Website: Baker-creative.com
Speaker’s info: Worksgroup.net
BusHuddlepodcast Playlist: Youtube.com
About the Guest(s):
Michele Baker Cuthbert is an accomplished strategist and creative director with over 20 years of experience in building and enhancing global brands. She is the driving force behind Baker Creative, a company renowned for its strategic initiatives and innovation in the business world. Michele has worked with leading global brands such as Proven Winners, Quaker Steak and Lube, The Gap, and many others. Her expertise spans across brand strategy, business growth, PR, digital branding, and human capital. Michelle has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Chief Marketer’s Market Like a Mother Award, BBB Torch Award, and has been acknowledged as one of the top CEOs by Columbus CEO Magazine.
Episode Summary:
In this compelling episode of The Chris Voss Show, Chris engages in a deep-dive conversation with Michele Baker Cuthbert, a veteran in strategic branding and creative direction. With two decades of expertise, Michelle brings a wealth of knowledge in developing and transforming global brands. Her insights on how to foster a thriving corporate culture and maintain customer loyalty provide priceless takeaways for any business leader looking to enhance their brand’s potential.
Throughout the episode, Michelle shares her journey from being an integral part of major advertising firms to establishing her own company, Baker Creative, which empowers brands with strategic innovations. Her philosophy centers on listening to clients and embracing change, ensuring each service is tailored to meet unique client needs. The discussion also delves into the significance of having a coherent strategy in place, especially in maintaining a consistent brand identity and superior customer experience. Michelle talks about the evolving dynamics in human capital management and the importance of aligning company culture with employee values to enhance retention and satisfaction.
Key Takeaways:
Customer-Centric Approach: Michele emphasizes the necessity of truly listening to clients and understanding their needs to deliver exceptional service and build lasting relationships.
Strategic Branding Importance: Developing a focused strategy is vital for defining brand identity, preventing overspending, and ensuring consistent marketing messages.
Human Capital Dynamics: The episode explores the challenges within human capital management, particularly in aligning company culture with diverse employee values.
AI’s Role in PR: Michele discusses how AI is transforming the public relations landscape and its implications for brand trust and reputation management.
Fractional Executive Services: Insights into how fractional CFO and CMO services can streamline business operations without the overhead of a full-time executive team.
Notable Quotes:
“No one’s gonna know their business more than the people who do it 24/7.”
“When you don’t have a strategy and you don’t have a plan, you overspend and you don’t understand where your money’s going.”
“The CMO position is a high-stress position, and the turnover rate used to be three and a half years; now it’s down to two years.”
“Customer experience is key; when customers detect negligence, trust is broken, which can be hard to repair.”
“AI in PR can be problematic due to biases present in the data used, yet it offers new paths to understand and enhance engagement.”
