The Small Steps of Success with Wendy Coulter - 002

In this episode of "The Hummingbird Effect with Wendy Coulter," we turn the tables and interview our host, Wendy Coulter, to delve deeper into what the Hummingbird Effect means to her and how it has shaped her journey and success. Wendy, a seasoned expert in strategic marketing and brand building, shares her experiences and insights on achieving transformational results through small yet impactful changes.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. Wendy's Journey:
   • Wendy recounts her beginnings in her father's shoe store in Statesville, North Carolina, where she first learned about marketing and advertising through creative promotions.
   • Her academic journey at NC State School of Design, earning degrees in architecture and industrial design, and a minor in communications.
   • The evolution of her career from graphic design to founding Hummingbird Creative Group and focusing on strategic branding.
2. The Essence of the Hummingbird Effect:
   • The concept of making small tweaks in marketing strategies that can lead to significant outcomes in business growth, company culture, and sales success.
   • Real-life examples of how minor adjustments have led to major impacts for various clients.
3. Client Success Stories:
   • OX: A homegrown message evolved into a campaign centered on "OX Cares," which led to the creation of a culture committee that significantly impacted the company's community involvement and legacy.
   • Annual Meeting Rollout: How helping a client roll out a new "why statement" at their annual meeting, complete with a neon sign, transformed internal motivation and external client engagement.
4. Challenges in Marketing:
   • Navigating client requests that may not align with their brand and the importance of staying true to core values and tone of voice.
   • Ensuring all team members are well-informed about brand elements to maintain consistency in marketing efforts.
5. The Importance of Staying True to Your Brand:
   • Avoiding the temptation to follow competitors' trends and focusing on what makes your brand unique.
   • Emphasizing the significance of small, strategic tweaks that are aligned with the brand's core values and culture.
6. Internal Hummingbird Effect Example:
   • An internal story about adjusting a social media strategy to better align with a client's brand identity, resulting in a more effective and authentic marketing approach.

Key Takeaways:

• Small Changes Lead to Big Impacts: Focus on making incremental improvements that are true to your brand’s core values and culture.
• Stay Informed and Consistent: Ensure all team members are well-versed in the brand's elements and strategies to maintain a cohesive marketing message.
• Embrace Innovation: Be open to new ideas and approaches, but always align them with your brand's identity and values.

Call to Action:

• Subscribe to "The Hummingbird Effect with Wendy Coulter" to discover more insights and stories about achieving transformational results through strategic branding and marketing.
• Join us on this journey to learn how you can find your own Hummingbird Effect and apply these principles to your business.

Get Hummingbird Creative Group’s “20 Powerful Reasons To Brand Your Business.”
Schedule a quick 30-minute call with Wendy at https://calendly.com/ideastakeflight/.
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Creators & Guests

Host

Hanna Jernigan

Account Coordinator at Hummingbird Creative Group

Host

Wendy Coulter

As CEO at Hummingbird, I generate ideas that TAKE FLIGHT! I also have a passion to advocate for women in business, and I am an active real estate investor.

What is The Hummingbird Effect with Wendy Coulter?

Welcome to "The Hummingbird Effect," a podcast dedicated to uncovering the subtle yet powerful ways that small innovations can transform your business. Hosted by Wendy Coulter, CEO of Hummingbird Creative Group, this show delves into the stories and strategies behind successful brand building.

For over 25 years, Wendy has helped CEOs and business leaders redefine their brands through innovation and compelling narratives. In this podcast, she shares the insights and lessons learned from her extensive experience, exploring how a strong brand orientation can significantly increase the value of your business.

Each episode features engaging conversations with industry leaders, business advisors, and innovators who have harnessed the power of branding to make a substantial impact. Discover how focusing on core values, mission, and vision can drive your brand beyond mere marketing tactics, fostering a culture that resonates with your audience and enhances your business's reputation.

Inspired by the concept of the Hummingbird Effect—where small, adaptive changes lead to remarkable outcomes—this podcast aims to help you understand and implement the incremental innovations that can elevate your brand and business.

Join Wendy Coulter on "The Hummingbird Effect" and learn how to evolve your brand, attract more customers, and ultimately enhance the value of your business through strategic branding.

[00:00:00] [00:00:15] Welcome back to the Hummingbird Effect, everyone. Today we're gonna be [00:00:30] interviewing our host, Wendy Coulter, CEO of Hummingbird Creative Group. Wendy's a true expert in strategic marketing and building strong brands. She's helped countless businesses unlock the power of their brand and achieve incredible results.

