Tag: Brand Storytelling

How Aetna’s Brand Transformation Teaches a Lesson in Storytelling Marketing

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A company’s brand transformation process should never be taken lightly, especially for a health insurance company that serves the lives of thousands of people across the country. When David Edelman joined Aetna’s team as the CMO two years ago, he knew that a change was needed to reimagine the public perception of health insurance companies. On this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, you’ll learn how he and his team successfully transformed the Aetna brand into one that puts the joy and wellness of its clients first and foremost.

David shares why a rebranding transformation is not just a marketing thing — it must be an organization-wide effort that translates to tangible changes for customers. Drew and David also dive into how the Aetna marketing team achieved internal company buy-in, and how acting courageously in their market led to a completely reinvented brand rooted in sincere storytelling.

Get inspired to let storytelling drive your next marketing move.

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What You’ll Learn

David’s first challenge was figuring out the space in which Aetna could relate with clients

When asked about the healthcare industry, most people will associate the market with negative words and emotions. Overcoming this negative association was David’s first challenge as Aetna’s new CMO. He realized that Aetna had to become so much more than a health insurance company. He tells Drew that they needed to become “a partner in our clients’ lives,” while telling each client, “We’re joining you! You lead, we’ll follow.” By opening up this line of honest communication with their clients, Aetna has been able to enter into new spaces of health, wellness, and preventative medicine.

Achieving internal buy-in was critical to the success of Aetna’s brand transformation

Before Aetna could help their clients reach their wellness goals, David and his team first had to achieve internal buy-in. Previously, each of Aetna’s departments had their own “feel” and culture. They combated this lack of unity by sharing the new brand promise, explaining priority initiatives, and continually asking for employee feedback and insights. They also used a variety of evaluation and measurement tools that allowed them to make the necessary course corrections throughout the brand transformation process. To hear the full story behind how all of this – and more – was achieved in just 6 months, be sure to listen.

Reorienting the B2B and B2C sales teams to sell with storytelling in mind

Drew and David talk at length in this episode about how Aetna successfully sells in both the B2B and B2C space. Not only does Aetna sell to individuals and families, but they also offer healthcare packages to small businesses and major corporations. David outlines a few major tools his marketing team was able to share with the sales team to make selling the new Aetna brand easier:

  • Arm the sales team with great content
  • Share the new customer experience
  • Use storytelling techniques – don’t just share lists and data
  • Focus on the idea of “One Aetna”

The reorienting process hasn’t been simple, but David and his team have handled it beautifully so far. For the full story, don’t miss this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite.

Timeline

  • [0:28] David approached his marketing challenge at Aetna with courage
  • [3:54] The first steps in rebranding the entire company
  • [9:06] Taking action on the research David and his team collected
  • [11:28] Overcoming pushback throughout the rebranding process
  • [13:48] Engaging employees was critical in making the rebranding successful
  • [21:00] The internal structure of the brand transformation at Aetna
  • [26:05] Reorienting the B2B and B2C sales teams to sell with storytelling in mind
  • [36:41] David’s final thoughts on brand transformation and lessons learned during his 2 years at Aetna

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“Fearless” Marketing and the Power of Storytelling

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No matter how dramatic or controversial, truly great storytelling in marketing doesn’t just boil down to publicity stunts. Rather, the most impactful storytelling is all about the message a company is trying to convey and how that message originates from its internal values. And in the case of the famous “Fearless Girl” statue that faces down Wall Street’s charging bull, it was the message about fostering a greater diversity in the financial industry that has had a lasting impact.

Stephen Tisdalle, CMO of State Street Global Advisors, was on the team that made the “Fearless Girl” statue. And although the installation made headlines all over the world, the campaign also prompted State Street Global Advisors to devote themselves to greater gender diversity in their own leadership and on their own boards. On this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Stephen shares the internal challenges his team faced when developing the idea, the global reaction to the statue, and how this striking piece of storytelling marketing sparked a global-wide conversation about equality in the workforce.

Click here to learn all about impactful storytelling in marketing.

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What You’ll Learn

Why did a statue of a ‘Fearless Girl’ in front of the ‘Charging Bull’ leave such an impression?

The “Charging Bull” statue that lives on Wall Street has been an iconic symbol for decades. On March 7, 2017, SSGA unveiled the “Fearless Girl” statue – a brave young girl that confidently faces the bull. She continues to serve as a symbol for greater diversity on C-suite level boards, and that’s exactly what Stephen and his team were trying to convey. That’s what makes Fearless Girl such a prime example of storytelling marketing – a piece that stands the test of time and represents values that span companies, states, and even nations.

