The Six Essentials Startups Need Most When Seeking Investment

The Six Essentials Startups Need Most When Seeking Investment

by | Jan 5, 2021 | Business & Marketing Strategy, General, Insights, Marketing Planning & Execution

The Six Essentials Startups Need Most When Seeking Investment

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Start-ups seeking new investors, regardless of the level of investment, need to better understand what drives individual investors or venture capital firms.

Around 65% of venture capital backed businesses fail to get a positive return on capital (ROIC) for investors. Because of this risk, investors have to be selective. Most investors look for six specific things when considering an investment in a startup business.

what do startups need

What Do Startups Need Most?

1. A Meaningful, Unique & Innovative Product or Service

Investors look for a product or service with a compelling reason for customers to change current habits, or see something that is truly unique. Meaningful patents or trade secrets are also highly desirable for investors. Either way, the product or service should have strong differentiators. The functionality provided by a unique and innovative product should be readily apparent, making the sale process easier. Minimal barriers should stand in the way of the buying process, making it easy for customers to convert.

A differentiated business model is a major plus. As an example, in recent years, leveraging the internet has provided a way to reach consumers not easily accessible before – some notable examples are:

  • Direct shipping of fast moving consumer goods delivered quickly to people’s homes versus in-person retail
  • Online mortgages via Quicken Loans that supersede the need to go into a physical bank
  • Lyft, which offers on-demand, easy to reach transportation versus hailing taxis

Investors will rarely invest in an existing and successful “me too” product where there will likely be a fight for market share. Just a “good idea” is not sufficient either. Most investors get involved with only a small fraction of ideas they screen, so it’s essential to stand out. The leading reason that start-ups fail at 42% is that there was “no market need.”

Successful startups are constantly seeking to satisfy their customers…. Design your products with the customer in mind. Remarkable startups listen and respond to their customers’ evolving needs and expectations.

Thomas Oppong

Founder, Alltopstartups

2. Ability to Gain Traction with Large Potential

Investors seek viable businesses that have traction in a well-defined core market, or at least a strong beachhead. They are looking for loyal customers, a low customer churn, and a high rate of repeat purchase. These can be good indicators of a viable product or service. According to Entrepreneur magazine, a common factor among successful startups is that they are constantly seeking to satisfy their customers and the whole organization is aligned to this goal. So, the product or service needs to be designed with the customer’s satisfaction in mind.

Further, it is essential that investors see proof that there is a large enough potential market for the product or service. Very niche products will not meet most VC company screens unless the market has a clear and significant gap. Remember that given the inherent risks and the low success rates, investors are unlikely to take a huge risk and will only focus on opportunities with a high return – a goal of a 10x return is not uncommon.

3. A Strong Team with a Solid Leader

The team, with a strong leader, is another top factor for investors and is a leading indicator that a business can succeed. The bottom line is that investors invest in businesses and the team.

Investors are looking for teams that are passionate and knowledgeable about their product, service and industry. They will be asking themselves the following types of questions of the leadership team and the CEO or Founder:

  • Are they experienced, either as entrepreneurs or within the industries they aim to serve?
  • Is the team fully committed?
  • Are they willing to listen and take advice?
  • Will they be able to find solutions or pivot if there are headwinds or roadblocks?
  • Do they seem calm and competent under pressure?

23% of start-ups fail because they did not have the right team in place so as a startup, the people you surround yourself with are critical.

4. A Detailed Business Plan

Developing a reasonably detailed business plan, at a minimum of three years, is an essential part of what investors evaluate. This plan should include:

  • An overview of the product or service with clearly articulated key differentiators as well as the major target prospect groups. Identify the target’s pain points and articulate how the business solves them.
  • The plan to expand the organization, add marketing and selling capability, and improve the product or service (development, engineering, etc).
  • A clear outline of the market, competitors and the potential opportunity (both short term and long term).
  • An organization overview with key employees and any key relationships & partners, including both existing and future possibilities.
  • A financial forecast which uses existing trends and educated predictions and clear assumptions to show the projections of revenues, operating costs, cash flow, and the bottom line.
  • A summary identifying four to six main reasons why this business is an attractive investment.

