{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-news-post-list-js","path":"/news/","result":{"pageContext":{"posts":[{"node":{"wordpress_id":5334,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/ama-marketing-award-for-pr-communications-campaign-of-the-year/","title":"AMA Marketing Award for PR & Communications Campaign of the Year","slug":"ama-marketing-award-for-pr-communications-campaign-of-the-year","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Tue Oct 7th 2025","modified":"Wed Nov 5th 2025","excerpt":"

Posted on: October 7th, 2025 Merit Mile Wins AMA Marketing Award for PR & Communications Campaign of the Year Merit Mile has been honored with the AMA Marketing Award for PR & Communications Campaign of the Year, recognizing our work with long-time client Fleet Advantage. The distinction reflects a program built on sustained creativity, disciplined […]

\n","author":{"name":"John Sternal"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: AMA PR Campaign Award","metadesc":"Merit Mile earned the AMA Marketing Award for PR & Communications Campaign of the Year for Fleet Advantage—driving awareness, credibility, and measurable business impact.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: AMA PR Campaign Award","opengraph_description":"Merit Mile earned the AMA Marketing Award for PR & Communications Campaign of the Year for Fleet Advantage—driving awareness, credibility, and measurable business impact.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/merit-mile-ama-award-2025.webp"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: AMA PR Campaign Award","twitter_description":"Merit Mile earned the AMA Marketing Award for PR & Communications Campaign of the Year for Fleet Advantage—driving awareness, credibility, and measurable business impact.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/merit-mile-ama-award-2025.webp"}},"content":"
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\"Merit

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Posted on: October 7th, 2025

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Merit Mile Wins AMA Marketing Award for PR & Communications Campaign of the Year

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Merit Mile has been honored with the AMA Marketing Award for PR & Communications Campaign of the Year, recognizing our work with long-time client Fleet Advantage. The distinction reflects a program built on sustained creativity, disciplined execution, and a commitment to measurable outcomes.

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Merit Mile partnered with Fleet Advantage to elevate brand leadership and keep the company top-of-mind with decision-makers across its industry. The initiative centered on three pillars: earned media, strategic storytelling, and executive visibility. Together, these efforts formed a cohesive communications engine that supported business development while strengthening corporate reputation.

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A key component of the program was an integrated media strategy spanning national and trade publications. By aligning story angles to market moments and audience priorities, the team delivered coverage that underscored Fleet Advantage’s category leadership and real-world impact. Thought leadership played a complementary role: bylines, insights, and commentary helped translate complex issues into practical guidance for customers and partners.

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To amplify that narrative, Merit Mile also developed a targeted awards and speaking roadmap, placing company leaders on influential stages and within respected rankings. This external validation—paired with a consistent newsroom cadence of press releases, expert articles, and timely updates—kept momentum high throughout the year.

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Executional rigor was matched by close collaboration. Working hand-in-hand with client stakeholders, the team ensured message alignment and compliance at every step. This tight feedback loop allowed us to move quickly, maintain quality, and keep the program responsive to shifting market dynamics.

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The result is a communications framework that not only earns attention but converts it into advantage—fueling awareness, engagement, and pipeline conversations for Fleet Advantage. We’re proud of this milestone and even more energized by what’s ahead as we continue to partner on campaigns that move the market.

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Explore more of our award-winning work and see how Merit Mile can help your brand lead the conversation.

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When an enterprise IT client asked Merit Mile to accelerate demand within a narrow list of priority accounts, we combined Account-Based Marketing with disciplined BANT qualification—Budget, Authority, Needs, and Timeline.

\n","author":{"name":"Scott Lindars"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: ABM + BANT $3M Pipeline","metadesc":"Merit Mile’s ABM + BANT program generated $3M in pipeline and 11x ROI in 60 days—driving precise, sales-ready demand through data, alignment, and tailored messaging.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: ABM + BANT $3M Pipeline","opengraph_description":"Merit Mile’s ABM + BANT program generated $3M in pipeline and 11x ROI in 60 days—driving precise, sales-ready demand through data, alignment, and tailored messaging.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/merit-mile-abm-bant.webp"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: ABM + BANT $3M Pipeline","twitter_description":"Merit Mile’s ABM + BANT program generated $3M in pipeline and 11x ROI in 60 days—driving precise, sales-ready demand through data, alignment, and tailored messaging.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/merit-mile-abm-bant.webp"}},"content":"
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\"Merit

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Posted on: September 16th, 2025

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When an enterprise IT client asked Merit Mile to accelerate demand within a narrow list of priority accounts, we combined Account-Based Marketing with disciplined BANT qualification—Budget, Authority, Needs, and Timeline. The mandate was clear: build qualified pipeline fast without sacrificing fit or forecast accuracy. That meant tight sales-marketing alignment, rigorous audience definition, and message-market fit at the buying-role level.

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We began by refining the ideal customer profile, tiering target accounts, and activating intent data so outreach landed when signals were strongest. Creative and content were built persona-first—technical, economic, and executive stakeholders each received tailored value propositions—then A/B tested to sharpen response and meeting rates. A coordinated channel mix across targeted paid media, email, and sales outreach created surround-sound coverage, while enablement materials (talk tracks, one-pagers, cadences) equipped sellers to follow through. Every opportunity that engaged was routed through BANT to confirm budget, decision authority, business need, and timing, ensuring teams focused on sales-ready demand. Measurement centered on pipeline creation and ROI, with weekly reviews to reallocate spend, update creative, and tighten targeting as data came in.

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In 60 days, the program generated $3 million in new pipeline and delivered an 11x ROI. It worked because we prioritized precision over volume, used role-specific relevance to improve engagement quality, and enforced a tight MQL-to-SQL handoff so sales concentrated on the right opportunities at the right time.

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Whether you’re breaking into a new segment or expanding within existing accounts, the ABM + BANT combination offers a repeatable framework for building predictable, qualified pipeline—quickly. If you’d like to explore how this model maps to your accounts and sales motion, we can design a demand-gen plan tailored to your goals.

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When Autoagent set out to launch EscrowTaxes.com, it quickly became clear that the assignment was bigger than a logo and a landing page. Property tax escrow is complex, regulated, and often unfamiliar to many users.

\n","author":{"name":"Scott Lindars"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: EscrowTaxes.com Launch","metadesc":"Merit Mile helped launch EscrowTaxes.com with a trust-driven brand and UX—simplifying complex property tax escrow through clear design, credible messaging, and scalable growth.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: EscrowTaxes.com Launch","opengraph_description":"Merit Mile helped launch EscrowTaxes.com with a trust-driven brand and UX—simplifying complex property tax escrow through clear design, credible messaging, and scalable growth.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/merit-mile-escrow-taxes-branding.webp"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: EscrowTaxes.com Launch","twitter_description":"Merit Mile helped launch EscrowTaxes.com with a trust-driven brand and UX—simplifying complex property tax escrow through clear design, credible messaging, and scalable growth.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/merit-mile-escrow-taxes-branding.webp"}},"content":"
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\"Merit

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Posted on: August 11th, 2025

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When Autoagent set out to launch EscrowTaxes.com, it quickly became clear that the assignment was bigger than a logo and a landing page. Property tax escrow is complex, regulated, and often unfamiliar to many users. Success required a brand and digital experience that could deliver clarity and trust from the first interaction. Autoagent’s goal was to present a detail-heavy service with precision and simplicity—reducing cognitive load while reinforcing credibility at every touchpoint. The solution also needed to preserve flexibility for future growth as the platform evolved. Merit Mile began with stakeholder discovery sessions to align on audiences, value propositions, and compliance requirements.

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Those insights shaped a unified visual and interaction language anchored in three guiding principles:

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The engagement began with the development of a distinctive brandmark designed to feel established from day one. From there, our team created a scalable design system—typography, color palette, iconography, components, and usage standards—empowering internal teams to maintain consistency while moving quickly. Comprehension became the primary KPI. The information architecture prioritized two key questions: “What is it?”” and “How does it work?”” Users are guided through these answers via responsive page templates, intuitive navigation, and clear calls to action.

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Custom illustrations were purpose-built to clarify complex concepts, avoiding generic metaphors and reinforcing the educational tone of the site. Concise, plain-language microcopy and accessible design patterns further enhanced usability and inclusivity.

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As the engagement matured, design components and documentation evolved into a practical toolkit that accelerates production and reinforces governance. With brandmark, design system, UX patterns, and content guidelines working in concert, EscrowTaxes.com transformed from a launch initiative into an operational model for how the brand communicates. The result is a streamlined, trust-driven experience that meets users where they are. Visitors can quickly find essential information, understand how the service works, and proceed with confidence.

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For Autoagent, the payoff is long-term: a foundation that’s easy to extend, maintain, and adapt as EscrowTaxes.com grows. Strategic design turned a complex idea into a clear promise—and made that promise tangible at every touchpoint.

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When NADA 2025 arrived in New Orleans, the Merit Mile team embedded with client teams on the show floor—cameras rolling, media lists in hand, and a plan to turn real-time interactions into reusable assets.

\n","author":{"name":"John Sternal"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: Turning NADA 2025 Buzz","metadesc":"Merit Mile turned NADA 2025 booth buzz into lasting momentum—producing live videos, media coverage, and social engagement that fueled awareness and pipeline growth.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: Turning NADA 2025 Buzz","opengraph_description":"Merit Mile turned NADA 2025 booth buzz into lasting momentum—producing live videos, media coverage, and social engagement that fueled awareness and pipeline growth.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/onsite-nada-2025.webp"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: Turning NADA 2025 Buzz","twitter_description":"Merit Mile turned NADA 2025 booth buzz into lasting momentum—producing live videos, media coverage, and social engagement that fueled awareness and pipeline growth.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/onsite-nada-2025.webp"}},"content":"
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\"Merit

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Posted on: May 13th, 2025

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When NADA 2025 arrived in New Orleans, the Merit Mile team embedded with client teams on the show floor—cameras rolling, media lists in hand, and a plan to turn real-time interactions into reusable assets. Over two fast-paced days we produced six live-action videos and coordinated dozens of earned-media and influencer interviews, partnering closely with spokespeople and outlets to capture timely stories that would travel far beyond the booth.

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Our mandate was simple: transform event energy into business outcomes. That started with rigorous onsite production—shot planning, direction, and capture across booths and activations—so every piece of footage had a clear narrative and post-show purpose. In parallel, we provided editorial support, prepping interviewees, aligning talking points, and coordinating media windows to keep messages consistent and on schedule. Once the show closed each day, our team packaged assets for multiple uses, from newsroom-ready cuts to social snippets and sales-enablement clips, ensuring the content could be published quickly and repurposed throughout the quarter.

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The impact wasn’t limited to video and press. On the social side, we paired coverage with active listening and thoughtful moderation to deepen audience relationships. Tracking event hashtags, brand mentions, and comment threads surfaced what attendees were reacting to in the moment; timely replies, hand-offs, and DMs turned that attention into one-to-one conversations that build trust. Deciding in advance how—and how quickly—to engage kept our voice consistent and our response times tight, amplifying the reach and credibility of everything captured on the floor.

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Taken together, this approach turned a busy week in New Orleans into sustained momentum: stories that informed the press, assets that fueled marketing and sales, and conversations that extended the life of the event. If you’re planning an industry show of your own, we can tailor a production, PR, and social amplification plan that turns booth traffic into measurable awareness—and pipeline.

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Let’s Talk

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In the first three months of 2025, Merit Mile PR clients achieved an average of $18.79 in earned media value for every dollar invested in their public relations programs. Beyond building awareness and authority, these results reflect a core Merit Mile principle: every PR initiative should deliver measurable business impact.

\n","author":{"name":"John Sternal"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: PR ROI $18.79 per $1","metadesc":"Merit Mile PR clients earned $18.79 in media value per $1 invested in Q1 2025—proof that every PR initiative can drive measurable business impact.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: PR ROI $18.79 per $1","opengraph_description":"Merit Mile PR clients earned $18.79 in media value per $1 invested in Q1 2025—proof that every PR initiative can drive measurable business impact.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mm-pr-roi-q1-2025.webp"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Advertising & PR | News: PR ROI $18.79 per $1","twitter_description":"Merit Mile PR clients earned $18.79 in media value per $1 invested in Q1 2025—proof that every PR initiative can drive measurable business impact.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mm-pr-roi-q1-2025.webp"}},"content":"
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\"Merit

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Posted on: April 8th, 2025

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In the first three months of 2025, Merit Mile PR clients achieved an average of $18.79 in earned media value for every dollar invested in their public relations programs. Beyond building awareness and authority, these results reflect a core Merit Mile principle: every PR initiative should deliver measurable business impact.

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Quantifying PR Value

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Merit Mile’s proprietary PR value model translates media coverage into earned media value (EMV) — a dollarized estimate of what comparable paid exposure would cost across similar publications and formats. This model allows marketing and communications leaders to benchmark performance over time, compare campaigns, and identify areas to double down on for greater impact.

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Paired with qualitative insights such as message pull-through, sentiment analysis, and share of voice, EMV provides a holistic, accountable view of PR success — far beyond vanity metrics

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What Clients Receive Each Month

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Each month, Merit Mile PR clients receive a concise, decision-ready report connecting activity to outcomes:

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These metrics help leadership teams understand what’s working, where to adjust, and how to align communications strategies with business objectives.

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From Insight to Action

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The goal isn’t simply to tally media hits — it’s to use data-driven insight to refine story angles, prioritize outlets, and synchronize announcements with market moments. By connecting coverage metrics to marketing and sales motions, Merit Mile ensures that top-of-funnel visibility translates into tangible pipeline momentum.

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Built for Every Industry and Buying Cycle

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Merit Mile partners with brands across IT, government, hospitality, automotive, finance, healthcare, and more. Each PR measurement framework is tailored to align with a client’s unique sales cycle, compliance needs, and success criteria.

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Let’s Talk

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Thought leadership is a highly sought after strategy and part of the B2B marketing toolkit. But are companies and their leaders truly maximizing its power today? If not, what are the reasons they are coming up short?

