Anne-Marie Rosser

When your business is at an inflection point, one of the most powerful levers you can pull is the one marked “brand.” Why? Because evolving the brand strategy at pivotal moments can help quickly signal a shift in the company to key stakeholders—driving belief and assuring audiences through inevitable change. There are a few key phases in a business cycle when deploying a brand especially pays off.

In the following scenarios, here’s how to best use branding to your advantage.

Go to market

When you’re entering a marketplace, your biggest challenge is a lack of awareness. And your second-biggest challenge is your target audience’s apathy. In this scenario, brand drives differentiation.

The first step to pulling this lever is to develop brand positioning that distinguishes you from your competitors. What is everyone else saying, and how can you show up in a way that is meaningful, ownable and authentic?

The next step is to develop brand messaging that builds consistency around this differentiated positioning. Everywhere your potential customers experience your brand, they should have a compelling and cohesive experience.

The final step is developing a strong visual identity for brand recall. The visual identity should be informed by your positioning and industry and feel differentiated in the category without becoming trendy.

IPO

I’ve worked with a lot of companies preparing for their IPO, and the No. 1 priority here is investor education. Investors might be wary of taking on too much risk or remain unclear on the growth potential. So, here, brand really works to establish credibility.

The first and most valuable thing you can do is merge business strategy with brand strategy. Brand shouldn’t just live in the marketing department—it should be an embodiment of your business strategy and activated across the different business units.

Businesses will often then undergo “professionalizing” to prepare for rapid growth. That means giving the brand a cohesive identity and expression guides and, often, leveling up the appearance of the brand for a broader, more discerning audience.

Then you really just want to get that new brand out there as much as possible. Investor relationships branding that communicates the growth and potential is a great start, as is brand storytelling that highlights the business journey and its future. And, of course, you'll want to include media and PR strategy, as well as content that generates positive sentiment and casts your brand in a responsible, authentic light.

Brand shouldn’t just live in the marketing department—it should be an embodiment of your business strategy and activated across the different business units.”

Mergers and acquisitions

Another phase when brand is a benefit is during mergers and acquisitions. These big business changes often beget confusion and uncertainty, both externally and internally.

The biggest landmine here is emotion. Both companies are likely to feel strongly about their brands and about what should change or stay the same. It doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. I usually advise that companies undergoing this change engage in some research to uncover how their audiences perceive them. Determining brand equity via data can help alleviate emotion-driven decisions, and so can crafting a brand that works hard to put the best attributes forward, whatever those might be.

Usually, the data will suggest one of three things: sunsetting all but one existing brand, turning some brands into sub-brands or creating a new, unified brand. Whatever the data indicates, the most important thing to keep in mind is that any rebrand or reorganization must be paired with internal and external communications that educate clients or customers on how this M&A activity will benefit them. This can be done through PR, internal branding and employee engagement and content marketing—all of which should work in tandem to communicate the strengths and benefits of the merger.

Modernizing a legacy brand

Compared to startups, leaders at legacy businesses with incredible heritages face the unique challenge of keeping their brand feeling fresh and modern without losing the earned gravitas of its experience. Without consistent brand maintenance, companies can slowly start to slip into obsolescence, as customers perceive them as stodgy and outdated.

I often encourage our clients to engage in brand evolutions, not revolutions. Your customers are with you for a reason. It’s not about changing completely; it’s about changing the right things so that you’re relevant to your audience’s needs today.

Brand’s power here is in fostering relevance. You can start with an equity study to gain an understanding of what works and what needs to change. After you have the insights to move forward, you can engage in a brand refresh across your identity and expression. This can then be pulled down into your owned channels, particularly via a digital update to websites and mobile app experiences.

For some clients, I also recommend influencer and brand partnerships to develop cultural relevance and to get in front of a younger audience that might not know you as well as their predecessors.

It’s not about changing completely; it’s about changing the right things so that you’re relevant to your audience’s needs today.”

Preparing for takeoff

Marketers today are under ever-increasing pressure to deliver results on the investments they make. Branding can be a powerful tool to drive your business objectives, but before taking action, think critically about the challenges you’re trying to solve. Investing in professionalizing your brand won’t work if you’re fighting irrelevance, and rebranding immediately after an M&A won’t help if you don’t know what brand attributes are necessary to carry forward. Making decisions without doing this work is like a surgeon trying to operate without a diagnosis or an auto mechanic removing an engine without knowing what that warning light means.