5. Investment Thesis Fit

Investors, particularly venture capitalists (VCs), are looking for companies that fit their investment philosophy and focus on areas where they have expertise. This means they’re looking for businesses where they can add strategic value. This benefits the companies they back as investors since they can concentrate their mentorship and advice to industries where they have deep experience. Many investor groups build up their know-how and expertise in certain market verticals by engaging people with senior level experience in those verticals.

6. Investment Terms

A final key element of the investment is the terms. Startups need to clearly communicate the following:

  • Overall valuation of the company, and on what basis that valuation was established.
  • The amount of funding being raised and, if applicable, the sources of those funds.
  • The type of funding (equity, debt, convertible debt, etc) and any associated dynamics (timelines, future expected rounds, etc)
  • Use of funds, which would likely include expanding the organization, adding marketing and selling capability, furthering product development, or similar examples.

Many startups fail in at least one of these areas, or don’t present their investment terms clearly.

In Conclusion

Based on decades of experience meeting entrepreneurs and reviewing investor presentations, these six areas continue to be what startups need most. In almost every initial meeting, a startup fails to meet at least one of these criteria, and almost immediately disqualify themselves. Entrepreneurs seeking funds should remember one key factor summarized well by Paul Graham, Founder of Y Combinator: “Investors are pinched between two fears: fear of investing in startups that fizzle, and fear of missing out on startups that take off.”

If you are in the process of raising capital or seeking an exit in the future, fill out the form below and one of us will be happy to assist you through a complimentary consultation

 Contact Us!

 

Additionally, if your startup is in need of a freshly enhanced website before you begin seeking investors, download our go live checklist to find out exactly what you need to put in place.

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About the Authors

Rahul Kapur has 40+ years of successful business experience spanning a variety of areas. As a business consultant, he provides companies of all sizes with his expertise in strategy development, M&A, new products & innovation, and data analysis and modeling. His experience includes Unilever, Dow Chemical and Aearo Technologies (now 3M). He is Managing Director of Icon Investment Partners, Chairman of Guilford Group, Managing Member of Ark Capital Investments, LLC, and Senior Advisor for &Marketing, Crossroad Transactions, and Quest Safety Products, as well as on the boards of several start-ups.

Jeff is the founder of Crossroad Transactions. He has over thirty years of experience in a variety of executive and entrepreneurial leadership positions, plus over 15 years of dedicated experience as in M&A. He has been Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” award winner for the Midwest Region and Founder of Inc. Magazine “500 Fastest Growing Private Company”.

Jeff earned a BS in Marketing from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University and he is a graduate of the Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac Entrepreneur Program. He is a lifetime member of the Institute of American Entrepreneurs..

Rajat “Raj” Kapur is the founder and Managing Director of &Marketing. He strives to provide growing businesses of all sizes unparalleled marketing strategy and execution services. Raj brings two decades of professional experience in marketing, sales, and strategy development experience spanning B2B and B2C Fortune 50, mid-sized, and startups.

About &Marketing

&Marketing provides the robust outsourced marketing department growing companies need without the high overhead costs of big agencies or full-time employees. Our variable model empowers businesses to reach their growth goals through access to the guidance and expertise of senior level strategists and a flexible execution team.

Webinar Recap: 10 Ways Solo Marketers Can Jumpstart their 2021 Marketing

Webinar Recap: 10 Ways Solo Marketers Can Jumpstart their 2021 Marketing

by | Dec 21, 2020 | &Marketing U, Business & Marketing Strategy, Business Intelligence & Analytics, Events, General, Marketing Planning & Execution, Storytelling & Branding

Webinar Recap: 10 Ways Solo Marketers Can Jumpstart their 2021 Marketing

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With the end of the year quickly approaching, it’s time to start planning for 2021. &Marketing U’s team of expert coaches presented a webinar last week, where they shared valuable tips about developing and implementing a marketing program in 2021, specifically for “solo marketer” businesses.

