Blog Archives - The Marketing Posse

HI AI. We Still Have Something to Say.

November 4, 2026/in Blog

hi: /haɪ/ acronym. Human Intelligence. The shortest distance between two people.

noun. The opening move. The moment before anything has happened, when everything still can.

acronym. HI: Human Intelligence. The source material for every story ever told, and now for every machine being taught to tell one.

phonetics. One syllable, one breath. The sound rises as you say it, which feels fitting somehow.

etymology. Older than language, probably. First expressed with an open hand.

Hi. Here it is: a little optimism.

Marshall McLuhan said every medium is an extension of ourselves. The wheel extends the foot, the book the eye, the circuit the nervous system. I’ve carried that idea with me through most of my career, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot again lately because it cuts through some of the anxiety around AI.

Technology has never really arrived from somewhere else. We make it. We build tools to reach a little farther, move a little faster, make something easier, or make something possible that wasn’t before.

Artificial intelligence may be the most intimate version yet. The wheel copied movement. AI copies language, and language carries almost everything we are. Centuries of people explaining things, selling things, consoling each other, arguing, joking, persuading, teaching, writing badly, writing beautifully, and trying to make themselves understood.

Whatever else AI is, it isn’t foreign. It’s made from us.

I started my career at the last threshold that felt anything like this one. Dennis Interactive in New York. Modem Media in Connecticut. Digitas and Publicis. This was the late nineties, when the web was still more idea than infrastructure and nobody really knew what the rules were because, for the most part, there weren’t any yet.

And we were having conversations that sound almost ridiculous now. What should a homepage do? How much should be on it? What does someone click first? How do you make something feel interactive without making it annoying? We were making it up as we went, which was frustrating sometimes and incredibly fun most of the time.

There was plenty of fear around the internet then too. It was going to isolate people. Destroy industries. Cheapen creativity. Put people out of work. Some of those fears weren’t entirely wrong. Technology always changes things, and some of those changes do hurt.

But the bigger story, at least from where I sat, was that far more people got access to tools that used to belong to a relatively small group. More people could make things, publish things, build businesses, find an audience, and (my favorite), they could have a voice.

I came out of that period trusting technology less than I trusted what people would eventually figure out how to do with it.

Marketing is about to find out whether that trust still holds.

AI is pushing the cost of making things toward zero. Copy, images, video, versions, adaptations, forty markets, forty formats. Things that used to take days can happen in minutes.

That changes the value equation.

If almost anything can be produced, then producing it is no longer the interesting part. The harder part is knowing what should be made in the first place. Knowing something true about people before the brief is written. Seeing the thing everyone else missed. Having enough taste and judgment to look at a hundred decent options and know which one is actually worth putting into the world.

And I don’t think the flood of machine-made content makes human intelligence less valuable: I suspect it does the opposite. The more average work there is, the easier it becomes to recognize someone who actually has a point of view.

AI can make a lot of average work very quickly, we already know that.

But it can also make a smart person faster. It can help someone explore more directions, get past the first obvious answer, make versions that would once have eaten up half a day, or spend less time on the mechanical parts of the job.

Science fiction has spent decades giving us stories about replacement. Humans versus machines is a much better plot than humans using another tool, so I get why we keep going back to it.

But our history with tools is mostly less dramatic than that. They change what we’re able to do, and then we adjust. Certain skills matter less. Others suddenly matter more. Jobs change. New ones show up. People complain. Then, eventually, whatever seemed strange becomes normal enough that we stop noticing it.

I don’t see HI and AI as opposites. One came from the other.

Whether machines can talk was probably never the interesting question anyway.The better question is whether we’ll still have something to say. I think we will.

Hi, human intelligence. We literally got this.

Written by Kenyon Weiss, Chief Creative Storyteller at The Marketing Posse.

The Best Marketing Plan for 2027 Starts With a “No”

September 28, 2026/in Blog

There’s something strange about annual planning. Many start with a calendar that looks a lot like the year before, then spend a few hours figuring out what else we can add to it. Nobody means to do this. It just happens. The events are already there. So are the campaigns, the channels, and the annual initiatives. Then an idea gets someone excited. There’s a platform we should probably be on. A competitor is doing something interesting. Someone saw a presentation about a trend we can’t afford to ignore.

