Brand Makeovers: Jessica Marola-Hugh Of StoryWell Marketing Collective On The 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and Image
Revive your Offer: Sometimes, it’s not a brand problem. In our fast-paced society, services and products can also quickly become outdated or drown out in a saturated market. It’s important to consider all the reasons that a customer may not be buying, to ensure you make the right adjustments to your business.
As a part of our series about “Brand Makeovers” we had the pleasure to interview Jessica Marola-Hugh.
With over a decade of experience in brand development and digital marketing, Jessica is not your typical entrepreneur. She’s the Founder of StoryWell Marketing Collective, your go-to gal, your partner-in-crime, and the girlfriend you want to hang out with. Her passion is storytelling, and she’s obsessed with finding creative ways to help brands connect with their audience and leave a lasting impression.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I grew up in a home of communicators. My parents, both immigrants to Canada from South Africa and Belgium, respectively, were incredible articulators. They loved to read and had a gift for self-expression. I think much of this was due to their deep love for God, and this came through in how our family dynamics functioned. We were all very expressive people.
This promoted my own love for communication. I was a self-taught reader, and by the time I was 10, I had read about 100 books in every genre you can imagine. But I loved to write. I kept PAGES of journals from the age of 5, and today, I have about 4 or 5 all on the go.
My writing was deeply influenced by the writings of fiction authors such as John Grisham, Jeffrey Archer, Mary Higgins Clark, Tom Clancy, Ken Follett, Robert Ludlum and more. I absolutely LOVED a great mystery or suspense, but I also loved the classics: Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Tolstoy, John Flavel, and Ellen G White.
I loved to immerse myself into the lives of the characters in these epics and weave myself between the pages of their adventures. But I also loved to learn. I found that in each book I acquired new skills, whether in problem solving, analytical thinking, empathy, or joy.
I started writing poetry around the age of 8, and in high school, was recognized for my work in writing, earning honorable mentions and even penning works under a pseudonym. My career, however, didn’t start in communication, although this gift was at work in all that I did. It wasn’t until I found a mentor after the birth of my second child, and a busy career as an executive assistant, that I realized my true passion was storytelling. I wanted to be a marketer. I thrived in spaces where I could express myself creatively. Writing was my gift to the world in a way that, through this medium, I could help those struggling to articulate their desires, their gifts, their offerings to reach the people that needed it most.
Can you share a story about the funniest marketing or branding mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I was just getting started in the business, and learning about the nuances of the platforms I was operating on. Technology was in its infancy in the early 2000’s, and well, we were all prone to learning on the fly. A client had hired me to post some content to their feed, and when you’re in a hurry, you’re not necessarily paying much attention to spelling (which I say with appalling disdain), but nonetheless, it was a large campaign, and messaging launched without a final review by the client.
Suffice to say, we didn’t renew their contract, and I learned that a second set of eyes, and client’s final approval, are critical to our work. A personal brand is only as strong as its leadership, and marketing teams should never publish any work without the approval of their client.
Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Is there a takeaway or lesson that others can learn from that?
I was in the business for well over five years and coming up to the birth of my fourth child — a little girl. I was reaching a point where my capacity and capabilities required more than just my talents, and decided it was time to ask for help. I started recruiting marketing partners in the industry that would white label under my brand to provide services to my clients through the Collective, and business exploded. We went from a tiny little marketing consultancy to making six figures consistently for the following 3 years. The brand continues to flourish thanks to taking the leap and outsourcing.
Oftentimes, business owners feel the need to keep work in-house, but they lack the resources or expertise, which leads to more work, loss of time, and often, financial setbacks. Outsourcing has allowed me to not only grow, but to enjoy and focus on the areas of my business where I can be of most use. It’s also why my clients see greater results, and increased wellbeing and joy. When they have a marketing partner they can trust, the stress eases, and they find themselves getting back to what inspired them to build the business in the first place.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes! We are executing a ton of social media and public relations intensives right now. These intensives are absolutely life changing for the founders we work with, as they are extremely insightful, and a boost to their existing brand foundation. Many founders are still operating on “old” tactics or outdated systems, and we are refreshing their stories, while staying true to their values and purpose.