During the webinar, the talked about

  • Clarifying your strategy
  • Developing powerful messaging
  • Optimizing content marketing
  • Implementing simple SEO enhancements
  • Maximizing digital advertising with a small budget
  • Improving your brand’s reputation online
  • The importance of planning

Couldn’t make the live webinar or want to watch it again? No problem! Watch the recording to learn how to set your marketing up for success in 2021.

Watch It Here
About &Marketing

&Marketing provides the robust outsourced marketing department growing companies need without the high overhead costs of big agencies or full-time employees. Our variable model empowers businesses to reach their growth goals through access to the guidance and expertise of senior level strategists and a flexible execution team.

Relationship Marketing Through the Pandemic

Relationship Marketing Through the Pandemic

by | Dec 14, 2020 | Business & Marketing Strategy, COVID Marketing, General, Insights, Marketing Planning & Execution

Relationship Marketing Through the Pandemic

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The chaos of 2020 has led many businesses to assess how well their marketing strategies translate during a pandemic. We’ve spent a good deal of time walking through this in our marketing during a pandemic blog series, but we wanted to narrow in a bit—specifically whether relationship marketing is possible during a global pandemic.

I don’t think anything has, or necessarily ever will change with relationship marketing. It will always be a cornerstone of business development regardless of what happens in the world.

Michael Stack

Founder Amaxx Workers’ Comp Training Center

What is Relationship Marketing?

At its root, relationship marketing is systematically creating personal relationships with your target customer’s key decision makers. Oftentimes, companies come across as nameless, faceless organizations with no emotion. Relationship marketing turns that on its head.

Relationship marketing is a big idea—not a single tactic or a one-time campaign. It’s a long-term strategy focused on customer retention. It takes concerted effort and authentic engagement to foster a real sense of connection with a buyer. It can’t be faked, and it should be considered at every touch point in the customer journey.

Why Does Relationship Marketing Matter?

It’s simple. The way you make your customers feel is important and can’t be underestimated—especially during a time as trying as the one we’re in. If they feel emotionally connected to your brand, they are more likely to stick with you. Not to mention, the cost of keeping a customer coming back is much less than acquiring a new one. Not only is it less expensive to sell to a customer who already knows and likes your product or service, they are more likely to recommend you to people they know, resulting in free and very effective advertising. The more engaged a buyer is with your brand, the more valuable they are to long-term growth. So how does relationship marketing stack up in a pandemic, and is it even possible?

I think relationship marketing is especially important and effective now because people yearn for connection as we are separated by the pandemic and political division. Moreover, given the cost of customer/client acquisition, the longer you can keep a customer and the more services or products you can provide for them, it drives down the acquisition cost and makes the relationship more profitable. That is the true value of relationship marketing – turning a transaction into a long term association.

Robert Curtiss

Account Executive Business Group Resources

Can We Still Use Relationship Marketing Through the Pandemic?

Always curious to get the perspective of our peers, we polled our LinkedIn family. With 91% saying relationship marketing is more important than ever, the results are clearly YES—businesses can still use relationship marketing during a pandemic. We’d even go as far as to say that tuning into how your customers feel and building personal relationships is more important than ever to survive and thrive in a global crisis.
relationship marketing poll

What can we learn from this and how can we leverage relationship marketing to build stronger ties with our customers, so we can emerge stronger when this is all over? Here are a few key lessons we’ve learned about how to leverage relationship marketing during a pandemic, along with some valuable insights from our network.

Lesson 1: Treat humans like humans

While frightening and unpredictable, the global pandemic has created a shared experience and the sense that we are all in this together. For the first time, we all face a common enemy. We know that we aren’t alone in dealing with this, and that link is creating a sense of camaraderie that has allowed us to tap into more authentic, human interactions. Inherent in this is an opportunity to connect with our customers in a way that the pandemic has proven our customers crave—more genuine, honest, and even humanized engagement. Treating humans like humans may seem obvious, but the past year has shown us how powerful this simple tactic can be for connecting with your customers in a new and meaningful way.

