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A well known greatest follow for at this time’s enterprise leaders is to “stroll the speak” — match their very own actions with the priorities and values they encourage others to display.
Advertising and marketing maven April Rudin, founder and CEO of The Rudin Group, simply did that just lately with the rebranding of her agency’s web site. Its marquee motto: “We predict otherwise.”
“It was a giant effort,” Rudin stated in an interview with ThinkAdvisor. “As a advertising agency, if we are able to’t display a really clear worth proposition for ourselves with a web site that appears visually interesting and communicates our message, then it’s going to impression how our shoppers and prospects take a look at us.”
However — as she advises her shoppers in wealth administration and associated areas to do — Rudin additionally needed to make her agency’s new web site stand out.
“I had a transparent imaginative and prescient in my thoughts that I believed represented our model, which was ‘good enjoyable,’ she defined. “I needed it to be good, after all, as a result of we’re in monetary providers, so it’s gotta be good and display information, eminence and authority.”
On the identical time, Rudin stated, the web site wanted to have a lighter aspect.
“I needed it to be a little bit bit cheeky, fascinating and barely edgy — in order that it demonstrates that advertising doesn’t at all times must be actually conservative or hew to what others are doing. There’s much more latitude in how manufacturers can consider themselves at this time,” she stated.
Right here’s the primary half of our interview, wherein she covers every part from the necessity to do away with inventory photographs to the significance of getting an FAQ web page; the second half of the dialogue, which focuses on branding, might be posted individually.
THINKADVISOR: Earlier than your current rebrand, what was your web site’s focus or goal?
APRIL RUDIN: Once I launched my agency in 2008 — a time of turmoil within the markets about 15 years in the past — I believed that corporations actually wanted to assume otherwise about their model and the way they have been approaching shoppers.
I’ve two Gen Z children of my very own and observed that monetary providers manufacturers regarded previous and musty.
I used to be most likely one of many first entrepreneurs to make use of the phrase millennial, and I got here up with this idea of multi-generational advertising about 12 years in the past. Since then, occasions have actually modified. It’s an previous story and time for one thing new. Identical to we advise our shoppers, it’s essential to refresh and keep related.
I had the identical type of feeling now as in 2008 — it’s a transitional time and a possibility for us to speak to potential prospects in new methods.
What’s new together with your model and web site?
Our theme is how it is a completely different time, and we’re pondering otherwise. Folks ought to assume otherwise about how they go to market with digital media, social media and all of the completely different applied sciences that are actually powering manufacturers. It’s a extremely fascinating time.
Additionally, private manufacturers have gotten extra essential, if not as essential, as agency manufacturers. It’s laborious to dig into a few of these massive manufacturers. However as soon as you understand the non-public model and you understand the folks, you may attain out to among the folks [at a firm].
Lots has modified in 15 years, and we wish to make it possible for we seize all of that.
What was the strategic pondering behind the rebrand?
It was a giant effort, and I’ll let you know why. As a advertising agency, if we are able to’t display a really clear worth proposition for ourselves with a web site that appears visually interesting and communicates our message, then it’s going to impression how our shoppers and prospects take a look at us.
I had a transparent imaginative and prescient in my thoughts that I believed represented our model, which was “good enjoyable.”
I needed it to be good, after all, as a result of we’re in monetary providers, so it’s gotta be good and display information, eminence and authority.
However, I needed it to be a little bit bit cheeky, fascinating and barely edgy — in order that it demonstrates that advertising doesn’t at all times must be actually conservative or hew to what others are doing. There’s much more latitude in how manufacturers can consider themselves at this time.
How did you create and launch the brand new web site?
It was an enormous challenge, however the hardest factor with any challenge like that’s getting the correct tone. As soon as I had this concept of good enjoyable, it turned actually simpler to speak what we needed to do.
We employed our personal exterior advertising of us to assist us, simply as we might encourage our shoppers to do. It’s tough to speak something about your self. It’s like writing your personal resume. It’s laborious to be goal. I’d advocate that different corporations do that.
Why else is it useful to get exterior opinions when rebranding and making associated adjustments?
We’ve produced many many web sites ourselves. So we imagine that there’s worth in getting exterior opinions on copy, on design, on shopper expertise — on each side of a web site.
We employed an outdoor company to check out our personal work, which was a extremely fascinating train. It was essential to actually distance myself from the work.
As a founding father of a agency, I do know it’s essential to take recommendation. It is advisable do it. All people wants to do that — distance themselves from your personal opinion and soak up skilled recommendation. Take it in and perceive it as simply that: skilled recommendation and never anybody’s opinion.
What are an important steps for updating a web site?
In the case of updating your web site, it’s essential to first take into consideration your message(s) and viewers. And tone.
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