Title Image

Share Your Company’s Untold Story

Share Your Company’s Untold Story

In Case You Missed It… An Overview of our March Networking Luncheon!

A C-level exec I used to work under recently posted this question here on LinkedIn:

WHY? What are some reasons you go to a cybersecurity company? My marketing team asked me that question. I said “to get better at being secure.” Apparently that is not the right answer – so I am asking you – why do you go?

The responses were logical: Because they don’t know what they don’t know. Because of fear. To compensate for weaknesses in their business model. To mitigate risk.

My response was a little different – because my professional focus is communications and engagement, and because I had just attended Doug Busk’s presentation at IABC Atlanta’s March luncheon.

I sketched a story about scary people who work every day to get the information an organization holds about its amazing customers. And how the awesome people at the cybersecurity company do cool, innovative things to protect that information from the bad guys so that the organization’s customers are happy and can read stories to their kids at night.

I hope that Doug, who’s Managing Director at MSLGROUP in Atlanta, would approve.

“Discover your company’s untold story.”

Doug explained to attendees that every company, no matter how big, boring, simple or predictable, has an interesting brand story. Today’s successful communicators and marketers draw out and broadcast the story, making the audience want to be part of it. That relationship is what converts marketing metrics (impressions and likes) into executive metrics (engagement and corporate reputation) that drive the company’s mission.

“Move the ball of corporate reputation by telling stories.”

Real, true stories that reflect a company’s priorities also humanize it. They make it likable. And people want to buy from companies that they like.

Doug encouraged us to experiment with fun and new ways of sharing the stories. Document “the story behind the story.” Try out an emerging social platform. Go into the company’s team to source ideas. While some strategies may prove ineffective, Doug [who is clearly king of the marketing quips] reminded us that we must “test and fail to learn and scale.” A useful method for testing is to couple a small, strong team with smart freelancers who know the tool or process being tested. This enables quick iteration without commitment.

Companies also must bravely partner with the outside world to share the story. Create a web page with timely, ready to use content and images. Give journalists ideas, content, breaking news. Encourage employees to brag about your company. Document your process for quickly responding to breaking news about your company or industry.

Remember the C-level who asked the question at the beginning of this article? The reasons a customer might turn to a cyber-security are multi-fold, but, in the end, not nearly as interesting as the story that draws them there. As Doug pointed out, what matters is the journey there. With that in mind, a smart marketer on my colleague’s team might have responded with: “Because I lost my last job when 1,000 employees’ personal data files were hacked.” That is a story.

Author’s Note: Suzanne O’Brien works with businesses and organizations to design and execute informational, inspirational and educational initiatives that promote stakeholder experience and satisfaction. Her work is grounded in the conviction that collaborative and creative design yields effective and sustainable solutions.