors,” Brenner
says proudly, “and none of them are paid!”
If you are one of the lucky ones with
more content than you know what to do with,
congratulations! Your challenge now is to
get that content into the hands of the right
people, and more of them. Brenner says being
content rich and distribution poor is a “next-
level problem” and that reaching the next
stage will likely require a budget and resources
Part 2: THE BUDGET social media in order to reach a wider audience,
but the goal is always to drive them to your to optimize distribution. “The platform really
The art of convincing the boss that content
website. Where you get the content that will depends on the industry, but we have used
marketing is worth trying might be in your skill
attract visitors to your page is sometimes closer Facebook retargeting, LinkedIn sponsored
set, but asking for the budget can be a different
than you think. It has been said that a company’s updates, and native platforms like Outbrain
animal. It may mean showing what you can do
biggest asset is its employees, but whoever first that allow us to present our client content
yourself and with internal resources in the early
said that probably wasn’t thinking about content to targeted audiences, often based on their
stages before presenting a budget and plan.
marketing. The first impulse of many companies interests and behavior,” he explains.
“I spend two or three hours per week
creating content for my audience, and we now in search of content creators is to look outside
get more than a million website visitors each rather than inside their walls. Often, those with Part 3: HOW TO MEASURE
year,” Brenner says. “All our leads and new the best knowledge to pass on to customers or CONTENT MARKETING
customers come from an initial interaction consumers are right under your nose. SUCCESS IN BUSINESS
with our [website] content, so we are our own TERMS
case study.” He goes on to explain, “The reason The notion that it is easy to put a value on the
I define content marketing as content that is Content marketing content you create is perhaps a novel one to
published on your own website is because you many, but Brenner insists it’s fairly simple. Even
own it. We don’t control what social platforms has to start with better, you can compare what you spend on
do with our content, yet they are the ones content creation with what you spend on ads
monetizing the traffic from our content. Content something every and see the difference in ROI. In his bestselling
marketing has to start with something every book The Content Formula, Brenner outlines 10
company has—its own website.” company has—its specific mathematical formulas that can be used
Of course, from there you’ll want to to prove the ROI of content. One straightforward
encourage the social accounts of your brand— own website. way to measure it is to look at whether your
and your employees—to share that content on company is spending advertising dollars toSummer 2020 09
“The value of organic
search is often 7–10
times what you would
have to pay to see the BLOGGING 101: A Missed Opportunity
An entire section of Michael Brenner’s website is dedicated to the power
same results with pay- of blog writing, including how it can generate leads and how often to
per-click advertising.” post. We asked him for a few tidbits of advice for those of you interested
in building your own blog. Here’s what he said:
show an ad on Google when it could be ranking 1. Consistency is
what provides
the results and ROI
2. Answer a
customer
question and focus
3. Guest blogging
on other sites
can be a valuable
4. Don’t waste
your time
submitting guest
for that same search term without paying for it.
from your blogging on a keyword that exercise if you have blog posts to
“The value of organic search is often 7–10 times efforts. customers are using. the opportunity. aggregator sites.
what you would have to pay to see the same
results with pay-per-click advertising.”
We have found that Quality blogs should First, it helps you reach I submit to some, but I
when a company starts provide a valuable an audience you don’t don’t see much come
Brenner’s favorite way to measure ROI is
publishing two to four answer to that have, and there is back from it, so I don’t
with newsletter subscribers, a proven strategy blog articles per week, question. Use bullets, value in that. Second, spend too much time
demonstrating that by publishing quality they can start to see images, and video it allows you to ideally on that.
content, more people will subscribe to your massive increases in examples where build some links back
newsletters. “You can very easily nurture these the traffic and leads possible, then share to your own content.
subscribers to leads and ultimately to sales,” he they get from their that content out to Your real goal should be
adds. “At SAP, we generated half a million dollars website. LinkedIn, Facebook, to have some of those
in sales revenue in the first year, just from our Twitter, and your email readers from the other
email database.” list on a regular basis. blog come and check
There are estimates that B2B marketers out your site.
spend up to $50 billion per year on wasted
content. “The reason content is created and not
REGISTER TO WIN
used is very simple: someone asked for it, but it
did not align to a real customer need,” he says.
“My advice to businesses is to stop creating
content that no one wants and start creating
content only when it aligns to a real customer
one of Michael’s
need. Keyword and content insights can provide best-selling books!
all the direction you need.”
“I wrote my recent book, Mean People Suck,
to help leaders at any level and in any function to
feel empowered to take control of their careers,”
Brenner says, “to use their expertise and
intelligence and creativity to make an impact.
The one thing that ties together The Content
Formula and Mean People Suck is that they both SCAN
focus on the power of empathy. Empathy for the QR code
customers (not promotion) is what makes or REGISTER at:
content marketing effective.” n sqone.net/giveaway10 Summer 2020 BRANDS WE LOVE
Brands We Love:
ORIGINAL GRAIN
i f we wore wristwatches only to tell
time, they would have gone the way
of the dinosaur around the time we all
started carrying mobile phones. But a
watch, they say, can tell you a lot about a
person. Do you flaunt your wealth? Are you
adventurous? Are you practical? Do you
value craftsmanship?
When the Beltran brothers, Ryan and
Andrew, started Original Grain in 2013,
they set out to build watches that would
be different from everything else in the Original Grain likes to say that every watch is watch tells its own story, because every piece
timepiece category. Sure, everyone said that not just a timepiece but a piece of time, an ethos of material is unique. By favoring traditional
starting a business of making and selling that has helped make the San Diego-based woodworking techniques over more modern
watches would be competitive and difficult to company a success story. An initial Kickstarter approaches, Original Grain watches aim to
crack. And the biggest brands in the industry campaign in 2013 raised $390,000 in just retain a touch of “personal craftsmanship
have rich company heritages that date back 30 days, giving the brothers reason to believe and authenticity.” On the company’s website,
more than a century. But that didn’t stop they had found something unique. At the time, OriginalGrain.com, you can shop by the type of
Ryan and Andrew. they had just 200 handcrafted watches in their wood you want in your watch—from reclaimed
To create their own niche, the Beltrans entire inventory. A second Kickstarter campaign whiskey-barrel wood to reclaimed ammunition-
began building watches from materials that raised another $420,000, allowing them to fully crate wood to the wood that was once used
no one else was using. In many cases, that launch the company. in the seats at the old Yankee Stadium or at
was reclaimed wood—from whiskey barrels, Because they preserve the character of the Wrigley Field. Imagine the vision, ingenuity, and
craft beer barrels, or koa wood from Hawaii. materials used to make each watch, no two craftsmanship to make something so beautiful
It reminded them, they say, of the time they watches in the Original Grain collections are from products such as these.
spent playing outside as kids growing up exactly the same, meaning the one you buy is The content that the brand creates is on
in the Pacific Northwest. Taking a nod from uniquely yours. Consumers and media have par aesthetically with its timepieces. The
Andrew’s days serving in the military, they taken notice, and the rise of Original Grain blog on OriginalGrain.com highlights in-
also wanted to use repurposed military has been chronicled by the likes of Forbes, GQ, depth information on how the watches are
surplus items, including fabric from things Travel + Leisure, NBC News, and more. created, but it also goes beyond the scope of
such as military tents, bomber jackets, and Storytelling is at the heart of the brand’s products. The Original Stories section features
camouflage clothing. success, right down to their mantra that every written and video profiles about people withSummer 2020 11
interesting life stories—from photographers last six years. While they are responsible for
to musicians to fashion designers. They planting trees on continents around the globe,
are all shown wearing and, at some points, they admit that their focus is on supporting
commenting on Original Grain watches, but reforestation efforts in an area somewhat close
the content is done in a premium manner to their childhood home: Yosemite Valley.
with quality photography and without much When asked about their collaboration
shameless product shilling. The designer, for with MLB teams such as the Yankees and
example, dishes on his philosophy of making Cubs to produce limited-edition collections,
clothes, while the musician discusses lessons Andrew Beltran says, “We don’t always see
she’d like to share with her daughter. a very real feel for the company and culture by an immediate direct return, but we know the
It’s obvious that a specific brand tone of taking a look inside. brand equity has grown so much from this
voice and visual identity have been carefully From the beginning, the Beltran brothers partnership.” And by geotargeting commercials
crafted and made to align well with specific have stressed that their company would be during the games, their internal analytics team
products. They are so particular about the one that gives back to the community while sees tremendous spikes in website visits.
actual voice talent used for their videos also being environmentally conscious. Using Over the years, their content strategy for
that they will engage a voice-over service reclaimed and sustainably sourced materials social has become more consistent across
to help them find their perfect voice talent. in their watches is one way they’ve kept this multiple platforms and changed from day-of
Recently they sought out a male voice that promise. They also use reusable packaging. production to three months ahead. While
would resonate with the male, 25-to-34- Since not every watch design uses reclaimed beauty shots are still important (and shot
year-old demographic for a specific timepiece materials, the company has been planting in-house), we noticed a trend of delving into
collection. Forty voice auditions later, they a tree for every watch they have sold since showing how the products are made.
found the exact right one! 2015. Through a partnership with One Tree We’d love for you to have one of these
The theme of “originality and authenticity” Planted—a Vermont-based nonprofit that beauties on your wrist! Register for our quarterly
is omnipresent. The website features images works with reforestation partners around the giveaway and you may be that lucky girl or guy
of the Original Grain office where employees world to plant trees globally—Original Grain who gets a call from us saying we’re on our way
go to work each day, allowing shoppers to get has planted more than 500,000 trees in the with your new Original Grain watch! n
WIN an Original Grain
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sqone.net/giveaway12 Summer 2020 FEATURE
Design Thinking
for Marketers By Kate L. Harrison
M
odern-day marketing is overflowing with product’s or service’s key features to potential What Is Design Thinking?
data and analysis aimed at shedding clients. Instead, modern marketers understand The Massachusetts Institute of Technology
light on customer insight as the role that their work can actively change a business (MIT) defines design thinking as “a human-
of marketers, creatives, and graphic designers by building a two-way bridge between an centered design process that approaches
expands. In fact, in one recent survey of CMOs, organization and its potential customers. They problem-solving with understanding the user
a full third listed “disruptive innovation” as a speak to consumer needs while building value needs.” It brings together the concepts of
top priority. In other words, marketing is no for their organization. For many, the key to doing development, applied creativity, prototyping,
longer viewed by organizations as the final this well and efficiently in order to understand and experimentation. Most of the talk we hear
step in a product’s life cycle, with marketing what will move the dial is adopting the practice about design thinking in today’s marketplace
departments tasked with communicating a of design thinking. is aimed at the organizational level—tryingSummer 2020 13
to get organizations to focus on end user focus on why a consumer would choose to a one-way translator to an essential
feedback earlier in the process, break down buy the product or service. Understanding communication channel that connects the
internal departmental silos, and bring together a potential customer’s needs, concerns, brand with customers, and vice versa.
diverse teams to challenge assumptions, and desires allows for a reframing of all the
redefine problems, and promote innovation and messaging that follows. Rather than selling Three Mindsets a Designer,
collaboration. But the same approach can and what a product is or can do, the marketing Marketing Department, or
should be applied to marketing. focuses instead on authentic storytelling: how CMO Can Embrace to Foster
the product will help the end user or how the Design Thinking
1
Adopting a Design-Thinking service can make the end user’s life better, Take a human-first approach.
Mindset for Marketing easier, or more fulfilling. Marketers are often focused on
With design thinking as a template, marketers By really connecting to the hearts and collecting data and metrics (e.g., the
become more than just a mouthpiece minds of consumers, marketers can not only ROI of a mailer, the cost per click they paid for
tasked with translating features, benefits, or build a genuine connection that helps them an online ad). However, the first—and most
technical aspects of a product into materials sell but also provide invaluable feedback important—step in building an authentic
for easy consumption. Instead, design to their organization about how to improve and empathetic connection with customers
thinking produces an empathetic approach existing offerings or create new ones. In this is to see them as more than numbers. This
to marketing, encouraging marketers to put way, design thinking changes the marketing means abandoning the assumption that
themselves into their consumer’s shoes to department’s role in an organization from you have an intuitive understanding of what
The Five Phases of Design Thinking: A Systematic Approach
IDEATE
- Share ideas
- All ideas worthy TEST
EMPATHIZE - Diverge/converge - Understand impediments
- Interviews - “Yes and” thinking - What works?