Hands down, people are connecting with people more than they ever have in my career. Remote work has made us hungry for real engagement, and it is significantly impacting the way people are choosing who to work with.

Brynne Tillman

CEO Social Sales Link

The biz world seems more “humanized” than ever before, this shared human experience has generated more authentic conversations than at any other time in my career. The ability to be real, cut the jargon and the crap, frankly and just be human to each other will continue to serve salespeople and marketers alike.

Stephanie Neale

CEO Blind Zebra Sales Consulting

For maximum long-term growth success you need to look and feel like your customers. You need to invest the time and money to deeply engage and make it personal. And ongoing. You also need to involve the entire company to show your customers the talent you have assembled across your company to help support their mission. This can be done during customer “experience” visits to your facility, training sessions, online interactions, seminars, etc. Digital tools further enable, but this needs to be complemented with the traditional, human-to-human interaction whenever possible.

Eric B. Luftig

Senior Executive

Lesson 2: Transparency is key to accountability and trust

With the global pandemic came a rising awareness of how important transparency and accountability are to creating a true connection. We have seen how, as organizations, we are in a position to help bring about true change in the world at large. Not only is it possible, in many ways customers are demanding it. While this doesn’t happen overnight, companies that make steps to become more accountable to their customers can leverage this shift as an opportunity to build stronger, more meaningful ties.

At its heart Relationship Marketing is about building trust and engagement with customers to drive loyalty over the longer haul. In today’s unparalleled environment- economic/business uncertainty, major global health crisis, record unemployment, social unrest etc, trust and even aligned values between people, companies and brands are indeed more important than ever.

Bob Olsen

Marketing and Management Consultant

In addition to a pandemic we are also experiencing an unprecedented shift in consumer and corporate accountability and expectation for honesty and diversity. So yes, it’s more important than ever especially as companies try to build a more inclusive and diverse workforce. As companies face the harsh reality that they don’t have a culture that fosters diversity of thought or embraces inclusion, how or where do they turn for authentic feedback or even recommendations? That is why in my opinion relationship marketing is more important than ever as we are living in this rapidly changing and honesty fueled evolving period of time while facing a pandemic.

Martin Pratt

Marketing Strategist at Incluzion

Lesson 3: Online tools are leading to more personal connections

As so many of us are in isolation, we are craving connection on a wide scale. We know that humans are social beings, and right now most of us are not getting the social connection we are used to leading many to feel isolated. Fortunately, we live in a world where online tools are readily available. Organizations that lean into these new ways of connecting through technology may discover new ways to engage with their audience that may not have been possible before the pandemic. In this sense, relationship marketing through a pandemic represents a powerful opportunity to tap into the needs of our customers—not just the needs our products or services can provide, but the simple human need of feeling connected.

Now that my corporate clients are settling into a longer scope of remote work, they are recommitting to leadership and sales training and coming to me for advice and input on how to make things more effective in this changing world. My business would be lost without maintaining those strong and authentic relationships, and I know they will continue to be differentiators.

Michael Sherlock

Chief Potential Officer at Shock Your Potential

Relationship marketing is absolutely important now and in some ways easier to do because of online tools.

Beth Granger

CEO Beth Granger Consulting

Relationship Marketing has become more important in the ‘new normal.’Regular in person meetings and encounters a salesperson used to maintain and grow existing customer relationships will continue to happen less often compared to the past. Therefore, marketing’s role in fostering and maintaining ‘customer success’ will need to increase. Ultimately, the ‘new normal’ requires deeper integration and more collaborative relationships between marketing and sales.

Mark Kesti

President & COO Innovo Sales

Given the crazy times we are living in, real and authentic connections with each other create bonds that tie us together. With so many people feeling isolated and anxious, a friendly interaction can have an especially positive impact on one’s experience these days—even if that interaction is between a customer and a brand. When the pandemic ends, the changes that people around the world have made in how they operate their day-to-day lives will likely persist, so now is the time to start thinking about how to foster these deeper connections so your relationship with your customers is even stronger post-pandemic.

