Kirby Hager Johnson, MBA

A quick (and kind) reminder before you sign your next agency or vendor agreement. We’ve seen a pattern come up across a number of vendor transitions that is often not obvious at the start of the relationship: - Extra fees to access original files (logos, design files, raw video) - Long-term contracts with limited flexibility or unclear exit terms - Unclear ownership or access to websites, hosting, or backend systems - Old vendors still retaining access after transition None of these usually feel urgent at the beginning. They tend to surface when you are already trying to move quickly or manage access during a transition. In financial services and other regulated industries, this can create real issues around ownership, data security, and continuity. The simplest takeaway is this: before you sign or wrap up an agreement, be clear on what you own, what you can access, and what a clean exit actually looks like. Who you work with matters, and so does how the partnership is structured to support a clean handoff when needed. 🔐 #InsightOfTheDay #AgencyLife #VendorManagement #FinancialServices #Operations #DigitalAssets #DataSecurity #BusinessOperations #ClientServices #MarketingOperations

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I can’t tell you how many times I get to the end of a discovery call and the reaction is the same: "Wait, you can actually do that?" There’s a massive gap between what people think a fortune cookie campaign is and what we’ve actually built. When we pull back the curtain, there are usually three big surprises: 1) The Targeting People assume it’s just a "spray and pray" medium. They’re shocked to find out we can target geographically and provide directionally accurate insights based on the specific demographics they’re looking for. 2) The Measurement This isn't just a "feel-good" branding play. We’ve built a true measurement framework: physical in-person brand lift studies, QR code management, and deep social analysis. When I show them the lift we drive on organic search and the sheer volume of people posting their fortunes organically on social, the conversation changes. 3) Both Sides of the Slip This is the one that always gets me. A lot of people think it’s just an ad on a slip of paper with no fortune. They’re surprised to find out it’s both sides. The copy on the fortune side is equally as important, if not more important, than the brand side. Diners are still getting their fortune, but now it's contextualized to your brand. It’s what creates the emotional connection. We aren't just handing out cookies to anyone with a pulse. We’ve built a sophisticated, scalable, targeted advertisting channel, delivered in a timeless ritual that people actually love. Most people think they know what we do. Then they see the data, and they realize they’ve only seen half the story (literally).

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You're not waiting for the website. You're waiting for permission. The list usually goes something like this. We'll start video after the new site launches. After the rebrand is finalized. After busy season. After we've nailed down the messaging. Every item on it sounds responsible. That's what makes it durable. Meanwhile the version of you that exists online is a headshot from a few years ago and some third-person copy nobody wrote with any love. And that's what a prospect is meeting tonight, not the beautiful site that ships in Q2. Here's the part that gets missed: none of those things are actually upstream of video. A rebrand doesn't change how you explain your work. A new website doesn't change what you'd say to a client across a desk. Those are the raw material, and you already have them. In practice it usually runs the other way. Firms record a few videos, hear themselves explain what they do in plain language, and finally know what the website should say. The video doesn't wait for the brand. The brand catches up to the video. What's the thing on your list that's really just permission? Say it out loud and see if it survives. Curious how this would work for your business? DM me and let's talk.

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There's a big difference between a marketing vendor and a marketing partner. A vendor completes the task you hired them for. A partner takes the time to understand your business, your goals, and the bigger picture, then looks for opportunities to help you grow. Great marketing isn't about checking boxes. It's about having a team invested in your success and making sure every piece of your strategy works together. Don't just hire someone to do your marketing. Find a team that thinks like part of your business.

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𝗦𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. Conversations about your brand are happening. Campaigns are running. Your audience has opinions. And your tool budget? Either nonexistent or still "pending approval." Look—I love a good tool. Honestly, the technology side of this job is one of my favorite parts. Give me a new platform to test and I'm happy for days. But here's what I know after managing insights for global CPG brands to scrappy startups: The best social listening setup isn't always the most expensive one. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿:  • What's the real reason people buy from you (vs. what your positioning deck says)?  • Which complaints keep showing up that your team keeps dismissing as "one-offs"?  • What language does your audience actually use to describe your product (spoiler: it's not your tagline)?  • Which competitor weakness are people openly talking about that you could own? 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗮 $𝟬 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗮��𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. The $50K platforms are incredible ... when you need them. But most brands at this stage don't need enterprise-level monitoring. They need to know what's being said, where it's being said, and what to do about it. You can build a legitimately effective listening practice with free tools. Not as a temporary hack. As an actual strategy that works. 📬 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱! subscribe to What the Data Said and get the full $0 Social Listening Stack breakdown here https://lnkd.in/e_PsRTbT

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