\n","author":{"name":"John Sternal"},"yoast":{"title":"The Thoughtful Brand: Harnessing the Power of Thought Leadership in Shaping Brand Perceptions","metadesc":"The Thoughtful Brand: Harnessing the Power of Thought Leadership in Shaping Brand Perceptions","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"The Thoughtful Brand: Harnessing the Power of Thought Leadership in Shaping Brand Perceptions","opengraph_description":"The Thoughtful Brand: Harnessing the Power of Thought Leadership in Shaping Brand Perceptions","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/harnessing-power-of-thought-leadership.webp"},"twitter_title":"The Thoughtful Brand: Harnessing the Power of Thought Leadership in Shaping Brand Perceptions","twitter_description":"The Thoughtful Brand: Harnessing the Power of Thought Leadership in Shaping Brand Perceptions","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/harnessing-power-of-thought-leadership.webp"}},"content":"
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\"Harnassing

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Posted on: March 1st, 2024

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In today’s competitive and dynamic business landscape, brands need thought leadership to establish category positioning, fostering trust and credibility among their target audience. Thought leadership not only enhances brand visibility but also positions companies as innovators, driving customer loyalty, increasing shareholder value, and attracting top talent.

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Thought leadership is a highly sought after strategy and part of the B2B marketing toolkit. But are companies and their leaders truly maximizing its power today? If not, what are the reasons they are coming up short?

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Most executives today believe in the power of thought leadership, yet many are not maximizing its full potential. This is detrimental to a brand’s overall strategy as being perceived as a category leader. In fact, executives are constantly on the lookout for insight that can support their decision-making, and our research shows that thought leadership is often one of the key strategies they use. However, the research also shows that many companies are either not leveraging it enough, or they are struggling to achieve thought leadership in an age where internal resources have been stretched like never before.

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As strategic partners helping to build thought leadership campaigns for brands, Merit Mile conducted an executive industry survey to take the pulse on the challenges brands have with their thought leadership. In the survey and following report, topics covered include:

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Methodology: Hundreds of organic responses were gathered from a range of communications professionals, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the way thought leadership is executed today. Responses from the online survey were collected from January 25 through February 5, 2024.

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The value of thought leadership

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The fact that senior executives value thought leadership is very powerful, but it is not equal among every executive, nor brand organization. For most, it means they value thought leadership content, and more importantly, validates the reason why brands should invest in thought leadership initiatives within their broader marketing playbook. So good thought leadership not only helps executives to make decisions that boost their company’s performance – it can also lead to new conversations and relationships.

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A brand that invests in thought leadership and does it well will earn trust from its customers and prospects, an extremely valuable commodity. It makes it easier for companies to engage with customers and prospects, spark new conversations, and ultimately generate new sales opportunities.

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\"Value

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The current state of thought leadership for today’s brands

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For many brands, thought leadership is a multifaceted concept that extends beyond individual expertise. The digital age has provided unprecedented opportunities for brands to position themselves as industry leaders by leveraging various platforms and creating valuable, engaging content. As the landscape continues to evolve, the brands that successfully adapt to these changes and prioritize authenticity, transparency, and community engagement are likely to emerge as the thought leaders of tomorrow.

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With this in mind, our research suggests that while brands place value in thought leadership as a strategy, many are doing so through the development of content and relationship building with any number of intended audiences, such as customers, investors, media, analysts, etc. And while a quarter of respondents say they are doing some thought leadership by publishing an article here or there, more alarming is the fact that nearly 30% of respondents say they have no thought leadership presence at all. Most executives say lack of budget is a primary issue for this, but a quarter also point to time constraints.

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What’s Preventing Brands from Achieving Thought Leadership?

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How would you describe your current efforts in driving thought leadership for your company?

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Have you faced any specific obstacles or barriers in your journey toward thought leadership?

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Today, leading brands are capitalizing on the shift toward their collective wisdom. Organizations recognize that becoming a thought leader is not just about showcasing individual brilliance but fostering a culture of innovation, expertise, and forward-thinking within the entire company. For brands struggling to do more thought leadership, most point toward frustrations they have connecting content with external audiences. This is understandable since so many brands and leaders build marketing content with promotional or sales strategies in mind, but many fail to understand that thought leadership is about educating, not selling.

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Dedication to Thought Leadership

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According to our research, brands want thought leadership success but many aren’t committed to investing the proper time in their strategies. Brands that indicate they are having better success invest 3X the amount of time in their thought leadership than those saying they are not having success. The majority of respondents (35%) say they spend less than an hour developing thought leadership strategies and implementations in a typical week, far less than those seeing quality results. It’s no surprise that the majority of respondents (34.7%) also indicate they are frustrated that they can’t gain ground on competitors in the press. Thought leadership involves an investment in time, even if an agency is hired. Executives must invest time to work with agency partners to cultivate/share ideas, review content, and make time to prepare and handle press interviews and/or analyst briefings

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Measurement is Always Critical

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Brands are adopting sophisticated metrics to assess the impact of their thought leadership initiatives. Beyond traditional key performance indicators (KPIs), such as website traffic and social media engagement, brands are now exploring sentiment analysis, brand sentiment, and even tracking how thought leadership contributes to lead generation and conversion rates. However, in order to have success, brands must be executing it correctly to find the right results. Similarly as what we’ve seen in the correlation between time investment and results, it is no surprise that the majority (35.6%) aren’t doing enough thought leadership to see any impact yet. Interestingly enough, those brands that are doing more thought leadership (29.7%) are actually seeing quality results.

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Are there specific metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) that you find most valuable in assessing thought leadership impact?

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Have you been able to quantify the value your thought leadership efforts have had on your brand?

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Merit Mile’s Approach and Commitment to Thought Leadership

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Merit Mile’s team of PR experts are constantly identifying trends and headlines in the media to position clients as thought leaders in front of journalists, editors, analysts, industry media, and podcast producers. Sometimes this results in an interview and placement with a top-tier news outlet, and sometimes it catches the eye of a trade industry editor looking for an expert by-lined column for the next issue. The key is understanding how the client can react to trends or headlines making news and immediately reaching out to the media outlet for additional expert commentary. Here are a few examples of thought leadership article placements for Merit Mile clients recently.

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Let’s Talk

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\n"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":5093,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/2024-channel-and-partner-marketing-trends-and-challenges/","title":"2024 Channel and Partner Marketing Trends and Challenges","slug":"2024-channel-and-partner-marketing-trends-and-challenges","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Fri Mar 1st 2024","modified":"Wed May 22nd 2024","excerpt":"

In our ongoing commitment to help channel, partner, and alliance marketing professionals understand the dynamic landscape of channel marketing, Merit Mile conducted a survey in January 2024 to delve into the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping 2024 marketing strategies.

\n","author":{"name":"Scott Lindars"},"yoast":{"title":"2024 Channel and Partner Marketing Trends and Challenges","metadesc":"How to accomplish strategic channel enablement and marketing goals in 2024 with scale, efficiency, and ease.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"2024 Channel and Partner Marketing Trends and Challenges","opengraph_description":"How to accomplish strategic channel enablement and marketing goals in 2024 with scale, efficiency, and ease.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-channel-partner-marketing-header.webp"},"twitter_title":"2024 Channel and Partner Marketing Trends and Challenges","twitter_description":"How to accomplish strategic channel enablement and marketing goals in 2024 with scale, efficiency, and ease.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-channel-partner-marketing-header.webp"}},"content":"
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Posted on: March 1st, 2024

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How to accomplish strategic channel enablement and marketing goals in 2024 with scale, efficiency, and ease.

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In our ongoing commitment to help channel, partner, and alliance marketing professionals understand the dynamic landscape of channel marketing, Merit Mile conducted a survey in January 2024 to delve into the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping 2024 marketing strategies. The report looked at key facets of the channel marketing landscape, including:

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Methodology

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Hundreds of organic responses were gathered from a range of marketing professionals, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the channel marketing ecosystem. The breakdown of respondents with channel-focused organizations included:

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What’s In Your Wallet?

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There is no way around it, marketing requires money, so looking at budgets was a natural place to start. When marketing professionals were asked about the sources of their 2024 channel, partner, and alliance marketing budgets, there was an even distribution of funding sources. 34% indicated that their budget is sourced from partners or vendors as part of a formal MDF or co-op program. Another 33% reported partner contributions on a case-by-case basis. And 34% stated that their budget is internally sourced from their organization’s broader marketing or channel budget. As is often the case, the complete picture of a marketing budget is a combination of all three sources.

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In terms of how budgets compared year over year, there was also a relatively equal distribution. 36% reported a flat year-over-year budget, while 33% experienced a decrease, and 31% enjoyed an increase.

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\"Budget

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Following the Money

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As for the strategic allocation of partner marketing budgets in 2024, three intertwined priorities clearly emerged in enablement, content marketing, and demand generation. The foremost focus lies on sales and partner enablement, constituting 18% of budget allocation. This emphasis reflects a commitment to empowering partners with the necessary tools and knowledge for effective co-selling. In close succession, developing assets for content marketing such as thought leadership eBooks, whitepapers, and guides is predicted to claim 17% of budgets, demonstrating a dedicated investment in co-marketing, nurture marketing, and equipping partners with ready-to-go marketing materials. Closely tied, demand generation campaigns including account-based marketing (ABM), content syndication, and nurture marketing is anticipated to secure 16% of the budgets, affirming a deliberate effort to help partners run campaigns, develop leads, and grow pipelines.

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Tied for 4th and 5th place at 15% are partner recruitment and onboarding and launching solutions and services into cloud marketplaces. These strategic moves indicate a forward-looking approach to expanding and strengthening partner networks and tapping into platforms like Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud marketplaces. Conversely, a shift in strategy is evident towards the bottom of the priority list where event budgets are down, garnering only a small portion of marketing budgets.

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In summary, channel marketers are demonstrating a strategic approach to budget allocation, with a clear focus on measurable and scalable programs. The spotlight is on enabling channel partners through co-selling initiatives,robust training, and building pipelines with demand generation campaigns.

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\"Channel

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Merit Mile in Action: Azure Marketplace Solutions

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\"Microsoft

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The Microsoft Azure and AppSource Marketplaces provide customers with easy access to ready-to-go solutions and services. For Microsoft partners, it’s a highly visible way to promote their offerings, drive sales and Azure consumption, and strengthen their relationship with Microsoft. When Microsoft wanted to advance the number of partners with a marketplace solution, they teamed with Merit Mile to lead the effort and work directly with twenty Microsoft partners across the US, UK, and Canada.

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Here’s how we did it.

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Challenges Ahead

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Despite the emphasis and investments in partner enablement, content development, and campaigns, channel and alliance marketers encounter several challenges on the road to partner marketing success. The foremost challenge, cited by 36% of marketing professionals, is enhancing the effectiveness of co-selling through partner enablement and training. The challenge lies in educating partner sales teams, including account managers, sales engineers, solution architects, and sales development representatives (SDRs) on how to effectively co-sell, position joint solutions, identify opportunities, and strategically position solutions against competitors.

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The second significant challenge, reported by 34%, is gaining access to their channel or alliance marketing counterparts on the other side of the partnership. This involves navigating the landscape of partnership dynamics, understanding who to collaborate with, and securing the time and attention of counterparts. Closely tied for the third position, 29% of respondents said securing budgets and resources was their top challenge. Considering the flat and declining nature of marketing budgets covered earlier, this underscores the importance of having a partner marketing plan that ties to high-value and measurable revenue driving programs.

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Nearly tied at 28%, a lack of internal creative resources to produce marketing content, design marketing campaigns, and build sales enablement materials is a major inhibitor. Given the pattern of reductions in marketing and creative staff that the industry saw during 2023, marketers are hamstrung with their ability to put ideas and plans into action.

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Merit Mile in Action: Sales Enablement

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\"Genzeon

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When Genzeon, an established solutions provider, wanted to expand the services and solutions they offered, they became a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) within the Microsoft AI Cloud Parter Program; formerly known as the Microsoft Partner Network. However, their sellers were unfamiliar with selling Microsoft AI and Azure services, and they needed help positioning and demonstrating the relevance and integration of their existing portfolio. Genzeon sought our expertise to navigate these challenges and develop a sales enablement program and training curriculum. Merit Mile helped Genzeon emerge with an understanding of their role as a Microsoft partner, a clear grasp of the solutions they would be selling, and a readiness to engage with customers confidently.

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Read the case study.

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What are the biggest challenges you face executing partner marketing plans?

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\"Channel

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Individual Partners Struggle Even More

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The previous question looked at the challenges from the partner program side of the equation, that is the organization that owns the partner program. Next, we looked at the hurdles that the individual partners face inside their own organization. In particular, the research studies the challenges partners face when utilizing vendor-provided marketing content, campaigns, and resources, such as co-brandable content, marketing kits, and campaigns-in-a-box.

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At 43%, the primary challenge faced by partner marketing teams is the optimization of content and campaign performance. Despite the efforts to develop easy to use campaigns-in-a-box and turnkey kits, partners often struggle to fully utilize, customize, and optimize these materials. Achieving optimal campaign results requires ongoing customization, A/B testing, and refinement of messages, offers, audience targeting, and media placements.

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This ties directly into the number two challenge, that 37% felt that partners lack a modern marketing stack of tools and platforms needed to fully execute and optimize campaigns. This highlights a critical gap in the infrastructure needed for partners to effectively implement and manage campaigns. Tools and platforms of course require people, and 31% identified that partners often lack the necessary marketing staff to execute campaigns. This constraint, tied to the challenge of gaining access to partner marketing counterparts, underscores the importance of addressing organizational and resource limitations.

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Finally, the fourth biggest challenge at 27% was the customization of content for co-branding, modification of joint value propositions, changing calls-to-action, and personalizing content. Even seemingly simple customizations become challenging for partners, emphasizing the need for streamlined processes and accessible tools.

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In essence, the research reveals a common scenario where marketing teams develop impressive partner marketing campaigns, yet partners struggle to fully leverage, customize, and optimize these valuable resources and use them to their full potential.