Many founders tell me that weeks into the process, they are breaking through glass ceilings, attracting the clients they truly love working with, overcoming limiting beliefs, falling back in love with their business, and overcoming obstacles that have plagued their brands for years.
What advice would you give to other marketers to thrive and avoid burnout?
Systems! Systems are key to maintaining boundaries both personally and professionally.
Many marketers are struggling with “doing it all” mentally, and “it’s got to be perfect” to launch. These limiting beliefs can cause an increased amount of self-deprecation, and an extreme focus on outcomes versus the process. We all know we want to earn more money, to enjoy more free time, and to do the things we love with the people that matter most. These are basic human dynamics, but we often silo ourselves in outcomes, and become so increasingly stressed about over-achieving, that the process leads to failing mental health, wellbeing, broken relationships, and more.
Systems (and schedules) allow us to practice balance and self-discipline. For myself, it truly is about working smarter, because at the end of the day, I want to be spending equal amounts of time with my kids, cooking gourmet meals for dinner, walking along the ocean, and volunteering in my community. I don’t want to be strapped to a desk all day, waiting for 5pm.
Ok, let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?
I can see why we’d want to provide discernment in both these areas. It’s easy to get caught up in product marketing, as we are very programmed towards “self” promotion across industries, but we often forget the power of LKT (like, know, trust). Brand marketing is the act of personal storytelling from the perspective of your brand values, its purpose and impact. It’s the cornerstone to every founder’s “WHY”. Brand marketing is focused on developing a relationship between a brand’s identity and its audience (not the product itself). I think brands miss this piece about 80% of the time, where the focus is often heavily on product marketing, and enhancing visibility around products and increasing sales. In reality, we increase sales and product visibility through brand credibility and relationship building. I personally prefer brand marketing as a keystone to where brands should start, and where they may need a refresh.
That said, the two need to live cooperatively together, they’ve got to sync up for optimal success. For example, if I own a spa and I tell people all about my love for health & wellness, but I don’t explain to people where I’m located and how to access my services, then no one’s going to actually buy from me.
Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?
As the saying goes, “you have to spend money to make money.”
The greater your resources, the more likely your growth. One doesn’t throw a seed at the ground and expect it to grow, there are many steps to ensure the seed is well prepared to meet the obstacles of its environment.
When I first started out in the business, I remember bootstrapping just about everything. I couldn’t offer more than my capabilities, and this often meant I was limited in providing that “extra” that not only enhanced the client experience, but also improved delivery of services, shortened timeliness, and sparked delight in the end product.
It was when I finally decided to implement an automated system, a gifting program, as well as freebies within my business model, that I noticed clients would express greater satisfaction in the overall experience. I would spend more time on calls, and had more time to answer questions, because I had invested in resources that allowed me more freedom and the ability to build more of a relationship with my clients. This, of course, led to improved profits, as I was receiving more referrals, reviews, and happy clients.
Let’s now talk about rebranding. What are a few reasons why a company would consider rebranding?
While I often see businesses rebranding when their business enters a new phase of growth — perhaps when undergoing an acquisition, or expanding into new markets, I can appreciate that sometimes the timing isn’t always up to us.
Some of the big reasons companies are rebranding right now is to readjust their position in the marketplace since we’ve seen such a dramatic shift in our economy. It’s more crucial than ever that brands understand their ideal audience and what resonates with them, so refreshing an outdated image, realigning with your target market, or even refining your values and mission to better speak to your business are all great ways to spark a rebrand.
Are there downsides of rebranding? Are there companies that you would advise against doing a “Brand Makeover”? Why?
Absolutely! For most established brands, I really recommend working with a strategic marketing partner on a rebrand, as they can be that second set of eyes and external opinion that helps determine the right process. Rebrands need to be communicated and executed properly to not confuse customers, or even lose them in the process.
If a company has very strong existing brand recognition, it’s important to carefully curate the next iteration of the brand to maintain that platform. A rebrand is meant to help stimulate growth, so the last thing you want to do is alienate your customer base and have to start from scratch with your new identity. Depending on how deep this brand recognition and equity runs, a rebrand may not always be worth the cost.
Can you share 5 strategies that a company can do to upgrade and re-energize their brand and image”?
