Return-Path: Delivered-To: DAVID@TRANSOCEAN.COM Received: from vps.transocean.com by vps.transocean.com with LMTP id oFQfLbn1rFp+IAAAInt2oQ for ; Sat, 17 Mar 2018 04:02:17 -0700 Return-path: Envelope-to: DAVID@TRANSOCEAN.COM Delivery-date: Sat, 17 Mar 2018 04:02:17 -0700 Received: from mail167.sea22.mcdlv.net ([148.105.12.167]:40717) by vps.transocean.com with esmtps (TLSv1.2:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:256) (Exim 4.89_1) (envelope-from ) id 1ex9bC-000293-Fd for DAVID@TRANSOCEAN.COM; Sat, 17 Mar 2018 04:02:17 -0700 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=mail167.sea22.mcdlv.net; s=k1; t=1521284484; i=bjbueno=3Dcultbranding.com@mail167.sea22.mcdlv.net; bh=jjFQOhefY3tFz9hVYpMWOJoVWBXjZ6e1PiB/XcRoTEY=; h=Subject:From:Reply-To:To:Date:Message-ID:List-ID:List-Unsubscribe: Sender:Content-Type:MIME-Version; b=G3imIpUINUUlvigPn5wgLK/vhu0/SaYVl4MaxWKz455UW6HRdfh8K94vm8AuS4ZQW VlsK4Bm1SdEFYeRh+kNqLMuaaySwOHbl4AT5O8Ps/fOIOxxdqV7YtU0nxThRqJB7fv N14IkSv9J2hf0eWfGw1RHAbq0ai09FYPb6NNlg3E= Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mail167.sea22.mcdlv.net (MailChimp) with ESMTP id 403KBr1KKDzK5w5MJ for ; Sat, 17 Mar 2018 11:01:24 +0000 (GMT) x-mcpf-jobid: mc.us1_1167109.2915853.5aacf55a7ee63.full_000002 Subject: =?utf-8?Q?Brand=20Conversations?= From: =?utf-8?Q?The=20Cult=20Branding=20Blog?= Reply-To: =?utf-8?Q?The=20Cult=20Branding=20Blog?= To: =?utf-8?Q?David?= Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2018 11:01:16 +0000 Message-ID: X-Mailer: MailChimp Mailer - **CIDa6fcb09bcd4ed9cf398d** X-Campaign: mailchimpc006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066.a6fcb09bcd X-campaignid: mailchimpc006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066.a6fcb09bcd X-Report-Abuse: Please report abuse for this campaign here: http://www.mailchimp.com/abuse/abuse.phtml?u=c006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066&id=a6fcb09bcd&e=4ed9cf398d X-MC-User: c006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066 Feedback-ID: 1167109:1167109.2915853:us1:mc List-ID: c006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066mc list X-Accounttype: pd List-Unsubscribe: , List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click Sender: "The Cult Branding Blog" x-mcda: FALSE Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="_----------=_MCPart_805875987" MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.6 X-Spam-Score: -15 X-Spam-Bar: - X-Ham-Report: Spam detection software, running on the system "vps.transocean.com", has NOT identified this incoming email as spam. The original message has been attached to this so you can view it or label similar future email. If you have any questions, see root\@localhost for details. Content preview: ** Brand Conversations (https://cultbranding.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066&id=c23a114907&e=4ed9cf398d) By Brian Beitler Too many Chief Marketing Officers are trapped in “brand conversations” behind their desks, in conference rooms, or around the boardroom table, and it’s hurting their organization’s connection to the customer, the understanding of what’s happening with their brands, and the ideas necessary to drive growth. [...] Content analysis details: (-1.6 points, 3.0 required) pts rule name description ---- ---------------------- -------------------------------------------------- 0.0 URIBL_BLOCKED ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE: The query to URIBL was blocked. See http://wiki.apache.org/spamassassin/DnsBlocklists#dnsbl-block for more information. [URIs: mailchimp.com] 0.0 DIET_1 BODY: Lose Weight Spam -0.0 SPF_HELO_PASS SPF: HELO matches SPF record 0.2 HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS From and EnvelopeFrom 2nd level mail domains are different -0.0 T_RP_MATCHES_RCVD Envelope sender domain matches handover relay domain 0.0 T_SPF_TEMPERROR SPF: test of record failed (temperror) -1.9 BAYES_00 BODY: Bayes spam probability is 0 to 1% [score: 0.0003] 0.0 HTML_MESSAGE BODY: HTML included in message -0.1 DKIM_VALID Message has at least one valid DKIM or DK signature 0.1 DKIM_SIGNED Message has a DKIM or DK signature, not necessarily valid X-Spam-Flag: NO This is a multi-part message in MIME format --_----------=_MCPart_805875987 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; format="fixed" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable ** Brand Conversations (https://cultbranding.us1.list-manage.com/track/cli= ck?u=3Dc006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066&id=3Dc23a114907&e=3D4ed9cf398d) ------------------------------------------------------------ By Brian Beitler Too many Chief Marketing Officers are trapped in =E2=80=9Cbrand conversati= ons=E2=80=9D behind their desks=2C in conference rooms=2C or around the bo= ardroom table=2C and it=E2=80=99s hurting their organization=E2=80=99s con= nection to the customer=2C the understanding of what=E2=80=99s happening w= ith their brands=2C and the ideas necessary to drive growth. I=E2=80=99ve spent nearly two decades as a Chief Marketer and found myself= in similar situations time and again. There is an incredible amount of in= ternal work that is required for any senior role. All of it necessary to= keep the machine humming; there are strategy documents to review=2C creat= ive concepts to approve=2C P&L=E2=80=99s to manage=2C new technology to ex= plore=2C organizational structure and teams to develop=2C and=2C of course= =2C internal & external relationships to nurture=2C among a thousand other= things. I do not dismiss or downplay the importance of the above. But I do worry t= hat too often that work for crowds out what I think is one of the Chief Ma= rketer=E2=80=99s most important roles=E2=80=94Having personal brand conver= sations with the customer. I mean personal=2C you and the customer face to= face. I cannot underscore enough the importance of this because these con= versations allow you to understand the customer in a way that cannot be at= tained through traditional research and analytic methods. A Chief Marketer must be able to do more than articulate the demographics= of a customer=2C the purchase life-cycle=2C media habits=2C or even cultu= ral touchstones. While these are important=2C they will do little to help= you truly understand why people love=2C hate or are indifferent to your b= rand=2C product=2C or service. And understanding =E2=80=9CThe Why=E2=80=9D= behind the connection is the critical factor to creating differentiation= =2C brand affinity=2C and growth. Barriers to entry have dropped in almost every industry=2C and the range o= f choice has grown exponentially over the last two decades. There are now= over 49 brands of peanut butter=2C and that is before you include all the= =E2=80=9Cprivate label=E2=80=9D brands available at every grocery store.= And the complexity only multiplies if you include all the variation of pe= anut butter within those brands. So which brand or product should a customer choose and why=2C and why shou= ld they stay loyal when there is so much choice in every category. How do= you create a brand connection and a point of difference in all of this cl= utter? Simple=E2=80=A6Understand =E2=80=9CWhy.=E2=80=9D Why is the customer buyin= g your brand of peanut butter and what are their deep underlying motivatio= ns? Are they complex or simple? Based on utility=2C image=2C nostalgia or= something else? Are they practical or irrational? If you want to be able= to move the dial and attract new customers=2C you have to get this right. Look at a brand like Nike=E2=80=A6why do they continue to win? I strongly= believe it is because they have a strong brand position & purpose that co= nnects directly with the most broadly shared =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D in thei= r category. That shared =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D for their customers is the d= esire to perform at your best in whatever sport or athletic activity you a= re participating in. These are people who strive (or at least believe they= strive) to be the best. And boy do they understand that collective =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D and how t= o position against it. Projecting the image of being at the top of your ga= me is in everything they do=2C from their product innovation to their adve= rtising to their athletic sponsorships. Take soccer for instance=2C while= Adidas may have won sponsorship of FIFA and the World Cup=2C the #1 socce= r player in the world=2C Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid=2C is sponsored= by Nike. And this is true in nearly every sport. Nike has a way of findin= g the very best athlete and using them to remind us that the best athletes= choose Nike. So=2C the real question is how do you find the most powerful and collectiv= e =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D for your industry and brand. Well=2C you certainly= don=E2=80=99t do it by reading sales or media reports from behind your de= sk or discussing it with your C-suite peers at the water cooler=2C or even= waiting for it to show up in a customer insights report. The work of finding the =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D is real anthropological work= and it should be done up close and in person by the CMO=2C other members= of the leadership team=2C and candidly by anyone who has an impact on wha= t the customer experiences within your business. The great anthropologists= of our time don=E2=80=99t delegate the work of studying their subjects to= someone