Milwaukee-based purpose-driven marketing firm CMRignite will host a series of masterclass sessions on creating purpose-driven marketing campaigns on Wednesday via LinkedIn Live.
CMRignite was founded in 1995 by Jacque Moore as a “one-woman agency.” It has seen an explosive growth since the COVID-19 pandemic with its staff increasing from 10 to around 70 to create CMRignite’s notable cause-based marketing campaigns. CMRignite has continued to keep itself as a family affair with Moore’s son, David Bowles, taking reigns as president in 2021.
The masterclass series looks at creating purpose driven marketing campaigns — a topic CMRignite says is more important than ever.
“There have been things like rising advertising costs, political advertising costs, evolving consumer expectations, so organizations really need to navigate a fast-changing landscape,” said Katie Smallwood, social media director of CMRigntie.
The first episode in the series, “Storytelling Strategies for Growth in Times of Transition,” looks to capture grounded, lived experiences from industry experts. It will include Smallwood and team members from CMRignite’s paid media business development, creative and communications teams.
It will go over what it takes to craft stories that resonate and perform in the wake of rapidly changing markets. The team of instructors in the session will give strategic tips with real-world examples.
“The goal is for our attendees to walk away with actionable insights that they can apply right away to their own work,” Smallwood said. “For myself, as social media director, I’ll be taking a look at what it means to build authentic engagement in today’s climate.”
Audiences are more savvy than ever, Smallwood said. It’s important to create campaigns that feel authentic because they know when they’re being sold to.
“Driving engagement means sparking conversation, building trust and creating a relationship that goes beyond a one-time interaction,” Smallwood said. “ Connection is the bridge between awareness and action. Whether you’re trying to change a behavior, move someone to donate or shift public perception, connection is what marks that stick.”
A notable example that capitalizes on what Smallwood noted from CMRignite is its “Kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray” campaign. The campaign aimed to make a change in behavior — which led to a tangible reduction in smoking in youth.
The first masterclass will be held virtually via LinkedIn Live on April 30 at 1 p.m. It is free to attend; registration is required via clicking “Attend” on LinkedIn.
