HawkPartners recently hosted the latest in its semiannual Marketing Leadership breakfasts at its Boston office. The round table discussion provides an opportunity for CMO’s and other senior marketing leaders in the area to connect and share fresh ideas on important topics.
“Having the opportunity to get together and learn from other marketing leaders is incredibly valuable. I always come away from this event with a head full of ideas I can put to use right away.”
– John Bigay, CMO, iZotope, Inc.
HawkPartners invited Paul Alexander, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Eastern Bank, to share his experience in developing the Eastern Bank brand strategy and creating the ‘Join Us for Good’ campaign. Paul shared how Eastern Bank decided to market with a mission and the reasons he believed the approach had been so successful.
“Eastern Bank’s purpose is simple — to ‘do good things to help people prosper’. We put this at the heart of the ‘Join Us for Good’ campaign as a way to articulate the principles that have defined Eastern Bank since its founding over 200 years ago. Aligning the brand to its core has helped Eastern Bank win in both the workplace and the marketplace.” @easternbank #JoinUsForGood
– Paul Alexander, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Eastern Bank
Building off Paul’s experiences, the group raised some important points and unique perspectives including:
- Emotional vs. Rational Decisions: Consumer decisions are increasingly driven by emotions, making mission-driven brands more effective in this environment. Strong brands have found a way to tap into the key emotional drivers and weave them into their marketing communications to create deeper connections with consumers.
- Rooted in Existing DNA: The most successful brands develop a positioning that reflects their existing DNA and perceived brand strengths rather than staking out new territories. Brand promises not yet delivered can feel inauthentic and it requires significant investment to shift perceptions and build authenticity.
- Support a Movement; Don’t Build One: Successful mission-driven brands must walk a fine line between sharing examples of how it lives out the mission and appearing self-serving. Brands that do this well partner with other individuals and organizations to highlight their work and explain how the brand supports them in achieving the broader mission.
We enjoyed this discussion and thank Paul for sharing his perspectives on this important topic. Contact HawkPartners if you would like to learn more.