By the end of the meeting, 2027 is looking very ambitious.

But before we start adding to the 2027 marketing plan, there’s a more important question: What does the business need from marketing this year?

Maybe the answer is more leads or greater awareness. But maybe growth will come from somewhere less obvious. A different audience. A better customer experience. An underperforming market with untapped potential. A smarter way to retain customers. A partnership we haven’t considered. Or an entirely new opportunity we haven’t made room to explore yet.

That’s where the junk drawer comes in. That’s right, marketing has a junk drawer. Things get put in it for perfectly good reasons and then somehow stay there for years. The event we always attend. The channel we keep feeding. The campaign we refresh every year. The thing everyone agrees is important, although it’s been a while since anyone asked why.

A good junk drawer isn’t empty. It holds useful things, interesting things, and a few things you forgot you had. But every once in a while, you have to clean it out. Annual planning is a pretty good time to do it. Maybe everything still belongs, but it should have to make the case. Is it helping us achieve what the business needs now? Is it performing as well as it could? Is there a better way to do it? And if we weren’t already doing it, would we choose to start?

And then AI walked into the planning meeting. Suddenly, some of the work we’ve always done for planning can happen dramatically faster. The conversation about AI in marketing has focused on how much more we can produce. But that may not be the most interesting opportunity. Competitive landscape reviews. Research synthesis. Data analysis. First drafts. Finding patterns across a mountain of information. The question is what we do with the time it gives back.

We could use it to make more stuff. Or we could use it to think. To explore an idea that never makes it to the top of the list. Dig deeper into why something isn’t working. Test something new. Spend more time with customers. Challenge an assumption. Look at the business differently.

That’s where 2027 planning gets interesting.

At TMP, we ask a lot of questions. Why are we spending money here? Why is this still on the calendar? Why are we talking to this audience? Why are we measuring this? What is the business trying to achieve? And is there a more interesting way marketing could help get us there?

Not because everything needs to go. Sometimes asking why confirms that something absolutely deserves to stay. Sometimes the answer isn’t to stop doing it at all, but to make it work harder. And sometimes it exposes the things we’re doing simply because we’ve always done them.

That’s a big part of what we do at TMP. We help teams get out of execution mode long enough to look at the whole picture, challenge assumptions, and make intentional decisions about what comes next. The best marketing plan for 2027 probably isn’t 2026 plus a few new things. It starts with the business. What are we trying to accomplish? Where could growth really come from? What deserves more attention? What could work harder? And yes, what should we stop doing to make room for something better?

Before you fill up the 2027 calendar, clean out the junk drawer. You might be surprised by what you find in there. And, if this has you rethinking what makes the cut for 2027, LET’S TALK ABOUT IT!

What an Appellate Law Firm, a Soda Brand, and a Fire Safety Company Have in Common

July 9, 2026/in Blog

At first glance, they have absolutely nothing in common.

One specializes in appellate law. One bottles childhood memories. One helps protect people and property through fire and life safety services.

Different customers. Different business models. Different definitions of success.

Yet every marketing conversation starts with the same questions.

Who are we trying to reach?
What makes us different from the alternatives?
What message will inspire someone to choose us?

One of the things we enjoy most about working at The Marketing Posse is watching our team jump from one world to another. In the same week, we might be talking with appellate attorneys about referral relationships, reviewing creative for a legacy soda brand, and helping a fire safety company position itself for growth.

The conversations couldn’t be more different. But after working across dozens of industries over the years, we’ve noticed something.

Industries change. People don’t.

People still want to trust the companies they hire or the brands they choose. They want confidence that they’re making the right decision. And they need a reason, whether emotional or practical, to choose one thing over another.

That’s why we enjoy working across industries. Every client forces us to learn something new, question assumptions, and look at problems from a different angle. More often than not, a lesson from one industry can spark an idea for another.

Over the years, working with organizations as diverse as an appellate law firm, a soda brand, and a fire safety company has reinforced one belief: successful marketing starts by understanding what people are really buying.

Brannock Berman & Seider (BB&S): Trust Is the Product

Appellate law isn’t a business most people know much about, but the attorneys who need it understand just how specialized it is. The challenge for Brannock Berman & Seider has never been convincing lawyers that appeals matter. It’s making sure they know who to call when the stakes are high.

