Ponderings From The Perch

This episode is an insightful conversation between Mama Bird Priscilla McKinney and the Global Senior Director of Insights at Mars Wrigley Michelle Gansle. Having met through Zappi, an insights vendor, Michelle and Priscilla began to collaborate with other big brands in the industry as professionals sharing best practices and helping each other more effectively answer the changing needs of today's consumer. They discuss how working in a collaborative effort changed the way they do other things in their professional life. They also discuss how they stay current with all of the changes in the industry, digital path to purchase, the erosion of brand loyalty, eco-friendly initiatives, diversity and inclusion, and a number of other topics LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-gansle/ Mars Wrigley Website URL: www.mars.com Twitter Username: @mgansle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looking back in the not so distant past, agencies were told they couldn’t survive without print, billboard and TV ads. Now, there is not a company in existence who doesn’t take social seriously. But that doesn’t mean they are using it effectively, or are even convinced of its scalability or power for brand influence. In this episode, Momma Bird Priscilla McKinney and Ashley Le Blanc take a deep dive into the magical, mystery of digital transformation and what it means for you and your social media strategies and presence in the ethernet. Digital transformation offers unprecedented scale.. With 7.9 billion people in the world 'scale' has to be the first consideration for brands. Does your company have a proprietary platform that is used by 3.96 billion users? Platform building is an essential conversation when it comes to brand influence. Social media is considered by most as “leased land” and is different than your own proprietary platform. Your owned platform could include your website, podcast, syndicated a

Julie Kurd is a bold and big picture thinker. At CMB she leads enterprise relationships as they serve Fortune 500 companies for bigger business impact. Together with her clients they dream, explore and design studies to help transform brands, inspire advocacy and create positive and lasting change. She is a number one fan of Ponderings from the Perch and avid follower of many industry podcast including Adam Jolley and Adam Dietrich's The R.I.D.E Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ride-podcast/id1508085519 Sima Vasa's Data Gurus https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/data-gurus/id1351574994 Jamin Brazil's Happy MRX Podcast https://happymr.com/ Zontziry Johnson's MRXplorer http://www.mrxplorer.com/index.php/author/zontziry/ AJ Kieran's 16 oz Canvas https://www.16ozcanvas.com/podcasts and many more... Join us for this name dropping romp through what it means to collaborate meaningfully and bring out the best in ourselves, in our clients and in our colleagues. This episode includes a challenge to yo

Ponderings from the Perch frequently highlights a need in the marketing and market research industries for dynamic change to meet the growing digital needs of brands. In this episode, host and Momma Bird Priscilla McKinney and Alex Hunt, CEO of Behaviorally discuss an exciting rebrand which accentuates a digital-first strategy for Behaviorally.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode Host and Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing Priscilla McKinney has a lively and engaging conversation with the co-founders of Root and River, Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster as they explain the concepts of intrinsic branding, ethical marketing and what great brands look like in 2021. They also discuss their book, 'Rooting Up Essays on Modern Branding' which brings a compelling blend of leadership doctrine, spiritual intelligence and practical marketing advice intended to inspire and inform in new but timeless ways. About Root and River Working in concert with the marketing leaders or CEOs, and incorporating the leadership team in a brand discovery Root Sessions, Root and River acts alongside the marketer-in-chief and their teams. Through the phases of Language, Infrastructure and Amplification, these three components make up a brand strategy that becomes a bedrock of confidence and clarity while remaining flexible to new realities and opportunities.

In this episode, host and Momma Bird Priscilla McKinney talks with 3 second-generation market research professionals about their experiences growing up in the market research space. Listen as Belinda Brown of Gazelle Global, Colson Steber of Communications for Research and Ag Access and Kai Fuentes of Ebony Marketing Systems share their unique perspectives, ranging from an immediate calling as a “born researcher” to slowly developing their own motivations to follow in their parents’ footsteps.  Tune in to learn about Gazelle Global’s greatest strength, the timing of Colson’s leap into entrepreneurship, Kai’s childhood foray into mall intercepts, and why each of the guests thinks the future of market research is bright. Video podcast available! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The holidays are upon us, so that definitely means it’s time for the 5th Annual Little Bird Holiday Spectacular Spectacular podcast! If you thought little old cursed 2020 could deter us from the best nest tradition, you thought wrong, kittens. For your entertainment, we have made the implausible plausible. This very special episode is all about the treats - Christmas cookies, savory snacks and decadent drinks! The peeps opened their family recipe vaults and hand-selected the very best to share - leading to the creation of Recipes from the Roost. But in this episode, you get to hear all about what makes those recipes so special. Let’s get real for a second: Father Christmas is TIRED of your same-old milk and plate of cookies year after year. You gotta diversify! Keep things fresh! Why not leave Santy a plate of chocolate stars with a side of homemade hot cocoa? Or maybe some holiday stuffing and an orange thyme old fashioned? Doesn’t the man with all the toys deserve a little better? [“In the Arms of an Ange

