Stories are more important than facts. And many brands are struggling to tell stories on social media. This is also true among the big brands. Part of the problem is that marketers are too focused on the SOCIAL and not enough on the MEDIA. Too many marketers are casing “likes” and other media-centric metrics.

Social media represents a challenge for many smaller companies that are struggling with one or more of the following problems, including a lack of dedicated resources, difficulty in understanding social media performance data, a challenge to create regular fresh, distinctive content.

Instead of individual posts, brands need to focus on creating a social brand narrative. Brands need to weave together story arcs and themes over an extended period of time.

During ECRM’s Pet Event, to be held April 25 to 28 in Itasca, Ill, Brad Nix, a Partner at TippingGardner, a New York-based boutique branding firm and its social media intelligence division Brand Chorus, will discuss the importance of storytelling for the Pet category on social media. The presentation will illuminate the challenges and opportunities of social media and present insights and examples specifically relevant to the pet aisle and your business.

Among the topics to be discussed are:

• The importance of themes (or threads) of your brand story 
• Value of weaving an engaging, ongoing brand narrative 
• Necessity of a social media content plan
• Strategic measuring of social media content
• Advantage of teaming with retailers

“The combination of brand storytelling and social media create enormous opportunities to reach customers, influence retail partners and gain a competitive advantage over larger players,” said nix. “Social media is the great equalizer if you know how to use it advantageously. Your customers are already online and fully engaged – more often than not they are online AND in the store—at the same time! So please join us for a fun and engaging look at how your brand story can become one of your most valuable assets.”

THE PRESENTATION WILL BE HELD MONDAY, APRIL 25, FROM 6PM TO 6:45PM

Brad Nix
For more than 30 years, Brad has applied his brand insights and strategic skills to a variety of renowned identity programs around the world for such clients as The Economist, Canyon Ranch, Institute of Honduras Tourism, Japan Airlines, and the State of New Hampshire Tourism.

Brad was formally trained at Young & Rubicam New York; is a Landor Associates alumnus and was one of the initial Americans to join Dentsu, Young & Rubicam, the first Japanese-American joint-venture advertising agency where he was responsible for global advertising initiatives for Colgate-Palmolive, Shiseido, Mikimoto Pearls and Kirin Beer. Brad was directly responsible for the creation of innovative branding initiatives for Saturn Corporation, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. and the National Crime Prevention Council. He is credited with the co-creation of McGruff, The Crime Dog, children’s campaign.

Brad also headed accounts for McCann-Erickson and Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide representing Johnson & Johnson, Pepperidge Farm, Pfizer and RJR Nabisco Brands.

TippingGardner is a boutique branding firm established in 2000 and based in New York. Its services include brand strategy, brand story workshops, brand architecture, messaging and copywriting, naming, identity design, print and digital design, and social media content strategy and development.

StoryScore is TippingGardner’s proprietary methodology that combines best-in-class social monitoring with human intelligence and technology. The metric gives brands a quantitative diagnosis of social content based on strategy, creativity, and personality.

Brad Nix can be reached at (407) 446-7403 or at brad.nix@tippinggardner.com