As Florida’s largest law firm focused exclusively on appellate law, BB&S has built its reputation around one simple promise: Appeals are all we do.

That message works because it’s supported by decades of experience, deep expertise, and relationships built over time. They are trusted experts who handle some of the most complex and high-stakes cases.

For a firm like BB&S, marketing isn’t about making the loudest claims. It’s about reinforcing credibility every time someone encounters the brand. Because when another attorney makes a referral, they are putting their own reputation on the line too.

Welch’s Soda: More Than a Soft Drink

The challenge looks completely different in the beverage category. The aisle is crowded, with most brands offering similar flavors, packaging, and price points.

So why choose Welch’s Soda?

For many people, it has less to do with what’s inside the bottle. It’s the soda they remember from backyard cookouts, corner stores, and hanging out with friends after school. It’s familiar. It’s nostalgic without feeling dated. It brings back a feeling, not just a flavor.

That emotional connection gives the brand an advantage competitors can’t easily replicate. Sometimes the strongest marketing isn’t the most complicated. Sometimes it’s simply reminding people why they loved something in the first place.

National Fire & Safety: Peace of Mind

Then there’s fire and life safety. Fire protection isn’t something most organizations think about until they have to. Property managers, hospitals, contractors, and facility leaders aren’t looking for exciting marketing or clever taglines. They’re looking for a partner they never have to worry about.

On paper, National Fire & Safety provides inspections, testing, maintenance, monitoring, and compliance services. What customers actually value is knowing someone else is paying attention to the details that matter. They want confidence that systems will work when they’re needed. Confidence that buildings remain compliant. Confidence that people and property are protected. Their reputation is built on integrity, reliability, and a commitment to being “Always on Watch” for their customers.

It’s hard to put a price on peace of mind, but that’s ultimately what they’re buying.

Different Industries. Same Fundamentals.

Working across industries has taught us that the products almost never tell the whole story. People rarely buy legal expertise, soda, or fire inspections for their own sake.

They’re looking for trust. Familiarity. Confidence. Relief. Simplicity. Progress. Those motivations show up in every industry, even if they wear different clothes. While the industries couldn’t be more different, the marketing challenge is remarkably similar: understanding what motivates people to act.

That’s one of the reasons we value working across industries. Every client brings different audiences, goals, and challenges. The variety pushes us to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and see opportunities from new perspectives.That’s why our process looks remarkably similar whether we’re working with a nonprofit, a manufacturer, a restaurant brand, or a professional services firm.

We start by understanding the business and the people it serves. We identify what makes the organization genuinely different. Then we build strategies and ideas around the reasons customers actually choose. Whether we’re helping an appellate law firm build awareness, a beverage brand strengthen customer loyalty, or a fire safety company earn trust, the questions are always the same:

Who are we trying to reach?
What makes us meaningfully different?
What problem are we solving?

And maybe the most important question of all:

What is the customer really buying?

The channels, tactics, and creative executions may change, but those questions never do. Their answers have very little to do with industry and everything to do with people.

That’s why we can move comfortably from appellate law to consumer brands to fire safety without skipping a beat. We’re not trying to become experts in every business we support. We’re focused on understanding the people we are trying to reach and what motivates them. Once you get that right, the marketing gets a whole lot easier. The strongest marketing strategies don’t start with tactics. They start with understanding.

So here’s a question worth asking: Do you know what your customers are really buying?

AI Makes Marketing Faster. Not Better.

May 7, 2026/in Blog

Why the Humans Behind the Strategy Still Matter

AI can write your next blog post in about 90 seconds. So can your competitor’s.

That’s not a knock on the technology. It’s genuinely useful and we use it too. But something worth paying attention to is happening right now: as more businesses reach for the same tools, use similar prompts, and follow similar content patterns, everything is starting to sound the same. Messaging becomes interchangeable. Tone becomes predictable. You’ve probably read something recently and thought, “This feels familiar.” That’s why.

Speed and sameness tend to travel together.

Marketing isn’t just content production. It’s connection. Knowing how your audience thinks, what they care about, and how they make decisions. That doesn’t come from automation. It comes from strategy, experience, and real human interaction.