- Shadowing - Prioritize - Role-play
- Seek to understand - Iterate quickly
- Nonjudgmental
PROTOYPE
DEFINE - Mock-ups
- Personas - Storyboards
- Role objectives - Keep it simple
- Decisions - Fail fast
- Challenges - Iterate quickly
- Pain points
Source: Stanford d.school Design Thinking Process14 Summer 2020 FEATURE
3
your customers want and instead getting out Prototype, test, and learn. team in which each member must leave his
there and talking with them. When you get to The cost of launching a full-blown or her comfort zone and think about solutions
know your consumers as individuals, you can marketing campaign is not insignificant, from various angles. You might have a social
start understanding the whys better, which can yet very few marketers actually test their media marketing expert on your team who
completely change the way you think about material before going live, and rarely are excels at creating engaging posts; you might
and market your product. campaigns tested during the idea development also have a graphic designer who’s great at
process. While your organization may not producing striking collateral. Design thinking
Marketer’s takeaway: While you may think have the luxury of time, budget, or bandwidth asks them—and everyone on your team—to
you know what your customers want, until for full A/B testing, you can still embrace leave their silo and approach the campaign
you go out and speak to them directly, you are the prototyping mentality during campaign design from all angles. To that end, marketing
only guessing. Focus groups can be assembled development by testing out ideas or concepts based in design thinking often comes from
for any size of company selling any range with your focus groups early on and acting teams made up of individuals from beyond the
of products and services. Never think your quickly to pivot on the feedback. marketing department. Sales, production, and
company is too big or too small to reach out even IT professionals will all look at data about
into your community of customers and get Marketer’s takeaway: Don’t wait until consumer needs and wants differently. Taking
to know more about how they perceive your your materials are 100 percent done to get operationally diverse viewpoints into account
brand and how your products or services fit feedback. Design thinking encourages going when designing solutions to your customers’
into their personal or professional lives. to your focus groups early with pilots, beta pain points not only brings your team out
offerings, draft scripts, and marketing materials of their silos but also leads to creative and
2
Go for volume when it comes in order to get feedback and make changes. sometimes unexpected marketing solutions. n
to new ideas.
There is a concept in design thinking Tips on Prototyping
known as flaring. During a flaring period, Your prototype could be a storyboard, mock-
the goal of a person or organization is to up, design concept, printed proof, e-blast
broaden their horizons—to gather lots of new graphic, or combination of these. The more
information and to be open to as many new “real” your physical and visual representation
ideas as possible. Flaring periods are followed
by focusing periods, during which the ideas
are whittled down and a particular challenge is
of each campaign piece is, the more
understood it will be. By working
closely with your print production
IDEAS!
Generate buzz while
matched to a single idea or solution. When it partner, you can produce design getting useful feedback!
comes to customer discovery and storytelling, mock-ups, show paper
the trick is to not move to the focusing period choices, and provide Consider a private beta launch or a special
too quickly. In other words, don’t settle for high-end visual
just a few client interviews or focus groups; printouts of digital club for early adopters willing to give
try to gather a good number of experiences campaign elements. you feedback on your product, service, or
and opinions so that the data set you use The better you are able to materials. Some companies, such as Sonos
when focusing can provide a more accurate represent each piece in a tangible,
representation of the target group’s thoughts physical format, the truer the (a wireless speaker and sound system
and feelings. experience will be for your focus manufacturer), have made being part of
group, allowing them to provide
Marketer’s takeaway: Different clients often
their invitation-only private beta program
valuable feedback on each campaign
have different motivations for buying your touchpoint. a badge of honor for customers.