Identifying which lever to pull will give you a crystal-clear idea of what you’re up against and start to shed light on the right ways to overcome it. Then you can go about identifying brand strategies to aid in your fight. This focused approach can help you turn your next inflection point into your next career highlight.

‍

Read this article on Forbes, where it was originally published.

VSA’s CEO Anne-Marie Rosser was recently featured in Big Think, where she laid out the ways leaders can adapt to better serve today's modern workforce and business needs.
‍

The American workforce has changed dramatically in the past few years. From workplace attitudes to demographics, the values and makeup of today’s employees present a whole new set of challenges (and opportunities) for today’s leaders.

Just a few examples:

• Gen Z is poised to outnumber boomers in the full-time workforce
• 58% of white-collar workers prefer to work remotely at least three days a week
• 47% of workers are not focused on career progression at all
• The number of women in the U.S. workforce continues to reach historic levels

Whether you’re a seasoned or new leader, managing this changing workforce requires a pivot in leadership style. Even coming in fresh doesn’t stop you from picking up mindsets and communication tactics from your predecessors that will not serve you in this new era.

Take it from me—I’ve spent the last two years learning how to best lead in a work environment notably different from that in my early career, and seeing firsthand the shifting dynamics of the modern workforce.

These are the insights I have found to be most valuable in adjusting to the modern workforce and dissolving obstacles to successful leadership.

1. When the call comes, it’s OK to question

When I was first asked to step into the CEO role, I didn’t know if I wanted it. I actually think that’s a good thing. With a healthy dose of imposter syndrome and respect for the responsibility of that kind of position, my introspection and deliberation around accepting the role was key to building my vision of how I wanted to lead.

I am never going to be a “command and control”-style leader. It might come across as less assertive, but pretending I was that kind of leader would be inauthentic, to say the least. Instead, my leadership style favors an ensemble approach. Building a team of complementary strengths can result in a more multidimensional leadership team. I’m accountable and I drive decisions, but I get there through listening and collaboration. This approach, coupled with radical transparency, has offered optimal ways to motivate my team to do their best work.

That doesn’t mean that this style is for everyone. Sometimes you need a hard-line leader. But all those who are called to the CEO position should take the chance to reflect on both their best attributes, and the unique needs and styles of their teams.

When I was first asked to step into the CEO role, I didn’t know if I wanted it. I actually think that’s a good thing.”

2. Don’t be afraid to ruthlessly prioritize

There are limited hours in the day. And with today’s workforce increasingly seeking work-life balance, we all should be more realistic with what we think we can actually accomplish. But if the first step is to prioritize, the second step is to over-communicate these priorities and the reasoning behind them. As the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw noted, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

Be overly communicative to familiarize your team with your preferences on assigning priority. Ensuring everyone understands what is important, why it’s important, and the order in which tasks need to be completed helps keep teams aligned with the mission and vision of the organization.

Some people might disagree with the process or why certain tasks are prioritized above others, but at least the plan will be clear. And in fact, being open to fielding—and overcoming—objections should add confidence to your vision and help demonstrate the reasoning behind your approach if it is indeed the correct course of action.

3. Keep your vision 20/20

In my observations, younger workers are frequently more concerned with short-term goals, while older workers better understand the long-term pursuits. This doesn’t mean that younger workers are wrong—you need to have accomplishments that keep people motivated and engage in activities that pay off today.

I balance these tendencies by setting goals and priorities within shorter time frames and driving accountability for these small stepping stones. I then remind my team of our most immediate priorities and how they relate to our long-term mission. Pulling that thread through from short term to long term, and keeping up consistent communication, is key to ensuring younger generations feel satisfied and fulfilled while protecting a cohesive long-term vision.

In my observations, younger workers are frequently more concerned with short-term goals, while older workers better understand the long-term pursuits. This doesn’t mean that younger workers are wrong—you need to have accomplishments that keep people motivated and engage in activities that pay off today.”

4. Foster accountability from afar

It’s more and more likely that as a leader, you’ll be overseeing a dispersed, remote workforce—at least part of the week. With this shift come fears of productivity—specifically, how much are employees working? This is just my personal opinion, but I would much rather focus on the quality of work over the number of hours it took to produce.

