The 2018 Crystal Awards Show is a little over a week away and we can’t wait to see you there! This month, you met our finalists for the 2018 Crystal Awards along with judges, Sarah Marsh-Collings and Marc Boudria.
This week, we would like to introduce you to Donna Erbs, the Chief Markering Officer for Anders CPAs + Advisors.
Company: Anders CPAs + Advisors
Title: Chief Marketing Officer
Years of Experience: 14 at Anders; 37 total
Who is Donna? By aligning overall vision with solid marketing initiatives, Donna works with Anders to create the firm of the future. She has been instrumental in building the firm’s business development emphasis in what she describes as Mistmaking, including developing a program to provide young professionals with business savvy marketing skills. Since joining Anders in 2004, she has continually raised the firms profile locally, regionally and nationally through Best Places to Work, Top Workplaces, Firms to Watch, Best of the Best and other recognitions for innovation and culture. She is most proud of recent recognition as a Top Accounting Firm for Women, Outstanding Women’s Leadership Program, a Top Firm for Women in the Workplace, and for the Advancement of Women.
Q: What is something a past entrant has done that has made an impression with you?
A: My favorite quote is “you have to be confident in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through,” so I am looking for entries where marketers have taken a risk. I want to see ideas brought from one industry to another that no one could imagine working for that idea or product. The best marketing work is when a person/team is not afraid to try something completely new and then to own it and be able to tell a relatable story with their deliverable.
Q: What advice would you give yourself if you were entering in this category?
A: Many people can develop beautiful work but make sure it means something. I would tell myself. “Be sure you understand the impact you want to make, how this piece of work or initiative fits in with the overall strategy, the culture, the values and the target you want to reach. Be specific. Be fearless. Push the envelope and then make sure you can measure it. Measurement is hard and it doesn’t always have to be in dollars, but you must be able to document and articulate the result.”
Q: What is a well-known marketing campaign that you wish you had thought up yourself?
A: The “Thank You, Mom” campaign and accompanying “Raising an Olympian” video series by Dove is a favorite. It took something as simple as soap and made it completely relevant and almost revolutionary in 2012 and then again for every Olympics since. For a company whose products aren’t sports-related, they elevated their brand over many others. As marketers we can learn a lot from this campaign and subsequent ones like “Love Over Bias” (2018 games). Dove was able to leverage this global event – an event not related to their product line – and still stay on point with their brand, introduce the brand to new audiences and never deviate from their brand message and audience.
Meet the rest of our judges and 600+ other top marketers at the 2018 Crystal Awards Show, May 10, at Bayou City Event Center.