Here’s the distinction we make with every partner we work with: before we do anything else, we ask why. Why does this organization exist? What makes it genuinely different? What role does it play in people’s lives? These aren’t soft questions. They’re the foundation that every campaign, every piece of content, and every channel decision has to be built on. We call it our POSSE process, and it starts with Purpose before it ever gets to Execution.

Recently, we were working with a nonprofit through a series of virtual brand-building sessions. The kind of deep, collaborative workshops where you debate the meaning of a single word for twenty minutes because precision matters. Midway through, one of the participants paused and said, “I now see why you can’t just do this with ChatGPT.” She was right. Getting clear on what you actually stand for, not the polished version but the real, specific, argued-over version, requires people who push back, ask harder questions, and refuse to let you settle for close enough. That’s not something you can prompt your way to.

One of our go-to questions when we start working with a new partner is: What’s different about you, and why would someone choose you over every other option? It sounds like a sales question, and in a way it is. But it’s really a marketing positioning question in disguise. The answer to that question, when you get it right, is the only brief that matters. Everything else flows from it.

The most effective businesses right now aren’t choosing between AI and a marketing team. They’re using both, leveraging AI for efficiency while relying on strategy, creativity, and real-world judgment to decide what’s worth making in the first place. Because faster content doesn’t equal better marketing. It just means you can produce mediocre content more quickly.

At The Marketing Posse, our team brings more than 300 years of combined marketing experience, from Fortune 500 boardrooms to emerging brands to organizations that are trying to find their footing in a noisy market. We’ve led strategy for national brands and helped small businesses figure out what they’re actually trying to say. What connects all of it is the same thing: understanding your business first, then figuring out how marketing can move it forward.

We use AI where it makes sense. But what we actually bring is perspective, and the judgment to know what’s worth creating in the first place.

First Ask Why. Then Ask Why Not.

A note: AI assisted in drafting this post. The strategy, the stories, and the point of view are ours. That’s kind of the whole point.

What Women’s Leadership Is Reinforcing in Marketing

March 30, 2026/in Blog

March brings a lot of well-deserved attention to women’s impact through International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. For those of us working in marketing, it’s also a good moment to reflect on how leadership perspectives continue to shape the way our industry evolves.

As a WBENC-certified women-owned business, The Marketing Posse has had a front-row seat to that evolution. Over the past decade, as more women have stepped into leadership roles across brands, agencies, and organizations, we’ve seen certain ideas gain real momentum.

Not because they are “women’s ideas,” but because broader leadership perspectives often push industries forward. Here are four shifts we’ve seen reinforced across modern marketing.

1. Relationship-Driven Growth Wins Long Term

Marketing once leaned heavily toward campaigns. Launch it. Promote it. Measure it. Move on. Today, the most effective organizations think much more about relationships. Not just transactions, but the ongoing connection between a brand and the people it serves. That shift has changed how companies approach retention, customer experience, loyalty programs, and brand voice. The focus becomes:

Trust over one-time conversions
Loyalty over short-term spikes
Community over clicks
Lifetime value over quarterly wins

When brands invest in relationships, they build resilience. And resilient brands outperform trends.

2. Empathy Is a Strategic Advantage

For a long time, empathy was considered a “soft skill.” Today it is one of the most powerful tools in modern marketing. Understanding how customers actually live, what challenges they face, and how they make decisions leads to stronger strategy and more authentic communication. It shows up in:

Messaging that reflects real customer experiences
Campaigns that acknowledge real-world context
Inclusive representation that expands audiences
Brand storytelling that builds emotional connection

Empathy helps brands anticipate needs, navigate difficult moments, and build trust. In a crowded market, trust is one of the few advantages that compounds over time.

3. Collaboration Drives Better Marketing

Marketing does not operate in isolation. It touches sales, operations, product development, finance, HR, and executive leadership. The best marketing organizations today operate with a collaborative mindset, bringing different perspectives into the strategy and aligning teams around shared goals.

That collaboration leads to:

More integrated campaigns
Clearer communication across departments
Better aligned KPIs
Stronger agency-client partnerships

When marketing is connected across the organization, it becomes more than a function. It becomes a true growth engine.

4. Brand Equity Matters More Than Buzz

The pressure for viral moments and quick wins is real. But sustainable brands are not built on momentary spikes in attention. Strong marketing leadership increasingly prioritizes the long game: brand positioning, reputation, consistency, and trust.