In this episode, host and Momma Bird Priscilla McKinney breaks free with author, entrepreneur, and thought leader Jon Bostock. Bostock’s career is living proof that positive change in business can be both fun and effective. Their discussion about Jon’s newest business, Truman's, covers everything from the inspiration of a good barista and the semantics of the word “duty” to recognizing the opportunity for innovation in industries and the legacy we leave through our professional journey. As co-founder and CEO of Truman’s Bostock has developed a line of revolutionarily eco-friendly refillable non-toxic cleaners.  Jon’s book, "The Elephant's Dilemma: Break Free and Reimagine Your Future at Work," is a compelling work that urges anyone currently feeling stuck (professionally or otherwise) to take the leap and find a way innovate today. Footnote: It has been speculated by some that Priscilla is trying to surreptitiously get Queen songs stuck in people’s heads. We want to break free from these lies. God knows, Go

Originally broadcast on the Intellicast Podcast: On today’s episode – the last one of this year – Brian Lamar and Producer Brian give a recap of Insights Marketing Day. It kicks off with a review of the Podcast panel, featuring Z Johnson, Jeffrey Hayzlett, Producer Brian, and Adam Jolley. Producer Brian talks about the focus of the discussion, the tips each of the panelists gave, and the different perspective each panelist provided to the attendees. Next Producer Brian gives some of his key takeaways from Insights Marketing Day, along with some of his favorite sessions.  If you missed Insights Marketing Day, you’ll want to tune in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Calling all market research lovers! In this episode, Little Bird Executive Director and co-host Ashley Le Blanc and Insights Association CEO Melanie Courtright discuss why the industry needs you to be a part of the movement. After a momentous year of changes, Melanie breaks downs the lessons they’ve learned from 2020 and turns her eyes to the future of insights, research, and data analytics. As 2021 continues the trend of change Melanie and her team are taking on legislation, shaking it up with new events, and navigating the evolving language of the industry. With so much on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to be a part of the Insights Association family. The Insights Association helps its members create competitive advantage. Their revenue is invested in quality standards, legal and business advocacy, education, certification and direct support to enable members to thrive in an evolving industry and drive business impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Little Bird Executive Director and co-host Ashley Le Blanc talks with Juliana Wood, Director of Certifications at the Certification Institute for Research Quality (CIRQ). Juliana’s diverse background includes marketing and PR in the publishing industry, Educational Program Management at the National Information Standards Organization (NISO), and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association. In her current role, she oversees the certifications for CIRQ, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Insights Association that serves the insights and data analytics industry across 75 countries.  Her work at NISO allowed her a full view of the process at the heart of standards creation, and her work with CIRQ allows her to act as a guide for businesses interested in fostering more reliable results and less rework - a blueprint of requirements for best practices in the industry. Juliana describes the training and certification process as a good marathon that results in adherence to standards that are globally rec

In this episode of Dear Priscilla, Momma Bird/CEO Priscilla McKinney answers not one, but two questions about networking during remote events. Question 1: Dear Priscilla, From years of going to industry conferences I have a lot of colleagues to draw from and interact with on LinkedIn. This helps me start great conversations, which in turn increases the reach of my posts. But, I feel I'm just talking to colleagues and these efforts don't seem to make their way into the view of the prospects I'm trying to reach. How can I get better engagement on my posts from those I would consider to be prospects - who I would like to do business with? Question 2: Dear Priscilla, I am listening to your conference fatigue episode and I was hoping you could answer that same questions about how to use conferences to your best advantage specifically for people who are starting NEW in their position. Whether they are starting their first job, or transitioning - at this time in-person meetings are not possible, so how can we form

In this episode, host Priscilla McKinney talks with Tiama Hanson-Drury, Executive Vice President of Product and EVP Partner for Diversity and Inclusion at Dynata. They discuss the creation of customer-centric products and solutions, including a mindset shift that Tiama utilizes to create products that walk the line between being bespoke and being reusable. Priscilla and Tiama discuss their involvement with and appreciation for Women In Research, and Tiama tells about her work with diversity and inclusion with Dynata: “Diversity and inclusion drives better ideas in the room. It drives better voices at the table. It drives better ways of looking at a way to solve a problem, or even saying, ‘Hey guys, you’re focusing on the wrong problem. The real issue is over here.’” SPONSORS Insights Marketing Day is back! This 1-day virtual event features must-have marketing expertise for market research companies. Get tips and tools from industry leaders, and leave informed and inspired! Visit insights-marketing.org and us

Bigfoot. Nessie. The Squonk. Some myths persist because they’re too compelling to let go. Other myths, on the other hand, are dumb and should vanish completely (like any concrete evidence of those first three.) It’s time to debunk three email marketing myths.  In this episode, semi-pro myth busters Priscilla McKinney and Ashley Le Blanc tackle three persistent yet misguided beliefs about email marketing. Preview time! Email marketing is dying Email is still one of the most trusted forms of communication, and one of the strongest performing media buys. Open rate is the most important metric While open rates are a valuable metric, they are not the only defining factor of an email’s success.  Unsubscribes are a cause for concern Unsubscribes in mass quantities might warrant further investigation, but generally having a user unsubscribe has saved you time in list cleaning - which you should be doing! Listen to the full episode to get facts, stats, and way more information about these common email misperceptions.