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Merit Mile’s Approach to Making Partner Marketing Kits Easy to Use

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\"Citrix

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Merit Mile has encountered these challenges when building partner marketing campaigns and kits for global companies like Citrix, Google Cloud, and Microsoft. Recognizing that not all marketing teams have access to the full set of design tools for creative editing, we’ve devised an approach that makes it easy for partners to customize marketing kits without expensive design software. This ensures partners can personalize content while vendors maintain creative control over the core content, ensuring consistency in messaging and brand representation.

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Check out this simple and no-cost approach.

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How is AI Being Used in Marketing

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The advent of generative AI solutions has unleashed a wave of possibilities in the marketing landscape. While these technologies hold undeniable power and potential, it’s crucial to understand their current role and limitations. The research indicates that 41% of marketers are leveraging AI for short-format writing, including emails, blog posts, and social media content. Additionally, 30% use AI for basic graphic design tasks such as image creation and co-branding.

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Marketing Professionals Remain Central to the Equation

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Despite the rise of AI capabilities, it is important to note that AI is not a replacement for subject matter experts creating deep and meaningful content. The survey results reveal that AI currently accounts for only 5% of marketing content and campaign development

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The majority of marketing content and campaigns are still being developed by in-house creative teams (30%) and external resources (41%). The latter category includes a mix of external contributors such as marketing agencies (24%), freelancers (12%), and contractors (5%).

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While AI plays a vital role in certain aspects of marketing, the human touch and expertise of marketing professionals, both in-house and external, remain indispensable. As the industry evolves, a harmonious collaboration between AI-driven tools and human creativity continues to shape the future of marketing.

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How is your marketing organization using AI?

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\"How

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Who develops your marketing content and campaigns?

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\"Who

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Getting By with a Little Help from My Friends

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As marketing professionals navigate the complex landscape of channel marketing, the role of external support becomes increasingly crucial. Just as the Beatles famously sang, “I get by with a little help from my friends”, marketing professionals recognize the value of working with their friends, including marketing agencies and freelancers. The research shows that marketers heavily rely on external support for various aspects of their marketing programs, content development, and campaigns. Understanding the challenges they face internally, it’s clear why seeking outside expertise is a strategic move. The top four areas where organizations seek assistance include developing marketing strategies, plans, and ideas; creating content, event marketing, and building or executing campaigns.

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\"Channel

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The Payoff is Big

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The benefits of collaborating with marketing agencies are evident, resulting in scale, efficiency, fresh ideas, and ultimately better results. When partnering with a marketing agency, organizations gain access to an entire team of professionals, including marketing strategists, creative designers, writers, developers, and project managers. This expanded skill set allows for a comprehensive approach to campaign planning and execution. Organizations working with marketing agencies report a range of positive outcomes:

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In summary, the survey underscores the value of partnering with marketing agencies and third-party contributors. The collaborative approach not only addresses challenges but also brings about enhanced creativity, efficiency, and measurable results.

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Make Every Dollar Count, Optimize Every Hour of Your Day

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In the ever-evolving landscape of channel and alliance-driven companies, the commitment to partners and channel programs stands strong. Prioritizing enablement, training, content marketing, and demand generation/ ABM reflects a strategic focus on empowering channel partners for mutual success. However, executing these priorities is no small feat.

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The intersection of AI with marketing initiatives brings promise, but it’s clear that AI serves as an aid rather than a full-time replacement for the irreplaceable human touch. People remain central to the equation, and in a world where time is limited and resources are scarce, particularly on the partner side, there are challenges to overcome. The survey’s key findings underscore a pivotal truth: achieving partner marketing goals requires a delicate balance of scale, efficiency, and proper resources. The recognition that working smarter, not harder, is the key to success prompts smart marketers to seek outside help.

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As channel professionals navigate the complex landscape of 2024 and beyond, the insights provided in this report serve as a compass, guiding them toward effective strategies, efficient execution, and the leveraging of external resources for optimal results. The journey toward successful partner marketing is ongoing, and with the right insights and strategic partnerships, marketers can navigate the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities that lie ahead.

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Let’s Talk

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\n"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4952,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/creating-communications-roadmap-supply-chain-differentiation/","title":"Creating a Communications Roadmap for Supply Chain Differentiation","slug":"creating-communications-roadmap-supply-chain-differentiation","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Fri Jul 7th 2023","modified":"Tue May 21st 2024","excerpt":"

In today’s business landscape, supply chains have become critical components of an overall business strategy, especially as the federal U.S government recently opened $5.6 billion in funding for projects to strengthen supply chains.

\n","author":{"name":"Justin Baronoff"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Creating a Communications Roadmap for Supply Chain Differentiation","metadesc":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to create a comprehensive communication strategy that enhances your reputation, engages stakeholders, and differentiates yourself in the marketplace.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Creating a Communications Roadmap for Supply Chain Differentiation","opengraph_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to create a comprehensive communication strategy that enhances your reputation, engages stakeholders, and differentiates yourself in the marketplace.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/containers.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Creating a Communications Roadmap for Supply Chain Differentiation","twitter_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to create a comprehensive communication strategy that enhances your reputation, engages stakeholders, and differentiates yourself in the marketplace.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/containers.jpg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: July 7th, 2023

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In today’s business landscape, supply chains have become critical components of an overall business strategy, especially as the federal U.S government recently opened $5.6 billion in funding for projects to strengthen supply chains.

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As organizations continue to bridge the gap between data and visibility into their existing supply chains to give a real-time competitive advantage, it’s also important to realize the significance of effective communication to showcase these supply chain initiatives in terms of cutting shipping costs, speeding up the delivery of goods, maximizing fulfillment through multiple distribution channels, or even highlighting sustainability initiatives to not only achieve business and financial goals, but environmental goals as well.

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To fully differentiate your organization from competitors, building and executing a successful integrated communication plan is needed to support current supply chain initiatives.

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Supply Chains as Key Drivers of Business Strategy

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While supply chains have traditionally been thought of as only operational functions, we now know they are a key driver of shaping organizational strategy and success. We can thank the COVID-19 pandemic for calling attention to that, in which shortages of everything from toilet paper to semiconductors caused organizations to struggle and consumers to be upset about when they will get their desired products.

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Now that supply chains are returning back to normal after three rocky years, they have evolved into strategic assets that can confer a competitive advantage to businesses. Whether it’s meeting customer expectations, optimizing costs, reducing risks, or fostering innovation, supply chains play a pivotal role for organizations, and they must acknowledge that their supply chain initiatives hold immense value. This needs to be effectively communicated to stakeholders to garner support and drive success.

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The Need for a Communication Strategy

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While having a well-defined supply chain strategy is crucial, it is simply not sufficient on its own. Organizations big and small must recognize the importance of complementing their supply chain strategy with a robust communication strategy to engage customers, influence stakeholders, align employees, strengthen partnerships, and adapt to constant change.

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Effective communication is essential to not only convey the value of supply chain initiatives, but communicate this value with differentiated positioning in mind. Customers want to know how the organization’s supply chain capabilities benefit them directly, whereas stakeholders, employees, and partners need to understand how these capabilities enhance their reputation and attract investment, leading to long-term growth.

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Even though changing market dynamics, technological advancements, and regulatory requirements can affect supply chains at any time, a communication strategy can also help proactively manage this change by keeping all stakeholders informed and engaged with new initiatives, updates, and improvements to maximize success.

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By integrating a communication strategy alongside the supply chain strategy, organizations ensure that stakeholders understand the value propositions of their supply chain initiatives. This alignment builds credibility, fosters collaboration, and enhances the organization’s overall competitiveness in the marketplace.

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Building a Communication Strategy

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A communication strategy for supply chain initiatives begins with a well-crafted messaging strategy. The messaging strategy focuses on effectively describing the value propositions and benefits of the organization’s supply chain initiatives. Some key considerations for building a compelling messaging strategy include:

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  1. Identifying Your Messaging Strategy: Start by identifying the unique aspects of your supply chain initiatives that differentiate them from competitors. Consider factors such as improved efficiency, cost savings, sustainability practices, enhanced visibility, or innovative technology adoption. These value propositions form the foundation of your messaging strategy.
    2. \n
  2. Understand Your Audience: Tailor your messaging to resonate with different stakeholders. Analyze their needs, pain points, and priorities to effectively communicate how your supply chain initiatives address their specific concerns. For example, customers may be interested in improved product availability, while investors may focus on ROI and long-term sustainability.
    3. \n
  3. Craft Clear and Concise Messages: Develop clear, concise, and jargon-free messages that effectively convey the benefits of your supply chain initiatives. Use language that is easily understood by both industry experts and non-specialists. Focus on the outcomes and impacts that matter most to your stakeholders.
    4. \n
  4. Highlight Tangible Results: Support your messaging with concrete examples and data-driven evidence of the positive outcomes achieved through your supply chain initiatives. Whether it’s cost savings, reduced lead times, improved customer satisfaction, or environmental impact, provide quantifiable results to reinforce the credibility of your messaging.
    5. \n
  5. Consistency and Alignment: Ensure consistent messaging across all communication channels and touchpoints. Align your messaging with the organization’s overall brand and values. Consistency builds trust and reinforces the organization’s commitment to delivering on the promised value propositions.
    6. \n
  6. Storytelling: Incorporate storytelling elements to make your messaging relatable and memorable. Share compelling narratives that illustrate how your supply chain initiatives have positively impacted customers, employees, or communities. Stories create an emotional connection and help stakeholders understand the real-world implications of your initiatives.
    7. \n
  7. Adaptability and Agility: Recognize that the messaging strategy may need to evolve over time as supply chain initiatives progress or market dynamics change. Be adaptable and agile in updating your messaging to stay relevant and address emerging challenges or opportunities.
    8. \n
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This messaging strategy lays the foundation for successful communication, enabling stakeholders to understand and appreciate the impact and benefits of these initiatives.

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Executing the Communication Strategy

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Executing the communication strategy for your differentiated value propositions requires leveraging a range of channels and tactics to effectively reach and engage your target audience. Here are eight key approaches:

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  1. Feature Articles and Press Briefings: Collaborate with industry publications and journalists to develop feature articles and press releases that highlight the unique aspects and success stories of your supply chain initiatives. These articles can generate media coverage, increase visibility, and reach a broader audience.
    2. \n
  2. Surveys and Feedback Mechanisms: Conduct surveys and gather feedback from customers, employees, and partners to gauge their perceptions and experiences related to your supply chain initiatives. Use the insights gathered to refine and enhance your initiatives. Transparently communicate the improvements made based on the feedback received, demonstrating your commitment to continuous improvement.
    3. \n
  3. Trade Shows and Conferences: Participate in relevant trade shows, exhibitions, and industry conferences to highlight your supply chain capabilities. Use these platforms to engage with potential customers, industry experts, and partners. Position your organization as an industry leader by delivering informative presentations, hosting booths, and participating in panel discussions to communicate the differentiated value your initiatives offer.
    4. \n
  4. Awards and Recognitions: Pursue industry awards and recognitions that validate the excellence and impact of your supply chain initiatives. Winning or being shortlisted for awards enhances your organization’s credibility and positions you as a leader in the field. Leverage these accolades to reinforce your messages and differentiate your organization from competitors.
    5. \n
  5. Marketing and Creative Campaigns: Develop targeted marketing campaigns that highlight the benefits and value your supply chain initiatives bring to customers and partners. Utilize creative materials such as videos, infographics, case studies, and testimonials to effectively convey your messages and capture attention. Leverage digital marketing channels, social media platforms, and email marketing to reach a wider audience.
    6. \n
  6. Thought Leadership and Speaking Opportunities: Seek thought leadership opportunities by speaking at conferences, industry events, and webinars. Deliver informative and engaging presentations that demonstrate your expertise and communicate the value propositions of your supply chain initiatives. Thought leadership positions your organization as a trusted authority, opening doors for networking and partnership opportunities.
    7. \n
  7. Collaboration with Partners and Associations: Collaborate with industry partners, associations, and supply chain networks to amplify your communication efforts. Jointly host webinars, contribute to industry publications, or participate in collaborative initiatives to enhance visibility and credibility.
    8. \n
  8. Internal Communication and Training: Ensure that your internal communication efforts effectively engage employees and align them with the messaging and objectives of your supply chain initiatives. Conduct training programs, town hall meetings, and regular updates to ensure employees understand and can articulate the value propositions to external stakeholders.
    9. \n
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Effective communication is crucial for organizations to communicate their differentiated value propositions for supply chains. By building a comprehensive communication strategy and executing it through various channels, organizations can enhance their reputation, engage stakeholders, and differentiate themselves in the marketplace. Embrace the power of strategic communication to showcase the transformative impact of your supply chain initiatives and drive long-term success.

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For more information, please reach us at Hello@MeritMile.com, 1-561-362-8888, or visit us at www.MeritMile.com. And for more Merit Mile advertising, marketing, and PR guidance & best practices, check out our library of blog posts here.

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Let’s Talk

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\n"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4942,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/short-form-video-production-must-have-marketing-asset-2023/","title":"Short-Form Video Production- A Must-Have Marketing Asset in 2023 and Beyond","slug":"short-form-video-production-must-have-marketing-asset-2023","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Tue Jun 13th 2023","modified":"Tue Jun 13th 2023","excerpt":"

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, short-form videos have emerged as a powerful marketing tool for businesses looking to promote their offerings and services. With the expanded use of social media and the increasing demand for quick yet engaging content, they have become an essential component of many successful marketing strategies here at Merit Mile.

\n","author":{"name":"Mitch Curry"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Short-Form Video Production","metadesc":"Let Merit Mile help you understand the benefits of engaging, short-form video content and why you should consider integrating video assets into your next marketing strategy.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Short-Form Video Production","opengraph_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand the benefits of engaging, short-form video content and why you should consider integrating video assets into your next marketing strategy.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/video-production.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Short-Form Video Production","twitter_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand the benefits of engaging, short-form video content and why you should consider integrating video assets into your next marketing strategy.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/video-production.jpg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: June 13th, 2023

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In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, short-form videos have emerged as a powerful marketing tool for businesses looking to promote their offerings and services. With the expanded use of social media and the increasing demand for quick yet engaging content, they have become an essential component of many successful marketing strategies here at Merit Mile.

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Great at capturing attention in a world where consumers are constantly bombarded with written information, short-form videos can convey a brand’s message, highlight specific products or services, and engage viewers in fresh ways. With attention spans becoming more compressed, short-form videos provide an effective means of capturing and retaining audience interest, increasing the likelihood of message absorption and brand recall.

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Here’s Why:

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-The continued popularity of social media has significantly amplified reach and potential.

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These platforms have millions of active users, and their algorithms prioritize video content (LinkedIn and Instagram, for example), making it more likely for videos to reach a wider and more targeted audience. By leveraging short-form videos on such platforms, businesses can tap into a vast pool of potential customers, enhance brand visibility, and drive more traffic and sales.

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-Their compatibility with mobile devices.

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With most internet users accessing content through smartphones, it’s crucial to optimize marketing efforts for mobile consumption. Short videos are often easily shareable and can be consumed on the go, allowing businesses to reach their target audience anytime, anywhere. This accessibility and convenience factor make short-form videos an ideal choice for marketers seeking to connect with mobile-savvy consumers across the globe for critical message delivery.

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-The shift in consumer preferences towards authentic and relatable content.

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Unlike highly produced and polished advertisements, short videos often have a more casual and spontaneous feel, which resonates well with modern audiences. By showcasing genuine experiences or behind-the-scenes footage, businesses build stronger connections with their target market, fostering trust and loyalty.

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Project Management: A Key Yet Understated Role in Video Production

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At Merit Mile, the role of project management is crucial in the planning and execution of short-form video production. One of the primary responsibilities is to define the project scope and objectives in collaboration with the client- understanding their goals, target audience, and desired message, and translating them into a clear creative brief. By establishing a well-defined scope, the PM ensures that all stakeholders are aligned, and expectations are managed from the outset.

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Once the project scope is defined, the project manager plays a key role in assembling and coordinating with the video production team. This involves identifying the necessary resources, such as videographers, editors, scriptwriters, and graphic designers, and assigning tasks accordingly. Oftentimes, our first step in this phase is creating a visual storyboard, which is one of the best ways to gauge alignment with the client and collect constructive feedback at the onset.

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During the execution phase, the PM oversees the entire process, monitoring progress, managing timelines, and addressing any issues that may arise. Acting as a central point of contact for both the client and the production team, they provide regular updates, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments to keep the project on track. The project manager also ensures that the project stays within budget and adheres to any legal or copyright requirements. Attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple moving parts are vital in delivering a successful short-form video that meets the client’s expectations.

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Actions speak louder than words, however, so check out some of our most recent video work we’ve completed for several of our clients:

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  1. Here, we highlighted the newest AI (Artificial Intelligence) productivity tools for Microsoft:
    \n https://youtu.be/J7qfMdFISek
    2. \n
  2. Here, we crafted industry-specific demo videos for tech clients like Citrix and Google:
    \n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6h6YN8PgH5kZaAeK5wSNvbJNSFMPN-9S
    3. \n
  3. Here, we produced teaser videos for a satellite communications client, Iridium:
    \n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6h6YN8PgH5m1RULr2lcQ4sSpaYMJelkm
    4. \n
  4. Or even corporate videos like we executed for a healthcare client, LifeSync:
    \n https://youtu.be/lz11pMlxXVA
    5. \n
  5. For the complete Merit Mile video showcase, click the link here:
    \n https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC88IVztBfnFcGprwaYCDjbA
    6. \n
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The marketing benefits of short-form videos in 2023 are undeniable. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial for marketers to stay ahead of the curve and embrace the power of short-form videos to engage, inspire, and ultimately convert their target audience.

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Creating content that viewers thoroughly enjoy and retain often comes down to the right people and strategic marketing mindset. If your team, department, or organization is unsure on how to integrate short-from videos into your next marketing plan, send us a message and we’ll help bring your ideas to life.

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Surviving and thriving in tough economies often comes down to the right people and the right operational and marketing mindset. If your team, department, or organization is concerned about navigating difficult market forces, consider embracing an ATO in full or hybrid fashion starting with HR, marketing, and technology decision-making.

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For more information, please reach us at Hello@MeritMile.com, 1-561-362-8888, or visit us at www.MeritMile.com. And for more Merit Mile advertising, marketing, and PR guidance & best practices, check out our library of blog posts here.

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Let’s Talk

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\n"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4892,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/benefits-agile-transformation-office-ato-business-marketing-success/","title":"Benefits of an Agile Transformation Office (ATO) for Business and Marketing Success","slug":"benefits-agile-transformation-office-ato-business-marketing-success","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Mon May 1st 2023","modified":"Tue May 2nd 2023","excerpt":"From the hopeful startup to the established enterprise, and amidst multiple bull and bear cycles, the Merit Mile team has seen just about everything over the last 15+ years. One thing in particular shines brightly in our analyses—the way marketing departments and organizations navigate turbulent times is a great indicator of sustained, long-term performance.","author":{"name":"Mark Reino"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Benefits of an Agile Transformation Office (ATO)","metadesc":"If your team, department, or organization is concerned about navigating difficult market forces, consider embracing an ATO in full or hybrid fashion starting with HR, marketing, and technology decision-making.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Benefits of an Agile Transformation Office (ATO)","opengraph_description":"If your team, department, or organization is concerned about navigating difficult market forces, consider embracing an ATO in full or hybrid fashion starting with HR, marketing, and technology decision-making.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/benefits-agile-transformation-office-for-business-and-marketing-success.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Benefits of an Agile Transformation Office (ATO)","twitter_description":"If your team, department, or organization is concerned about navigating difficult market forces, consider embracing an ATO in full or hybrid fashion starting with HR, marketing, and technology decision-making.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/benefits-agile-transformation-office-for-business-and-marketing-success.jpg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: May 1st, 2023

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From the hopeful startup to the established enterprise, and amidst multiple bull and bear cycles, the Merit Mile team has seen just about everything over the last 15+ years. One thing in particular shines brightly in our analyses—the way marketing departments and organizations navigate turbulent times is a great indicator of sustained, long-term performance. And those organizations that are willing to embrace fresh approaches to challenges—especially customer challenges—seem to endure, thrive, and perform consistently over time.

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As you evaluate your marketing department or company as a whole, ask yourself if your organization is navigating the current day cycle with an agile, fresh-approach mindset; or a traditional, fixed-approach mindset?

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What is an agile transformation office?

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Agile organizations have been around for decades, but the post-pandemic period has invigorated the shift of many global organizations from traditional to agile corporate structures, or an agile transformation office (ATO). There are a myriad of definitions, but the essence of an ATO is an organization, department, or team aligned on goals and designed to be nimble and reactive to the needs of the business, all while understanding that change is inevitable rather than preventable.

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In contrast, a traditional corporate operating model relies heavily on safe but slower moving processes, methodologies, and hierarchies. These approaches have been tested and proven over time, but they have become less reliable and relevant due to a variety of factors, most notably access to data, immediacy of communications, and the consistent desire for organizations to achieve growth at scale.

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An ATO is focused on sometimes riskier but fast-twitch decision-making, personnel empowerment, and efficiencies among all departmental responsibilities. With so many employees, teams, and vendors geographically displaced from the conventional corporate HQs today, it’s easy to rationalize the shift.

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This shift has been driven largely by three pandemic-influenced factors:

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3 ways organizations benefit from agile transformation

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Let’s take a closer look and examine a few examples of how marketing, HR, and tech can make a positive impact in an agile environment in a phased approach to the ATO, especially when we’re all asked to stretch budgets and do more with less. But first, let’s understand that business is personal, business is hard, and business as well as business leadership is often stressful.

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Here are two recent citations representing the mindsets of senior leadership as well as Millennial and Gen Z professionals today:

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Senior level leadership: “…nearly 70% of senior leaders say burnout is affecting their ability to make decisions and 69% of executives are thinking about quitting because of their wellbeing (source).”

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Young professionals: 91% of 18–24-year-olds feel stressed; 87% of 25–34-year-olds feel stressed; and 98% of 18–24-year-olds are feeling burnout (source).

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1. Marketing Communications: Traditional organizations have widely adopted a mindset of developing personnel skillsets over time with formal training and steady coaching exercises. Ultimately this approach develops a ‘deep bench’ of skillset strengths in various departments. Keep in mind however in the current climate of professional infidelity, the notion of bench strength can be quickly disproven with the departure of one or two key players.

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Moreover, from an internal and external marketing communications point of view, today’s ATO, especially as it relates to the marketing function, recognizes that the ability to focus on the core business while outsourcing the creative and publicity marketing functions offers flexibility, creativity, collaboration, and significant savings versus the full-time employee team scenario. This agile approach to the function of marketing is analogous to a utility service that the organization can turn on or off and scale up or down quickly, and without expensive and/or burdensome employee onboarding and headcount involvement.

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Lastly, when properly executed, agile marketing approaches with qualified vendor partners typically produce results at a faster pace than the traditionally insourced function due to contractual terms, the “you get what you pay for” mindset, as well as the ‘sprint’ focus of third-party marketing teams.

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2. Human Resources: Often overlooked or taken for granted, the HR function is more important than ever in 2023. The gig economy, The Great Resignation, and the realities of millennial job-hopping have made the way we work today almost unrecognizable to the way the previous generation worked. Moreover, the effects of COVID-19 are still impacting today’s workforce as it relates to style, structure, productivity, and expectations. Yet, the recruit and retain function today does offer agile organizations attractive selling points that can counter the negative effects of turnover, one of the most costly expenses for any organization.

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Agile organizations typically embrace a culture of workplace flexibility—one of the most attractive recruit and retain ‘soft’ benefits. What companies lose in unused office square footage can potentially be made up in the form of work-from-home (WFH) employee satisfaction. Furthermore, many companies agreeable to WFH terms are seeing productivity increases as well as enjoying 24/7 accessibility to staff and teams.

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3. Technology Adoption: Business agility and digital transformation… these two initiatives are very complementary and could be the two primary pillars of business disruption this century, to date. Agile organizations demonstrate an ability to consume existing tech and new, emerging tech in an “all-you-can-eat” context, consistently testing, deploying, and sunsetting systems for teams, departments, and entire workforces.

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One of the most impactful ways companies can ramp-up on tech, particularly those with no internal IT function, is to hire and partner with third-party IT service providers. These companies are typically in close partnership with the leading independent software and hardware vendors, are up to date on business compliance requirements, and are consistently getting trained in the latest technology. Oftentimes, these IT services companies or systems integrators have their own intellectual property software solutions that may benefit your particular industry or niche market. If they do not have their own IP, many make it a common business practice to develop and license custom technology solutions for their end customers, too.

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Altogether, the consumption of technology in the corporate enterprise is a significant line-item expense that has direct cause and effect outcomes. From Cloud to Big Data to Blockchain to Artificial Intelligence; the ability to empower (productivity) yet control (security) employees remains a massive business goal. And those agile, tech-forward companies that provide the tools and training make for better, faster, and happier teams.

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ATO for business and marketing success – final thoughts

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Surviving and thriving in tough economies often comes down to the right people and the right operational and marketing mindset. If your team, department, or organization is concerned about navigating difficult market forces, consider embracing an ATO in full or hybrid fashion starting with HR, marketing, and technology decision-making.

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For more information, please reach us at Hello@MeritMile.com, 1-561-362-8888, or visit us at www.MeritMile.com.

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Let’s Talk

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"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4887,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/media-tours-taking-your-message-on-the-road-or-virtually-in-2023/","title":"Media Tours: Taking Your Message on the Road or Virtually in 2023","slug":"media-tours-taking-your-message-on-the-road-or-virtually-in-2023","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Mon Apr 17th 2023","modified":"Mon Apr 17th 2023","excerpt":"You may have been thinking about generating more publicity for your brand, product, or service. Most likely you know how valuable this can be in driving overall awareness and positioning you as a credible leader within your industry.","author":{"name":"John Sternal"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Media Tours","metadesc":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to integrate a successful media tour into your future PR strategy.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Media Tours","opengraph_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to integrate a successful media tour into your future PR strategy.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/media-tours-cities-hero.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Media Tours","twitter_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to integrate a successful media tour into your future PR strategy.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/media-tours-cities-hero.jpg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: April 17th, 2023

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You may have been thinking about generating more publicity for your brand, product, or service. Most likely you know how valuable this can be in driving overall awareness and positioning you as a credible leader within your industry.

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How do you go about getting this publicity? You’ve sent out a press release, but the phone didn’t ring with a reporter on the other side. What’s more, you know you have a compelling story to tell, so it might be time for you to take your story on the road.

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However, in today’s post-pandemic environment, what is the best way to conduct a successful media tour?

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Despite many reporters dealing with compressed daily schedules as a result of their own multi-tasking, they still thirst for compelling angles that they can build stories around for their readers and viewers. Additionally, many reporters, analysts and industry influencers are constantly looking for new contacts so that they don’t have to continuously use the same sources for their stories.

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In this instance, it’s often wise for companies to build a PR strategy around a media tour, which is a two- or three-day event where company executives set up interviews with targeted journalists and media outlets that might be interested in a story for their audience. Traditionally this has been an in-person visit, but today these briefing sessions can also take place virtually.

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Over the years, Merit Mile’s PR team has conducted many successful media tours for companies and executives, all looking to generate press exposure and build key media relationships simultaneously.

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The key to a successful media tour is all in the timing of the meeting date, which must synchronize with relevant story angles, industry events, and other headline events currently in the news.

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As an example, Merit Mile once planned a Detroit media tour for an automotive client around buzz on the industry’s return to car leasing. Meetings were set up with Automotive News, Detroit News, Ward’s Auto, MSNBC, Edmunds.com, and the tour culminated with an appearance on the popular industry TV show, “Autoline”. Virtual media briefings have also been coordinated for Citrix, MTM and IGEL.

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Another media tour was planned with a different client in the home-building industry when several Special Interest Publications were planning their winter season coverage on home weatherproofing. The editorial meetings enabled this client to strengthen its category leadership position on weatherproofing products and technologies for residential customers.

