This post was created in partnership with Collectively
Small business owners rarely get to do just one job. They handle marketing, finances, operations, customers, hiring, and whatever breaks before lunch.
During an ADWEEK House Possible panel co-hosted by Collectively, Jenny Rooney, chief brand and community officer at ADWEEK, spoke with Jenni Buchbinder, director of performance communications at Intuit QuickBooks, and Natalie Silverstein, chief innovation officer at Collectively, about how Intuit QuickBooks is telling that story through its “Outdo It” campaign.
Small businesses need more than DIY tools
QuickBooks sits inside the Intuit family alongside TurboTax, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp, with a focus on helping small and midsize businesses run with more confidence.
“Our business vision is really all about supporting the success of our business customers, small to midsize, enabling them to make better, more confident financial decisions and manage their businesses better,” Buchbinder said.
That job has changed as small businesses have changed. QuickBooks now serves everyone from solo entrepreneurs and creators to companies with more than $100 million in revenue. For Buchbinder, the work starts with finding the common pressures across very different businesses and industries.
Authenticity starts with real business owners
Intuit QuickBooks and Collectively have worked together for more than six years. Buchbinder said the creator program began with a $200,000 budget and one contractor. This year, her team will be “north of $40 million in spend.”
The growth came with a higher bar for who gets cast. Silverstein said the agency looks for creators with real businesses, real QuickBooks use, and a story people would believe.
“Are you actually a QuickBooks customer? Are you actually using this in your business? What has your business journey been? Our job is to find the best people who can truly advocate authentically,” Silverstein said.
‘Outdo It’ brings AI and human expertise together
Intuit QuickBooks’ “Outdo It” spot shown during the session featured Dani Dazey, a creator and interior designer who also designed the set for the ad. Silverstein said that choice fits the reality of many business owners.
“What we know about so many small business owners is that they get into their business because they have a craft, because they have something they’re expert at or something they love, but it’s usually not the admin side,” Silverstein said.
