With 2023 in the rearview mirror, share with us the highlights from the past year that remain top of mind for you?
“We continue to grow and are ending the year with momentum, and that’s because of our great people. Our veterans really gel with our newer people to serve our clients with distinction. I’m proud of what our people are achieving. And I’m grateful to our clients for permitting us to serve them. Their trust, collaboration and encouragement make a fun profession even more enjoyable. I’m also proud of the work we did in our community. Our pro bono work is expanding under the leadership of Greg Gardetto, and the Good Stories Project continues to expand in its fifth year. It was a pleasure to meet some of the young men and women involved at Wisconsin Lutheran College earlier this year. The program has now introduced hundreds of students to dozens of small-to-medium sized businesses that “do good things” for people.”
What do you believe are the important and necessary shifts happening in B2B marketing today?
“Businesses have never had so many ways to reach people—but they’ve never had so much noise to navigate either. The most successful businesses are the ones who can stay focused. Maybe they target a particular type of customer. Or maybe they reach people in a particular way. Whatever they do, they seem to stick to their knitting. They’re also often content to make steady gains in awareness or credibility as opposed to overly-hyped, quick fixes.”
As business leaders finalize their marketing plans for 2024, what should be a priority for strategy and tactics?
“Business leaders must pay close attention to their digital footprint, from website and social media to digital advertising and Google reviews. There are great businesses out there who turn customers or employees away because their website doesn’t represent who they are, or their social media account hasn’t been updated in the two years or their Google reviews don’t accurately represent their character. That lack of professionalism creates a credibility gap that can impair growth, lower profitability or weaken employee recruitment.”
What role can TRG play to support current and potential clients?
“We help our clients get organized and get going. That means at a strategic level we help them with targeting, positioning, planning, budget setting and more. But we’re not here to simply tell clients what to do; we also help them do it. So tactically we build and maintain beautiful, high-functioning websites; elevate social media presences; generate leads through advertising on Google, LinkedIn and other platforms; establish professional customer communications; and much more. And, as this video explains, we do it cost-effectively and professionally.”
Any pitfalls to avoid in the coming year?
“I’d tell leaders to be careful not to focus so much on doing things right that they forget to do the right things in the first place. For example, don’t invest in TikTok just because someone said it’s becoming more popular. Carefully consider who your customers are, where they go and how they make purchase decisions. Successful companies always seem to know their customers in a nuanced way. They don’t chase hype or headlines.”
As TRG continues to expand, what makes the firm an attractive option to potential employees?
“Well, I’d first ask our people, who do a nice job of discussing how we’re different in this video but I would say it comes down to our values, flexibility, interesting work and great colleagues. We really do believe in treating people the way we would like to be treated ourselves. We want people home with their families at night and want them to have control over their schedules. We want them to be stimulated by their work. And we want them to work with honest, responsible and smart people. We aren’t perfect by any measure but we do care about our people and that resonates now more than ever.”
