Testing and trying to see what works
Sara Brooks, chief growth officer at BetterHelp, said she uses channel best practices to ensure the story comes to life across all touchpoints, and she can see the halo effect. “We don’t necessarily think about a channel that works the best for us,” Brooks explained. “They all work together.”
Brooks pointed to BetterHelp’s new podcast, Mind If We Talk, as a way to “tell deeper, richer stories beyond just advertising on other podcasts.” She also shared she was excited about using WhatsApp for “incremental audiences and a new type of storytelling.”
On the topic of WhatsApp, Allison McDuffee, global head of brand insights and measurement at Roblox, encouraged brands to test new channels like the messaging service app, adding that it’s important to take chances and be flexible.
“People and brands are willing to get out there and try something new, although it might not be perfect the first time,” McDuffee said.
Dave Kersey, global head of media at SharkNinja, agreed with McDuffee and said that with consumer behavior changing so fast, he regularly tests new platforms.
“I think there’s a lot of power in being able to test and have an organization willing to figure it out, even if the playbook doesn’t exist and you don’t really understand the measurement framework yet,” Kersey explained.
Alison Payne, CMO at HEINEKEN, shared that her brand does a lot of experimentation. She said it has massive international awareness, but conversion is a challenge since the majority of beer is bought offline and the marketplace is highly fragmented.
As an example of the brand’s willingness to try something different, Payne described how HEINEKEN sent truckloads of beer and a film crew to Boston after World Cup fans drank the city dry. “Sometimes you have to just take a little bit of a risk and see what works,” she said.