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Here is a map of all the cities where Merit Mile’s PR team has conducted successful media tours:

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\r\n \"Map\r\n

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Even today, virtual media tours are a cost-effective supplement or even replacement to a satellite media tour. With the widespread use of Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams web chat technology, brands can successfully coordinate virtual media tours when executives or the media don’t have time to make in-person visits. These virtual sessions are also a great way for clients to build relationships with industry media.

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Merit Mile’s Media Tour program is focused on a three-part strategy execution formula for clients:

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1: Plan the message around a strategic client objective: Planning for every media tour should begin by asking the question, “what do we want to talk about?” The answer to this question needs to coincide with one or two messages that are the main themes of the client’s agenda.

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2: Target the right media: Who do you want to be on the receiving end of your message when you travel to your destination media market or plan your virtual meetings? It’s not enough to just say, “Chicago Tribune” or “The New York Times”. Merit Mile plans its media tours around specific meetings with certain members of the press who have a keen interest in meeting with the client.

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3: Understand timing of the execution: Will the media tour take place before, during, or immediately following an industry trade event? What else is making headlines at the time of your trip, and how might the client’s message/agenda play a role in some of these larger stories? It’s imperative to answer each of these questions with a game plan to maximize the trip results.

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Above all else, always be sure to have a backup plan because meetings will get canceled. Reporters are some of the busiest professionals with schedules that change in the blink of an eye. Having a backup plan with additional meetings on hand will ensure all gaps are filled in the event of a cancellation.

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Would you like to take your message on the road or conduct a virtual media tour? Schedule a meeting with Merit Mile’s PR team to find out how a media tour can benefit your business. Email jsternal@meritmile.com.

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Let’s Talk

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"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4881,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/why-b2b-marketers-should-put-podcasts-in-their-marketing-plan/","title":"Why B2B Marketers Should Put Podcasts in their Marketing Plan","slug":"why-b2b-marketers-should-put-podcasts-in-their-marketing-plan","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Mon Apr 10th 2023","modified":"Mon Apr 10th 2023","excerpt":"We all have our favorite podcasts and it’s not hard to see why. It’s an easy and engaging way for one to learn, explore, and stay current on everything from news and sports to entertainment and self-help. In fact, podcasting has reached the highest numbers ever this year, with 90 million Americans being weekly podcast listeners (Buzzsprout). ","author":{"name":"Sarah Gibson"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | B2B Podcasting","metadesc":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to best integrate podcasting into your marketing strategy.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | B2B Podcasting","opengraph_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to best integrate podcasting into your marketing strategy.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/b2b-podcasts.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | B2B Podcasting","twitter_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to best integrate podcasting into your marketing strategy.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/b2b-podcasts.jpg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: April 10th, 2023

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We all have our favorite podcasts and it’s not hard to see why. It’s an easy and engaging way for one to learn, explore, and stay current on everything from news and sports to entertainment and self-help. In fact, podcasting has reached the highest numbers ever this year, with 90 million Americans being weekly podcast listeners (Buzzsprout). Buzzsprout also reports that that 28% of U.S. adults listen to podcasts while driving, and 73% listen to podcasts on their smartphone.

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But podcasts are not just for personal entertainment. B2B and B2C marketers can and should use podcasting as an effective way to reach new audiences, build brand awareness, and establish thought leadership in their industry. It’s a fantastic way to connect with customers and prospects on a more personal level, with conversational and authentic interactions. Compare that to traditional marketing assets like eBooks or whitepapers, which are not as easily digestible while on-the-go.

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You can approach podcasting in a few ways, so keep that in mind when thinking about your future marketing plan. There are true podcasts, that are dedicated ongoing series with a high degree of commitment and then there are one-time and short-series podcast styles. The latter is more approachable, is an easy first step, and doesn’t have the burden of a full-time commitment. It’s a smart way to get your message out and test drive it in front of your target audience.

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Getting started is easier than you think. All you need to get off the ground is a simple microphone, recording software, and a hosting platform. Save the big investments in high-end mics and mixers until you’ve proven your model.

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How Marketers Can Use Podcasts

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In the world of B2B and B2C marketing, podcasts are a terrific way to educate your audience about industry trends, product features, and new technologies. Similarly, customer stories and audio case studies can help build credibility and trust by sharing real-world examples of how a product or service has solved a business problem. Talking about an upcoming release or launch can generate excitement and anticipation, and podcasts can be used as a promotional tool to build hype for an event that can drive attendance and create a sense of community around a brand.

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How We’ve Done It

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Hitachi Solutions and Microsoft:

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Merit Mile was tasked with the challenge of developing a highly focused digital asset for Hitachi Solutions, a Global Systems Integrator and Microsoft partner. Our goal was to explain the benefits of value-based healthcare and how solutions from Hitachi and Microsoft enable payors and providers to optimize and solve data challenges, helping them build towards value-based outcomes.

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We approached the challenge by coordinating discovery calls with leading subject-matter experts at both Hitachi and Microsoft, gaining a better understanding of the topic at hand. Armed with new information and insights, Merit Mile then saw the opportunity for a podcast, giving the experts the ability to explain challenging concepts in their own words while plugging them into an easily digestible digital asset that our audience would not only grasp but enjoy.

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Our solution then came naturally. Merit Mile, acting as the moderator, posed a series of questions to the SMEs that then evolved into a full script. We looked into best practices and ensured all parties were equipped with the proper recording equipment and joining from a quiet room. Then, utilizing Zencastr, the group jumped into the app, pressed record, and made it happen.

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After the recording was complete, Merit Mile refined and edited the audio files accordingly from start-to-finish and delivered a final mp3 file to the client. Because we made sure to build an accurate transcript of the audio, we were then able to produce a readable PDF version of the podcast with personalized artwork and branding that the Hitachi team promoted in their B2B marketing efforts.

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\r\n \"HItachi\r\n

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You can see and listen to the finished results at HitachiSolutions.com.

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We’ve also taken a similar approach to projects with Capgemini and Avtex, both in conjunction with Microsoft. Check out the links below for more information on our work and for a peek into how we can integrate podcasting into your marketing strategy.

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CapGemini: Merit Mile- CapGemini Case Study

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Avtex: Final mp3 file / Readable PDF version

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Tools & Tips

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There are several tools and tips that can make creating and promoting a podcast easier and more effective. It’s essential to have the right tools and knowledge to make a high-quality production:

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Give it a try

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At Merit Mile, our approach is turnkey, and not unlike any other long-form marketing content development, we own it end-to-end. We remove any uncertainty for you and drive your podcast to the finish line. If want to talk how your marketing team can get started with podcasting, drop a note to hello@meritmile.com.

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Let’s Talk

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"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4841,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/stretch-your-marketing-budget-2023/","title":"Stretch your marketing budget in 2023: A proven formula for content marketing, lead generation, and awareness.","slug":"stretch-your-marketing-budget-2023","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Thu Mar 9th 2023","modified":"Mon Mar 13th 2023","excerpt":"Let’s state the obvious. The job of a marketer in 2023 is tough. Chances are you are working with a conservative marketing budget, the size of your team may have been impacted, and the pressure is on to do more with less. Or, in many cases, you’re spreading and shifting your time and budget into new areas like AI-driven marketing.","author":{"name":"Scott Lindars"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Stretch Your Marketing Budget in 2023","metadesc":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to best utilize your marketing budget in 2023.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Stretch Your Marketing Budget in 2023","opengraph_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to best utilize your marketing budget in 2023.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/budget-stretch.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Stretch Your Marketing Budget in 2023","twitter_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand how to best utilize your marketing budget in 2023.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/budget-stretch.jpg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: March 9th, 2023

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Let’s state the obvious. The job of a marketer in 2023 is tough. Chances are you are working with a conservative marketing budget, the size of your team may have been impacted, and the pressure is on to do more with less. Or, in many cases, you’re spreading and shifting your time and budget into new areas like AI-driven marketing. And of course, expectations are higher than ever to boost engagement, drive brand awareness, and fill the pipeline. What’s a marketer to do?

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Squeeze that lemon

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Here’s a proven formula for creating a valuable multi-pronged approach to content marketing, thought leadership, demand generation, awareness, and sales enablement. It’s a formula we’ve used for our own purposes as well as for our technology, financial services, and automotive clients. It’s a strategy that lets you:

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It starts with a hypothesis

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The foundation of the approach is to define a hypothesis-style objective that you want to develop. This could be market trends, customer challenges, industry use cases, customer insights, or any other thought leadership style narrative. An example could be “We want to study how marketing organizations are using AI to influence their marketing programs” or “We want to research the challenges small IT organizations are facing moving to a zero-trust security model.” Once you know what you’re out to discover (and rationalized why this is important to your business and customers), then you can move on to the next stage.

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Build a survey

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The survey is the piece that enables you to build data points and collect the insights that will support your mission. When developing your survey questions and answers, think backwards. Think about what you need to discover or prove and craft questions and answers that will support those goals. Not all questions need to be for your marketing content, some can just be for internal usage. And of course, follow survey best practices about the number of questions, expected time to complete, wording, etc.

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The results are in

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With results in hand, start breaking down the data. Identify what’s valuable for your hypothesis that will support future marketing content, and what’s important for other teams like product management, sales, tech support, and customer care. Trust me, your teams will be clamoring to get their hands on the results, and each will find a particular set of results insightful on how it impacts their business unit.

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Data-driven marketing content

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Now you can get to the fun part, turning your survey results into thought leading marketing content. A great 1-2 combination is to create an infographic and a research style report. The infographic is great for general consumption that teases the findings. Typically, it’s a marketing offer you would openly share ungated, but there is no reason it can’t be used for lead generation. The research report is your chance to really go deep to establish yourself as an authority in your industry and develop ownable points of view and perspective.

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\r\n \"Establish\r\n Establish yourself as an industry leader with research reports, market insights, and customer trends.\r\n

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You can tie the two together by having a call to action at the end of the infographic with a link to a landing page to read the report, which would typically be gated behind a lead generation form. Video is another great avenue to pursue if it’s within your means or budget. Depending on your organization’s in-house creative services team, these may be the only pieces you will need to work with an outside agency or freelance designer to produce.

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\r\n \"Use\r\n Use infographics, video, and rich conent to tease the findings of your research.\r\n

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Product marketing teams can also take the survey results and infuse them into customer-facing content like presentations, blogs, web copy, and sales enablement tools. What’s great is these types of materials are typically handled in-house by product marketing and do not require any 3rd party help or budget.

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Now get the word out!

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It’s time to put these efforts and content to work. You don’t just want to publish these results and hope people find them. You want to shout it from the rooftops.

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Work with your PR team to develop a press release about the findings and your organization’s point of view on them. Getting your release out there on the newswire is an affordable way to spread the word and gain a lot of media pickup. If a formal release is out of the question, then craft a blog-style press release. Either way, be sure to have a link that drives readers back to your gated landing page where they can read the full report. But don’t stop with just a wire release or blog.

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Have your PR team actively “pitch” the story to relevant trade publications, journalists, and analysts. Some editors may even want to schedule a podcast interview where your subject-matter-expert offers critical insights merged in with important brand messaging (i.e., why the survey results are important and how you can help). The goal here is to engage with them and have them write or produce their own story (versus just reposting the release), request an interview, and be independently talking about your news. Some editors may also want you to draft an educational thought leader feature article that goes more in-depth into why you did the survey and why you feel the results are compelling.

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\r\n \"Enage\r\n Enage with indsutry publications and websites for earned media.\r\n

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To further build demand, convert the findings of the survey and report into slides and conduct a webinar. This becomes your opportunity to really engage with your community and actively share the results in a dialogue, where you can poll the audience and answer questions.

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\r\n \"Promote\r\n Promote your report with display ads and social media images.\r\n

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Finally, use all these new nuggets of information and factoids to create a series of social media images, digital banners for paid advertising, and website graphics and hero images. This way you can tie everything together with a consistent set of messaging, creative, and call to actions.

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Give it a try

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With some fresh ideas and creative juices flowing, talk with your marketing and stakeholder teams to see how this approach could be used in your organization. If you want to brainstorm on ideas or learn more about how our team can help, drop us a line at hello@meritmile.com.

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Let’s Talk

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"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4793,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/strategic-marketing-in-2023-the-year-of-the-brand-conversational-ai/","title":"Strategic Marketing in 2023: The Year of the Brand & Conversational AI","slug":"strategic-marketing-in-2023-the-year-of-the-brand-conversational-ai","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Tue Feb 14th 2023","modified":"Wed Feb 15th 2023","excerpt":"As we settle into the new year we are surrounded, if not overwhelmed, by the noise of a bleak economy. Is the forecast truly cloudy for brands and corporate marketers, and if so, where should the budget and energy focus be directed? ","author":{"name":"Mark Reino"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Strategic Marketing in 2023","metadesc":"As we settle into the new year we are surrounded, if not overwhelmed, by the noise of a bleak economy. Is the forecast truly cloudy for brands and corporate marketers, and if so, where should the budget and energy focus be directed?","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Strategic Marketing in 2023","opengraph_description":"As we settle into the new year we are surrounded, if not overwhelmed, by the noise of a bleak economy. Is the forecast truly cloudy for brands and corporate marketers, and if so, where should the budget and energy focus be directed?","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-marketingasset-9-100.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Strategic Marketing in 2023","twitter_description":"As we settle into the new year we are surrounded, if not overwhelmed, by the noise of a bleak economy. Is the forecast truly cloudy for brands and corporate marketers, and if so, where should the budget and energy focus be directed?","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-marketingasset-9-100.jpg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: February 14th, 2023

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As we settle into the new year we are surrounded, if not overwhelmed, by the noise of a bleak economy. Is the forecast truly cloudy for brands and corporate marketers, and if so, where should the budget and energy focus be directed?

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What Challenges Do Marketers Face and How Can they Differentiate Themselves?