Have you started planning for 2021? Maybe it’s time to consider taking a closer look at the ways you engage with your customers, and how those lead to long term relationships and long-term growth.

Contact Us
About the Authors

Rajat “Raj” Kapur is the founder and Managing Director of &Marketing. He strives to provide growing businesses of all sizes unparalleled marketing strategy and execution services. Raj brings two decades of professional experience in marketing, sales, and strategy development experience spanning B2B and B2C Fortune 50, mid-sized, and startups.

Ann Ehinger is a Marketing Manager at &Marketing. She serves as the link between clients and creative to drive projects that deliver results. With over a decade of experience working in the non-profit, technology, and agency space, Ann is adept at managing a project from idea to completion while navigating all the ups and downs that pop up in between.

About &Marketing

&Marketing provides the robust outsourced marketing department growing companies need without the high overhead costs of big agencies or full-time employees. Our variable model empowers businesses to reach their growth goals through access to the guidance and expertise of senior level strategists and a flexible execution team.

3 Reasons You Should Join Our Education Program in the New Year to Enhance Your Small Business Marketing

3 Reasons You Should Join Our Education Program in the New Year to Enhance Your Small Business Marketing

by | Oct 30, 2020 | General, Insights

3 Reasons You Should Join Our Education Program in the New Year to Enhance Your Small Business Marketing

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When we launched the pilot program for the &Marketing Education Program a few weeks ago, we knew the challenges “one person marketing departments” face every day. When it comes to impactful small business marketing, no individual person has the time or training to master every task or monitor all of the changing trends.. There are just too many things to do that fall under the category of “marketing” – from setting a clear strategy, to sharpening your messaging and improving your website, to creating and distributing content and measuring results, to managing social media, to paid digital advertising — the list goes on.. Large companies have individual specialists to fill each of these areas. But marketers at smaller companies and solopreneurs are forced to do all of these things themselves, in addition to the endless list of other responsibilities. And it’s usually cost-prohibitive to work with traditional marketing agencies. That’s why we created our Education Program! Our goal was to test a program over 7 weeks to equip solopreneurs and one-person marketing departments with the tools, coaching, and accountability to grow your business and reach their goals. 4 of the 7 weeks have been completed, and we’ve gotten a sense of the biggest benefits of the program so far.

How Our Education Program is Enhancing Our Members’ Small Business Marketing Efforts

1) Real humans appreciate support from real human experts In our research, many of these one person marketing departments said they usually either tapped their network for marketing advice, called in a favor, or Googled and hoped for the best. Overwhelmingly, program participants appreciate the ‘human touch’ of our approach, which is a series of courses that build upon themselves and are supported by a community platform for Q&A.
The ideas/feedback you provide is beyond helpful, clear experts in your craft but able to explain and coach in a non-jargon filled way. The “real human” advantage you’re providing vs chatbot responses to support or pre-recorded sessions
- & Marketing Education Program Member

This kind of comment makes our hearts leap, as this is why we started the program in the first place! Our webinars are recorded live at the same time weekly, so we encourage live attendance and live questions on the materials. One feature members seem to appreciate is the “no dumb questions” section where we answer questions to clarify and simplify.
2) The program is well-rounded One of the most important parts of our course design was to take members through a ‘curriculum’ that builds upon itself in a holistic manner. First, we work to clarify their marketing strategy & messaging. Then we provide tools to upgrade their marketing execution elements (content, social, web, email, etc). These are tried and true foundations of small business marketing, with the unique &Marketing touch.
This educational series delivers a well rounded curriculum that assists small businesses, solopreneurs and one-person marketing departments to grasp, utilize and launch digital marketing programs into their daily activities.
- & Marketing Education Program Member

We originally provided the webinar recordings for members who could not attend live, but received feedback that many went back to watch the recordings again to better understand the materials and directly apply the learnings to their business. We also routinely get questions and comments in our forum and by email, which we aim to review and respond to within one business day.
3) We offer practical takeaways that are immediately actionable. We know that adult learners want to know the materials they are receiving are grounded in the right theory, but they can’t be bogged down by “too much fluff.” So, we strived to strike a balance between abstract principles and practical application. We’re elated to learn that many have found this program to be both well-rounded and practical.
The information is really valuable and has had an immediate impact on my marketing message.

