Hey BMB Family!!!
Good Morning!!! Happy Transformation Tuesday!! - WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY it is to be a Subscriber at the BMB Newsroom!
We promised you an inside look, and we are here, bright and early to deliver!!!! #BMBNetwork
It is our honor and pleasure to provide you access to the EXCLUSIVE & UNCUT version of Rolling Out's interview with Brittany Miller!
Sometimes in media, all the collected content does not make the final cuts, for various reasons. We DID obtain permission to share with you though, the raw and complete version of all questions asked and answered.
We hope you enjoy and share with your friends and professional networks!
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL PUBLISHED VERSION ON ROLLING OUT!
INTERVIEW BY CHELSEA DAVIS
As a brand manager, what are some of the innovative tools you use to stay ahead of the competition?
Some of the most frequently used literal tools for me, are Quickbooks, Microsoft 365, Calendly, the Go Daddy Studio, Monday.com, Pinterest, Jotform, Google Suite, Zoom, Wix Web Builder, and of course all of the Social media platforms; especially Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Some of the most frequently used general tools for me are relationship capital, networking, collaborations, internship programs, referral relationships, intentional meeting schedules, email marketing, journalism, and many more things. I am a maximizer so anything can become a tool for me.
How do you use collaboration as a marketing strategy?
Collaboration is everything!!! I love to cross-network my clients with one another whether they are in the same industry or different. I creatively curate collaborations based on the end goal for both parties. Collaborations HAVE TO be mutually beneficial or they can become a burden. The best way to facilitate a great collaboration is connecting two entities that have a common target market or common end goal and work their advantages to each other's favor!
Share a great case study that involved collaborating with talent or other brands that connected to your brand goals.
Awesome! I will reference Latisha M. Scott from the cast of Love and Marriage Huntsville, and Shanicia Boswell, creator of Black Moms Blog. I facilitated an amazing collaboration between Latisha's non-profit platform, "Hey Brown Girl" and Shanicia's "Period Parties" to have them come together for an interactive community-based event to teach young girls the ins and outs of menstrual hygiene, products, processes, and systems. It was a huge hit and both parties were able to market and serve, together!
How do technology and innovation help your brand remain relevant in the marketplace?
I think in this day and age, technology is a part of life, and a part of any business owner's daily flow. Technology is everything! When considering technology, we have to consider the phones we use, the internet, the social sites and apps, the software we use and so forth! The new thing in the air is AI. I am not sure how I feel about it just yet, but what I do know is that the world will have to learn and adjust, just like everything else that has been introduced to us over the decades. Similar to the way most large companies and corporations were pretty much forced to join social media sites to keep up with marketing strategies, we as business owners will have to stay abreast of all the new waves of things in order to keep up with our clients and consumers' expectations. The main thing we will need to ensure is that we stay knowledgeable and educated so that we are not making uninformed decisions.
What are some disruptive ways to launch new brands, products or services?
My favorite is always to build out a fully planned marketing campaign and then drop it without warning or preliminary announcements! We know this strategy too well, through watching Beyonce introduce most of her projects. Sometimes when brands do too much early promotion prior to launch day, it burns out the momentum and dulls the mood of the market. The people are less enthusiastic by the time we want them to buy, shop or support, so in some cases, the brunt of the effort is best used for the actual marketing campaign plan, strategic collaborations, and PR outreach rather than early promotions.
What role does social media play in helping your brands, products, or services?
Social media for me personally is huge. As business owners, we have to consider the places and spaces that our ideal customers and clients frequent the most. Social media is a huge space for the day-to-day person. it is a place where many people turn to find new leads, new brands, great products and events. Social media has probably put a damper on Google search stats because so many people now prefer to "Hashtag search". Due to the fact that the consumer expectation has grown to include access into the thoughts and lives of the people we support with our dollars, social media has become an extremely valuable place to advertise and market. We are able to showcase our content, our thoughts, our processes and any relevant behind-the-scenes action that our consumers crave. Social media has become a part of modern-day society, so it has become just as important and effective as physical business offices or brick and mortar stores.
How important are diversity and cultural authenticity to your marketing, branding, and community relations strategies?
This is a great question and I think that generally speaking it is very important, especially if your brand or business is already geared toward a specific cultural group or demographic. Demographics as a whole, are important to marketing and branding, because the study of people is what leads in strategizing plans. The people we are studying will pertain to the target market and those people will be narrowed down into groups of age, gender, race, geographic location, and even go as far as personal characteristics and likes or dislikes. All of these things vary based on the groups and it is always important to know what kind of data accuracy is required for your industry and sales/support goals.
What two marketing campaigns have you supported as a brand manager that created cultural moments, offered key business insights, and achieved brand objectives?
One recent one I can name, is the Black in Time Tours by young Black female historian, Kimberly Renee. She created virtual tours for people to take in-app, that educate on true Black History facts and stories that have been buried in traditional school settings. She had an important objective as far as insights, in order to provide a superb delivery to her sponsors! This entire campaign is rooted in culture and everything was done in strategic alignment to complement those goals. She launched during Black History Month and carried it through Women's History Month and beyond.
