Tag: corporate

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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HealthSparq is Redefining Transparency in Healthcare Through Bringing People Together

Posted on by Drew Neisser

Risk is too-often considered a dirty word in healthcare sectors. Transparency in healthcare industries is sadly uncommon. For this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite Drew interviews a courageous thinker in healthcare that’s changing the way people think about risk-taking in healthcare, CMO of HealthSparq Burt Rosen.

Burt’s background in hospitality and education allowed him to see the massive gap in the healthcare industry – it’s wasn’t actually about helping and connecting people. By turning his company upside down and digging into the true goal of HealthSparq, Burt has launched a movement that strives to make healthcare less confusing and more transparent.

This interview will restore your faith in the healthcare system. Learn how an insatiable level of curiosity can make you successful in any industry, as well as how to know when your brand positioning has struck gold. Finally, hear the background story behind Burt’s “What’s the Fix?” conference.

Burt and Drew tackle big issues on this episode and help you unravel the transparency in healthcare issues. Be sure to give it your full attention. Click here to listen now!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts – Stitcher – or Podsearch

Redefining HealthSparq’s brand story in order to identify their true niche

Burt learned about the importance of connecting with people and caring for them during his careers in education and hospitality. When he joined the HealthSparq team he recognized the need for a massive redefinition of the brand. Rather than talk about the specifics of the tools the company offers, Burt wanted to talk about the impact the tools has on the actual human using them. That’s why HealthSparq’s tagline is now “Helping people make smarter healthcare choices.” No matter how powerful research tools or cost calculators may be, if they’re not helping people feel more comfortable and confident in their own decisions, the tool is not serving the greater brand purpose. Burt’s understanding of person-first business is unparalleled and you’ll enjoy hearing him passionately talk about this idea on this episode.

Transparency in healthcare is key because it’s so personal to people and their families

HealthSparq’s marketing team realized that healthcare should not be impersonal. Everyone has a healthcare story – they should be positive and comforting tales, not riddled with confusion and frustration. Burt believes that the professionals in the industry should be framing every decision in regards to the customer and patient. This underlying belief drives everything HealthSparq creates. HealthSparq knows that people of every age and from every walk of life want the same things. They want to be taken care of, they want good service, and they want transparency. Changing a decades-old industry is not for the faint of heart and to hear how Burt is conquering this task be sure to listen to this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite.

How a simple focus group idea turned the healthcare industry upside down

In every other industry, focus groups and panel questioning is commonplace. In the healthcare sector? Not so much. An idea for a public focus group left long-standing industry professionals baffled. When the first few HealthSparq-sponsored panels drew in massive amounts of feedback and stories it sent shockwaves through the industry. These panels soon morphed into Burt’s passion project, the “What’s the Fix?” conference. This conference, with the second one being held in May 2018, strives to connect actual people to industry leaders. Making people smarter about healthcare and the decisions they make for their families is always a move in the right direction. Burt’s excitement about the conference is contagious and this episode is sure to leave you inspired.

What You’ll Learn

  • [0:30] Drew’s introduction of Burt Rosen, CMO of HealthSparq, and why risk shouldn’t be a dirty word in healthcare
  • [1:40] Why Burt embraces risk in healthcare and what attracted him to the industry
  • [4:08] You can learn the skills necessary for any industry if you understand marketing and have an insatiable curiosity
  • [8:13] Identifying HealthSparq’s true niche through risk-taking rebranding
  • [12:01] Uncovering what people really want out of healthcare through public focus groups
  • [23:19] The importance of investing in face-to-face interactions with actual people
  • [26:24] Storytelling at HealthSparq and why it’s so critical for Burt and his team
  • [30:01] How a low-budget conference became a massive movement in the healthcare industry
  • [34:10] Everything starts with the positioning of the brand
  • [37:38] Burt shares what’s next for HealthSparq and the What’s the Fix? conference

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