Normally Wendy would [00:00:45] be hosting the show, but we wanted to let you all in on what the Hummingbird effect means to her and how she's seen it be successful. Time after time. Wendy, before we deep dive, can you tell us a little bit about your journey and how you got to know? [00:01:00] Okay, so it's been 29 years almost today.

And it's been quite a journey. But I wanna make this a hummingbird effect because that's what this podcast is all about. So I'm gonna [00:01:15] go way back. Okay. I'm go back more than 29 years, okay? So I was a little girl in a shoe store, that my dad owned in Statesville, North Carolina, small town. He would [00:01:30] put me in the town parade.

He would let me ride the elephant out in front of the shoe store. There was a lot of gorilla kind of marketing tactics going on when you own a little store in a small town. I [00:01:45] feel, I feel like he just glossed over the fact that there was an elephant outside of the shoe store. Like, oh, like, you know, shoe stores happen, you know?

So that's our producer, Joe, right? Yes. There was an elephant outside of the shoe store, and so what I didn't know when I was a little girl is that I was [00:02:00] doing marketing and advertising and promotions and that that would become part of my world because I went on to go to School of Design at NC State. I got degrees in architecture and industrial design.

I did do a minor in communications. [00:02:15] And I had been selling all my life for sure, whether it was in the shoe store or in retail activities that I had done. But I just didn't realize that the journey would come to where it is with owning a branding company and [00:02:30] really becoming, engrossed really in what branding is.

And so there was this hummingbird effect, right? This little girl who, you know, was trying to help her dad sell shoes and, probably [00:02:45] didn't always plan to be in the shoe store, but was there every single day. And doing all these promotions and then design school which seemed a little disconnected at the time.

And then that [00:03:00] led me to do a lot of graphic design when I first came outta college and when I was starting hummingbird. And then now there's this, there's this strategy. And so that's the Hummingbird effect. It is, it has been a 30 year journey with the [00:03:15] company. And I think the, the neat thing about kind of where we are today is when I think about the hummingbird effect and kind of how it relates to the journey that I'm taking with my clients [00:03:30] is as they make these little tweaks within their business, they see these big results in other areas.

So we make these little marketing tweaks that can really. Help guide them to have a higher value of their [00:03:45] business. It can lead to things that happen with their culture within their companies. It can obviously lead to sales, sales success. And, and I think all that ties [00:04:00] together to this idea of the Hummingbird effect and how it's been a part of my life as well.

That's really cool. So you kind of already touched on it, but you had a hummingbird effect the entire time and just weren't aware of it. And you mentioned it feeling disconnected in college, but you stayed [00:04:15] true to what you always knew and followed that path to where you are now, which is a very successful business and you're helping a lot of other businesses.

So it's awesome to see. So I would love to hear a few examples of how you've [00:04:30] seen companies achieve these results that you've touched on by making those small tweaks.

So one of my favorite client stories is about ox and ox. We started working with them quite a few years ago, and we started out [00:04:45] with this really, homegrown message that, you know, the CEO had had. Worked through and, and he's a brilliant marketing mind. Steven Perry, who I hope to have on the [00:05:00] show someday.

And we had a get more done message. We had done some market research to make sure that that particular message resonated with the audience, but as we were doing that market [00:05:15] research, we also interviewed some internal employees, which I thought was just. Brilliant that we got to the place that we did with it because one of the employees on video talked about how caring the [00:05:30] team at OX is and what a wonderful place to work that it is and what wonderful core values the company holds.

And that led to an aha moment for me where I said, well, [00:05:45] ox cares. And we rolled this out as part of an ad campaign pitch where Ox Cares was the headline. And it, I really wanted it to be all about how they were [00:06:00] serving patients. So they're in the life sciences space and how the end user who really gets impacted by the work that they do.

Are the patients. And so I felt like the cares message was really going to resonate in that way as well. But what happened that is [00:06:15] amazing, that is completely disconnected from that ad campaign is the, the, the wife of the CEO, Sarah Perry, decided, well, let's see if we can [00:06:30] get the employees involved in.

A culture committee and let's call it ox cares, because that really is the essence of what we want to build our culture to be, and it really [00:06:45] res resonates with our values. And so she asked the team if anyone wanted to be a part of the Ox Cares committee. So today that committee is like the company's legacy.

It's the way that they give back to the community. These [00:07:00] groups of people come together and do all kinds of community projects. They give money to different organizations in different towns where they have different offices. And you know, this will be a legacy that will live as [00:07:15] people come and go.

And it really is making an impact on communities, which is not what we meant to happen when we came up with the campaign idea. And so I just think it's really cool, a really cool [00:07:30] example of how something that we did that had a marketing and advertising strategy connected to it originally has morphed into something much bigger.