else; they are actively involved in the field work. I=E2=80=99m not saying that you can=E2=80=99t or shouldn=E2=80=99t hire so= meone to do deep ethnographies on your customers=2C but I am saying you sh= ould not rely solely on the work of someone else to help inform a decision= about your brand position=2C product=2C or marketing. You must get into the field and do some field work. And the truth=2C havin= g authentic =E2=80=9Cbrand conversations=E2=80=9D with your customers is m= uch easier than you might think. I have found that customer love to talk t= o executives about their products and services and they will open up more= to you than to your focus group moderator. In fact=2C for 20 years I have= come out from =E2=80=9Cbehind the glass=E2=80=9D at almost every single f= ocus group=2C and often our most powerful insights have come from that las= t 10-15 minutes of conversations directly with the customer. I and my teams have also spent hours in the store each month talking to an= d shopping with our customers=2C taking note of their behaviors=2C discuss= ing their family and work=2C talking about the reasons they chose to walk= in our store or why they decided to pick up that toaster or pair of jeans= =2E The things we would hear at times would amaze us and prompt entirely new= pieces of customer insight work and purchase analysis. That work would help us compose a richer understanding of what was going o= n in our customer=E2=80=99s mind when she made a purchase or even a return= =2E When she responded to or ignored a marketing communication=2C or when sh= e passed a merchandising table on the sales floor. Or=2C when she skipped= past pages on our mobile app. To help you understand how real and powerful this has been over my career= let me share a recent experience while I was serving as Chief Marketing O= fficer at Lane Bryant. At Lane Bryant=2C we had a common challenge that many legacy brands face= =E2=80=94Lane Bryant had been around since 1904 after all. Our customer ba= se had aged=2C many younger potential customers didn=E2=80=99t perceive us= as relevant=2C price promotion had become our primary marketing lever=2C= our social connection with customers was soft=2C and the competition was= rampant and growing in our Plus-size apparel category. We needed to figure out how to reconnect with women and change the convers= ation about our brand. But how and where should we start? Well=2C that is where =E2=80=9Cbrand conversations=E2=80=9D come into play= =2E I had all the research a new CMO could want=2C years of tracking studies= =2C historical purchases analyses=2C customer segmentation models=2C and m= ore. The conclusions in all of these reports were solid and well supported= =2E Some pointed to price=E2=80=94we were too expensive for a younger demogr= aphic. Some pointed to style=E2=80=94not enough women seemed to like our a= ssortment. Others pointed to relevance=E2=80=94they felt the brand was fin= e=2C it was just for =E2=80=9Ctheir mom.=E2=80=9D But in all of this work=2C something was missing. Almost all of the reason= s for love or indifference outlined in the research were rational: price= =2C style=2C convenience=2C perceived age appropriateness of the brand. Bu= t love or hate of a brand isn=E2=80=99t purely rationale; it=E2=80=99s emo= tional. Sure=2C love is supported by tangible=2C rational qualities=2C but= there is always something deeper more poignant below the surface. We want= ed to know what that was. And we needed to know it =E2=80=9Cfirst hand.=E2= =80=9D So we traveled our stores=2C lots of our stores=2C talking to women about= the love of the brand. And the more women we met and the more conversatio= ns we had=2C the more these clear themes of =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D began to= emerge. And a conversation that I had with Yonea in Dallas summed it all= up. Yonea was 35 and a ski shop manager. Yes=2C I know a ski shop in Dallas=2C= but I guess even Texans need a place to buy skis for their winter adventu= res. Anyway=2C she made this statement when I asked her =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80= =9D she loved Lane Bryant. She simply said: =E2=80=9CBecause when I cross the threshold of Lane Bryant=2C the =E2=80= =9Cplus-size=E2=80=9D drops and I=E2=80=99m just a woman.=E2=80=9D She co= ntinued=2C =E2=80=9CIn this store=2C I am seen for whom I am and the fashi= on I love and not the size of my body.