Given the increasing importance of work-life balance, fewer employers are demanding 70- or 80-hour workweeks because employees are refusing to work them. And that’s a great thing! The average number of working hours a week has significantly changed since I started my career, and ensuring that employees are satisfied with their workload is critical to retaining top talent.

Remembering that we’re all adults goes a long way. People don’t like to be policed, and the reality is that people have different flavors of “productivity”—particularly in a creative organization. Some people work their best in short, high-energy bursts. Others are reflective and take time to come to a creative breakthrough. The more reflective style isn’t automatically better because it’s more hours. Recognizing this and giving people autonomy—while still making them accountable for quality—is the balance we’ve found works best. We also have to remind people that as much as we respect work-life balance, we are still in a service industry. So there are times when we need to work late or work a weekend, but we try to make that the exception rather than the rule.

And lastly, you’ll need to again over-communicate. Be clear with your teams about what success looks like—defining it and properly awarding it.

5. You can’t please everyone

Women in particular tend to be people pleasers. But you will burn out and be paralyzed with indecision if you try to ensure that everyone is happy. Leaders have a duty to do right by their people. They also have a duty to do right by the business so that they can continue to do right by their people.

If you’re leading through hard times, you’re going to let people down. Taking the reins during a turnaround or transformation is really different from leading during hockey stick growth. The only way to move forward—that I’ve found—is to square that disappointment with optimism both in yourself and in the future.

But being optimistic doesn’t mean you’re hiding business challenges from your employees. You can be transparent about the situation and the choices you’re making, and why. But you can also show them how the tough calls you’re making today ensure that the business can get through the current environment, and how those who stick it out now will be rewarded in the future.

You might have some employees who decide they don’t want to wait it out, and that’s OK. Being a great leader means creating an environment where everyone is there because they feel a part of something and are committed to its success. And that kind of environment can only be founded on honesty and a shared vision of the future.

Leaders have a duty to do right by their people. They also have a duty to do right by the business so that they can continue to do right by their people.”

Leading for tomorrow

Overall, I see the changes in the workforce as a wonderful thing. Parents have more time to parent, artists have more time to make art and we’re all building the next iteration of best business practices together.

It is equal parts exciting and challenging to be a leader right now. But I believe that by leading with empathy, transparency and accountability, we can welcome and foster diverse perspectives and new ways of working, and contribute to a better way of doing business for the coming generations.

VSA’s CEO Anne-Marie Rosser was recently interviewed by Top Interactive Agencies (TIA), where she talked trends, human nature versus data, and the thing people are most surprised to learn about her. See the interview below, or view the original piece.

To get things rolling, could you share a bit about your journey and how you’ve arrived at this moment in your career?

I started out in an account role function but really felt that I was doing the strategy lift. At the time, I asked our CEO if I could start a strategy function and he said “sure.” So, I played in the strategy space for about 15 years at a few agencies, and then ultimately decided I wanted to apply what I had learned in strategy to grow relationships in a more consultative way. I did that for about 10 years before moving into a role as agency president and then CEO.

What’s the best thing about living in Chicago?

The food and the people! It’s a beautiful city that has scale—but also has great neighborhoods and can feel small. It’s a very livable city. It also has a great food scene with anything you can imagine. Like any city, it’s really about walking the neighborhoods to get a feel for it.

What are your main focuses at the moment?

It’s been a really transformational time in the industry at large, and for our agency. So much so that our attention can get very fragmented. My focus now is on prioritization and execution. It’s easy to get distracted, but execution is still imperative, and that requires the ability to prioritize what is most important and let some of the rest wait.

As CEO, how do you balance the high-level strategic vision with the day-to-day implementation at VSA?

I’m still learning! As a relatively new CEO, this is one of my challenges. But I think it’s really critical that executives are close to the work to ensure their vision is relevant and achievable. In some ways, vision is the easier part. It’s execution—through the day to day—that determines your success. I have a really great team that challenges me and keeps me honest on both fronts as we try to reserve time that is focused on 50,000-foot issues and time that is reserved for day to day. This helps all of us change gears together.

In what ways have you encouraged creativity and innovation in your team?