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The advertising and public relations industry is facing a unique challenge in the current US economic climate. With consumer spending down, businesses are being forced to cut back on their marketing budgets, leaving many corporate marketing professionals either laid off or without the typical revenue streams they enjoyed in years past. At the same time, companies that remain engaged are shifting their focus to digital channels due to their lower cost and higher return-on-investment potential. This has led to an increase in demand for skilled digital marketers who can leverage emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in addition to conventional SEO and SEM skillsets. As a result, many traditional marketing roles have been replaced or supplemented by technical positions requiring specialized knowledge of data analysis, coding languages, automation tools, social media management platforms, etc. In order to stay competitive in this rapidly changing 2023 landscape, it will be essential for modern marketers and publicists alike to stay abreast of new technology trends while also honing their core skillsets.

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How Are Agencies Adding Real Value in 2023?

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Mark Cuban famously said that marketing is like chess – you have to think several steps ahead of your competition if you want to come out on top. This sentiment holds true even more so during times of economic uncertainty and distress; those who can identify innovative marketing solutions, adjust their strategies quickly, and capitalize on new opportunities will have a critical advantage in the long run. With the right marketing partner, businesses of any size can achieve success in an uncertain economy. A good agency partner for B2C and B2B brands in 2023 needs to contribute beyond ideation and execution and invest the time to understand your customers’ needs. Finding fresh and creative ways to build relationships with the buyers and consumers of your product or services is a must. Those brands that develop and bolster strong yet agile brand and demand marketing strategies will help position themselves for future growth and profitability; simply by investing, executing, and taking calculated risks. And now more than ever, a sustained investment in strategic as well as tactical marketing is essential for near and long-term business success.

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Marketing and Tech in 2023 – What’s Old is New Yet Again

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For over 15 years running, Merit Mile has tackled the tough assignments in an otherwise glamourous agency business, among a dozen different vertical industries. Assignments that reek of complex technology, speeds and feeds, multi-tiered channels of distribution, modern supply chains, or sophisticated omni-channel marketing orchestration—on a global level and at scale! As a result, the Merit Mile team has participated in the hands-on launch of several transcendent “micro-economies” including server virtualization, customer experience (Cx), electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, satellite communications, digital transformation, GDPR compliance, sports science, aerospace, cloud and SaaS, IOT, and AI/ML-driven intelligent supply chain systems. But before we pull a muscle patting the team on the back, let’s realize and also embrace the reality that today’s complexity, fears, unknowns, and new advancements in tech are virtually mirror reflections of similar challenges in years passed. Those of us over 40 have witnessed, survived, and ultimately thrived amidst wartime climates, multiple recessions, economic calamities, and radical advancements in technology (including marketing tech). So, what’s disrupting the industry and how do we endure and advance amidst the sensationalized macro-economic doom and gloom?

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Marketing and Tech Disruption in 2023: Enter Language-based Conversational AI

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\"Marketing

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As the global collective of marketers scratch their temples and immediately shift to job displacement concerns, perhaps they should learn from history instead. Like with any new tech, take a deep breath and then take a deep dive into understanding it first. In its simplest context, language-based conversational artificial intelligence, like Microsoft’s ChatGPT Open AI model and Google’s Bard, are perhaps the most tangible forms of ML and AI widely available today, and useful in many applications and industries.

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In its own description, ChatGPT is “an AI-powered chatbot developed by OpenAI, based on the GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) language model. It uses deep learning techniques to generate human-like responses to text inputs in a conversational manner.” And “Bard is Google’s competing artificial intelligence chatbot. It will work exactly like ChatGPT, that is, users will be able to use the chatbot through conversation. The new chatbot is based on Google’s Language Model for Dialogue Application (Language Model for Dialogue Application or LaMDA).”

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Or, in other words, language-based conversational AI, like GPT-3, is a smarter method of inputting text while replicating the nuances of the human language in an effort to more quickly and accurately output more human-like responses in: text format, content (i.e., articles, poetry, reports), or even programming code on a particular topic. With over 175 billion ML parameters, Microsoft’s ChatGPT is a smart and robust source of data and compute power. Look for ChatGPT to reinvigorate Microsoft’s Bing search offerings and once again attempt to compete head-to-head with Google Search as well. And with full access to Google Search meta data, rest assured the Bard solution will be equally robust.

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Should Marketers Be Concerned About Language-based Conversational AI?

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In a word, no, not worried, however, marketers should be optimistic about the usefulness of conversational AI tools and similar chatbots. Realistically, marketers and agencies should still be concerned with strategy, copywriting, tactical execution, and the business outcomes of their decisions and recommendations. However, we shouldn’t overlook the capabilities of conversational AI and how these tools can improve any number of day-to-day activities including: SEO/SEM and web content, email subject lines, concept ideation, writer’s block inspiration, social media post content, and more.

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As a marketer or agency, where do you begin with conversational AI?

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As stated, doing your homework and due diligence is the first step. And true to the Merit Mile strapline, For Tech, from Tech, we too are testing several tools and applications in this area. Remember, even if you are already embracing AI tools, a layer of human intervention including proofing and editing is still required. For a nudge in the right direction, here’s a list of 17 tools you may want to evaluate. Thank you www.marketingmilk.com!

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2023 Marketing Focus: Brand, Content, and Thought Leadership

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With the expectations of the corporate marketing function as high as ever, where should the focus be this year? Similarly, those of you doing more with less (staff, budget, agency support), how do you prioritize business goals and commitments which certainly have not lessened?

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The answers are really centered on your own objectives. The SMB marketer or small team may want to continue to invest and focus on business development activities such as push/pull direct marketing and lead generation, including LinkedIn advertising. The corporate or enterprise marketer may want to shift focus this year and bolster investments in their brand, content, channel marketing, and thought leadership. Everyone in your organization recognizes that top-line revenue and closed deals wins the race, but healthy brands are life rafts for companies in recession economies. Also, the larger enterprise may have experienced a bit of over indexing in the lead generation area in 2022 as evidenced by credible quality versus quantity opinions.

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Conversely, brands large and small have under invested in recent years across content marketing, thought leadership, and general above the line branding efforts. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as we continue to collectively embrace the immediacy of cause/effect mediums, most notably all major social platforms. Altogether, the reeling in of wide-scale, top-of-funnel investments is the most common denominator for Merit Mile clients in 2023. In turn, shifting those resources to content marketing, awareness, earned media, digital marketing, and concentrated brand building exercises is the 2023 focus. Yes, 2023 is the pencil sharpening year for B2C and B2B marketers, indeed.

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Where to Begin in 2023? 5 Suggestions for Corporate Brand and Demand Marketers:

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  1. Messaging—offset top-of-funnel demand gen investments with more messaging scrutiny. Performing an analysis of your buyer personas and defining benefit-language messaging and positioning among all of them will improve above and below the line marketing efforts across the board.
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  2. Visual Branding—this doesn’t always require a top-down creative execution, but a thoughtful tightening of your visual identity including color palette and collateral will help create or reinforce marketplace perceptions and complement any shifts in messaging from point 1.
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  3. Tools—if the team or department hasn’t validated the likely very long list of tools they regularly use for day-to-day functions, now is the time. Let’s face it, tech shifts fast and new services are launching daily. Sometimes in these exercises, costs can even come down.
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  4. Content—your prospects, clients, and social media followers want it and need it. Content isn’t king anymore. Fresh content is the king and the queen of your marketing chessboard, and it doesn’t take a herculean effort or budget to create it among text, eBooks, infographics, podcasts, and videos anymore.
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  5. Publicity—what does the media know about you and your mission? Do they know you at all? A diversified public relations footprint is a strategic component of any thoughtful marketing plan, even during a recession. And the outputs of this investment cascade into a number of impactful business development outcomes and direct marketing tools.
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In summary, the notion of recession marketing is not new for many of us. Once the masses get over the initial fear, uncertainty, and doubt, there lies the focus and clarity. Remember, a good agency partner in 2023 needs to contribute beyond the big idea and invest the time to understand your audience’s needs. And not unlike any other new shiny object, new technology does not dismantle an entire marketing strategy or displace an entire team or mission. Altogether, marketing and tech have been a happily married and maturing couple since the turn of the century (they were courting since the industrial revolution), and there is no divorce on the horizon. Embrace it, learn, and grow!

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To learn more, please direct message me or take a look at the library of Merit Mile resources linked here: About, Case Studies, Portfolio, News, Contact.

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If you have any questions, suggestions, want help with your marketing strategy in 2023, or want to discuss working with us in general, drop us a line!

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Let’s Talk

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"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4754,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-b2b-creative-brief/","title":"Everything You Need to Know About the B2B Creative Brief","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-b2b-creative-brief","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Tue Feb 7th 2023","modified":"Wed Feb 15th 2023","excerpt":"Consumer marketing often has mass appeal and offers a lot of flexibility in terms of risk-taking and conceptual development. Although B2B marketing can be construed as more regimented and less fun than consumer marketing, creative development in the B2B arena is, perhaps, an even more thoughtful and more highly targeted marketing and communications process. ","author":{"name":"Saul Darville"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Everything You Need to Know About the B2B Creative Brief","metadesc":"The process of great advertising concept development begins with the creative brief. Done correctly, the creative brief aligns client and agency stakeholders and sets the stage for ideas that support the business objective.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Everything You Need to Know About the B2B Creative Brief","opengraph_description":"The process of great advertising concept development begins with the creative brief. Done correctly, the creative brief aligns client and agency stakeholders and sets the stage for ideas that support the business objective.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/the-b2b-creative-brief.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Everything You Need to Know About the B2B Creative Brief","twitter_description":"The process of great advertising concept development begins with the creative brief. Done correctly, the creative brief aligns client and agency stakeholders and sets the stage for ideas that support the business objective.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/the-b2b-creative-brief.jpg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: February 7th, 2023

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Consumer marketing often has mass appeal and offers a lot of flexibility in terms of risk-taking and\r\n conceptual development. Although B2B marketing can be construed as more regimented and less fun than\r\n consumer marketing, creative development in the B2B arena is, perhaps, an even more thoughtful and more\r\n highly targeted marketing and communications process. The process of great advertising concept development\r\n begins with the creative brief. Done correctly, the creative brief aligns client and agency stakeholders and\r\n sets the stage for ideas that support the business objective. This article will capture Merit Mile’s best\r\n practices for developing B2B creative briefs for winning marketing and advertising campaigns.

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The B2B Creative Brief – Begin with the Essentials

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The B2B creative brief is, essentially, the document that puts the creative team in a position to succeed. As such, starting with the basic fundamentals is a great place to begin.

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The foundation for these fundamentals is largely centered on what the overarching client objective is. Is the objective to educate our audiences; generate buyer demand for the product/service; creative awareness; or something else? Go ahead and get specific because confusion about the goals at the onset will likely cascade into misinterpretation elsewhere.

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Next, what exactly does the scope of work entail? Detail matters and having a clear understanding of the scope will ensure all parties align on what the outcome should look like. Is the client looking only for conceptual ideas? If so, how deep or elaborate should the ideas be? To a degree, the scope details put a box around the entire project. As you’ll read later, there is no better way to push the envelope and get outside the box than understanding what it looks like first.

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The third element of the project fundamentals section of the B2B Creative brief is the project deliverables section. If the scope of work paints a picture of the project “box,” the deliverables are, in essence, the contents of that box. The deliverables section of the B2B Creative brief should leave no ambiguity as to what the agency’s outputs should be throughout the entire project.

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Here’s a good baseline for any project deliverables section for your next B2B creative brief:

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Project Deliverables – 4 in Total:

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  1. Up to five creative concepts
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  2. Business rationale for each concept
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  3. Supporting messaging/light copywriting for each concept
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  4. Creative concept presentation delivered in PPTX format (less than 20 slides)
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The last section of the project fundamentals section of the B2B Creative brief is the Schedule section. Here is where the rubber meets the road, and the agency aligns calendar dates with project milestones. This section of the brief also serves as a great resource and reminder for any billing/invoicing needs that should take place throughout the project. In many cases, the client should have the ability to sign off on these dates so expectations are set and met. Remember, the B2B Creative brief is a great tool for building consensus and ensuring all parties stay in alignment. Pro-tip: when developing your project schedule, apply a number of days for completion than specific calendar dates. This way, the completion of a previous milestone triggers subsequent actions and milestones.

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The B2B Creative Brief – Audience and Key Message

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With the foundation laid, the walls and rooms of your B2B creative brief structure are, by and large, the audience and key message sections. Let’s break down each of these important pillars for better context as these areas will truly empower the creative team and allow them to shine brightly.

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When referring to audiences in Consumer marketing, we’re often communicating to audiences on a wide scale. For example, male adults 25‑54 with household incomes of $100k+ is a specific, albeit broad and typical Consumer marketing target audience.

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The science and art of a good B2B creative brief, however, is hyper-focused on a particular target audience. Sometimes B2B marketing assignments focus not on specific people, but instead on a unique industry or vertical market. Because we’re targeting business buyers, the audience section can depict more detail: not only gender and age, but also industry, decision-making authority, title, geography, and more. Business persona development in B2B advertising is an even better way to target in a B2B creative brief as this type of demographic and psychographic detail will help creatives ideate in a much more specific manner. So, rather than casting a wide creative net around a wide audience, B2B concepts can isolate a particular buyer that best meets the profile of the campaign objective. For more on B2B persona development, check out the article linked here.

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Whether Consumer or B2B, the best advertising concepts often start with great creative briefs. And if you’re looking to identify one section within a B2B creative brief that distinguishes itself as the most critical, it may be the key message section. A key message in a B2B creative brief is the one big takeaway that we, as marketers, want our target audience to remember. Often, it’s a bold proclamation, or a factual statement with supporting numeric support (e.g., ROI or savings %). The best key messages, however, are short statements that speak to the benefits (not the features) of the product or service you’re promoting. For example, here are two recent Merit Mile B2B Creative brief Key Messages that were used in two unique client campaigns:

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Healthcare/Medical Device Campaign:

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“LifeSync EMG needles increase patient comfort and caregiver quality.”

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Satellite Communications Device Campaign:

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“Iridium gives you the peace of mind and freedom to easily stay connected (to life and work) from anywhere.”