Absolutely! These are some of my favourite strategies to share, as they’ve all helped at least one of my clients in some way.
- Refresh your Visual Identity: For brands that have been around for a long time, sometimes all they need is a refreshed brand identity that resonates better with a current-day audience. This was the case for one of our clients called “The Sip”, a unique wine and food experience in Ontario, Canada. The founder hired us to design a brand that would stand out in the local tourism market, so we focused on marrying 80’s flair with modern art in their new, vibrant identity. This new brand enabled them to distinguish themselves from other wine experiences in the area and engage new, younger audiences as the tourism season ramped up.
- Fine Tune your Voice: Our Brand Voice Intensive is by far one of the most efficient and impactful services we offer, and it really demonstrates how sometimes, a rebrand isn’t necessary — you just need some language refinements to communicate your offer more clearly to your ideal client. This proved to be true when we were working alongside a client in the sports industry who grew his online presence by 4000% in just 90 days. We helped him refine his caption copywriting to better articulate the impact of his services and helped him pair that with visuals that gained views and visibility FAST.
- Audit your Guest Experience: I know I mentioned this one earlier, but it was a big one for us. You may already have an amazing product, service or offer, but perhaps the guest journey is lackluster or mediocre. Auditing the exact steps a customer takes with your business can show you plenty of opportunities to add in perks or treats for your valued clients.
At StoryWell, a couple years ago we introduced welcome gifts that are mailed out once a client signs on with us. This is such a well-received gift that reinforces the purchasing decision to that customer. It’s also totally Instagrammable, which gives clients another opportunity to share us on their platform.
- Revive your Offer: Sometimes, it’s not a brand problem. In our fast-paced society, services and products can also quickly become outdated or drown out in a saturated market. It’s important to consider all the reasons that a customer may not be buying, to ensure you make the right adjustments to your business.
We did exactly this at the Collective this past year, when we noticed that a lot of small businesses were struggling financially, and weren’t able to invest as much into their marketing as they used to. This resulted in the creation of our Intensive programs, which are a budget-friendly way for clients to receive professional strategy that can have a major impact on their business. Instead of working with us on an ongoing, retainer basis (which can be taxing on a small budget), we empower business owners with the knowledge they need to do it themselves through these quick, high-impact packages.
- Revisit your Content Strategy: Just like products or services can become outdated, your social media content may not survive the latest algorithm update either. If you notice that your engagement has dropped off and you’re not acquiring as many leads through social media as you once were, it may be time to make some adjustments to your content strategy. We worked with a spa client on a recent revival of their social media accounts, which included a larger integration of storytelling, highlighting the business owners, as well as hyper localizing the brand to position it as a stand-out business in the local community. This more personal approach helped immensely and saw a 300% increase in online engagement, as well as local awards recognition for the client.
In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job doing a “Brand Makeover”. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?
I think Crocs is a great example of a brand that didn’t overhaul its visual identity or brand platform, but instead readjusted its strategy to better reach an audience that was excited about embracing a refreshed product.
A couple key celebrity partnerships obviously helped fuel this resurgence, along with the introduction of ‘pins’ that made their product even more customizable. But this example really goes to show that a brand-new website or logo isn’t always the answer; sometimes you just have to look outside the [shoe] box.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would love to see a radical self-care movement that really goes against this ‘hustle culture’ that seems to be ingrained among entrepreneurs and corporate employees alike. I believe that pretty much everyone can benefit from embracing slow moments in their daily life, and that opportunity for stillness and introspection can make all of us approach interactions and situations from a more grounded and far less reactive place.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.” — Brené Brown
We put so much pressure on ourselves to make the most money, be the perfect mom, and provide outstanding outcomes, that we often lose sight of just how spectacular our day-to-day work is. With so much going on in the world, and in our personal lives, if all we can do is cross one thing off the to do list (and if that one thing is to just rest), we should still view that action as brave and important, because we chose to show up for ourselves.
How can our readers follow you online?
They can find me at instagram.com/heystorywell.ca or visit my website at https://heystorywell.ca/.
Thank you so much for these excellent insights! We wish you continued success in your work.
Brand Makeovers: Jessica Marola-Hugh Of StoryWell Marketing Collective On The 5 Things You Should… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.