Hi Reader,

Brands have pressed paused on the growth-at-all-cost era. We're still running some paid ads, but we've scaled back. Now, we're focusing our energy on holistic brand building. Organic growth is back in style. Slow and steady wins the race. As the content schedules ramp, try to remember to stay true and stand on business.

If you're going to read anything this week:

It's easy to get swept up in trying to achieve a side quest instead of the mission. Brands want to go viral; they want to win at attention. Too often, we think we're taking our audience into consideration as we plan content and creative but totally miss it.

We get caught up trying to feed the content machine. I sucks when you create stellar content and there's no engagement. You start ruminating. Did we waste all that time and energy (and money)? It can and will lead us to take unproductive turns along the way.

I was amazed when I came across Dove's "The Code" campaign. Two important points before you watch this video. First, in a new global brand study, Dove found that 39% of women feel pressure to alter their appearance because of what they see online, even when they know it's fake or AI generated.

Second, I'd like you to consider this quote from Dove's senior director of purpose and engagement in an interview with Fast Company.

Now, take a moment and watch the video.

These newsletters should be a constant reminder to stand on business. Operate with authenticity and integrity. It's one of the foundational elements of providing consistent value to your customers. We build trust by living up to our promises. Without substance a brand can fall like a house of cards.

By no means am I trying to make living and breathing your mission sound like an easy thing. Hell, Dove is a billion dollar company with resources, talent, cash and the best agencies supporting their vision. But, so what! That's no reason to sell ourselves short.

It's our work to understand where our brand mission intersects with those truths. We can build unique and valuable content from that platform.

Do you remember the "Wassup" campaign by Budweiser? It proves you can stand on business in a variety of ways. Budweiser's old mission statement was "Bringing People Together for a Better World."

Standing on business doesn't have to be so serious. Having fun is part of a healthy life for our customers too. If it's a fit for your brand, lean in. Bringing people together, relaxing, sparking new connection, and having fun are all great values to share.

Budweiser went with a moment of immaturity that felt unscripted and authentic. It wasn't easy, but it worked.

Moral of the Story

1. Focus on Substance Over Virality: It's vital to remember the core mission of your brand rather than getting caught up in the constant churn of content creation aimed solely at going viral. True value to your audience comes from authenticity, which hits deeper than attention-seeking strategies.
2. Embrace Your Unique Capabilities: Size doesn't matter! You possess unique strengths and perspectives that can be used to make an impact. Like Dove, align your marketing efforts with the broader mission of providing a positive, inclusive experience.
3. Leverage Authentic Connections: Whether serious or light-hearted, the key is to cultivate engagement with an authentic voice. Embrace humanity to form stronger connections between your brand and its customers.

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If you want to save time:

Schedule with Calendly: I've been using it for years. I like that I can run experiments tied to marketing initiatives and download relevant info for tracking. But, most importantly, it's just easily to schedule calls without back and forth.

If you want to save money:

Inject Google Analytics: It never hurts to remind folks of the basic building blocks of marketing and brand building. If you aren't using GA, you're blind to how people are interacting with your website. It's totally free. You can also take some of their academy courses for free too.

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I'll see you next week!

All my best,

Justin Bridges 2x Founder, Startup Marketer, Plant Dad🌱

P.S. Quick question: Did you forward this email to someone last week? The economy is weird right now. Don't hoard all the goodies. Past this along to someone building a business. You're doing them a favor.