=E2=80=9D Yonea=E2=80=99s statement beautifully captured the sentiment of so many of= the personal conversations we were having with women all over the country= =2E Her =E2=80=9Cwhy=2C=E2=80=9D their =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D was crystal cle= ar: In our store=2C they were being seen and celebrated just like any othe= r women in the world. And this feeling endeared them to us. So we started= asking other prospective customers if they felt this way in the brand or= store of their choice=E2=80=A6some said yes=2C most said no. You see most= department stores and even other =E2=80=9Cplus-size=E2=80=9D specialty st= ores treated plus-size women as second-class citizens. In department store= s=2C plus-size is often not even located near the other women=E2=80=99s ap= parel. What was interesting though=2C is that when asked what they wanted to feel= =2C these prospective customers all had the same answer. They wanted=2C as= Shania Twain put it=2C to =E2=80=9CFeel like a woman.=E2=80=9D Not a plus= -size woman. Now I know this sounds so simple in retrospect=2C especially with all the= progress we have made with body diversity in the last three years. But in= 2014=2C this idea of seeing and celebrating =E2=80=9Cplus-size=E2=80=9D w= omen didn=E2=80=99t exist anywhere in culture. The world was still telling= them to lose weight=2C not to love themselves. There wasn=E2=80=99t a sin= gle fashion magazine covering plus-size women with any real intent=2C and= there certainly wasn=E2=80=99t a single fashion retailer or fashion brand= featuring diverse bodies in advertising. This powerful insight=2C found through up close and personal anthropologic= al work=2C is what set us on a path to develop campaigns and partnerships= that would change the national dialogue on body image and rejuvenate our= century-old brand. It gave way to the #ImNoAngel campaign with 15B+ earned social & media imp= ressions; the #PlusIsCampaign with 6B+ earned social & media impressions= =2C and #ThisBody campaign in partnership with the Sports Illustrated Swim= suit Edition and Ashley Graham which would generate over 9B social & media= impressions. There is so much more to the story=2C but for the sake of sp= ace. We will end with this. Get out of the office and have some Brand Conversations with your customer= s and potential customers face to face=2C and you might just find the unlo= ck that you=E2=80=99ve been searching for. Brian Beitler (https://cultbranding.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3Dc0= 06bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066&id=3Dfd77d607f5&e=3D4ed9cf398d) has led the= marketing teams for several leading brands including Kohl=E2=80=99s=2C Ba= th & Body Works=2C Hot Wheels=2C David=E2=80=99s Bridal=2C and Lane Bryant= =2C among others. His success has been built on helping these brands buil= d purposeful connections with their customers=2C capitalize on the digital= and social revolution=2C and improve the effectiveness of their marketing= investments. He believes in pushing brands to think differently about ho= w they engage and earn loyalty from their customers=2C and is driven by th= e belief that the key to success is listening to your customers personally= and first hand=2C and then combining those personal insights with big dat= a to innovate your brand strategy=2C products=2C experience=2C and marketi= ng. He is currently Chairman of the Board for the Global Retail Marketing Asso= ciation and served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer= of Lane Bryant & Catherines=2C the nation=E2=80=99s leading plus-size app= arel retailers=2C until late 2017. He is a widely regarded industry speak= er and has keynoted at some of the industry=E2=80=99s most noted events in= cluding the ANA Masters of Marketing Conference=2C NRF=E2=80=99s Symposium= =2C and the 4A=E2=80=99s Transformation event. https://cultbranding.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3Dc006bbdcbd27f0420= f9c7a066&id=3D0de8b562b3&e=3D4ed9cf398d https://cultbranding.us1.lis= t-manage.com/track/click?u=3Dc006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066&id=3D604607acb6&e= =3D4ed9cf398d https://cultbranding.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u= =3Dc006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066&id=3D6c0f9e7caf&e=3D4ed9cf398d =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Copyright =C2=A9 2018 The Cult Branding Company=2C All rights reserved. Your subscribed to our mailing list via www.CultBranding.com. Our mailing address is: The Cult Branding Company PO Box 470212 Celebration=2C Florida 34747-9992 USA ** unsubscribe from this list (https://cultbranding.us1.list-manage.com/un= subscribe?u=3Dc006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066&id=3Dc5a4b39495&e=3D4ed9cf398d&c=3Da= 6fcb09bcd) ** update subscription preferences (https://cultbranding.us1.list-manage.c= om/profile?u=3Dc006bbdcbd27f0420f9c7a066&id=3Dc5a4b39495&e=3D4ed9cf398d) --_----------=_MCPart_805875987 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =09 Brand Conversations
=09
<= /td>

