Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 13, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 19 A ny business owner or executive will tell you marketing is important, but many overlook the power of a strong brand. Because it is difficult to quantify and place an ROI on branding efforts, executives oen focus solely on marketing activities with the hopes of driving short-term measurable returns. And when organizations do invest in branding, it is oen around design- driven creative endeavors an external ad agency devises. While important, these creative efforts are merely symbols of your brand and only touch the surface. Instead, remember that your brand is your company DNA and raison d'etre. It is built from the belly of your organization and encompasses your values, your culture, your mission, and your core principles. It is expressed every day in ways as simple as your company colors and as complex as the treatment of your employees, customers, and partners. A good brand is built daily over many years and requires strategic thought, genuine passion, and consistent, exceptional implementation. Branding and marketing – a symbiotic relationship Organizations that do focus on brand building usually go about it the wrong way, by relying on outside ad agencies to create their external-facing brand. While a beautiful website and a sleek brochure are important, they are only symbols of your brand, and they will only get you so far. Oentimes, so much time and money is spent on these endeavors that little money remains to market the organization to drive new business. Business owners are going about the branding process all wrong. Too oen companies start and end with public expressions of the brand such as the look, the logo, the website, or the tagline. ese organizations neglect the fact a truly powerful brand is built by the daily actions of all of your employees and the interactions they have with your prospects, customers, and partners. A brand cannot be a campaign concocted overnight by a creative team that moves onto the next project when completed. ere is no completion date for a brand. Every action and decision from the day you open your doors is a part of it. Marketing, on the other hand, is how you communicate your brand in an effort to grow. It is the campaigns, tools, tactics, and channels used to make sure prospects and customers can see, understand, and value your brand. Ranging from paid media to email campaigns to SEO, it is what consumers see in the market and how they learn about you. ese initiatives can be quantified in a way branding cannot but are no less or more important. Marketing becomes much easier if what is actually being marketed is unique, genuine, and differentiated in the marketplace. Marketing is next to impossible if your brand is average. As marketing guru Seth Godin espouses, average does not get spoken about nor shared. Nothing viral ever happened to an average brand. So in today's world of paid/owned/earned media, the power of your brand becomes more important the more earned media rises in influence. Powerful marketing and branding can make you the envy of an industry. No one will purchase your offering without marketing, but your marketing will be more successful if you have a strong brand. As soon as you have a brand that wows and a strategic marketing plan to communicate that brand, you'll be on your way to dramatic growth. A s a local cannabis industry owner/operator, we believe one word is the root of what we do: unity. Beyond the bottom line, creating connections in our community, industry, and even among our competitors is our secret ingredient as Resinate celebrates its second anniversary and an- other successful year in Worcester and Northampton. While the nation still struggles to overcome stigmas attached to cannabis on the federal level, local sup- port is earned through community connections. Building connections is never easy on top of day- to-day operations, but this is pivotal to succeeding as an entrepreneur. 1. Be a trusted leader. Take a stand and share your honest opinions in your industry, and be a vocal advocate for others who share your same vision. The only way we can be a strong, better community is if people are willing to step up and lead as role models. Creating valuable jobs, supporting our community and its nonprofits, and educating the public build trust among your stakeholders and customers. 2. Amplify other leaders' voices. In the cannabis industry, we are fortunate to have strong organiza- tions like the Cannabis Control Commission and the Massachusetts Cannabis Business Association to remove barriers, fight stigma, and bring cannabis into the mainstream. Join up with leaders to amplify your industry's voice and share your own experience, mentorship, and opinions in a productive way. Be mindful to especially amplify voices of those who are disadvantaged: veterans, BIPOC entrepreneurs, social equity and economic empowerment applicants, and others who need support. 3. Keep unity at the core. Every day, entrepreneurs are grinding it out to stay viable, but no one business owner is alone. We are working hard to collaborate on education, social responsibility, and even custom- er referrals – a rising tide lifts all ships. Unifying our industry and community is our why. 4. Get out there. Get involved. Whether you partake in some form of a regular event, philanthropy, social club, or recreational activity, spend time in the community. The cannabis industry will overwhelm even the most disciplined operators. Cannabis is a lifestyle, and it will consume every minute. Take time to smell the flowers (pun intended!). On 4/20, we were reminded how grateful we are to be in the cannabis industry in both Worcester and Northampton. We are grateful for the Resinate family, and we hope our energy and passion for our industry, and helping others, is truly inspiring. We will build events and promotions to reward and cel- ebrate loyal customers. We strive to become better and more unified in our approach as local owners/ operators. Unity is at the core of who we are. K N O W H O W Understand the difference between branding and marketing C onflicts at work crop up over any number of issues: You're tired of them joining Zoom calls and being on mute; they took your designated parking space even though you're Employee of the Month; they aren't pulling their weight in projects. But conflicts pull down morale, productivity, and a whole host of other workplace positives. Here are some ways to stay calm. Watch your language. is includes the manner in which you speak as well as your body language while you discuss the issue at hand. According to Indeed.com, ways to project open- mindedness include maintaining eye contact; relaxing your posture; being conscious of your facial expressions; using a neutral tone as much as possible; moderating your speech speed and volume; and avoiding words that imply absolutes, such as always or never. Bring in someone else. Discussing it with a neutral party, maybe a colleague who was not involved in the conflict nor will be affected by its outcome, does several things, says Harvard Business Review's Judith Glaser. It makes the conflict seem smaller, for one. "e social interaction will also put you in a more collaborative, connected state of mind," she writes, which is never a bad thing. Find and acknowledge similarities. "Try shiing the lens of the conversation onto the things you can both agree on. You both care about the company, your reputations, and your project, so there's bound to be some common ground," notes Hubspot.com blog. Are there any of the same goals? (For instance, maybe you both want to land a big account, or improve at marketing.) Do you and the person with whom you are in conflict have any of the same concerns, such as reducing budget expenses, impressing a supervisor, or increasing team training opportunities? Finding those similarities can be the cornerstone to potential conflict resolution. BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to WBJ 101: W O R K C O N F L I C T S W Chris Ciunci is the founder and partner for marketing firm TribalVision, with offices in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Reach him at cciunci@tribalvision.com. BY CHRIS CIUNCI Special to WBJ W 4 T H I NG S I know about... ... Building community connections By Peter DeCaro Peter DeCaro is CEO and founder of Worcester cannabis firm Resinate Inc. W

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