I want people to experiment and not view it as a failure if an idea doesn’t work out. This doesn’t relate just to client work, but to our own internal structure and processes as well. Right now I think it’s about staying very close to culture and the pace of change, and encouraging teams to meet clients where they are while still having the courage of their convictions. We also have an internal drive to “own” ideas and innovation. We hold each other accountable.

There is more and more data that supposedly tells us EXACTLY what people want and where. I think it’s useful to take some of that data with a grain of salt because it is inherently backwards looking. People are unpredictable, so human-centered design in part means remembering the human tendency to surprise.”

Can you provide examples of how VSA has successfully activated meaningful experiences for its clients in today’s noisy world?

Most recently, we rolled out a campaign for our client FactSet that I think really embodies that goal. FactSet is a global financial digital platform and enterprise solutions provider—it’s heavily in the B2B space. When we were designing the campaign for them, we thought about how so much of B2B advertising is frankly very boring and decided to do something different. The campaign has three different spots, and they’re all really funny! [You can check them out here.] We think that a smart departure like this from the category norms makes B2B brands stand out in a good way and keeps people thinking about that brand experience long after.

When it comes to creating digital ecosystems that connect with audiences, what elements do you believe are the most important for brands to prioritize?

Honestly, I think it comes back to basics versus always focusing on just “what’s new” in digital. For an ecosystem to work, it has to have movement, and that means 1) know your audience and what they are about, and then 2) reduce friction as they move freely within the ecosystem. If you miss these fundamentals, the rest doesn’t work. I think the other secret is in your question itself: “prioritize.” As I mentioned a few answers ago, prioritization isn’t easy—it takes real discipline. Brands that can prioritize, which inherently means giving other things up, stand a much better change of thriving.

What do you think will be the key trends for staying relevant in 2024 and beyond?

Relevancy is achieved by deeply understanding your audience and acknowledging that even once you know them deeply, you’re never done. You have to keep returning to that well to understand what has changed, because what’s relevant to them changes. Trends can be significant or fleeting, but certainly understanding cultural currency is important. It becomes truly meaningful only when you can connect it back to your specific audience and what they care about. So, I guess I’m less concerned about the trends that may stay or go, and more about how audiences are shifting their attention and why.

Where do you see the human-centered design going?

What a great question. Our purpose is to “design for a better human experience,” which is a lofty goal for an agency. But it’s because we fundamentally believe that behind every business or marketing problem is a human problem to solve. There is more and more data that supposedly tells us EXACTLY what people want and where. I think it’s useful to take some of that data with a grain of salt because it is inherently backwards looking. People are unpredictable, so human-centered design in part means remembering the human tendency to surprise and remembering to have empathy for a real human problem that needs to be solved. Sometimes trusting your gut and pushing to disrupt the data is the best way to think about where human-centered design will go because it looks forward rather than back.

In today’s technological landscape, what recent developments or trends make you say, “wow”?

I would have to say TikTok is the platform or emergent player that I still say “wow” to in terms of how disrupting it is. It is fundamentally changing our relationship with all content—news, information, brands, entertainment. Building off of what social platforms started, TikTok is changing information and commerce more profoundly. The biggest takeaway for me is the serious shift in our attention span and how information is consumed. The ongoing shift from a “broadcast to your audience” model to “show up where the conversation is already happening” has big implications for everyone, and I don’t know that we’ve fully cracked the code on what it will mean.

How would you describe the creative industry in Chicago?

It’s alive and well. I am seeing small startups of every stripe, including agencies, pop up everywhere and do great work. Chicago remains a place where people are more focused on the ideas and the work than the marquee, so I think that’s a real strength.

Could you discuss your role within Meet The People and how it aligns with VSA’s goals and values?

VSA brings brand strategy and activation to the table for MTP. Our deep design heritage and consultative style allows us to go deep with clients to drive results. MTP’s belief that agencies can still be independent while benefiting from shared values and collaboration is part of VSA’s ethos and how we work.

Do you think someone can get into the field without educational experience in a school environment?

This is such a great question. As a parent with three kids nearing college age, it’s one I’m asking! I absolutely think that creatives can break into this industry through routes other than traditional education. The most important attributes are having ideas, communication skills, and the ability to collaborate.