Than that, that really impacts the, the [00:07:45] culture of the organization.

So this ad campaign that they started with evolved in from external to internal and ended up having a larger impact than they ever thought that it would. Exactly, exactly. Interesting. Do you have any other [00:08:00] examples that you could share? Yeah. So I'm gonna share one that that you were involved in last year.

We had a client that internally they were working on a new why statement. [00:08:15] Right. And, you know, this was a, a high level strategic activity with the C-level in the company. And when they develop the new Y statement, and, and I always say, you know, I love it [00:08:30] when clients share things that they're doing with us.

Because it can lead to a new idea. And so they shared and we learned that they were working on this new Y statement and they actually asked us to be a part of that process. [00:08:45] But at the end of the day, a couple of the C levels came together and they came up with the new Y statement. And when they presented it back to me, I said, oh, well why don't we roll this out at your annual [00:09:00] meeting?

And let's make this more than this internal thing that the two of you're kind of, you know, you're, you're just gonna roll it out to the leadership team. Let's roll this out to the whole company because this is, you know, it's like core values. A why statement [00:09:15] is like this really foundational, a written statement that really does need to affect everything.

And so you got to help us, you know, build a, a big backdrop for the stage. And we [00:09:30] literally. Put the y statement in neon lights we did. Right. And now that neon sign is hanging in their office on the wall, like right as you go through the front door, so everybody who comes into the office can [00:09:45] see it. So again, like, like the other story.

You know, something that was really probably meant to be more of an internal leadership team decision that got shared with us as our marketing team, their branding agency. [00:10:00] You know, we went back and said, Hey, this is a great strategy that can help you make, you know, create messaging to. Your external audience too, when they're coming into your space and they're experiencing your culture.

And [00:10:15] so again, you know, just a client sharing with us something that they were doing that impacted something else, that they weren't even thinking about it. And it was a great way to get the whole team excited [00:10:30] about this new y statement. Everyone in the company knows the why statement. Like there's, it's not, it wasn't like this small rollout from the top down or that even got stuck at the top of the organization.

Everybody knows it now and, and the clients [00:10:45] know it. So I've heard you say it before about staying true to your values and to your brand. And this one opposite of the story before was internal. And I've even seen them use this message on their external [00:11:00] promotional items. Emails to clients, things of that nature. So they stayed true to something that's really important to them.

Their their why, right? It was something that they all want to live and now their customers and people that experience them are getting to have that [00:11:15] experience of. Their why statement as well. So I think that that's really cool to see how just telling you that they wanted to create this statement and you saying, well hey, it's bigger than just you, has created this monumental change for their company.

Exactly. [00:11:30] Exactly. I think we even had a little bit of a hummingbird effect happen in our office this week. The team was working on a social media post for a client and it stemmed from an idea that we were seeing a lot of [00:11:45] competitors do, and we wanted to be with it.

We wanted to follow these trends, so we set out to find something that was different, that wasn't exactly copying them. But follow the same structure. And whenever we got the results back, I [00:12:00] think you ended up guiding us in a different direction, right? Because we weren't necessarily following the true brand that we have created for this client, right?

I think I think we weren't, we weren't being true to the values, the [00:12:15] culture, the brand. We were seeing something competitors are doing and we were seeing trends. And we were trying to make sure that we are competing, but in that sense, we, it [00:12:30] started to look too much like the other companies. Right?

And so when I saw it in the office, I was like, okay, how do I guide the team to understand what's, what's not quite right about this? And it really was that the tone of [00:12:45] voice was not quite right because it was. The tone of voice of the competitor, the graphic treatment was not in the same style. And so it was exactly what we were going for in the sense [00:13:00] of the trend, but it wasn't true to brand, right?

And true to really like the, the culture and the the values of the company. And so, yes. I mean that, that tweak, I think we're seeing a [00:13:15] much better result from now. Yeah. And the client was also happy to hear that we had taken that into consideration because this was a client driven request.

They wanted to compete in this space that they were seeing other people do, and we gave them the first round and [00:13:30] that's when you reeled it back in and said, Hey, maybe this isn't on brand. And when we had that conversation, they appreciated that more than they would've appreciated us just posting this to appease the competition

you know, I think what what we always have to remember [00:13:45] in marketing and, and, and it's hard and, and I'll always say it's like, it's like tone of voice. Like it's hard to have a different tone of voice when you have your own tone of voice in your head. Right. I think I said that on a similar call Yeah.

This week as well [00:14:00] is when you're looking at what competitors are doing and you want to compete with them, they. The easiest way to do that is to try to do the same thing. But what you really need to be doing is something different that is true to your goals. [00:14:15] And I think even at the top level that vote gets missed a lot, a whole lot in marketing. So I think what's interesting from all the stories you guys told is the, you keep saying like it's a [00:14:30] small tweak from a hummingbird thing, and I think what clicked for me is the small tweak is it's not different or outside of their personality.

So it doesn't feel like a big. Twist for the client, right? Because it's small, seemingly [00:14:45] because it's in alignment with their values and everything they've done in the past that's got 'em to this place. But it doesn't mean that it's not gonna have a giant impact. The other, the other thing that I saw that I think is a common thread is that both of the examples that you guys talked about were really [00:15:00] simple things.

They weren't like, oh, let's change and, and do a whole new thing. It was, it was clarifying simple. Like here's like two words. Oh yeah, that's it. We should do that. Right, exactly. [00:15:15] And sometimes two words makes a really, really, really big difference. Or just, just remembering the basics, you know, to stay true to your values, to use a tone of voice that is true to your brand [00:15:30] and to not get caught up in the.

Crazy trends. The GAMTs, just for the trends sake can really make you actually stand out in your space. Yeah, and to touch [00:15:45] on what Joe was just saying about the small change, what kind of popped in my head is the hummingbird effect and the evolution. It, the small change, the small tweak is what already exists.

And that's kind of where everything that we've talked about as well is these [00:16:00] small things that already existed back then that affect us now. So staying true to your brand is important. So I think, you know, from everything that we've said, the thing to take away from this is to, you know, just realize it's [00:16:15] small tweaks that lead to big results. You don't have to chase trends.

You need to like really keep yourself focused in on what is your brand what things have you come up with that are foundational and stick to it

. So these [00:16:30] are all really good examples that we've talked about, but I'm sure it's not always easy. So, what's the biggest challenge that you face or your clients face when they're experiencing their hummingbird effect?

Yeah, so I think the biggest [00:16:45] challenge for the agency sometimes is that we're working with a lot of the different teams and they don't always, like, they'll make a request based on a trend they see. I. Or they'll make a request based on [00:17:00] something they have in their mind that isn't necessarily true to brand because they're not thinking that way every day.

You know, whether it's, you know an engineering team at a client even a sales [00:17:15] team, even though they're seeing the branding and the marketing activity that's being done. They've not been an integral part of it. And so sometimes they ask for things that are out of brand and navigating [00:17:30] that conversation.

And I always say, give 'em what they ask for and give 'em something better, but the something better, better be on brand and better. We've got to make sure they understand why it's better. Right. And so I think that's [00:17:45] a big challenge internally with the team. I will say I find that my personal biggest challenge and this is a leadership thing for me that I'm learning, so I guess there could be a hummingbird effect that'll come out of this for me personally, [00:18:00] is I have a lot of strategic work that I've done with clients that.

Isn't as visible as maybe it needs to be with the team. Sometimes I remember, like when we were in a conversation [00:18:15] yesterday, I remembered, oh my gosh, you know, we did all these tone of voice activities and it never made it into the brand guide that our team uses all the time. And as much as I say it out loud to the team.[00:18:30]

They haven't seen it and they don't have it right at their fingertips all the time. And I think that branding is complicated. Marketing is complicated. There's all these different pieces and parts that you're drawing from to make sure you're staying true to brand. [00:18:45] And we, you know, as much as we try, sometimes it's hard.

For everyone involved to be informed Mm-Hmm. As well as they should be. And so I think as marketing leaders, we just should have to re, we just should [00:19:00] try to remember to inform everyone that has to do with the brand, even if we feel like we're over informing, you know, what all these elements are so that the end result is really good and really makes sense. Those are [00:19:15] really good points and what I heard from it is to not always be concerned on what other companies or other people are doing and to try to stay true to your brand and in the marketing world and as the agency to be willing to have those [00:19:30] conversations with your clients to make sure that they understand the decisions you're making and they can, in turn, stay true to their, their brand as well.

So as we're wrapping up, is there one key takeaway that you would like your audience to remember about the Hummingbird Effect? There [00:19:45] is, I think the thing that we, that we all have to remember in business. Is that it's these small changes that lead to big impacts and that you don't have to be focused on, you know, the the biggest [00:20:00] outcome and all the struggle to get there.

But really looking at your internal strategies and tweaking them over time to make them better and better and better will have the longest term impact with branding. Well, thank you, Wendy. Thanks for [00:20:15] listening to the podcast, everyone. I hope you'll subscribe and get on the path to finding your own hummingbird effect. [00:20:30] [00:20:45]