Arrow Archives - The Drew Blog

Why you need a signature story rooted in emotion – with David Aaker of Prophet

David explains that when trying to convey a message, a CMO has two options: share facts or tell stories. And facts don’t work. B2B storytelling must magnify the problem, offer a solution or accentuate the outcome. This can artfully be done by combining customer testimony with just enough facts to provide a reliable level of reality. However, simply listing data and facts is a record-keeping entry – not a compelling marketing campaign.

How and when to put emotion into your ads – with Manny Rodriguez of UC Health

Manny’s healthcare marketing philosophy goes against the grain: He always strives to connect to the human side of B2B marketing by putting the patient first. He shares how to nurture the emotional component of storytelling to effectively connect with the audience, as well as his 4 top lessons all CMOs should learn.

Brand identity and storytelling need to be strongly united – with Martin Häring of Finastra

One of the biggest challenges any CMO will face is the task of creating a new brand identity without losing the loyalty and enthusiasm of existing customers. It goes far beyond choosing new colors, a new name, and a fancy new logo. From legal issues, to market research, to the process can be daunting. Martin discusses the foundational principles – including storytelling – that helped him get the job done quickly and successfully.

With innovative storytelling, marketing campaigns can resonate with millions – with Rich Kylberg of Arrow Electronics

Arrow’s story-driven marketing campaign reached people around the world. Rich and his team connected with Sam, a former indy car driver who had become a quadriplegic following a crash in 2000. Arrow was given an opportunity to create technology with real human benefits, and to share a story that would engage people and bring about positive change. Some time after being connected, Sam was able to take his family for a Sunday drive again. Rich explained that Arrow wants to share stories that can “drive technology innovation forward and inspire people to dream big because anything is possible.”

How storytelling can be the foundation of a successful rebrand regardless of scale – with Carolyn Feinstein of Dropbox

With over half a billion worldwide users, Dropbox is major player in cloud storage. Despite their success, they wanted a to expand to ensure their continued status as an industry leader and innovator. With a story-driven campaign, Carolyn helped successfully execute the massive rebrand that coincided with a new company mentality.

Quotes

Aaker: “The media world is clutter, today. It’s really hard. Into this context steps story.”

Häring: “In marketing, we are all storytellers. We have to create emotions.”

Feinstein: “At the end of the day, our role is to understand the people that we’re trying to reach deeply and to know the kind of stories that will resonate most deeply.”

Kylberg: “It was a wild success. This initiative totally transformed the company, totally pushed us into the dominant position in our industry.”

Rodriguez: “We took the risk of really tasking the patient with telling the story, and the payoff and the benefits have been huge.”

In order to achieve storytelling marketing success, CMOs have to be willing to take risks. Even with all of the data and metrics available to evaluate, sometimes the best ideas come directly from human intuition.

On this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Drew interviews Rich Kylberg, Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Arrow Electronics. Arrow is a $24 billion global supplier for a wide array of technology and products, and Rich has helped them break into new ways of communicating internally and externally.

Throughout this podcast, Rich explains how his background in literature allows him to see marketing campaigns in new ways and why casting a vision internally is needed before you can communicate identity externally. Arrow’s groundbreaking SAM vehicle technology is revolutionizing many industries, and you’ll be inspired by Rich’s explanation of this pursuit.

Their conversation is a perfect mix of marketing knowledge and inspiration – you don’t want to miss it. Click here to listen!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts – Stitcher – or Podsearch.

How Rich helped Arrow create a common identity

When Rich joined the Arrow team, they had recently acquired over 130 companies and many hadn’t yet fallen in line with the overarching Arrow brand. Arrow was on the verge of becoming a holding company too comfortable in their own success, but Rich was determined to take some risks and create a guiding theme that would direct every employee and customer interaction. Thus, the phrase “guiding innovation forward” was born. Rich explains that “you have to inspire your employees before you can market your company externally” and this progress was essential for Arrow to continue growing. It created a conversation starter that is still being talked about today. To hear exactly how Rich achieved this lofty goal, be sure to give this episode a listen.

Why risk taking in marketing is so important

Rich and Drew are adamant about risk-taking in marketing – it’s one of the key aspects of being a Renegade Thinker. On this episode, Rich explains that the opportunity to attain exponential rewards are worth taking substantial risks and that the fear of mediocrity is often the driving force behind risk-taking. CMOs in any B2B environment should ask themselves these questions: What risks am I willing to take in my marketing? What will be the source of my courage? How am I going to prepare? After you consider these questions, remember that as a marketer you need to be empowered to try ideas, keep what works, and move past what doesn’t. Without risky marketing decisions, Rich and his team never could have developed the storytelling marketing campaign that moved Arrow into the future of connecting with clients and telling great stories. Be sure to discover the story on this episode.

Arrow’s innovative storytelling marketing campaign and how Rich and his team burst through the barriers they encountered

Arrow Electronics recently unveiled their latest storytelling marketing campaign, and it’s one that resonates with people across the country. When Rich and his team were connected with a former Indy Racing League race car driver who was sadly diagnosed as a quadriplegic after a crash in 2000, they came up with the SAM car technology – a car that would allow drivers with disabilities to regain their independence. When asked about the project, Rich’s team explained that “We hope the SAM car continues to drive technology innovation forward and inspire people to dream big because anything is possible.” Had Rich and his marketing team forgone risk-taking and stuck with what is “normal” and expected in the marketing industry, this amazing project never would have left the idea board. It’s sure to inspire you and your team to take marketing risks and delve into the unknown so be sure to get all of the details by listening to this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite.

What You’ll Learn

[1:25] Drew introduces his guest for this episode, Rich Kylberg of Arrow Electronics
[2:48] Rich’s favorite risk-taking story from his childhood
[8:00] How Rich’s educational background impacts his current career
[13:18] The story behind how Rich joined the Arrow team and how they created a common identity
[17:45] Taking the internal identity and transforming it into an external message
[21:55] Arrow’s program that brought their innovative ideas to life that enhance humanity
[27:30] The barriers Rich’s team encountered while developing the SAM technology
[33:00] Rich shares the best lessons he learned through the SAM journey
[37:13] Why you should bring in an outside firm to assist your company in storytelling
[39:51] The power of a plan on a page
[42:07] Drew summarizes his conversation with Rich

Tag: Arrow

The Art of Storytelling