Also, our research showed that other marketing programs were either generic in nature or didn’t focus on any practical application— especially for those with a focus on small business marketing.
Compared to the countless other Marketing Classes and Workshops I’ve invested my time in, I feel like this one has had me actually putting in the work. I feel like I am understanding tactics more and is specific to my business.
- &Marketing Education Program Member

What’s next? Making Improvements to the Pilot

We also received candid feedback that we were able to immediately improve a few areas for the remainder of the pilot:

  • Streamline and simplify the points of interaction so people can find resources quickly
  • Increase opportunities to network and meet other members.
Therefore, we created a Community Hour each week where members can join to network and meet each other, ask questions related to the course, or discuss any other timely topics on everyone’s mind. Head to our course description page for more background on what the pilot we’re currently running entails!

Learn more

Preparing for a full launch in January 2021

As we look forward to our full program launch in January, we’re creating a waiting list for one person marketers. If you or someone you know wants more information as it becomes available, please fill out the information below and we will be in touch!

SIGN UP FOR OUR WAITING LIST FOR JANUARY
About the Authors

Rajat “Raj” Kapur is the founder and Managing Director of &Marketing. He strives to provide growing businesses of all sizes unparalleled marketing strategy and execution services. Raj brings two decades of professional experience in marketing, sales, and strategy development experience spanning B2B and B2C Fortune 50, mid-sized, and startups.

About &Marketing

In today’s fast paced world, many growing businesses are struggling to modernize their marketing approaches because either they don’t have the expertise or the bandwidth to do it themselves.

&Marketing provides seasoned marketing strategy professionals and a nimble execution team to help our clients achieve their goals. Our unique partnership model allows us to augment our client’s existing teams or outsource the entire marketing function in an affordable, flexible, and transparent way.

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The Impact of Isolation: Emotional Burnout and the Backfire of Online Communication

The Impact of Isolation: Emotional Burnout and the Backfire of Online Communication

by | Jul 27, 2020 | COVID Marketing, General, Insights

The Impact of Isolation: Emotional Burnout and the Backfire of Online Communication

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The following article is about the complexities of relying on online communication during this pandemic and the emotional burnout so many of us are currently facing. It was originally published on Dr. Delligatti’s website and has been republished with her permission. We hope you find this piece to be as impactful and eye-opening as we do!

Dr. Andrea Delligatti is a licensed psychologist, executive coach, and mediator. For more from her on this topic, check out our collaborative webinar where she and our Managing Director, Rajat Kapur, discuss mental health, remote work challenges, being a leader during this time. 

Watch the Webinar

This pandemic continues to alter the fabric of our society. As we make daily adjustments to what our routines, interactions, and safety precautions should look like to keep both ourselves and our communities safe, the impact of isolation continues to take its toll in new ways. Many of us continue to work remotely, limit contact with others, and shift the bulk of our interactions to online forums and video calls.  

The CDC recommends communication, in both personal and professional circles, as the first step in coping and building resilience during this time. We’re encouraged to talk about our struggles with mental health, our feelings of loneliness, our overwhelm, and our general detachment from society and one another. But for many, talking about these struggles can feel just as (if not even more) exhausting as experiencing them. We feel isolated and crave human connection, so you would think communication would be the ideal antidote to these ailments. But the effort required to engage in these kinds of interactions can have the opposite effect, creating a continuous cycle that’s damaging our mental health. Trauma, technology, and emotional burnout are all contributors to this cyclical impact of isolation. 

Trauma

Trauma is often associated with something overtly violent, such as domestic abuse, a car crash, or a school shooting. But Dutch philosopher Ciano Aydin describes a situation as traumatic when it, “violates” familiar expectations about someone’s everyday life and surroundings, sending them into a “state of extreme confusion and uncertainty.” We are certainly living through a traumatic situation during this pandemic. This trauma has triggered our instincts to switch us into survival mode. As a result, our brains are saturated with survival and we lose cognitive function. Little energy is left over for focus and concentration.