That means:

Protecting brand voice and values
Investing in credibility and reputation
Measuring success beyond impressions
Building brands designed to last

In a fast-moving digital world, long-term thinking is a strategic advantage.

The Bigger Lesson

Women’s leadership has not reshaped marketing because of gender alone. It has helped reshape marketing because diversity in leadership expands perspective. When more voices are represented at the table, strategy becomes more human. Growth becomes more sustainable. And brands build deeper trust with the audiences they serve.

At The Marketing Posse, we believe the future of marketing is relationship-centered, empathy-led, collaborative, and brand-driven. Those are not trends. They are the standards shaping the next generation of marketing leadership.

Galentines Day Marketing Ideas That Actually Drive Engagement and Sales

February 10, 2026/in Blog

Valentine’s Day gets all the attention, but Galentine’s Day is where brands can really have some fun. Celebrated around February 13, Galentine’s Day is all about friendship, connection, and showing love to your people. For businesses, it is a chance to market in a way that feels playful, inclusive, and genuinely human. This is especially true for lifestyle, retail, service, and community focused brands that thrive on connection.

Below are ten practical, high-impact Galentine’s Day marketing ideas you can actually use. No fluff, no forced romance, just smart, creative ways to show up for your audience.

1. Market the experience, not just the product

Galentine’s Day is not about buying something. It is about doing something together. Position your offer as an experience friends can enjoy side by side instead of a one off product or discount.

Think Bring Your Bestie discounts, Girls’ Night Out bundles, or group bookings that include a free perk like a drink, add on, or small gift. Use language that feels social and fun such as celebrate together, squad goals, besties, or group chat energy.

2. Create shareable offers built for group chats

If it does not screenshot well, it will not spread. Galentine’s Day promotions should be easy to forward, tag, and drop straight into a group chat.

Great options include buy one get one deals, Tag Your Galentine giveaways, or referral rewards like bring a friend and both get ten dollars off. Use CTAs that feel natural like send this to your group chat or tag the friend you are celebrating with.

3. Lean into UGC and real friendships

Skip the perfectly polished couples content. Galentine’s Day works best when it feels real. People want to see genuine friendships and actual moments.

Invite customers to share photos with friends using a branded hashtag, repost friend shoutouts and selfies, or highlight staff best friend duos or team moments. Bonus, user generated content saves time and builds trust at the same time.

4. Use humor and relatability

Galentine’s Day thrives on inside jokes and honesty. This is your moment to loosen up.

Content ideas that tend to perform well include phrases like single, taken, or just here for the snacks, who needs roses when you have your besties, or romance fades, group chats are forever. Memes and short captions often outperform overly polished graphics during this holiday.

5. Offer limited-time bundles instead of deep discounts

You do not need huge markdowns to get attention. Scarcity almost always beats discounts.

Try a Galentine’s Gift Set, a Girls’ Night Kit, or a Self Care for the Squad bundle. The sweet spot is usually one premium item, one fun item, and one small surprise that makes it feel special.

6. Highlight self love without being cheesy

Galentine’s Day is also about celebrating yourself, and that message resonates when it feels authentic.

Messaging like celebrate yourself and your girls, because self love and friendship go hand in hand, or treat yourself then treat your bestie works especially well for beauty, wellness, fitness, and service based brands.

7. Run micro promos across multiple days

Do not limit your Galentine’s Day marketing to one post on one day. Stretch it out.

For example, you might run a Tag Your Galentine giveaway from February 8 through 10, promote a group discount or bundle on February 11 and 12, share a last chance reminder on February 13, and post a still counts message on February 14 for late shoppers.

8. Make it inclusive

Galentine’s Day should never feel anti Valentine’s Day or anti relationships. Inclusive language helps you reach more people and keeps the vibe positive.

Use phrases like friends of all kinds, your people, or chosen family to make sure everyone feels welcome.

9. Create photo moments for in store or event based businesses

People love documenting Galentine’s Day, especially when they are out with friends.

If you have a physical location or event, create easy photo moments with cute signage, selfie mirrors, pink or heart themed props, or a simple branded photo backdrop. Make sure your handle or hashtag is visible so the content finds its way back to you.

