Strategic Counsel by ForthRight Business

Empathy fuels relationships. But it can be a tricky thing in the office. How do you build empathy in the workplace? It comes down to active listening, seeking to know your staff on a personal level, respecting your employees by having the tough conversations, and making changes once you have feedback. You might also run into some hurdles with empathy, including team members who are not naturally e...

A strong brand character is more critical than ever to brand success. Between the limited in-person interactions we continue to face and the proliferation of online channels, it’s imperative to speak authentically and personably across all touchpoints. This episode focuses on the necessary approach for a strong brand character. Don’t miss out on the full length episode and worksheet here: https://...

Agencies can be a huge help to your business in a wide variety of ways. Like many aspects of the marketing world, the role of agencies has changed drastically over time. You can expect modern agencies to seek to understand the make-up and capability of your team, train you to build your capability, provide a tiered way of approaching the work, and collaborate heavily. You’ll also need to know how...

A key way to drive credible reach and stretch your equity is to leverage influencers and partners who already have a relationship with a consumer you want to tap into. In this Quick Hit, we bring you the first of four principles and welcome guest Samantha Baier, a sports marketing leader and Director of Integrated Marketing for Charlotte FC. She is an expert in executing these principles and share...

The changes in NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) have gotten a looooooot of attention in college athletics over the past few years. It’s created a huge opportunity for both college athletes and brands. But it’s still early - and it still feels like the Wild West. So, if you’re a college athlete, how do you better negotiate an NIL deal? It’s key you get appropriately compensated for exclusivity, be r...

The digital space is crowded, and it’s hard to capture enough attention for your content to break through the noise. As our guest Dan Gadd, Sr. Director of Digital Strategy for the Atlanta Falcons, will attest: “It is a street fight for attention!” This Quick Hit gives you a taste of Dan’s proven framework to put into place with valuable conversation and examples. Make sure to catch the full episo...

Your sub-brands can pack a serious punch for your business - when you use them correctly with your primary brands. How do you get your brands to work together like a family? It comes down to a strong brand architecture. In this episode, you’ll learn how empowering your sub-brands gives each sub-brand a “home” under the master brand, its own visual and verbal toolkit for strategy creation, unites t...

A brief needs to serve the team working on a project. It needs to lay a meaningful foundation and be a continued point of reference that also leads to results at the end of the process. Anne and April have both been on the receiving end of some pretty bad briefs in their time, so we thought why not take a moment to process their experiences and channel those memories into meaningful results? In th...

The work world has changed A LOT in recent years - and of course we have a lot to say about it. One of the biggest aspects that’s changed is work environments. While it used to be expected to come into the office every day during the work week, the use of hybrid work environments is becoming more and more common. So, how do you lead your team in a hybrid work environment? In this episode, you’ll l...

This Quick Hit gives you the first 2 points in our discussion about brand as a key means for differentiation in a crowded category. Brand is THE starting place for any company to build the right emotionally-led foundation to connect with consumers. Joining us is Andy Snyder, Brand Manager at Rhinegeist Brewery, to speak to the use of brand in arguably one of the most crowded categories today - cra...

How are you liking the modern world of virtual and hybrid events compared to the traditional world of solely in-person events? There are certainly pros and cons of each format. Virtual events have many, many perks that can help spark your B2B marketing efforts. For starters, virtual events allow you to grow your credibility as a thought leader, create a comfortable space to build relationships, ca...

In this Quick Hit, we discuss how you can stay resilient by adopting “Test-and-Learn” practices. This is the cycle of doing, learning, refining, repeating. It allows for fast-cycle iteration, saving money and time, and it can be applied to all aspects of your business. We talk about specific practices and examples based on our experience so you can immediately integrate Testing-and-Learning into y...