Brand Conversations

By Brian Beitler

To= o many Chief Marketing Officers are trapped in =E2=80=9Cbrand conversation= s=E2=80=9D behind their desks=2C in conference rooms=2C or around the boar= droom table=2C and it=E2=80=99s hurting their organization=E2=80=99s conne= ction to the customer=2C the understanding of what=E2=80=99s happening wit= h their brands=2C and the ideas necessary to drive growth.

I= =E2=80=99ve spent nearly two decades as a Chief Marketer and found myself= in similar situations time and again. There is an incredible amount of in= ternal work that is required for any senior role. =C2=A0All of it necessar= y to keep the machine humming; there are strategy documents to review=2C c= reative concepts to approve=2C P&L=E2=80=99s to manage=2C new technolo= gy to explore=2C organizational structure and teams to develop=2C and=2C o= f course=2C internal & external relationships to nurture=2C among a th= ousand other things.

I= do not dismiss or downplay the importance of the above. But I do worry th= at too often that work for crowds out what I think is one of the Chief Mar= keter=E2=80=99s most important roles=E2=80=94Having personal brand convers= ations with the customer. I mean personal=2C you and the customer face to= face. I cannot underscore enough the importance of this because these con= versations allow you to understand the customer in a way that cannot be at= tained through traditional research and analytic methods.

A= Chief Marketer must be able to do more than articulate the demographics o= f a customer=2C the purchase life-cycle=2C media habits=2C or even cultura= l touchstones. While these are important=2C they will do little to help yo= u truly understand why people love=2C hate or are indifferent to your bran= d=2C product=2C or service. And understanding =E2=80=9CThe Why=E2=80=9D be= hind the connection is the critical factor to creating differentiation=2C= brand affinity=2C and growth.

Ba= rriers to entry have dropped in almost every industry=2C and the range of= choice has grown exponentially over the last two decades. =C2=A0There are= now over 49 brands of peanut butter=2C and that is before you include all= the =E2=80=9Cprivate label=E2=80=9D brands available at every grocery sto= re. And the complexity only multiplies if you include all the variation of= peanut butter within those brands.

So= which brand or product should a customer choose and why=2C and why should= they stay loyal when there is so much choice in every category. How do yo= u create a brand connection and a point of difference in all of this clutt= er?

Si= mple=E2=80=A6Understand =E2=80=9CWhy.=E2=80=9D Why is the customer buying= your brand of peanut butter and what are their deep underlying motivation= s? Are they complex or simple? Based on utility=2C image=2C nostalgia or s= omething else? Are they practical or irrational? If you want to be able to= move the dial and attract new customers=2C you have to get this right.

Lo= ok at a brand like Nike=E2=80=A6why do they continue to win? I strongly be= lieve it is because they have a strong brand position & purpose that c= onnects directly with the most broadly shared =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D in the= ir category. That shared =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D for their customers is the= desire to perform at your best in whatever sport or athletic activity you= are participating in. These are people who strive (or at least believe th= ey strive) to be the best.

