After a fantastic debut in New York, the MediaMath Future Series rolled on to Chicago on June 6, where guests were treated to an evening presentation by Susan Packard, co-founder and former COO of HGTV.
The MediaMath Future Series is an international series of interactive events where we will have visionary entrepreneurs talk about innovation and how that really big idea disrupts an industry and reshapes markets.
Ms. Packard talked about the journey of HGTV from timely idea to global brand and anchor of Scripps Networks Interactive, a $10B network.
HGTV was launched to meet a clear gap in the market. Households were spending most of their disposable income on home improvement, yet there was no network devoted to that passion. Packard told the HGTV story and gave our audience a primer in brand building – including great anecdotes about the smart moves and missteps in HGTV’s rise to the top.
Here are a few do’s and don’ts from one of the best branding minds in the business:
- Connect. Get a direct voice to your consumers. Before social media made consumer interaction a given, HGTV built a live call center to ensure it connected directly with audiences and used their input to build its business.
- Partner. “This one is hard for entrepreneurs, but necessary,” Packard said. She described both sides of the partnership equation as crucial – being willing to seek help from partners and the danger of underestimating newcomers in your space. Better to partner now than be outperformed later.
- Innovate (and never stop). Keep it fresh, take risks and break rules – because you don’t have a choice. “You have to place a lot of bets,” she notes.
- Stretch. But not to the point of breaking. The words, images, symbols and products that embody your brand must change over time yet remain focused on your strengths.
- Laugh. Packard is a huge proponent of humor in the high-intensity workplace. Indeed, humor is one of HGTV’s core values and a pillar of its brand, used in its own marketing and even in the ads it airs to connect with audiences.
If you missed us in Chicago, the next stop for the Future Series is Boston on July 11 – where Boston Red Sox Marketing SVP Adam Grossman will give us an insider’s look at innovation in the world of sports marketing.
At the Future Series, you can be part of the conversation. You will meet the minds behind breakthrough technologies and iconic brands. You’ll learn what makes innovators tick and how to put disruptive thinking to work for your business and your marketing strategies. Join us! (We might just change your future.)
For more information and to register, visit MediaMath.com/FutureSeries