How do you want to be remembered in your career? Let’s assume it’s a positive legacy you want to leave - there are a TON of ways to leave your mark. Many of these you can start doing right now, no matter your role or level of experience. In this episode, you’ll learn how to take the time to mentor, set the new standard, create culture, and intentionally plan your succession. You’ll also find the t...

It can be challenging making the transition from a strong brand foundation into a strong and successful marketing strategy and executed plan. But it is THE way to create meaningful emotional connections with your customers and consumers. We love giving you real-world examples and specifics on how to implement strategies in our “In the Trenches” segment. This Quick Hit gives you just that with spec...

Your brand is everything. How do you set your brand up for success - today AND in the future? We have you covered on both fronts. In this episode, you’ll learn why your brand is more than a logo, it has verbal and visual components, how to create tools from your brand, and expand its components over time. You’ll also find out whether you need to start over, where to begin on the verbal components,...

A Brand Story is a powerful tool when created and utilized properly - it’s a key differentiator to any business’s success. In this Quick Hit, we discuss how to ensure you have the right Brand Story to set your foundation. We also dive into the ability to use it as a lens for every decision your brand makes, leading to brand and business success. Make sure you catch all 4 reasons in the full episod...

We spoke a couple episodes ago about how to build company values. Here's Part 2: how to roll out those values to your company. And it’s super important - because company values don’t mean anything if no one on your team knows about them or takes them to heart. In this episode, we’re sharing 4 ways to roll out company values. You’ll learn how to nominate the right representatives, why you should in...

Word-of-mouth (WOM) is the most coveted - yet elusive - marketing channel for many. It’s generated by a consumer who loves your brand so much they openly and frequently recommend you to others. This Quick Hit is focused around our conversation with Sue Frech, Co-Founder and CEO of Vesta - a digital community platform company. Hear the full episode here to learn more ways to generate WOM marketing:...

Company values - it’s a topic that’s near and dear to our hearts. Company values can make the difference between a company that flourishes and a company where the team can’t wait to jump ship. How do you build company values that inspire your team and stand the test of time? In this episode, we’re bringing you 4 ways to build company values. You’ll learn how to identify the key pillars your compan...

Our ultimate goal in doing this episode is to shine a light on the realities of being a woman in business, so women can approach their careers and lives with their eyes wide open. Many of these realities are highly controversial, so they are rarely talked about - especially within the walls of a company. This Quick Hit shares two of the things we wish people would have shared with us. Make sure yo...

Referrals, referral, referrals. They can be the best way to grow your business. But how exactly do you get them? It helps to get to know your customers, build a clear and easy-to-understand referral program, create two-way interactions with your customers, and facilitate a community that is not about you. You’ll also need to know when you’re ready for a referral program, how to budget for it, buil...

It seems like every brand has jumped into cause or purpose-based marketing. Which begs the question - am I missing out if I don’t? The truth is “doing good” is definitely one way to differentiate and give people a reason to choose you. But, it can also be detrimental to your brand and business if certain rules aren’t followed. This Quick Hit defines Cause Marketing vs. Purpose Marketing and gives...

Short and sweet! That’s the rule to live by when it comes to your elevator pitch. Have you worked on refining yours lately? A compelling elevator pitch can open so many doors for your business - and not just the elevator doors. Great elevator pitches are short thanks to sound bites, keep your audience in mind, let the point-of-difference (POD) come through, and leave your audience wanting more. We...

Leveraging influencers and partners can be super helpful and beneficial for your brand and business. They can bring instant credibility through their endorsement and have a platform of engaged fans - adding significant reach to a brand’s message. This needs to be thought through strategically, as you’re making an investment. In this Quick Hit, we share one tip you need to make good choices and tra...

There’s certainly an art to cold calling. There’s a big difference between a message that’s perfect for your target customer and one that comes across the wrong way. How do you go about cold calling without appearing spammy, pushy, or too salesy? In this episode, we’re breaking down real cold call messages we’ve received that do and (definitely) don’t work. You’ll learn how to make your message cu...