Chicago-Based Brand Leaders Talk Experience Design, Insights
Leaders from four of Chicago’s most-recognized brands spoke at a panel on Jan. 24th, an evening moderated by AMA CEO Russ Klein who guided the discussion on experience design and insights
The panel was hosted by General Assembly Chicago and included Aana Wherry, director of marketing communications and creator experience at Popular Pays; Steven Dyme, co-founder and CEO of Flowers for Dreams; Jessica Zweig, founder and CEO of The SimplyBe Agency; and Margo Kahnrose, senior director of brand at SpotHero.
Klein began the conversation by asking panelists whether their brands are experience- or story-driven. Dyme said his floral company made the decision to focus on experience from the onset. The experience of receiving the Flowers for Dreams bouquets, he says, it part of the brand’s story.
“You can’t tell stories without building experience first,” Kahnrose said. “The brand story is hollow if we’re not delivering the right experience.”
Zweig said she and her colleagues have agreed that 2018 will be the year of experiences. She suggested there’s no greater compliment than the audience finding the brand to be fully integrated in all its communications, platforms or other interactions.
Klein prompted the group to share what insights led to the formation of their brands. For example, Popular Pays — a platform that connects brands with stories and content creators — was sparked by what Wherry said was the human need to tell stories that are worth sharing. Kahnrose said SpotHero’s creators simply realized, “There has got to be a better way to do this.” The insights for each company ranged from altruistic origins, solving pain points and trial and error.
The panelists also offered advice to the aspiring entrepreneurs in the audience on where to begin. Zweig provided the questions that her personal branding agency asks its clients: What are your objectives? What does success look like? How do you measure your success?
The advice from Kahnrose and Dyme provided a glimpse at two very different approaches: Kahnrose voiced her belief in gaining hard skills prior to starting a new organization, and said it was a worthwhile effort to amass skills without worrying about your own brand for a little while (“Do stuff, make stuff, build [bad] websites,” she suggested). Dyme, on the other hand, launched his Flowers for Dreams brand the start of his career. “Being naive and vulnerable, those can be strengths,” he said.
Klein asked Zweig and Wherry what aspect of their job keeps them up at night. Zweig acknowledged that her clients can keep her up at night, as some can be rather delicate; however, she lauded her small team’s hard work and positive attitudes, noting “Culture eats strategy for breakfast. I have to ensure my team is good.” Wherry said she and her colleagues worry they will miss taking their company to the next level, especially with so much change and consolidation in her industry.
The panelists also discussed the brands they envy. Wherry said her company wants to be “as slick as Slack.” Zweig said Gary Vaynerchuk, an entrepreneur and internet personality, shows the power of personal brands. Kahnrose mentioned the skincare and beauty brand Glossier, which elicited murmurs of agreement from other panelists and audience members who find Glossier to be at the forefront of consumer trust. Dyme pointed to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, a company that shares Flowers for Dreams’ B Corporation status, a certification of for-profit companies that meet standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
Before handing questions over to the audience, Klein asked the panelists where they saw their best marketing ROI. All agreed on an omnichannel approach, with the use of varying platforms based on the goals. Perhaps surprisingly — for a panel of young professionals and brands — some older ad models were noted as rather successful, including radio and email.