Technology and Isolation

In order to stay connected, many of us are relying on video conferencing platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams to achieve a semblance of in-person interaction, whether it be professionally or personally. While this may have been a temporary band-aid to cover the wound of isolation, Zoom fatigue has begun to set in, leaving us even more exhausted than we would be running from conference room to conference room for back-to-back in person meetings. 

At first glance, we might assume Zoom meetings provide the best of both worlds. We can see the faces of our families and colleagues all from the safety of our own home. But studies are showing that video calls are much more draining than in-person and phone interactions. There are a few reasons why:

  • Video calls demand more of our full attention due to our constant search for social cues in an environment in which we are unaccustomed.
  • Being able to see yourself during video calls adds an extra layer of discomfort similar to stage-fright.  This may serve as more of a reminder of what we’ve lost during this time rather than a sense of comfort.
  • Properly working technology and the right physical space (finding a professional looking setting, making sure it’s quiet, ensuring working internet, etc) enhances our feeling of tension. 
  • Sound and visual delays and the tendency for talking overlap causes elevated anxiety when interacting.

Emotional Burnout

The decrease in cognitive energy we’re experiencing from existing in survival mode for prolonged periods affects our emotional health, triggering burnout. We feel as if we must be the best possible version of ourselves 24/7, which is an impossible task while our professional and personal worlds collide and bleed into one another. 

Single individuals living alone face the combination of being increasingly isolated and feeling the pressure of needing to be “on” or available all the time. Because of this pressure, many of them suffer silently, discouraged from sharing their struggles due to assumptions that their daily life must be easier without these extra responsibilities. They have trouble leaving work at work since their jobs are at home and other duties are not vying for their attention when 5:00PM rolls around. 

Parents are feeling overwhelmed with the overlap of their jobs, taking care of their children, and their new role as part-time educators.  They are reporting stress due to working multiple full time jobs at the same time. Switching from Zoom calls to snack time and diaper changes to emails to private time have working parents everywhere paralyzed by a lack of routine or boundaries between careers and family responsibilities. Stepfamilies (or other non-traditional arrangements) are faced with the added layer of complexity surrounding both consistency in their routines along with safety concerns over their kids living in different environments. The guilt and shame often associated with striving for parenting perfection and work life balance prevents these moms and dads from speaking out and sharing their struggles.

As this pandemic rages on, we are withdrawing even more because we’re depleted.  This increases our tendency to isolate ourselves even further, creating a vicious cycle. Patience with one another, patience with ourselves, and removing the stigma associated with these social struggles are keys to supporting one another dealing with these impacts of isolation together in a way that can energize rather than drain us. 

Help is Available

If you or others in your organization are struggling during this time, please consider professional assistance. Reducing distress and caring for the mental health of your team starts with the recognition of a need and a commitment to do something to help.

For more than three decades, I’ve helped individuals and teams solve their Gordian Knots, the most challenging situations that require a mix of professional therapy, executive coaching, and Human Resources. I will take the time to understand your needs, provide suggestions for potential assistance, and craft a tailored plan to remotely deliver services to individuals or groups of employees who may be in need. Please contact me to schedule a complimentary consultation! 

About &Marketing

&Marketing provides the robust outsourced marketing department growing companies need without the high overhead costs of big agencies or full-time employees. Our variable model empowers businesses to reach their growth goals through access to the guidance and expertise of senior level strategists and a flexible execution team.

How to Communicate Your Stance On Societal Issues That Transcend Business & Politics

How to Communicate Your Stance On Societal Issues That Transcend Business & Politics

by | Jul 6, 2020 | General, Insights

How to Communicate Your Stance On Societal Issues That Transcend Business & Politics

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In the wake of the death of George Floyd in late May, there has been an unprecedented outpouring of protests across more than 100 cities in the United States.  From a business standpoint, the expectation of responding to these societal shifts has significantly changed over the past decades.  Previously, companies generally stayed neutral in the face of potentially controversial or politically polarizing positions unless it made business sense.  Given the 24-hour news cycle and proliferation of social media, company leaders across industries now feel as if they must make public announcements related to socially infused topics such as sustainability, marriage equality, and most recently, Black Lives Matter. 

Executives face a daunting decision when tasked with choosing to make a statement:  Say nothing and you come across as out of touch.  Or, say the ‘wrong thing’ to the wrong audience, and feel the wrath of customers, investors, and employees. Our advice is twofold:

  1. Choose carefully.
  2. Rely on experienced hands to guide your approach.
  3. Think globally.

“If you fail to quickly clarify your position…others will determine what your slow response and silence mean. Appearing to be forced to address an issue of this magnitude will be viewed as a lack of leadership”

— MATTHEW SCOTT AS PUBLISHED IN CHIEFEXECUTIVE.NET

Choose your causes carefully: You don’t have to take a stand on every issue. Pick what’s relevant to your stakeholders – customers, investors, and employees. This, of course, requires you to have a sense of what these stakeholders hold dear. Working with experienced professionals in communications or public relations will help you select the priority issues and handle the potential backlash if there are inadvertent missteps.

Choose your words carefully: Public relations and communications are generally not strong suits for most growing businesses. However, having a crisis communications solution ready serves many purposes, including being prepared for responding to topics where your company’s customers are impacted by societal hot buttons. This thinking needs to be baked into the fiber of your company’s messaging and value proposition. When the topic is around fairness and equality, almost every company today needs to have a plan in place.

Think globally: These are not U.S. centric issues alone. These types of societal changes have a global view: A collective common voice on clear and immediate issues threatening all incomes and all nations. These ‘shared human experiences’ act as global calls for compassion and community, and yet have also shined a light onto shared shortcomings around independent agendas, historical thinking, fragmented priorities, and silos between governments and companies in an effort to address key societal issues. When communicating your position around a particular social issue, consider how your messaging may (or may not) resonate with other cultures that impact your business. 

Real-Life Examples: Many companies have done an admirable job of directly tying their product or service line to a specific cause and fully supporting it.  

Tom’s, which started off as an apparel company, began donating one pair of shoes in a developing nation for each pair it sold. Notably, they have recently updated this stance to align with more social causes, giving customers the option to choose.

Famously, Nike ran a major ad campaign with controversial NFL player, Colin Kaepernick.  Despite initial backlash, the business results spoke for themselves, as Nike’s online sales grew 31% in the wake of the campaign. 

On the flip side, you must be prepared to defend your position if you use these societal issues in your marketing. Nike’s motives were called to question on the Kaepernick campaign, “When for-profit enterprises insert themselves in issues like these, they invariably raise questions about their motivations and how much of the spotlight they should or shouldn’t take.” 

Adidas was forced to respond to public accusations of discriminatory practices despite their external stand supporting Black Lives Matter. NASCAR, a conservative staple, publicly backed two traditionally liberal social causes, supporting the LGBTQ+ community and the prohibiting of the confederate flag at all of its events, and immediately felt the backlash.  And remember, the microphone is always on, as the CEO of CrossFit learned when a recording of his personal views was made public. He ended up resigning.  

Ultimately, the key to communicating about social issues is to ensure you have a thoughtful approach and consider the perspectives of all stakeholders. Your messaging and the causes you choose to speak about should align with your brand and your core values. Potential for backlash always exists, so be prepared for it. It may be worth the risk if you truly believe in what you’re advocating. 

About the Authors

 Rajat “Raj” Kapur is the founder and Managing Director of &Marketing. He strives to provide growing businesses of all sizes unparalleled marketing strategy and execution services. Raj brings two decades of professional experience in marketing, sales, and strategy development experience spanning B2B and B2C Fortune 50, mid-sized, and startups.

About &Marketing

&Marketing provides the robust outsourced marketing department growing companies need without the high overhead costs of big agencies or full-time employees. Our variable model empowers businesses to reach their growth goals through access to the guidance and expertise of senior level strategists and a flexible execution team.