You have to back up your storytelling marketing with action

Fearless Girl may have remained a simple statue with a brief amount of fanfare if it hadn’t been for SSGA’s actions that backed up the claims she made. SSGA has committed to increasing the level of diversity in their own boards, as well as encouraging their clients to do the same. Stephen explains to Drew that since her installation, SSGA has found that more than 300 companies added a female director, and to-date another 28 plan to follow suit. Fearless Girl also amassed over 6.5 billion social media impressions. However, if a company’s storytelling marketing campaigns are to leave a persisting impact, they must be backed with action.

Truly great marketing can flourish when its paired with important values

The genius behind Fearless Girl lay in her ability to convey values that should be important to companies of all sizes in all industries. Stephen explains that “authenticity is attractive,” and that people are drawn to marketing campaigns that are aligned with important values. He continues by explaining that companies and leaders need to “do well, do better, by doing good.” Storytelling marketing can be the perfect way to convey those commitments.

Timeline

  • [0:30] Stephen explains why State Street wanted to put a fearless girl in front of a charging bull
  • [9:50] Stephen and his team had to overcome internal concerns before moving forward with Fearless Girl
  • [15:29] Great marketing comes when you align with important internal values
  • [21:04] The true value behind Fearless Girl was in the actions taken across the world
  • [26:24] Stephen explains the future of Fearless Girl
  • [31:33] The storytelling process begins with a strong marketing focus
  • [38:48] Fearless Girl and how she has impacted the brand awareness of State Street Global Advisors

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How Braze Mastered the Art of the Rebrand

Posted on by Drew Neisser

Renaming a company is no small task. It’s even more challenging when your company is fewer than 10 years old. Marissa Aydlett, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Braze, is Drew’s guest for this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. They skillfully unpack the art and science of renaming a company and it’s a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Marissa shares insight into challenges surrounding the renaming process and the subsequent rebranding efforts. There is power behind selecting a name and future direction for your company, and it’s not something that should be tackled haphazardly.

Key differences between historical, in the moment, and predictive data are also covered. Knowing how to capture these types of data and use them to your company’s advantage is one of the biggest pieces of advice Marissa has for listeners.

What You’ll Learn

The essentials behind renaming a company

Braze is a customer engagement platform that allows companies to send out personalized messages across a variety of platforms. Formerly known as Appboy, the company began in 2011 and Marissa’s team started the renaming process when the company was only 6 years old. She knew the company needed to be a leader in predicting how people will communicate and interact with each other in both B2B and B2C environments in the future. Achieving this leader status could only come after a renaming process. Marissa shares the following key insights about renaming a company:

  • Understand that a name could stick with your company forever
  • A name should be symbolic of your company’s goals and values
  • Naming a company is a personal experience – be sure to take into account internal and external opinions
  • Don’t be afraid of seeking third-party advice and support
  • Have a plan for rebranding efforts after the naming process is complete

All of this advice and more great insights can be found on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite.

The power of choosing a great name and how that name can organically become an eponym

The ultimate dream for marketers is universal awareness – the point in time when your brand becomes synonymous with a noun. Having your brand become a verb is an even better case scenario. Think, “I’ll Venmo you the money!” or “I’ll Google it!” Marissa has found that the company name “Braze” is organically becoming an eponym and that organic discovery process is better than any marketing-driven campaign. Her team members are using variations such as “Brazify it!” and that’s quite an exciting process to watch. There’s power in a great name. It could drive the future direction of your company for years to come. You can’t afford to miss the renaming secrets that Drew and Marissa discuss, so be sure to listen.

Being an innovative company is all about fostering personal connections with each customer

Even though a stellar name is a perfect foundation for a company, the company then has to strive to make personal, individualized connections with every customer. That’s where data comes into play. Marissa describes how Braze encourages its clients to use three types of data: historical, in the moment, and predictive. This combination of data gives a company the best chance at knowing what the customers want, when they want it, and why they’re seeking it. She says it’s all about delivering the right message at the right time to the right person. It’s an explanation that’s best heard from the expert, so be sure to listen to Marissa’s conversation with Drew. You won’t regret it.

Timeline

  • [0:30] Drew introduces his guest for this episode, Marissa Aydlett of Braze
  • [2:56] The major brand transformation from Appboy to Braze
  • [7:56] Understanding the true importance of selecting a new name through dedicated research
  • [10:33] The biggest lessons Marissa’s learned throughout the renaming process
  • [14:27] So the company has a new name – now what?
  • [18:06] The medium was the message at Braze’s live promotion events
  • [21:57] Turning the Braze name into an eponym
  • [24:40] The future of Braze – where are all of the company’s ideas heading?
  • [28:21] Historical data vs. in the moment data vs. predictive data
  • [34:23] The power of first-party data within predictive analytics
  • [36:39] How to look at your marketing programs beyond the next 6 months

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