As Will Rogers famously said, “The farmer has to be an optimist, or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.”  In this episode, host and Momma Bird Priscilla McKinney talks with Colson Steber, Co-CEO at both Communications for Research, Inc (CFR) and Ag Access. They talk about agricultural research and how Ag Access has created an insights community specifically centered around a highly specialized sector that includes crop growers, livestock producers, feed mills, veterinarians, and more.  “I joke that I spent the first eight years of my time at CFR convincing people that we could do more than ag. And now we’re leaning back into our niche, we can definitely be the experts on how to accelerate access to market,” Steber says, adding, “Everything from ingredient companies that sell back into large chemical companies, as well as user experience designers doing ag and precision ag tech all need research now, and that has widened the base of people that can draw on our services.” Additionally, Priscilla and Colson discuss r

Simply put: Your website matters. Like really matters. In a digital world, it’s where people meet you - it’s your first impression to your future customers. But before you type in your URL and start auditing your website’s appearance, let’s talk about the metrics you should be tracking to evaluate performance.  In digital marketing, data is how we track progress and make informed decisions. From determining your marketing budget to the details of your next campaign, your marketing metrics guide the way to success. Having a deep understanding of where you truly are and where you want to be will dictate how you get there. Looking at your metrics and insights provides deep insights into what is working and what isn’t.  Why is tracking numbers important? Here’s a truth bomb: Numbers don’t lie. It’s actually the opposite – they uncover truth. We don’t track numbers for the sake of numbers. Metrics are valuable, but only as valuable as the action they inspire. Often organizations blindly measure industry-recognized

Goodbye competition…Hello collaboration! 2020 has been full of learnings, but if we’ve benefited anything from this year, it’s this new mantra - “the only way forward is together.”  In this video podcast, Momma Bird and CEO of Little Bird Marketing, Priscilla McKinney, is joined by Sarah Kotva of Fieldwork, Melanie Courtright of Insights Association and Lisa Wilding-Brown of InnovateMR. The group talks about leaving behind the mentality of scarcity and how doing good for more people - even your competitors - can work in your favor strategically.  This special video podcast is available to view here! Each one of these insights powerhouses shares how they collaborate with colleagues outside their companies - sharing the pitfalls and benefits.  Want to take part in moving your industry forward? Tune-in for collaboration tips.  A bit about our guests: Sarah Kotva, Vice President at Fieldwork Sarah is a proud Fieldworker. Her day-to-day includes connecting the dots for clients and ensuring site visits and projects

Over the past couple weeks, a whole bunch of people have thought they accidentally opened the wrong app when they noticed a “Stories” button at the top of their LinkedIn feed. “Ope, accidentally got Instagram, dang thumbs,” they muttered and then headed over toward LinkedIn ONLY TO REALIZE THAT THEY WERE IN LINKEDIN ALREADY! As with any new feature, LinkedIn Stories opens a lot of questions for users. Both pros and noobs have asked, “Should I upload a photo of these pancakes I made?” or Should I post a video of myself lip syncing to my Jock Jams playlist now?”

Are you struggling with using LinkedIn to effectively grow your network and generate leads? You’re not alone! In this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, host and LinkedIn wiz Priscilla McKinney chats with Advanced LinkedIn Strategies Coach Andy Foote. Andy is the author of “3 Stunningly Good LinkedIn Profile Summaries,” author of the LinkedInsights blog, and host of the Foote-Notes Podcast. Together, they discuss commonly seen but seldom diagnosed missteps on LinkedIn interactions, including “set and forget” mentality on profiles and posts, comments that disrupt or inhibit interaction, and unwillingness to share thought leadership and accomplishments. Check out the full episode to learn immediately actionable mindset shifts that can help you up your LinkedIn game.  Sponsors: Global sampling, field management, data collection and more - Gazelle Global’s ad hoc services give you access to global experts as an extension of your team, without the extra overhead. Our team is ready to lend our expertise to comp

You remember regular-old in-person conference fatigue, right? The packing, traveling, and reservations…the seminars, breakout groups and after-parties…the (slightly-tipsy) 2 am bedtime, and (still-tipsy) return to the fray? By contrast, one might assume that attending virtual conferences from either the office or the comfort of one’s home would be a walk in the park. And yet, digital conferences somehow combine all the frenetic information overload of in-person conferences, the focus struggle of online classes, and the eye strain of bingewatching all 9 seasons of Seinfeld into one tidy little package known as digital conference fatigue. In the “Dear Priscilla” series, host and Little Bird Marketing CEO Priscilla McKinney, along with Executive Director Ashley Le Blanc provide answers to the sometimes-abstruse, oft-embarassing marketing questions that everyone has — and everyone is afraid to ask. This week they discuss ways of avoiding digital conference fatigue. Guess what? A lot of the steps that can help fac