product or service. A larger interview set
during the exploratory flaring period allows Design Thinking Is Teamwork
you to start seeing patterns that you can later Experts in design thinking all agree that the
translate into more targeted campaigns that key to success is developing an agile mindset
better play to the whys of each specific subset that leads to creative problem-solving. One
of your market. way to achieve agility is to put together aSummer 2020 15
Design Thinking in Action:
¡ Coca-Cola’s Happiness ¡ Sky Zone Refines
Machine Campaign Their Party Packages ¡ Improving a Website
When it comes to viral videos, one of the earliest When Josh Cole, CMO of Sky Zone, the popular Maksym Babych, CEO of SpdLoad (a software
to make a splash on YouTube was a series of indoor trampoline park chain, wanted to refresh development support company for startups),
candid-camera-style videos made by Coca- and rethink the company’s approach to party faced a common challenge. The company’s
Cola in 2009 as part of their Open Happiness package offerings, he turned to design thinking website was okay—7 out of 10 clients gave
campaign. In this series, the company retrofit a to shape the product marketing strategy from their site positive feedback (with two calling
classic Coke machine and placed it in the heart start to finish. it “incredible”)—but he wanted it to be great.
of a college campus. When the first customer “We began with steps to empathize with and To tackle the redesign project, he used design
made a purchase, the machine dispensed soda define our core demographic—moms planning thinking. For the first two steps, Babych
after soda after soda while a candid camera birthday party experiences for their kids,” he interviewed 50 users. “Based on the answers
captured the reaction of both the customer reports. “Through the use of interviews and we received, we then identified the main
and the gathering crowd. As one would expect, surveys, we obtained feedback from moms who pains and challenges (for example, users
the “winner” handed out the extra Cokes to bring their kids to Sky Zone. This allowed us to wanted more interactivity but at the same
the gathered crowds and everyone celebrated, better understand the psychographics of our time a higher site speed),” he recalls. For
because everyone loves the feeling of getting a key mom segments as well as identify important step three, ideation, he brought together a
free product and sharing in the moment. commonalities between them as it relates to what diverse team with designers, developers,
Ideas like this don’t come from cost-per- they look for when considering party venues.” and employees responsible for customer
click metrics on paid ads, A/B testing, or even The key finding? Make the party easier for mom. experience for a two-day session to generate
standard survey data. The marketers really Next, Cole’s team began the ideation phase— solutions. “Ideas were developed through
honed in on what brings people joy about Coke brainstorming to modify the packages with constructive criticism and suggestions, and
beyond the taste of the beverage itself—sharing this goal in mind. They then tested the new we prioritized what to carry out first,” he
it. As members of their design team recall, “The elements across a sample of their trampoline explained. “We then developed mock-ups and
process started with a large brainstorming parks as a real-life prototype. “From the test showed them to the customers again, to make
session . . . The brainstorming and ideation sample, we observed impact, made tweaks and sure we understood their desires correctly.”
began with a well-defined framework of improvements, and also refined messaging They also tested the ideas for usability and
constraints and set of objectives provided by changes on the website. In the process, our found that the improvements removed 80
Coke. Otherwise we were given free rein.” They overall language about Sky Zone parties shifted percent of the UX errors site visitors were
took their time and shared their concepts with from ‘your kid will have a good time’ to ‘your kid previously experiencing.
many people. It took them 60 days to storyboard will have a good time and it’s easy for you.’” The But there were other important gains
and refine the pieces before the idea was ready results? More people are spending time on the as well. “The changes we made using the
to go live. party pages of the company website, and “party framework brought significant results. The
At the end of the day, emotional connection mom” feedback has improved. most important thing was the feedback. Now
was what mattered most. As one designer When asked for his best advice for other we get 9 out of 10 positive feedbacks, and 5
summarizes, “What Coke really gave away was a marketers looking to use a design-thinking people call the site very beautiful. The bounce
sense of happiness, which created an emotional process, Cole adds, “Take your time and invest rate of the site decreased, and the number of
connection with the brand. Students involved the resources to do the first few steps well—with pages visited increased.”
in this video were caught up in their everyday emphasis on the empathize and define stages.
lives, and this little moment touched them. We Spend time with customers and watch them use
used free stuff to surprise people, but what we your product or service, and, most importantly,
gave away was happiness and a smile. The key spend time understanding your customer up
is engagement; whether you were there or front to make sure you’re developing solutions
just watching, free stuff was just the catalyst.” that answer the most important product and
The results of the campaign were human and emotional needs.”
