Springtime Vibes

In this Dispatch, growth is in the air!

We invite you to join us in supporting the 15th annual Kellogg vs Booth Battle of the Bands, learn more about our growing team, and groove out with your brand too.

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Kellogg vs Booth Battle of the Bands!

Every year music loving business students from the Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern), and the Booth School of Business (University of Chicago) take the stage in battle.

We’re thrilled to be a sponsor of this year’s Battle of the Bands, a competition that our Founder, Brian, helped bring to life back in 2011!

Learn more in our article featured on the Kellogg Magazine News + Stories!

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The bonds I formed with my fellow bandmates is truly unique. It taught me the value of perseverance and hard work both for personal enjoyment but more importantly to craft an awesome experience for our audience.

— Dennis Yue, Rocket Pockets. Class of ‘24

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BATTLE OF THE BANDS

Rock Out With the Leaders of Tomorrow

There’s a reason this event has gone on so long. Not only is it an absolute blast, it’s also a unique opportunity for the leaders of tomorrow to cut their teeth on real, boots-on-the-ground business.

Planning, advertising, logistics, ticketing… these are real-world challenges. Not to mention working together with other bandmates and putting on an epic show.

And every year the show IS epic. Now in its 15th year, the bands will be taking the stage on May 17th at the Aragon Ballroom, a 4800-person venue famous for hosting everyone from jazz big bands to the likes of Nirvana, Metallica and The Grateful Dead!

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INTERVIEW

Meet The Department

In this edition of Meet The Department, we’re joined by Kyle Sjoberg, a multi-talented digital strategist based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin!

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Hi Kyle, thanks for giving us a few minutes!

Let’s jump right in. What do you think is the next big thing in marketing?

Predictive personalization and AI-led customer journeys.

What trend is on the way out?

The obsession with vanity metrics and overdone personalization at scale. Brands are starting to see pushback on hyper-segmentation that feels “creepy”.

What does your perfect vacation look like?

Exploring old cities, while mixing in a little golf. Eying Scandinavia for a next travel adventure!

What's the first sign of the marketing apocalypse?

I’d say when your brand voice feels robotic like a copy/paste from ChatGPT. This might be a canary in the coal mine moment.

Thanks for the answers, Kyle!

TODAY’S MARKETING STRATEGY

Bringing Your Brand to Life

You see these other brands out there having fun and showing off personality.

Why do your comms fall flat while theirs thrive?

Personality.

That’s it. Simple.

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Anytime your brand is talking in the royal we, that should feel like someone. Imagine them, define them… even name them!

Brands with great comms know who that voice is. They can tell you what they care about, how they talk, what they’d never say.

Try it: Create an imaginary character for your brand. Plan messaging from their PoV.

Once you get to the point of “Oh, Bill wouldn’t say THAT…”

Nailed it.

Now scale it.

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