An= d boy do they understand that collective =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D and how to= position against it. Projecting the image of being at the top of your gam= e is in everything they do=2C from their product innovation to their adver= tising to their athletic sponsorships. Take soccer for instance=2C while A= didas may have won sponsorship of FIFA and the World Cup=2C the #1 soccer= player in the world=2C Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid=2C is sponsored b= y Nike. And this is true in nearly every sport. Nike has a way of finding= the very best athlete and using them to remind us that the best athletes= choose Nike.

So= =2C the real question is how do you find the most powerful and collective= =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D for your industry and brand. Well=2C you certainly= don=E2=80=99t do it by reading sales or media reports from behind your de= sk or discussing it with your C-suite peers at the water cooler=2C or even= waiting for it to show up in a customer insights report.

Th= e work of finding the =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D is real anthropological work a= nd it should be done up close and in person by the CMO=2C other members of= the leadership team=2C and candidly by anyone who has an impact on what t= he customer experiences within your business. The great anthropologists of= our time don=E2=80=99t delegate the work of studying their subjects to so= meone else; they are actively involved in the field work.

I= =E2=80=99m not saying that you can=E2=80=99t or shouldn=E2=80=99t hire som= eone to do deep ethnographies on your customers=2C but I am saying you sho= uld not rely solely on the work of someone else to help inform a decision= about your brand position=2C product=2C or marketing.

Yo= u must get into the field and do some field work. And the truth=2C having= authentic =E2=80=9Cbrand conversations=E2=80=9D with your customers is mu= ch easier than you might think. I have found that customer love to talk to= executives about their products and services and they will open up more t= o you than to your focus group moderator. In fact=2C for 20 years I have c= ome out from =E2=80=9Cbehind the glass=E2=80=9D at almost every single foc= us group=2C and often our most powerful insights have come from that last= 10-15 minutes of conversations directly with the customer.

I= and my teams have also spent hours in the store each month talking to and= shopping with our customers=2C taking note of their behaviors=2C discussi= ng their family and work=2C talking about the reasons they chose to walk i= n our store or why they decided to pick up that toaster or pair of jeans.= The things we would hear at times would amaze us and prompt entirely new= pieces of customer insight work and purchase analysis.

Th= at work would help us compose a richer understanding of what was going on= in our customer’s mind when she made a purchase or even a return. W= hen she responded to or ignored a marketing communication=2C or when she p= assed a merchandising table on the sales floor. Or=2C when she skipped pas= t pages on our mobile app.

To= help you understand how real and powerful this has been over my career le= t me share a recent experience while I was serving as Chief Marketing Offi= cer at Lane Bryant.

At= Lane Bryant=2C we had a common challenge that many legacy brands face=E2= =80=94Lane Bryant had been around since 1904 after all. Our customer base= had aged=2C many younger potential customers didn=E2=80=99t perceive us a= s relevant=2C price promotion had become our primary marketing lever=2C ou= r social connection with customers was soft=2C and the competition was ram= pant and growing in our Plus-size apparel category.

We= needed to figure out how to reconnect with women and change the conversat= ion about our brand. But how and where should we start?

We= ll=2C that is where =E2=80=9Cbrand conversations=E2=80=9D come into play.= I had all the research a new CMO could want=2C years of tracking studies= =2C historical purchases analyses=2C customer segmentation models=2C and m= ore. The conclusions in all of these reports were solid and well supported= =2E Some pointed to price=E2=80=94we were too expensive for a younger demogr= aphic. Some pointed to style=E2=80=94not enough women seemed to like our a= ssortment. Others pointed to relevance=E2=80=94they felt the brand was fin= e=2C it was just for =E2=80=9Ctheir mom.=E2=80=9D

Bu= t in all of this work=2C something was missing. Almost all of the reasons= for love or indifference outlined in the research were rational: price=2C= style=2C convenience=2C perceived age appropriateness of the brand. But l= ove or hate of a brand isn=E2=80=99t purely rationale; it=E2=80=99s emotio= nal. Sure=2C love is supported by tangible=2C rational qualities=2C but th= ere is always something deeper more poignant below the surface. We wanted= to know what that was. And we needed to know it =E2=80=9Cfirst hand.=E2= =80=9D