candid and emotional, making a lasting positive
impression associated with the brand. The
campaign was also a tremendous success for
the brand on YouTube, where the videos earned
10 million+ views, each with zero advertising
dollars spent on promotion.16 Summer 2020 SPOTLIGHT
WITH ITS NEW PRINT OFFERING,
REI Forges an
Uncommon Path
By Greg Scruggs
Courtesy of REI
Winter-sports junkies salivate over catalogs content and media director, Paolo Mottola. “We REI partnered with Hearst to produce the
detailing the latest in the ski industry. How much are an organization that cares about the health magazine and sell ads, which Hearst convinced REI
sidecut is now considered the perfect amount to of the outdoors and people spending more time would be key to giving the magazine legitimacy.
carve the best powder turns? Which snow pants outside. In that bigger picture, a magazine made The ads also help reinforce REI’s company values,
offer the best combination of waterproofing and a lot of sense to us.” such as promoting diversity in the outdoors.
breathability? What color of goggle lens claims to The change was more gradual than a sudden For example, a one-page ad for hiking-boot
offer the best visibility in flat light? switch. Mottola readily admits that REI’s catalog manufacturer Merrell spotlights Will “Akuna”
Seattle-based outdoor retailer REI, the nation’s had been incorporating more and more editorial Robinson, the first African American male to
largest consumer co-op, has long fueled that content for years, a trend common to many complete hiking’s so-called Triple Crown: the
frenzy. Every fall, its 162 locations swap out the retailers. With the average American spending Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the
bikes and kayaks from the front of the store in 95 percent of their life indoors, Mottola saw the Continental Divide Trail, a combined 8,000 miles.
order to showcase skis and snowboards. The same magazine as an innovative way to spark change. The result is a 700,000-issue print run, which
typically held true for its quarterly print catalogs. “A magazine is a different kind of format to help narrowly makes Uncommon Path the largest
But select REI members are now seeing an people understand the issues, ideas, and events outdoor magazine in the country. (The Alliance for
entirely different printed product in their mailboxes that challenge life outdoors,” he says. “For all those Audited Media reported in June that Outside’s total
each quarter. Uncommon Path is an 80-odd- reasons, it just made sense to migrate that catalog circulation is 697,021.)
page bona fide magazine with a mixture of product. The magazine still has a lot of product in it; REI sells 50,000 copies of Uncommon Path on
“T he magazine still has a lot of product in it; we just have more of an editorial
mix and a lot more editorial volume than what our catalog had before.”
environmental reporting, seasonal travel highlights, we just have more of an editorial mix and a lot more newsstands alongside other Hearst-produced
athlete profiles, and outdoor-trend stories. Yes, editorial volume than what our catalog had before.” branded magazines, such as Airbnb Magazine, a
some gear reviews are mixed in, but that typical The magazine format experiments with travel magazine from short-term rental platform
catalog fodder is few and far between. both direct and indirect product placement. For Airbnb. REI mails 450,000 copies to a select
For example, the Winter 2020 issue devotes example, a three-quarter-page Q&A on “What’s number of their 17 million members, chosen
just five pages to the best skis of 2020. Instead, the the best way to start my kids on the slopes this through factors such as tenure with the co-op
bulk of the magazine reports on climate adaptation winter?” with a professional ski instructor rounds and geography. Mottola says a customer’s annual
in Charleston, features an all-ladies Rollerblading out the bottom-quarter page with five catalog- spending with the company is not a decision factor.
club in Park City, profiles a Brooklyn small-business style entries on ski products for kids, with capsule The final 200,000 copies are mailed to subscribers
owner and avid runner, and spotlights a taco reviews and prices. More obliquely, the magazine of other Hearst magazines. Future distribution
stand inside a roving snowcat at the Steamboat features a four-page photo essay, “Cabin Fever,” models are unknown at this time, but Mottola
Springs ski resort. Only one of those four stories is of starkly beautiful photos of Canadian ice fishing says, “Everything is on the table—from digital to
explicitly about the winter-sports industry, but the cabins. Dozens of pages later, a two-page spread subscription.”
mix is meant to drive reader interest among those on layering suggests products for low-intensity “We want to get this into the hands of more
with a passion for the outdoors. winter activities—ice fishing among them. No people who want it,” he says. n
“REI has been in the catalog business since explicit connection is made, but the reader may
its inception more than 80 years ago,” says REI’s subconsciously connect the dots.Our team
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