A widely known finest follow for right now’s enterprise leaders is to “stroll the speak” — match their very own actions with the priorities and values they encourage others to exhibit.
Advertising maven April Rudin, founder and CEO of The Rudin Group, simply did that lately with the rebranding of her agency’s web site. Its marquee motto: “We predict in a different way.”
“It was a giant effort,” Rudin mentioned in an interview with ThinkAdvisor. “As a advertising and marketing agency, if we will’t exhibit a really clear worth proposition for ourselves with a web site that appears visually interesting and communicates our message, then it’ll affect how our shoppers and prospects take a look at us.”
However — as she advises her shoppers in wealth administration and associated areas to do — Rudin additionally wished to make her agency’s new web site stand out.
“I had a transparent imaginative and prescient in my thoughts that I assumed represented our model, which was ‘good enjoyable,’ she defined. “I wished it to be good, after all, as a result of we’re in monetary companies, so it’s gotta be good and exhibit data, eminence and authority.”
On the identical time, Rudin mentioned, the web site wanted to have a lighter facet.
“I wished it to be somewhat bit cheeky, fascinating and barely edgy — in order that it demonstrates that advertising and marketing doesn’t all the time need to be actually conservative or hew to what others are doing. There’s much more latitude in how manufacturers can consider themselves right now,” she mentioned.
Right here’s the primary half of our interview, during which she covers all the things from the necessity to eliminate inventory photos to the significance of getting an FAQ web page; the second half of the dialogue, which focuses on branding, might be posted individually.
THINKADVISOR: Earlier than your latest rebrand, what was your web site’s focus or goal?
APRIL RUDIN: After I launched my agency in 2008 — a time of turmoil within the markets about 15 years in the past — I assumed that corporations actually wanted to assume in a different way about their model and the way they had been approaching shoppers.
I’ve two Gen Z youngsters of my very own and seen that monetary companies manufacturers seemed outdated and musty.
I used to be most likely one of many first entrepreneurs to make use of the phrase millennial, and I got here up with this idea of multi-generational advertising and marketing about 12 years in the past. Since then, instances have actually modified. It’s an outdated story and time for one thing new. Similar to we advise our shoppers, it’s necessary to refresh and keep related.
I had the identical kind of feeling now as in 2008 — it’s a transitional time and a possibility for us to speak to potential prospects in new methods.
What’s new together with your model and web site?
Our theme is how this can be a completely different time, and we’re considering in a different way. Individuals ought to assume in a different way about how they go to market with digital media, social media and all of the completely different applied sciences that are actually powering manufacturers. It’s a extremely fascinating time.
Additionally, private manufacturers have gotten extra necessary, if not as necessary, as agency manufacturers. It’s arduous to dig into a few of these massive manufacturers. However as soon as you already know the non-public model and you already know the folks, you’ll be able to attain out to a few of the folks [at a firm].
Quite a bit has modified in 15 years, and we wish to make it possible for we seize all of that.
What was the strategic considering behind the rebrand?
It was a giant effort, and I’ll inform you why. As a advertising and marketing agency, if we will’t exhibit a really clear worth proposition for ourselves with a web site that appears visually interesting and communicates our message, then it’ll affect how our shoppers and prospects take a look at us.
I had a transparent imaginative and prescient in my thoughts that I assumed represented our model, which was “good enjoyable.”
I wished it to be good, after all, as a result of we’re in monetary companies, so it’s gotta be good and exhibit data, eminence and authority.
Alternatively, I wished it to be somewhat bit cheeky, fascinating and barely edgy — in order that it demonstrates that advertising and marketing doesn’t all the time need to be actually conservative or hew to what others are doing. There’s much more latitude in how manufacturers can consider themselves right now.
How did you create and launch the brand new web site?
It was an enormous venture, however the hardest factor with any venture like that’s getting the appropriate tone. As soon as I had this concept of good enjoyable, it grew to become actually simpler to speak what we wished to do.
We employed our personal exterior advertising and marketing people to assist us, simply as we’d encourage our shoppers to do. It’s tough to speak something about your self. It’s like writing your individual resume. It’s arduous to be goal. I’d advocate that different corporations do that.
Why else is it useful to get outdoors opinions when rebranding and making associated modifications?
We’ve produced many many web sites ourselves. So we consider that there’s worth in getting outdoors opinions on copy, on design, on consumer expertise — on each facet of a web site.
We employed an out of doors company to check out our personal work, which was a extremely fascinating train. It was necessary to essentially distance myself from the work.
As a founding father of a agency, I do know it’s necessary to take recommendation. You’ll want to do it. All people wants to do that — distance themselves from your individual opinion and take in skilled recommendation. Take it in and perceive it as simply that: skilled recommendation and never anybody’s opinion.
What are crucial steps for updating a web site?
On the subject of updating your web site, it’s necessary to first take into consideration your message(s) and viewers. And tone.