10. Keep the CTA light and fun

This is not a hard sell holiday. Your call to action should feel easy and low pressure.

Phrases like celebrate your girls, plan the girls’ night, grab one for you and one for her, or make it a Galentine’s thing tend to work well.

Final thoughts

Galentine’s Day marketing works best when brands stop trying to sell and start trying to connect. Focus on friendship, humor, and shared experiences, and your audience will naturally engage, share, and show up for your brand.

If you want help turning these ideas into a full campaign, social content, or email strategy, that is exactly the kind of thing we love at The Marketing Posse. Send us a note to start the conversation: crew@themarketingposse.com.

Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Check In on Your Marketing Plan

June 2, 2025/in Blog

Intro:
We get it– summer is busy. Between vacations, events, and a little sunshine, it’s tempting to put your marketing plan on autopilot. But with the year already halfway over, summer is actually a golden opportunity to pause, reflect, and reset your strategy. A mid-year marketing check-in can help you finish strong, stay aligned with business goals, and avoid the last-minute scramble come Q4.

1. Revisit Your Goals

What did you say you wanted to accomplish back in January? Now’s the time to pull out those original goals and ask the big questions:

Are we on track?
Are our KPIs still realistic?
Do our current tactics support our updated business priorities?

It’s perfectly normal for goals to shift mid-year—as long as your plan shifts with them.

2. Look at the Data

Your analytics aren’t just numbers—they’re a map showing you what’s working and what’s not. Dive into performance across your key channels (social, email, website, paid ads) and see what the data reveals.
Ask yourself:

What campaigns or content overperformed or underperformed?
Are there platforms that are worth doubling down on—or letting go?
Have any audience trends changed?

3. Take Advantage of the Summer Slowdown (or Standout Season)

Depending on your industry, summer can either mean a drop in attention or a chance to stand out while competitors go quiet. Either way, it’s a great time to experiment:

Test new creative
Try new content formats
Refresh your brand voice or visuals

Sometimes the best ideas come when there’s room to try something new.

4. Plan Ahead for Q3 and Q4

Fall and holiday campaigns sneak up quickly. Use the summer window to:

Brainstorm and build content in advance
Create a promotions calendar
Start laying the groundwork for larger end-of-year initiatives

A little planning now can prevent a lot of stress later—and ensures you’re operating strategically instead of reactively.

5. Realign as a Team

Whether you’re part of a large team or managing everything yourself, a summer check-in is a chance to refocus.
Set aside time for a quick meeting or audit. Revisit your workflows. Discuss what’s working and what feels stuck. Often, fresh momentum starts with honest conversation.

Conclusion:
Marketing plans aren’t meant to be static. They should evolve with your business goals, performance data, and audience behavior. Summer offers the perfect moment to step back, reassess, and move forward with clarity. A short check-in now can lead to a stronger finish later.

4 Marketing Trends You Can’t Ignore This Summer

May 21, 2025/in Blog

Summer’s rolling in hot, and so are the opportunities to heat up your marketing game. With sunny vibes, longer days, and audiences spending more time on their phones (whether poolside or airport-bound), now is the perfect time to catch some engagement. Not sure where to start? We’ve got you. Here are five summer marketing trends you definitely want on your radar:

Lights, Camera, Scroll: Video-First Social Strategy

Short-form video is still ruling the digital world, and summer is prime time to make your brand shine. Whether it’s a behind-the-scenes look at your biz, a snappy how-to, or a splashy seasonal campaign, video is where the magic happens on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

Make it work: Keep things authentic and relaxed. Think natural light, candid shots, and simple storytelling that captures a moment.

Check out a TMP example: In this short video, we showcased a ‘Culture Display’ we were putting together for our partner National Fire & Safety. It’s short, sweet, and paired with an easy, trending track.

Hyperlocal & Geo-Targeted Ads That Hit Home

From neighborhood block parties to road trip pit stops, people are out and about. That means your ads should be too. Hyperlocal and geo-targeted ads help you meet people right where they are—literally.

Make it work: Use radius targeting to promote time-sensitive offers or event tie-ins. Think local language, landmarks, or weather-specific hooks.

Quick example: A mobile ad for a local smoothie shop appears while someone’s scrolling at the beach, saying, “Hot out? We’re just 5 minutes away with $2 off mango coolers.”