In general, what role do you think designers have to play in building more accessible societies?

Designers, creators, writers—they all play a huge role. We know that representation matters, so whether that is via illustration, casting, voice talent or accessibility in technology, they all drive our ability to reflect the world we live in with a more accurate and inclusive approach. It’s exciting. We don’t always get it right, but it’s something we continue to challenge our creative teams to think through.

Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration in your personal life and how has it influenced your creative work?

My mom is an artist, and I think spending summers with her growing up in New York was very formative. Learning to see and appreciate aesthetics in all different areas of life is a huge part of my work life, but also my life outside of work. While I’m not a creative and came up through strategy, I am fascinated by the work that creative can do. I speak the language.

When you have free time, what hobbies or leisure activities do you find most enjoyable and rejuvenating?

I’ve been a bookworm for life, and then just being outside, gardening, travel. All the good things!

From your personal standpoint, what global issues are you most passionate about and why?

There are so many! But I would say that issues around women’s rights are closest to me. This is because of my own experience, but also having three kids at a time when access to women’s rights are being reduced. I’m also very cognizant of what has been changing in the workplace for women and how I can model the type of behavior and leadership that I feel women should be able to claim for themselves. There is still a lot of “micro-misogyny” out there: exclusionary behaviors, mansplaining, lack of confidence in a different leadership style that favors listening as much as pontificating.

Can you name a fun fact people would be surprised to learn about you?

People tend to be surprised by my sleeve tattoos. That’s not the vibe I give off when people first meet me (apparently).

VSA’s CEO Anne-Marie Rosser was recently interviewed by AdForum's India Fizer to discuss how she believes the advertising industry can create more gender parity.

From the importance of cultivating a network early in your career to combating ageism, check out Anne-Marie’s thoughts on fostering better workplaces for women below, or view the original article.

In what ways can women in advertising pave the way for or support younger women hoping to break into advertising?

There are so many simple but meaningful things that we can do. For starters, I try to always say yes to young women who reach out to me asking to learn more about the industry. It’s easy to do and I always want to encourage young women who put themselves out there.

I also tell women early on to build their network and to nurture it. It’s something I didn’t know starting out, and it’s imperative. Calling women into group conversations is really important, particularly in a hybrid workforce. Fostering a safe space where they can be heard and have room to contribute builds confidence.

And finally, from what I’ve seen, women in general tend to have more impostor syndrome. So celebrating successes, calling out women’s achievements and encouraging women to advocate for their place are all key leadership contributions to helping younger women succeed.

How can we close the gap created by ageism, especially among women, in the industry?

This is a broader societal issue, but I think one simple way is to demystify the topic of age with women. I don’t try to hide my age, and I comfortably tell people my age—even if I understand that this may cause discomfort. But we have a long way to go in this regard. There is still a heavy bias that women of a certain age have nothing to contribute and the best way to prove this wrong is to be active and to stay in the workforce in leadership positions as long as men do.

How does your experience as a woman in marketing inform your work?

One of the best aspects of being involved in marketing is that it allows you to peek behind the scenes of multiple industries and companies without having to work in them. I’ve been able to see firsthand the company cultures in multiple finance firms, the tech sector, CPG and retail. Within those, you sometimes see microcosms of cultures that appear to more consistently support women and those that don’t.

I was lucky enough to get to have a seat at the table with Fortune 100 CEOs from when I was relatively young. This exposure gave me the confidence to demand a seat at the table in my own company throughout my career. It’s also allowed me to accept that I don’t need to model my leadership style based on my male colleagues—I can put forth my own leadership style, driven by empathy, humor and accountability.

There is still a heavy bias that women of a certain age have nothing to contribute. The best way to prove this wrong is to be active and to stay in the workforce in leadership positions as long as men do.”

Gen Z is a generation of digital pioneers and has shifted the framework of many industries. How has this new generation of young women impacted the advertising industry, and where do you anticipate they will improve the workplace going forward?

The question positions women as “digital pioneers,” and I just think this is inherently powerful in and of itself. Having young women who are fluent in technology from the jump feels like an important change because it’s so integral to our world now. I see young women already changing the workforce by better understanding their value, more clearly competing for work or mindshare within an agency, and advocating for their own growth and compensation. It’s exciting!