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If you consider your target audience and key message as the walls and rooms of the B2B creative brief structure, those important areas need reinforcement for safety and reliability; or support in general terms. Examples of helpful support that complement a key message include message tone, existing or desired positioning, and any preconceived attitudes toward the product or service you’re promoting. Altogether, a solid key message along with factual supporting insights will help your creatives land on winning ideas during any B2B creative scope of work.

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\"Creative

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The B2B Creative Brief – Final Touches Lead to Great Creative Execution

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With the foundation of your B2B creative brief cemented as the project basics; and your middle walls and rooms designed with your target audience and a key message; now is the time to put the finishing touches on your winning B2B creative brief. To continue the metaphor, let’s envision this section as the rooftop of your structure. Chances are, your creative team can ideate and execute against the program scope without these finer details, but if you’ve come this far, why not go the full distance?! That’s right, let’s put a shiny roof on this structure and in the process make bold strides at ensuring both agency and client success.

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Some helpful suggestions to incorporate into your B2B creative brief:

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  1. Competitive awareness: understanding what the competition is doing will naturally identify gaps in the marketplace. A bit of homework in this area, be it a competitive SWOT, or shallow dive understanding of competitive trends, will also help your creative team avoid common pitfalls like presenting concepts that may be deemed derivative or dated.
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  2. Evidence: are there any factual statements that can or should be communicated to help sell your creative vision? Things like patents, customer testimonials, third-party reviews, or industry awareness add credibility to B2B creative concepts.
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  3. Legal: ask or research any limitations that may automatically reject a concept on presentation day. There’s nothing worse than presenting a winning idea only to be shot down by the legal team. Don’t be afraid to ask about legal limitations at the onset of any B2B creative assignment and be sure to document the same in your brief.
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Since 2007, the team and I at Merit Mile have been marketing B2B products and services for leading organizations worldwide. Please take a look at our most recent agency case studies and portfolio showcases today. If you have any questions, suggestions, want help developing your next brief, or want to discuss working with us in general, drop us a line at Hello@MeritMile.com anytime!

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Let’s Talk

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"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4762,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/5-articles-to-simplify-linkedin-advertising-in-2023/","title":"5 Articles to Simplify LinkedIn Advertising in 2023","slug":"5-articles-to-simplify-linkedin-advertising-in-2023","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Thu Jan 19th 2023","modified":"Wed Feb 15th 2023","excerpt":"LinkedIn has always been known as a platform that helps professionals network, share updates, and connect with peers. But there is another essential element to the platform that marketers and campaign managers need to be familiar with—LinkedIn Advertising for awareness and demand generation. ","author":{"name":"Sarah Gibson"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | 5 Articles to Simplify LinkedIn Advertising in 2023","metadesc":"LinkedIn has always been known as a platform that helps professionals network, share updates, and connect with peers.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | 5 Articles to Simplify LinkedIn Advertising in 2023","opengraph_description":"LinkedIn has always been known as a platform that helps professionals network, share updates, and connect with peers.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/linkedin-article-graphic-asset.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | 5 Articles to Simplify LinkedIn Advertising in 2023","twitter_description":"LinkedIn has always been known as a platform that helps professionals network, share updates, and connect with peers.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/linkedin-article-graphic-asset.jpg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: January 19th, 2023

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LinkedIn has always been known as a platform that helps professionals network, share updates, and connect with peers. But there is another essential element to the platform that marketers and campaign managers need to be familiar with—LinkedIn Advertising for awareness and demand generation.

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There is no shortage of in-depth articles, how-to videos, and even courses offered by LinkedIn that cover everything you’ll need to know. But sifting through all this content isn’t easy and can be very time consuming, especially during a busy workweek. If you don’t have the time to take a 4-hour course, no problem! Check out our top 5 articles that will help you simplify and learn the tricks to promote your business (or yourself) like a pro. Then, when you’re ready to jump into a full course, you will already be a few steps ahead of the pack.

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These five articles will ensure your advertising efforts are carefully crafted, well-received, and thoughtfully executed from start to finish. If you need further support rationalizing LinkedIn as a B2B social media investment, check out this additional Merit Mile post. There is always a lot more to learn, but understanding the content here will help get you started— trust us, the results will show.

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If you want to talk about LinkedIn Advertising or have any questions, drop a note to hello@meritmile.com.

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Let’s Talk

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"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4746,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/a-smb-model-for-modern-digital-security/","title":"A SMB Model for Modern Digital Security","slug":"a-smb-model-for-modern-digital-security","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Fri Jan 6th 2023","modified":"Wed Feb 15th 2023","excerpt":"In an ever-changing digital landscape, all businesses, from small and medium to enterprise, must consider the digital security of their organization and team members as a part of their ongoing business plan. ","author":{"name":"Sarah Gibson"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | A SMB Model for Modern Digital Security","metadesc":"Let Merit Mile help you understand the importance of modern digital security for a SMB","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | A SMB Model for Modern Digital Security","opengraph_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand the importance of modern digital security for a SMB","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/smb-model-for-modern-digital-security-scaled.jpeg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | A SMB Model for Modern Digital Security","twitter_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand the importance of modern digital security for a SMB","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/smb-model-for-modern-digital-security-scaled.jpeg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: January 6th, 2023

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In an ever-changing digital landscape, all businesses, from small and medium to enterprise, must consider the digital security of their organization and team members as a part of their ongoing business plan. As a marketing services agency with a passion for modern technology, Merit Mile had to evolve with not only proactive digital security measures, but also adhere to the requirements of several clients cascading security mandates to vendors. This article may help a SMB understand and embrace digital security solutions and rationalize investment in this critical area of the business landscape.

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Like physical security, digital security requires constant monitoring, improvements, and due diligence to help ensure the most secure environment for your organization. As the web and corporate networks evolve, so do the tools and tactics used by others to gain access to corporate networks. But, as we move forward, so do the tools used to protect and defend ourselves as business owners. Similarly, and like several Merit Mile enterprise clients; if your company provides services of just about any kind to other businesses, your clients may now require your company meet or exceed a variety of digital security measures. And if you don’t adhere to these requirements, you may jeopardize your business relationship with them.

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A good best practice, and one that Merit Mile embraces, would be an annual analysis of your organization’s digital security layers. You should think of this as a starting point to make sure your organization is secure as possible. For small businesses that do not have a full IT staff to handle these annual deep dives, there are options for you, such as third-party vendors who specialize in IT services, like an MSP. Or find a security-focused vendor that can perform the penetration tests needed to find the holes in your security layers and suggest the steps you can take to resolve any issues they may find. There is no better time than the beginning of the year to get things in order. If you want vendor recommendations for your own review and consideration, please email us at Hello@MeritMile.com.

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With the results of your annual security analysis in hand, you can begin to take the steps to remedy the most critical issues first. Then, work on the others you and your team have identified and decided to tackle this year. If your organization has not already implemented multi‑factor authentication (MFA) for your workstation and communications credentials, then now would be the right time to add that to your list. It will help prevent most intrusions where the username and password credentials have been compromised (Microsoft claims 99.9%).

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Another layer we have added here at Merit Mile is digital security training for our entire team. By learning together, we help make our organization safer and our team stronger and more informed!

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There are many other ways to add layers to your digital security blanket depending on your organization’s needs. Your IT staff or vendor will be able to assist you so that you and your team can continue doing business as usual. If you have other tips and tactics for improving your organization’s security layers, let us hear them.

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Finally, beyond the obvious benefit of minimizing outages and digital security threats, other benefits of adopting security best practices for your SMB include:

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  1. Keeping pace and staying ahead of ongoing IT security threats for peace of mind
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  2. Empowering while also protecting remote and hybrid workforces
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  3. Maintaining business confidentiality, including contracts, HR, and NDA compliance
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  4. Earning discounts on various business insurance premiums
    5. \r\n
  5. Differentiating your business from your competitors
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There are several moving parts to the Merit Mile digital security model, and this article only captures the highlights for your organization to consider. Similar to any other business decision, your security protocols should be tailored for your unique needs.

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Unlike 20 or even 10 years ago, the idea of digital security for modern organizations should no longer be considered optional—it should be a must. If you want to talk all things marketing or digital security, drop a note to Hello@MeritMile.com anytime!

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Let’s Talk

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"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4769,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/maximizing-partner-consumption-of-your-co-sell-marketing-kits/","title":"Maximizing partner consumption of your co‑sell marketing kits","slug":"maximizing-partner-consumption-of-your-co-sell-marketing-kits","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Wed Dec 14th 2022","modified":"Wed Feb 15th 2023","excerpt":"Congratulations, you’ve built a partner marketing kit. Your partners now have content marketing assets like eBooks and infographics, digital display banners, and emails in hopes that they can easily co-sell your joint solutions and services. Or will they?","author":{"name":"Scott Lindars"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Everything You Need to Know About the B2B Creative Brief","metadesc":"Having been on both the enterprise channel marketing and agency creative development side of the equation, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work for partners.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Maximizing partner consumption of your co-sell marketing kits","opengraph_description":"Having been on both the enterprise channel marketing and agency creative development side of the equation, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work for partners.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/maximizing-partner-consumption.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Maximizing partner consumption of your co-sell marketing kits","twitter_description":"Having been on both the enterprise channel marketing and agency creative development side of the equation, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work for partners.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/maximizing-partner-consumption.jpg"}},"content":"
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Posted on: December 14th, 2022

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Congratulations, you’ve built a partner marketing kit. Your partners now have content marketing assets like\r\n eBooks and infographics, digital display banners, and emails in hopes that they can easily co-sell your\r\n joint solutions and services. Or will they?

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Having been on both the enterprise channel marketing and agency creative development side of the equation, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work for partners. So often there is a ton of emphasis put on the ingredients of a marketing kit, but little on its usability or consumption of it. And the last thing channel and enablement teams want to do is create brilliant content that dies on the vine and in the hands of their partners because they cannot easily use it. Keep in mind, partner marketing teams are likely smaller than yours and there will be multiple vendors vying for their time and attention.

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Here are four proven tips that we employ for our enterprise clients like Citrix, Google Cloud, and Microsoft that help ensure channel partners can successfully use their marketing kits.

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Paint by numbers

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The most common and overlooked thing we see in partner marketing kits is a how-to guide. It’s not enough to publish the ingredients in a partner portal and hope it makes sense to the marketing team. Spell it out in clear and simple steps including:

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  1. Who is the kit for and how should it be used
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  2. What is included in the kit
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  3. How to co-brand and customize the content
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  4. How to execute it
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  5. Where to go for help
    6. \r\n
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\"Paint
Give partners clear, step-by-step instructions on how to co-brand your content

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We typically use PowerPoint to create a simple how-to guide because it makes it easy for Geo and channel teams to make updates or localize down the road. Avoid creating these in design software like Adobe Illustrator because most teams won’t have access to the app to make updates. Another approach is to make an informal video, where you walk through the steps so partners can see it in action.

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Regardless of the format, test it out. Give it to a peer or a partner you are friendly with and have them test drive everything before calling it done.

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Customization friendly

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Your partners are marketing your solution, but they are taking it to selling under their brand. Unfortunately, many kits are packaged up in a read-only format (PDF) that cannot easily be customized or co-branded without access to source files and design software like Adobe. And it’s done with good intent, because you want to maintain integrity of the copy and creative, but that leaves the partner struggling to do simple steps like adding their logo and call to action.

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Slides and documents are one thing, because everyone has access to office productivity tools. But most of the finished goods—eBooks, whitepapers, infographics, etc.—are done in designer apps like Adobe Illustrator, which not everyone has access to.

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Here’s our solution…

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Do all the design and layout work as you normally would in the creative app(s) of choice and run it through the review and editing process. Once the content is approved, export the pages/sections as flat, read-only images, and rebuild them in PowerPoint or Word. Do this for all the “interior sections” so the body of the asset is preserved. Then for specific sections like the cover, call to actions, and last page, make select copy blocks editable by the partner. This allows the partner to customize the areas you want them to, such as an “About partner” blurb, contact information, URL, and add their logo for co‑branding. Once that is done, save the file as a .PDF and the partner now has a co-branded and customized asset that you have maintained version control over.

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\"Customization
Using PowerPoint to co-brand content

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For simpler things like display ads, banners, and social images, there is no shortage of free and easy to use editing tools that even a novice designer can use to drop in your logo. And of course, that handy how-to guide you’ve included in the kit will spell out all the steps with helpful screen shots along the way.

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Tone down the branding

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This one is tricky. It’s your organization’s solution or product, you’ve built the content and the kit, so certainly your brand takes center stage. But the partner is the one that is co-selling and driving the execution, and chances are their brand looks wildly different. For example, your brand may be big and bold, full of vibrant colors and custom illustrations and the partners more conservative and biased towards photography. How do you marry the two and avoid a Frankenstein looking style?

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Chances are, your brand has a range of visual treatments, secondary or grayscale color pallets, and softer creative elements at your disposal. When it comes to partner marketing and co-branding, this is a prime time to leverage these alternative brand elements. Look for brand elements, creative treatments, and colors that will be widely appealing to any partner’s brand. Lifestyle photography, line art icons, greys, and softer colors are great examples to consider.

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\"Tone
Choose colors that will work with a wide range of partner brands

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Building blocks for email and landing pages

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Marketing automation, email platforms, and content management systems (CMS) vary widely, and your partners probably use something different than your organization. Rather than designing, coding, and handing off a finished email or landing page template that only works on your platform, take a platform-agnostic approach.

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What partners really need is the copy and essential creative elements to construct their own HTML emails and landing pages in their platforms. We will typically mockup a sample of what an email or landing page should look like, then give partners all the info they need—copy docs, header images, thumbnails of the offer, etc.—to load into their own system.

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If we expect that sellers will be sending emails from their individual accounts, then we use Microsoft Outlook templates (.OTF), which can be text only or HTML. Then, all a seller needs to do is double-click the OTF file, personalize the recipient’s name, salutation, and closing, then hit send. The same approach works with HTML templates in Gmail as well.