Check out a Welch’s Soda example: We promoted a reel we did for Welch’s Soda being available at select Circle K stores to targeted zip codes that have the soda in stock at those locations. This allowed us to drive awareness in those specific areas.

Social Commerce & In-App Shopping

People aren’t just scrolling for inspo—they’re shopping while they scroll. With Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest making in-app shopping seamless, it’s time to make sure your products are where your audience is.

Make it work: Tag products in your posts, use carousel formats to showcase summer collections, and test shoppable video features to reduce friction. Do a “Summer Essentials” post showing someone packing for a weekend trip, with every item linked for instant purchase.

Missing Thorn example: We’re currently building out a Shopify store that will be integrated with Meta to offer an in-app shopping catalog on both Facebook and Instagram. Once the catalog is live, we plan to promote it by linking directly through Instagram and Facebook posts.

Sustainability & Purpose That Shines Through

Today’s consumers want to know: What does your brand stand for? Summer brings out a heightened awareness of environmental impact—from eco-friendly packaging to supporting local initiatives.

Make it work: Spotlight your sustainability wins or community initiatives. Add a simple badge or tagline like “Locally Sourced” or “Plastic-Free Summer.”

Quick example: A series of Instagram stories highlighting how your brand is reducing waste at a summer event—complete with user-submitted photos of reusable cups.

Check out a Primo Water example: Our Partner Primo Water lets its followers know they care about the environment with this sustainability post showcasing their 5 gallon packaging (saving from single use bottle purchase).

Summer isn’t just a season—it’s a state of mind. Lean into these four trends to keep your brand fresh, fun, and front-of-mind all season long.

Ready to elevate your summer marketing strategy? Connect with The Marketing Posse to discover how we can help your campaign stand out this season.

Crafting a Compelling Business Vision Statement

November 6, 2024/in Blog

A vision statement serves as a strategic guide that articulates your company’s long-term goals. It is a forward-looking statement that articulates the change you want to make. It is the motivation behind your daily operations and answers the critical question of “why” we do what we do every day. It paints a picture of the future we’re working towards.

The Importance and Process of Creating an Effective Business Vision Statement

Creating a compelling vision statement is essential because it is the foundation for your business’s long-term strategy. It provides direction, inspires stakeholders, and aligns the team around a common goal. A clear vision ensures that everyone understands the purpose of their efforts and how they contribute to the overarching plan.

Steps to Create a Vision Statement

Define the Working Team: Begin by identifying and gathering your working team. Include the leaders and contributors that can help and that you want to bring along.
Look at Inspiration: Consider vision statements from companies and competitors you admire or that have well-written and inspiring visions.
Brainstorm and Draft: Have a brainstorm where you write multiple options. Stay focused on a “future outcome” and the impact you want to make. Identify the key themes and ideas that emerge.
Refine and Define: Select favorite drafts and evaluate every word. Aim for clarity and brevity. It should be easy to understand and remember. Once you have your final draft, define the words or phrases that are important. This ensures everyone interprets it the way you intend.
Finalizing: Finalize your vision statement by ensuring it is inspiring, clear, and future-focused. Feedback and perspectives from stakeholders can also be helpful. It should effectively communicate the change you aim to create and why it matters.

Examples of Vision Statements and What They Do Right or Wrong

To illustrate, let’s analyze some well-known vision statements:

Airbnb: “Create a world where you can belong anywhere and where people can live in a place, instead of just traveling to it.” recently updated to “A world where anyone can belong anywhere.”

This vision statement paints a clear picture of a future state – the destination they are marching toward. A new world where anyone can belong anywhere. It communicates a change where travel and experience are seamlessly integrated and speaks to people on an emotional level. It is also a clear outcome of their mission statement which is to connect people who have space to spare with people who need a place to stay. If they are successful at their mission, they can achieve their vision.

While it’s broad and inspiring, it is very specific to their business, easy to understand, and inspiring to employees and customers. Now let’s contrast this with some typical watchouts.

Avoid Generalities: “Be the market leader” for example, is a future state but not very inspiring and light on the change or future state.

Don’t Confuse Vision and Mission: The vision is the future destination and the mission is what you do every day to get there. It is more natural to articulate the mission and a bit harder to clearly articulate a future state.