So= we traveled our stores=2C lots of our stores=2C talking to women about th= e love of the brand. And the more women we met and the more conversations= we had=2C the more these clear themes of =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D began to e= merge. And a conversation that I had with Yonea in Dallas summed it all up= =2E

Yo= nea was 35 and a ski shop manager. Yes=2C I know a ski shop in Dallas=2C b= ut I guess even Texans need a place to buy skis for their winter adventure= s. Anyway=2C she made this statement when I asked her =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80= =9D she loved Lane Bryant. She simply said:

= =E2=80=9CBecause when I cross the threshold of Lane Bryant=2C the =E2=80= =9Cplus-size=E2=80=9D drops and I=E2=80=99m just a woman.=E2=80=9D =C2=A0S= he continued=2C =E2=80=9CIn this store=2C I am seen for whom I am and the= fashion I love and not the size of my body.=E2=80=9D

Yo= nea=E2=80=99s statement beautifully captured the sentiment of so many of t= he personal conversations we were having with women all over the country.= Her =E2=80=9Cwhy=2C=E2=80=9D their =E2=80=9Cwhy=E2=80=9D was crystal clea= r: In our store=2C they were being seen and celebrated just like any other= women in the world. And this feeling endeared them to us. So we started a= sking other prospective customers if they felt this way in the brand or st= ore of their choice=E2=80=A6some said yes=2C most said no. You see most de= partment stores and even other =E2=80=9Cplus-size=E2=80=9D specialty store= s treated plus-size women as second-class citizens. In department stores= =2C plus-size is often not even located near the other women=E2=80=99s app= arel.

Wh= at was interesting though=2C is that when asked what they wanted to feel= =2C these prospective customers all had the same answer. They wanted=2C as= Shania Twain put it=2C to =E2=80=9CFeel like a woman.=E2=80=9D Not a plus= -size woman.

No= w I know this sounds so simple in retrospect=2C especially with all the pr= ogress we have made with body diversity in the last three years. But in 20= 14=2C this idea of seeing and celebrating =E2=80=9Cplus-size=E2=80=9D wome= n didn=E2=80=99t exist anywhere in culture. The world was still telling th= em to lose weight=2C not to love themselves. There wasn=E2=80=99t a single= fashion magazine covering plus-size women with any real intent=2C and the= re certainly wasn=E2=80=99t a single fashion retailer or fashion brand fea= turing diverse bodies in advertising.

Th= is powerful insight=2C found through up close and personal anthropological= work=2C is what set us on a path to develop campaigns and partnerships th= at would change the national dialogue on body image and rejuvenate our cen= tury-old brand.

It= gave way to the #ImNoAngel campaign with 15B+ earned social & media i= mpressions; the #PlusIsCampaign with 6B+ earned social & media impress= ions=2C and #ThisBody campaign in partnership with the Sports Illustrated= Swimsuit Edition and Ashley Graham which would generate over 9B social &a= mp; media impressions. There is so much more to the story=2C but for the s= ake of space. We will end with this.

Ge= t out of the office and have some Brand Conversations with your customers= and potential customers face to face=2C and you might just find the unloc= k that you=E2=80=99ve been searching for.

Brian Beitler has led the marketing teams for several leading brands includi= ng Kohl=E2=80=99s=2C Bath & Body Works=2C Hot Wheels=2C David=E2=80=99= s Bridal=2C and Lane Bryant=2C among others. =C2=A0His success has been bu= ilt on helping these brands build purposeful connections with their custom= ers=2C capitalize on the digital and social revolution=2C and improve the= effectiveness of their marketing investments. =C2=A0He believes in pushin= g brands to think differently about how they engage and earn loyalty from= their customers=2C and is driven by the belief that the key to success is= listening to your customers personally and first hand=2C and then combini= ng those personal insights with big data to innovate your brand strategy= =2C products=2C experience=2C and marketing.

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