A widely known finest observe for at the moment’s enterprise leaders is to “stroll the discuss” — match their very own actions with the priorities and values they encourage others to display.
Advertising maven April Rudin, founder and CEO of The Rudin Group, simply did that lately with the rebranding of her agency’s web site. Its marquee motto: “We expect otherwise.”
“It was a giant effort,” Rudin mentioned in an interview with ThinkAdvisor. “As a advertising agency, if we are able to’t display a really clear worth proposition for ourselves with a web site that appears visually interesting and communicates our message, then it can influence how our shoppers and prospects have a look at us.”
However — as she advises her shoppers in wealth administration and associated areas to do — Rudin additionally needed to make her agency’s new web site stand out.
“I had a transparent imaginative and prescient in my thoughts that I assumed represented our model, which was ‘sensible enjoyable,’ she defined. “I needed it to be sensible, after all, as a result of we’re in monetary providers, so it’s gotta be sensible and display information, eminence and authority.”
On the similar time, Rudin mentioned, the web site wanted to have a lighter facet.
“I needed it to be just a little bit cheeky, attention-grabbing and barely edgy — in order that it demonstrates that advertising doesn’t all the time should be actually conservative or hew to what others are doing. There’s much more latitude in how manufacturers can consider themselves at the moment,” she mentioned.
Right here’s the primary half of our interview, by which she covers every part from the necessity to eliminate inventory pictures to the significance of getting an FAQ web page; the second half of the dialogue, which focuses on branding, might be posted individually.
THINKADVISOR: Earlier than your latest rebrand, what was your web site’s focus or goal?
APRIL RUDIN: After I launched my agency in 2008 — a time of turmoil within the markets about 15 years in the past — I assumed that corporations actually wanted to suppose otherwise about their model and the way they had been approaching shoppers.
I’ve two Gen Z children of my very own and seen that monetary providers manufacturers appeared outdated and musty.
I used to be most likely one of many first entrepreneurs to make use of the phrase millennial, and I got here up with this idea of multi-generational advertising about 12 years in the past. Since then, occasions have actually modified. It’s an outdated story and time for one thing new. Similar to we advise our shoppers, it’s necessary to refresh and keep related.
I had the identical form of feeling now as in 2008 — it’s a transitional time and a possibility for us to speak to potential prospects in new methods.
What’s new together with your model and web site?
Our theme is how it is a totally different time, and we’re pondering otherwise. Folks ought to suppose otherwise about how they go to market with digital media, social media and all of the totally different applied sciences that at the moment are powering manufacturers. It’s a extremely attention-grabbing time.
Additionally, private manufacturers have gotten extra necessary, if not as necessary, as agency manufacturers. It’s arduous to dig into a few of these huge manufacturers. However as soon as the private model and the individuals, you may attain out to a few of the individuals [at a firm].
Loads has modified in 15 years, and we need to guarantee that we seize all of that.
What was the strategic pondering behind the rebrand?
It was a giant effort, and I’ll inform you why. As a advertising agency, if we are able to’t display a really clear worth proposition for ourselves with a web site that appears visually interesting and communicates our message, then it can influence how our shoppers and prospects have a look at us.
I had a transparent imaginative and prescient in my thoughts that I assumed represented our model, which was “sensible enjoyable.”
I needed it to be sensible, after all, as a result of we’re in monetary providers, so it’s gotta be sensible and display information, eminence and authority.
Then again, I needed it to be just a little bit cheeky, attention-grabbing and barely edgy — in order that it demonstrates that advertising doesn’t all the time should be actually conservative or hew to what others are doing. There’s much more latitude in how manufacturers can consider themselves at the moment.
How did you create and launch the brand new web site?
It was an enormous undertaking, however the hardest factor with any undertaking like that’s getting the proper tone. As soon as I had this concept of sensible enjoyable, it grew to become actually simpler to speak what we needed to do.
We employed our personal exterior advertising of us to assist us, simply as we might encourage our shoppers to do. It’s troublesome to speak something about your self. It’s like writing your personal resume. It’s arduous to be goal. I’d advocate that different corporations do that.
Why else is it useful to get exterior opinions when rebranding and making associated modifications?
We’ve produced many many web sites ourselves. So we consider that there’s worth in getting exterior opinions on copy, on design, on shopper expertise — on each side of a web site.
We employed an outdoor company to check out our personal work, which was a extremely attention-grabbing train. It was necessary to essentially distance myself from the work.
As a founding father of a agency, I do know it’s necessary to take recommendation. You’ll want to do it. All people wants to do that — distance themselves from your personal opinion and take in skilled recommendation. Take it in and perceive it as simply that: skilled recommendation and never anybody’s opinion.
What are a very powerful steps for updating a web site?
In the case of updating your web site, it’s necessary to first take into consideration your message(s) and viewers. And tone.