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Up the usability game on your marketing kits

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These four tips will ensure your next marketing kit is well received, used, and properly executed by partners. They don’t add much to the process but go a long way to ensuring the hard work that went into developing them pays off.

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If you have other tips and tactics for improving partner marketing, let’s hear them.

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If you want to talk all things channel marketing and partner enablement, drop a note to hello@meritmile.com.

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Let’s Talk

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"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4723,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/public-relations-economic-downturn/","title":"Public Relations in an Economic Downturn","slug":"public-relations-economic-downturn","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Thu Dec 1st 2022","modified":"Thu Dec 1st 2022","excerpt":"Public relations (PR) and earned media-focused strategies have long been known to play a critical role for organizations in every industry and of every size. The ability to connect and build relationships with targeted journalists and execute pinpoint brand storytelling in front of desired audiences is a highly effective means of getting your story across.","author":{"name":"John Sternal"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Cost-Effective PR","metadesc":"Let Merit Mile help you understand the importance of PR in the midst of an economic downturn.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Cost-Effective PR","opengraph_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand the importance of PR in the midst of an economic downturn.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/microsoft-teams-image.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Cost-Effective PR","twitter_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand the importance of PR in the midst of an economic downturn.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/microsoft-teams-image.jpg"}},"content":"
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\"Public

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Why PR is so important for every company in an economic downturn

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Posted on: December 1st, 2022

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Public relations (PR) and earned media-focused strategies have long been known to play a critical role for organizations in every industry and of every size. The ability to connect and build relationships with targeted journalists and execute pinpoint brand storytelling in front of desired audiences is a highly effective means of getting your story across. And while this effort is maximized when it is integrated into a larger marketing and advertising campaign, earned media on its own is often viewed as more cost effective.

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Deploying cost-effective PR strategies, which includes traditional earned media storytelling as well as social media communications are even more critical in a period of economic decline because it helps companies “do more with less” to maximize return on investments (ROI) while budgets are tightening.

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Furthermore, effective and ongoing PR during these economic cycles also help position organizations for the long run, as all economic downturns eventually end.

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Economies around the world have been struggling

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This is especially important today, as the U.S. and global economies have faced immense economic pressures since the pandemic began in 2020. Government-backed incentives combined with tightening supply chains to create a significant imbalance for the supply and demand of goods across every industry for the last few years. This higher demand and strong spending power created a historic rise in the price of goods, and over the last year many governments across the globe have enacted strong increases in interest rates, essentially manufacturing a possible economic pullback to bring down prices.

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Companies concerned about a pullback in profits have thus begun to reduce their global staff headcounts and have also begun to slash operating budgets, including marketing and PR activities.

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Facebook parent Meta reduced its workforce by 11,000 workers, about 13% of its overall workforce, and Amazon also cut 10,000 employees, about 3% of its corporate workforce. What’s more, Twitter recently laid off half its workforce in addition to many resignations by company employees.

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Companies need PR even more in a down economy

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Despite the need for companies to align their operating budgets with a reduction in operating revenue and profits, business needs to move forward. They still need to get in front of customers, differentiate from their competitors and tell their story for awareness – no matter the economic climate. This is why PR is so critical in a down economy.

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I’ve lived through three economic downturns, with two serving as some of the most severe in the history of the modern economy. The dot‑com implosion of 2001 and the financial crisis of 2009 shook the world and temporarily took down entire industries (technology and finance, respectively). Through each, those companies that continued to focus on reaching their customers and telling their stories were the ones that successfully navigated the downturns.

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Following are a few key strategies to help your company continue with PR when the GDP goes south:

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Corporate News: There will always be a need to showcase important corporate news, personnel changes, new customer wins, and channel partner alliances. In a down economy this helps to keep the brand name in the news.

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Thought Leadership: It is extremely critical for companies to amplify their subject-matter-experts and key executives in opinion columns of key trade publications. When belts tighten this helps to keep the perception of a category leader.

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Promotional Storytelling: Companies should continue to rely on PR and earned media to promote interesting data trends, customer wins, partnerships, and insights that support marketing messages and product promotions. This strategy helps to promote additional insights even in between corporate announcements.

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Conference Speaking: Companies will continue to exhibit at and attend conferences, and they should be more proactive in meeting with the trade press and securing speaking opportunities at every chance. This helps companies stay in the spotlight, regardless of the economic conditions.

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Market Research Promotion: It is wise for companies to leverage the power of market research by conducting polls and surveys to take the pulse of changing consumer or B2B appetites, and then promoting results through PR. This is important as it helps media audiences realize you are constantly leveraging up-to-date trend data as economic winds change.

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Reactive Media Resource: The business and industry press will continue to write stories regardless of the economy. Companies should identify which topics they can serve as a media resource and proactively reach out to offer commentary or perspective on trends shaping the news. This can be powerful in alerting the media that you’re a true leader in the industry.

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Focus On the Message: In all facets of external communications, companies need to stay true to their key points of differentiation and ensure this messaging is aligned with all aspects of external storytelling. This can be powerful in helping internal audiences stay true to the core of your message.

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Social Media: Social remains a highly effective channel of direct communications to consumers, B2B audiences, influencers, analysts, and media. Social campaigns must stay alive in any economy. This strategy tells direct outside audiences that you are remaining out front for their benefit.

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Analyst Relations: Like the media, analyst groups will also continue to research companies and build industry reports during down economies. Companies need to make themselves available to key analysts that follow their industry and be willing to sit down for briefings. This is important as it helps analysts see that you’re moving forward even in a tight economy.

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(Links in above examples courtesy of Merit Mile PR client campaigns)

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The role of PR, earned media, analyst relations, and social media are no doubt pillars of any great marketing campaign when economies are healthy, and profits are rising. However, when economic downturns take place, PR programs are not only necessary, but their cost-effective strategies can mean the difference between surviving and thriving in competitive positions when the economy eventually turns.

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To learn more about how PR can help your business entering 2023, please schedule a call with a Merit Mile PR specialist.

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Schedule a Call

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"}},{"node":{"wordpress_id":4703,"link":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/post/vertical-marketing-good-better-best/","title":"Vertical marketing—good, better, best","slug":"vertical-marketing-good-better-best","status":"publish","format":"standard","date":"Mon Nov 14th 2022","modified":"Mon Nov 14th 2022","excerpt":"Marketing and sales organizations agree there is tremendous value in taking a vertical-specific approach. Solutions and services solve industry-specific use cases and pain points, marketing campaigns and content speak directly to buying groups, and sellers lead more meaningful conversations with customers.","author":{"name":"Scott Lindars"},"yoast":{"title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Vertical Marketing","metadesc":"Let Merit Mile help you understand our unique approach to vertical marketing and how it can benefit all facets of your organization.","focuskw":"","linkdex":"","metakeywords":"","canonical":"","redirect":"","meta_robots_adv":"","meta_robots_nofollow":"","meta_robots_noindex":"","opengraph_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Vertical Marketing","opengraph_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand our unique approach to vertical marketing and how it can benefit all facets of your organization.","opengraph_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/connect-with-industry-groups.jpg"},"twitter_title":"Merit Mile | Agency Blogs | Vertical Marketing","twitter_description":"Let Merit Mile help you understand our unique approach to vertical marketing and how it can benefit all facets of your organization.","twitter_image":{"source_url":"https://apiold.meritmile.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/connect-with-industry-groups.jpg"}},"content":"
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\"Connect

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How to make your vertical marketing content connect with industry buying groups

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Posted on: November 7th, 2022

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Marketing and sales organizations agree there is tremendous value in taking a vertical-specific approach. Solutions and services solve industry-specific use cases and pain points, marketing campaigns and content speak directly to buying groups, and sellers lead more meaningful conversations with customers. In fact, vertical-focused software solutions are forecasted to grow at a 12.6% CAGR between 2022 and 2032, reaching an impressive $402.4 billion dollar marketing in the US alone. (GlobalNewswire)

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While the topic of vertical marketing may start with (and will invariably return to) the marketing organization, there’s a runway worth of groundwork inside the engineering and sales organizations that needs to happen first. The sales organization needs to use their insights to look at the customer base and pipeline for high-potential industries where there is momentum and opportunity. In lockstep, engineering teams need to develop ways to solve industry-specific use cases, business requirements, compliance mandates, and more. Those solutions then need to be met with acceptance and ultimately validated by customers.

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Then (and arguably only then), is it time to think about building the marketing content and campaigns to support your vertical strategy. Faced with the green light to go, marketers now must make a decision. Do they go for the quick win, verticalizing existing content, or do they take the more methodical and higher-value approach and develop custom content? There is a good chance the answer is a bit of both and that’s perfectly fine.

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Use what you have

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The most obvious and efficient place to start is by looking at your existing library of marketing content. Chances are there are a few top performing assets or something hot of the press that looks like a good candidate to verticalize. We see this frequently with our technology clients and support that decision, provided it’s going to pass the proverbial sniff test in front of your target buying groups.

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The problem is many marketing teams take an approach that looks something like this…

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\"Typical

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A common, but underwhelming approach to verticalizing existing marketing content.

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The result is something that looks vertical specific on the surface and checks the box but falls short of connecting with your buying groups in a meaningful way. Remember, the people you are marketing to live and breathe their industry every day and can spot weak content in no time. They will see through the surface-level treatment and likely leave unmoved.

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So where does that leave you, the marketer?

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Take it up a notch

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If your plan is to repurpose existing marketing content, which to be clear is not a bad approach, then factor in these extra steps. It may add time and effort to the schedule, but the payoff will ensure the content resonates within the industry.

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    \r\n

  1. Back it up—Industry images, jargon, and buzz words alone don’t make for substance. Your content, especially use cases, benefits, and results, needs to have some vertical specific meat on the bone. This is where product management and engineering teams need to get involved, arming you with specifics. What exactly has been developed, tested, integrated, etc. to make your solution industry relevant? If they can’t give you specifics, then do you really have a vertical solution?

    2. \r\n

  2. Find your SME—Who in your company or network knows the industry better than anyone else? Get their buy-in from the start so you can count on them as a contributor and reviewer along the way. They are the ones that can quickly call your bluff, add hyper specific advice, and gauge how the message and content is going to land.

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  3. Challenge every word, paragraph, and page—It’s tempting to say, the horizontal eBook we are repurposing was eight-pages long, therefore the vertical eBook will be eight-pages long. Instead, come at it with a fresh perspective and challenge the content and the flow. Perhaps there is an entire page that would be irrelevant to a manufacturing decision maker—cut it. The lead in narrative may not set the stage for a healthcare buyer—add it. We’re not talking full rewrites, but be prepared for some fresh writing, cuts, and content reorganization.

    4. \r\n

  4. Talk to customers—Often easier said than done, especially in regulated industries, but try to get time with a friendly customer. There is no better source for getting a true pulse on what’s happening in the industry, what they are trying to accomplish, and an understanding of how they talk. You might be surprised and learn that your favorite industry term isn’t something people actually say.

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\"Horizontal

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This healthcare campaign was derived from horizontal content that was refined, and reimagined.

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Start fresh, start right

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Our recommendation is to augment your content library with custom developed industry content built from the ground up. That verticalized solution brief may be a great option for top-of-funnel, but as you move through your nurture campaign and sales process, it’s value will likely diminish. A custom developed piece of content lets you start with a clean canvas and implies #1 and #2 from the previous section are at the ready.

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Custom content gives you the chance to step away from what’s been done, even outside of your organization, and really take stock of what’s happening in the industry. When we take on an assignment like this, we start with research, gaining a sense of what’s top of mind, what’s trending, and what’s influencing buying groups and decision making. Analyst reports, surveys, and quality thought leadership content are great sources. Then think about the most appropriate content format for the buying stage and buying group. Unshackled from having to work with existing content, you can take your ideas in so many more directions. Yes, this approach takes more time, energy, and potentially budget, but the effort pays off in the end.

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\"Custom

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This eBook was custom developed to target CFOs and finance leaders in retail

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Our approach

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At Merit Mile, vertical marketing isn’t just a buzz word, it’s one of our unique specialties. This year alone, more than 60% of our campaigns, content marketing, and sales enablement projects have been vertical-focused, mainly in healthcare, manufacturing, customer service/contact centers, and financial services.

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Our team of marketing strategists and copywriters all possess first-hand industry experience from the verticals we support. We bring our real-world experience to every piece of content we develop and call it our for experts, from experts approach. Part and parcel is a commitment to continuing education. In ever-evolving industries like tech and healthcare, you can’t get complacent with what you once knew. We probe for what we don’t yet know. Take for example a recent project on the emerging topic of smart maintenance in manufacturing. Long before the copywriting and creative started, we spent hours doing industry research, interviewing SMEs, talking to our client’s customers, and tuning into well-regarded webinars and podcasts. In other words, we do the due diligence and research for you.

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\"Maximize

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Maximize engagement with original content, develop specifically for your target vertical and buying group.

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Next, we bring it to life with brilliant words and creative through custom developed content. Our goal is to showcase our clients’ solutions and services in ways that tell a meaningful story. We want prospects to leave saying, “These guys get it”, “This is what we’ve been talking about”, “I need this.” That’s when we know we’ve done our jobs.

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One of the things we love to do is put your solutions into action, under realistic industry scenarios. When Citrix, ChromeOS, and Google Cloud wanted to target the contact center industry with their desktop as a service (DaaS) solution, we created this two-part video series, showcasing the solution from both the end user (agent) and the IT admin perspective under actual conditions.

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Another approach is to compare and contrast what your customer’s experience can look like by working with you. To help Hitachi Solutions and Microsoft demonstrate the value of their digital front door solutions in healthcare, we created a day in the life style infographic, showing how the patient/member experience is improved. A scenario everyone can relate to.

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Let’s talk verticals

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From content repurposing and custom content to campaign strategy and execution, Merit Mile can help your vertical marketing efforts. For over fifteen years, global brands including Microsoft, Citrix, Google, Hitachi Solutions, and more have trusted us to help them market their solutions, build their pipeline, and enable their sellers and channel partners.

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Learn more at meritmile.com or drop us a line to talk to a vertical marketing strategist.

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Hello@MeritMile.com

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