Another example would be The Speak Easy Experience by Ayana Blount, The Passion Strategist! This is an event/campaign that is also attached to culture and diversity when it comes to the way Black and Brown creatives and brand owners speak about the work they do. It targets a specific audience of people who are amazing at being the creative talent or visionary, but don't perform as well in physical speech and/or physical brand presentation. "The Speak Easy" analogy plays on old cultural signatures of top-secret goodness and the need to get your very important messages across without confusing your audience.
I have a ton of projects that are planned and developed based on cultural trends, habits, knowledge, and so forth. Diversity is important though, regardless of who your target market is, because in today's marketplace, cancel culture is real and a culture of its own, therefore, even if we are not marketing to everyone, everyone must still feel included or at the very least, considered and respected.
What roles do social media and social engagement play in how you brand your products?
I don't think social media or social engagement play a huge role in my BRANDING in particular, (besides maybe making sure all my visuals are clean, crisp, and of high quality) but Marketing and advertising are what is really most tied to social media and engagement. Business owners should know their peak times for posting, as well as the statics of who is following and supporting them, such as those things like age, gender, location, etc. Business owners should also know and keep a record of which styles of posts produce the most engagement so they can lean more toward that style of marketing as they grow and expand. Data is everything and surveys as well as social media insights help us with keeping track and aligning with that data.
How does your brand use influencers, and what role do they play in your marketing strategy?
Influencers typically provide access to a larger network or specific network that is already in one place and already trusting of the influencer. Working with influencers can help cut some of the heavy footwork that it takes to build a solid support network and client/customer base that trusts your brand or business. Since influencers already have a fanbase and community that usually values their advice and guidance, it expedites that process for the unknown brand and business owner. Influencers also can offer a slight sense of credibility to the masses, especially when working with multiple influencers. The public often uses affiliation and associated approval to define the credibility of a new brand, product or service. The more influencers or celebrities and major brands they see in conjunction with the less known brand, the more comfortable they become with learning more about it and accepting it into their personal space of options.
What three books do you recommend for entrepreneurs and business, marketing, and brand professionals?
1. Building A Brand Story by Donald Miller
2. Becoming by Michelle Obama
3. People Buy You by Jeb Blount
Name two companies, products, or services that do a great job of marketing their brand identity and explain why.
1. I have to say Milano Di Rouge. Milan Harris is one of the first entrepreneurs I saw that I could relate to, as we came from the same high school, therefore, knowing a little more of her back story helped me to watch more closely; and her growth was impeccable. In my professional opinion, her biggest marketing advantages early-on, were her marketing campaigns and brand visuals. Everything was done intentionally and with a clearly communicated purpose. Her brand was also built with a lot of public access to her growing pains and gains, which also created vulnerability on both the company's end and the customers. People like to feel seen and heard, so when a company is able to connect with their consumers this way, it creates a lasting loyalty and lots of organic support and word of mouth. It also attracts partnerships and collaborations because many companies are seeking this kind of authentic customer base. She is still soaring and I love to see it.
2. I would say to watch Afro Unicorn. They are phenomenal as well. I am proud to say that my company, Woman to Woman Talk Magazine was the first to conduct an exclusive interview with their owner, April Showers. She created a cartoon-style character, the Afro Unicorn, that represents all shades of brown and the magic within children of color. Within her branding journey, she incorporated many visual concepts that consistently drove her message home to her customers. She demonstrated the message she was sending as well, by consistently supporting other business owners publicly. Her brand was recently picked up by Walmart and is now sold in thousands of their stores! Another great strategy that I loved for her was her choice to work with many models and the way she collects and shares candid photos from the majority of her customers. When the masses are able to see so many other people supporting a single movement, it sparks their natural curiosity and interest and influences them to see for themselves. This is a great example of organic and unanimous support which creates amazing exposure.
Name three brand managers or brand creators who are titans in your industry and inspire your career movements.
As far as "Titans in my industry" I would have to name Phreshy, Ebony Porter-Ike for PR/Communications and Yvette Lloyd with LifeHer Podcast as far as the Media space. I can personally say that each of these professionals are the real-deal and all have built brands and companies of integrity, grit, and consistent success. Their styles are uniquely their own and none of them are "gatekeepers". They are professional in how they conduct business and their work is simply and humbly top-tier. They are definitely pillars within the BMB Network.
What two statements do you live by as a brand manager?
1. WE ALL CAN WIN. - There is enough of everything we need to go around. Don't be intimidated by your peers or competitors in the industry. One of the best strategies to getting ahead is to wish others well and be willing and eager to help and to learn. Contribute the best of what you can and organic reciprocity will always find you.
2. KNOW AND TRUST THE POWER AND VALUE IN YOUR TEAM. - When you hire and work with professionals, make sure you trust them and are willing to let them do their job. Often times business owners need and want a team but are not the most receptive to it in live time. Working with a team requires owners to relinquish some control and be open to the processes of other professionals that are performing well in their industries.