Take a listen today as I talk to Amanda Brinkman, the Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Deluxe. She helps small businesses succeed in social media and beyond, and she also has had an incredible career of bringing innovation to brands' internal teams.
Key Topics
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The Story of Amanda's Career
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The Mission of Deluxe and Changing Brand Perceptions
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Growing Your Customer Base
Key Answers
What skills did the agency side teach you vs. the brand side?
"For me, starting on the agency side and then moving over to corporate gave me a unique perspective. In the agency world, not only is it fast paced but you're also working close to trends and surrounded by creativity. So you basically start out in your career believing that that's how you are supposed to think. You're always trying to solve problems quickly and well, and do things in a service oriented mind-set. Those are skills which are transferable in any environment, but can also really help to give you a trajectory into the corporate world. I think if you were to start off in a corporate environment, you might limit yourself in terms of those you work around or the processes that exist there. But if you start off in a more creative environment, you carry that with you. On the corporate side, it's really about understanding the holistic brand influence. I know exactly who to speak to if I see any inconsistencies in our brand messaging and you have the ability to affect everything to do with the brand experience much more holistically. On the agency side, you are limited to what your client exposes you to."
Have small businesses shifted over to social or are brick and mortar stores just as important to them?
"A lot of small business owners will say that word of mouth is still very important, especially in small communities. It really depends on your vertical - for some businesses it makes total sense but for others, it could be a lot of work that may not advance what they're trying to achieve. We really like to think it through and see social media as a great way for people to get in front of new and niche audiences in ways that they haven't necessarily thought of. We like to help small business owners take a step back and figure out what works for them."
Key Soundbites
- "Create a protected space of innovation that allows your team to take risks and be creative."
- "We work with 4.5 million small businesses on their marketing efforts and love being a great partner to them."
- "We want to shine the light on small businesses and show how important they are to our communities, country and our economy."
Resources
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Company Website: https://www.deluxe.com/home.jsp
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Personal Twitter: @AKBrinkman
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Company Twitter: @deluxecorp
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Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandakeiserbrinkman
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Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deluxe-corporation
Enjoy, and check back here for more episodes of the All the Social Ladies podcast on Social Media Today.
This article was originally published on Apple News: