Communications

Brand, Connections, Diversity, Engagement, Marketing, Meaningful Dialogue, Resources, Team

Diversity In Your Ranks

September 1, 2020

To ensure you maintain diversity in your ranks, you must be intentional and make it a priority. It needs to start at the top and permeate every level of the organization. Companies have to seriously evaluate recruiting, mentoring, partnership, communication, and leadership strategies and ensure that diversity is a focus. Look around. What does your board of directors look like? What does your leadership team look like? What do your departments look like? Representation matters. Leadership has to create a…...

Brand, Connections, Engagement, Marketing, Resources

Brand Storytelling

August 21, 2020

Today’s consumers are sophisticated and knowledgeable. Information is readily available and accessible. Social media doesn’t just help promote a brand -- it can be used to help define your brand narrative and impact consumer perception. Brand storytelling is becoming a vital part of consumer engagement. Being transparent, establishing an emotional connection and making stories resonate are all important considerations as your company looks to connect with target audiences. As your content strategy develops, consider including storytelling in order to increase…...

Brand, Business Insights, Collaboration, COVID-19, Engagement, Experiential, Marketing, Resources

The Evolution of Experiential

June 23, 2020

Unprecedented times. Uncharted waters. Exceptional circumstances. There’s no question—Creativity is being challenged across all areas of our lives. The marketing industry, experiential marketing in particular, is demanding creativity in order to navigate forward into our new “normal”. Large scale events and carefully designed experiences to allow consumers to interact with brands on a personal level have been impacted by our current environment. Here are three things to consider as we push ahead: A is for Agility: Now more than ever,…...

Business Insights, Collaboration, Engagement, Listening, Meaningful Dialogue, Resources

Meaningful Dialogue is More Than Active Listening

June 16, 2020

In his bestselling book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey encourages us to “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” To understand what is really going on today requires active listening and a willingness to embrace the uncomfortable. There has never been a more important time for your organization to participate in meaningful dialogue than today. Not many of us alive today can remember the civil rights movement. There are certainly not many in the workforce that participated in this…...

Business Insights, Collaboration, Connections, COVID-19, Digital Tech, Engagement, Listening, Resources, Telework

Maintaining Your Routine During COVID-19

June 3, 2020

For some time now, the transition to teleworking seemed like a no-brainer for so many occupations. Then, a global pandemic struck that changed everything and forced us to work remotely. None of us has any personal point of reference on how to run a business or perform our jobs in a pandemic world. Seemingly overnight, an immediate paradigm shift in how we work and what we need to do to sustain our businesses was upon us. Here's what we’ve learned:…...

Collaboration, COVID-19, Listening, Resources, Telework

Old School Ways in a Telework World

May 29, 2020

With the outbreak of a global pandemic, now more than ever, companies are transitioning to teleworking. And advances in technology have made it possible. The undeniable reality though is that our younger generation and the generations to follow will continue to progress toward a more remote, offsite, telework world. Those of us who have been in the workforce for decades have had to evolve and adapt to these inevitable advances in the ways in which we perform our jobs. Blending the…...

Brand, COVID-19, Engagement, Listening, Marketing, Resources

3 Valuable Insights Your Brand Likely Needs Right Now

April 30, 2020

Around the world, all of us are settling into this idea of a new normal. This new consumer and business lifestyle is demanding a new playbook for brand marketing. The messaging, tone, and communication channels are fluid. Here are 3 insights that all brands should be considering: Acknowledge the situation. As the world looks for a new way forward through this challenging time, brands need to remain relevant and show their human side. A compassionate approach will result in long-term…...

Business Insights, Collaboration, Connections, COVID-19, Digital Tech, Engagement, Listening, Resources, Telework

Virtual Go-To-Assist

April 27, 2020

IT Changes. The world of IT support changed one morning with the advent of COVID-19. We used to be able to visit our customers in person and put our hands on the technology. We are now 100% remote support. Virtually, we're on-call around the clock to be there when needed. Cyber Threats Everywhere. We have remained focused on keeping our systems and processes secure from identity and data theft and we ask you all to help us keep security on…...

Business Insights, Collaboration, Connections, COVID-19, Digital Tech, Engagement, Listening, Resources, Telework

Social Distance Relationships CAN Telework

April 23, 2020

Communication – It’s key to any successful relationship…AND being informed. Contact by email and meetings by phone or videoconference are critical tools to allow us to remain in contact and be responsive to requests for information. Laptops are vital tools to successfully access all the necessary programs and sites we use on a regular basis. Microsoft Teams enables us to share desktops and collaborate on projects -- keeping us productive, the workflow smooth, creating fewer disruptions to our new normal.…...

Business Insights, Collaboration, Connections, COVID-19, Engagement, Listening, Resources

How a Pandemic Brought Us Closer to Our Clients

April 21, 2020

In the world of marketing and communications, in-person meetings ending with firm handshakes are vital. Due to the spread of COVID-19, those days are cancelled until further notice. As more and more companies pivoted to work-from-home models that include virtual meeting options, the initial belief was this would be devastating for marketing and communications professionals. However, what we’ve found at Vistra is that despite communications challenges, we’re building even stronger bonds with our clients. Here are three ways to form…...