It’s a process: Don’t be too impatient. It’s a process so take the time to get it right, but also don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. You can always refine as you go.

A well-crafted vision statement is essential for steering your business, but even more important, it plays the important role of inspiring your team and keeping them focused on what’s important. It should clearly articulate what you want to achieve and resonate with both your internal and external audiences. By carefully developing your vision and learning from successful examples, you can create a statement that motivates and guides your organization.

Crafting a strong vision statement is just the beginning. At The Marketing Posse, we assist companies in developing comprehensive vision, mission, values, and positioning strategies to drive growth and inspire teams. Reach out to us to see how our expertise can help you turn your aspirations into reality.

Big to the Future: Our Journey with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s Gala

September 9, 2024/in Blog

Attending the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s annual Gala is always a highlight for our team at The Marketing Posse, and this year was no exception. With the theme Big to the Future, we were thrilled to take on a larger role in this year’s event. We dove into planning bringing this event to life. And what a night it was!

Our CEO, Danielle Vona, has been on the board of BBBS since 2014, so this partnership holds a special place in our hearts. We’ve been working hand in hand with the incredible Amy Hollington, VP of Development of BBBS Tampa Bay, for months. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came together.

The Preparation

Caren, our Marketing Conductor, took the lead on the Gala planning project. Weekly planning meetings with Danielle, Kari, Caren, and Amy kept us on track and ensured that no detail was overlooked.

Everything started with the theme—Big to the Future—inspired by the beloved Back to the Future movie. Our Creative Posse lead, Kenyon, created the Gala logo, tying the entire event’s branding together with the rest of the BBBS event series branding.

One of the evening’s most touching moments was when we played the “mission moment” video, where we highlighted the real impact of BBBS. In August, we coordinated a video shoot with Brandon Ransbottom and Chris Wolf leading the filming. Thanks to Tracey, TMP’s Administrative Guru, for helping us secure a great location for the shoot. The final video captured an example of BBBS mentorship through generations of one family, and really moved the audience.

Caren was able to connect with the one and only, Lea Thompson, one of the stars of Back to the Future! Lea was excited to be part of the program and recorded a video for the program. Her message was a fun and nostalgic touch, perfectly connecting the event’s theme to an iconic figure from the film.

Our intern, Alisson, worked alongside Danielle and Kenyon to help put together a visually engaging PowerPoint for the evening’s program.

Meagan, Marketing Maven, and Kaylee, Social Media Architect, collaborated to ensure we had the perfect shot list for photos and videos, ensuring that every key moment would be captured.

The Big Day

Event day arrived, and while the Gala officially kicked off at 6 PM, Caren was on-site bright and early at 8 AM to oversee every single detail. From setup to vendor coordination, Caren made sure everything was running smoothly so the event would be flawless when doors opened. She was Amy’s right-hand woman, and they made an exceptional team.

In the meantime, Danielle took the lead in coordinating and running the show rehearsal on-site. She made sure every element of the program was seamless, from the run-throughs to final technical checks. Thanks to her coordination, the night flowed perfectly from start to finish.

As the Gala unfolded, Kaylee was on-site capturing and posting live updates across both The Marketing Posse’s and BBBS social media channels. Real-time engagement allowed those at home to feel a part of the action while keeping the excitement alive for those attending.

Post-Event

Once the Gala wrapped up, our team jumped into action, editing photos and videos to ensure the post-event visuals were polished and ready to share. Our keen eye for detail brought out the best moments from the night, showcasing all the work that went into making it a success.

A Huge Thank You

We couldn’t have pulled off this event without the help of some amazing vendors. Special thanks to:

Tacy Briggs-Troncoso Photography, for capturing stunning images throughout the evening.
Christi’s team at Windsor Event Studio for planning the event without a hitch. You can check out more of their work at Winsor Event Studio.
Good Food Events + Catering, whose delicious spread had guests raving all night.
Armature Works in Tampa, who had the perfect venue to host such an incredible event.

Reflecting on an Amazing Experience

Every member of our team played a part in making this Gala unforgettable. From the planning stages to live event coverage and post-production, it was a true team effort. We’re incredibly proud to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and are already looking forward to what we can do together next.

If you need event support, creative content, or marketing expertise, The Marketing Posse is here to help. Let’s make your next event as memorable as this one!

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