By Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster The marketing world is over-saturated with formulas. This is because formulas are intended to remove uncertainty. And because uncertainty is the boondoggle of human existence. There’s no way to remove uncertainty, folks. Life is uncertainty. And as part of that: all formulas are flawed. Most formulas only work for some people, some of the time. That’s the ...
Ungrateful about marketing?
Marketing is a little bit like a Rodney Dangerfield quote. It can’t get no respect. Everybody in the business wants great marketing and basically nobody wants to do great marketing. This is fueled by an Industrial Age bias in many leaders that marketing still follows a direct, linear path. That there’s a straight line between Product A and Audience B. Leaders want marketing to be simple. ...
What is your brand’s MLE (minimum level of excellence)?
By Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster A brand is an organic, living thing. It is both a practice and a discipline. And yet there is also a baseline, or minimum, level of organic environmental excellence to create for your brand to grow and thrive. Without this brand primordial soup, you may inadvertently stunt the growth of your brand and reduce its vibrancy and reach. Most people begin ...
Small Brands: Storytelling is Yours for the Taking
6 Easy Steps to Creating a Storytelling Flow Storytelling — it’s one of the hottest buzzwords in marketing today. Everyone wants to tell stories, and do it in a way that gets others excited about their brand. Some of the biggest modern-day brands agree, and have employed a storytelling strategy to great success. Starbucks launched its Upstanders campaign, stories of altruistic customers ...
Who the heck is my target audience?
Editor’s Note: As we move into the last two seasons of the year, we are answering questions people have repeatedly asked us about branding and marketing. Let’s start with this bit of heresy … there are no target audiences. One reason is practical: traditional demographics have broken audiences into chunks, which have been shattered into even smaller groups. So there’s no singular ...
What Makes My Brand Truly Different?
"How Do I Know What Makes My Brand Truly Different?" Editor’s Note: The questions you don’t ask could hold the inspiration you need to finally take action. As this year begins to end, we are answering the questions people have asked us about our work. There is only one absolute differentiator: your beliefs. No one else can have your beliefs. No one can copy them or what they mean to you. ...
Inner Work: A Crucial Building Block for Modern-Day Brands
We often say, "start at the root." When a leader looks inward to build their brand, he or she is doing the work that most haven't dared to do. By looking first at the root, they are connecting the dots between what they believe and their brand, which is an important extension of their self. Each week, our team explores a concept we feel strongly about. Read our thoughts and insight into the ...
Defiance: Your Leadership Style’s Secret Weapon
Defiance: it's one of the most underrated qualities for modern-day leaders. But, maybe defiance isn't what you think. Read our #facesofrootandriver quotes about what defiance means to us, and how you can embrace your defiant spirit in your brand. Agree? Disagree? Which one resonates the most with you? Share your thoughts in the comments below or post to social media with your rebuttal. ...
Soccorsy Featured in Magazine for Courage, Accomplishments
When you’re immersed in your darkest hour, can good emerge? For our very own Emily Soccorsy, co-founder and strategist, it did. Recently, Emily was featured in So Scottsdale magazine for her courage to change her career path after her mother passed away, a decision that eventually led her to co-creating Root + River with her business partner Justin Foster. It was an event that was ...
How Being Mission-centric Drives Your Brand: What Zuckerberg Knows
Three Vital Foundations of Your Brand By Emily Soccorsy A few days ago, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook had, for the first time in its short and meteoric history, set a new mission. According to Zuckerberg, the shift to a new mission is a huge change for the organization, which he defines as a very mission-centric company. The new mission is to "give people the power to ...