All brands want to grab people’s attention. But getting noticed is only step one. When you harness someone’s attention, what will you do with it?

Don’t get me wrong, building brand recognition is no small task. But the path is established. Consult any marketing blog and you’ll find the same cookie-cutter “keys to success” listed —beautiful design, a functional website, social media marketing, and so on.

That is the what, not the how or the why. Any brand can follow a proven marketing formula, but few will actually get the results they want. 

The real keys to success are authenticity, storytelling, and consistency. A successful brand is one that is intentional in each element – from color to word choice to imagery. These decisions are not random—each must say something.

Let’s break these down, starting with authenticity.

Authenticity

Consumers are adept at spotting phony brand messaging. It’s why a lot of brands fail – because they can never nail down their true identity. If your tone is edgy and snarky, own that; if you are more community-oriented, friendly and warm, own that too. Whatever kind of brand you are, if you stick to it, you’ll eventually establish the base you’re looking for. According to Nosto.com’s findings, 88% of consumers want to support authentic brands. 

Don’t know where you stand? Fortress can help with that too. Through our “Brandstorm” process, a comprehensive brand development playbook, we have experience building brands from the ground up. Yours could be next.

Storytelling

Storytelling is absolutely essential to opening doors for your brand. Consumers want to know what your motivations are, where those motivations come from, and why they should lead them to utilize your services or buy your products. There is a fine line to walk here, because doing too much talking about your own brand without an application of why that should matter to the consumer, you will risk the story falling flat. Focus on the consumer’s problems and why you’re best positioned to solve them, don’t just vapidly talk about your brand. 

As an example of how storytelling can make a difference in branding, look at Fortress’ work with nationally-renowned civil rights law firm, Action Injury Law Group. Led by Andrew M. Stroth, this Chicago-based firm addresses instances of police brutality against minority communities. 

Action Injury did not need help building a reputation, but their goal was to acquire more clients and turn their tragedies into justice. We built a website that featured case studies of how they have helped people in the past, and outlined both visually and in writing how they plan to continue doing so in the future. 

Take a look at the full case study here. 

Consistency

Consistency and authenticity work together to achieve the same goal of elevating your brand’s reach, and in turn, its bottom line. According to Marq’s 2021 report, consistent branding can increase revenue by an average of 33%. 

Consistency can mean many different things, but consistency of messaging is the most crucial. In 2022, social media is the most important place for consistency in brand messaging. Find a rhythm of how often you want to appear, plan out what type of content you want to post and pay attention to what’s working. What type of posts are getting the most engagement and generating the most conversions? Having the answers to those kinds of questions will go a long way. Social media leaves room for experimentation – no doubt – but it must be well thought out if you want it to move the needle. 

At Fortress Consulting, we build brands by telling their story in every detail. This personal touch combined with over a decade of success in web design, web development, and digital marketing helps us transform our clients’ brands, and also their lives.

That is our mission. What’s yours?

Let’s be honest, social media has gotten pretty fake and curated strictly for algorithms and likes these days. However, BeReal, with its simplified layout and unique premise, might be the solution many are looking for.

BeReal is quickly gaining traction with Gen Z, but its staying power is unclear. Even though it was founded in 2019, 75% of the app’s downloads have come in 2022, signaling that existing platforms might be growing stale with the younger demographic, or at the very least, that demand for new ideas is high. The concept combines aspects of Snapchat and Instagram, but this platform is unique for a few reasons. First, you may only post once every 24 hours and it must be within a two-minute window upon receiving a notification. Secondly, posts from your friends are locked until you yourself post. This is clearly different from other platforms where you could create an account and post as frequently or infrequently as you please, can use photo filters liberally, and can “like” others’ content. Additionally, where TikTok and Instagram have become increasingly optimized for video content, BeReal is strictly photos.

At Fortress, we like to stay up to date on social media trends as they relate to marketing, and the emergence of BeReal begs the question: is there room for brands and digital marketers to use BeReal, or should they stick to more traditional and proven platforms? A few members of our marketing team answered this question along with their general thoughts on the app:

Tiffany Mullins – Senior Content Strategist

 

“I feel like it’s a counterproductive way to showcase real lives. When we are having fun and living in the moment, a phone notification telling you to ‘be real’ accomplishes just the opposite. Right now, I don’t see BeReal being useful in marketing. Usually, when brands hop on apps like this, it comes across as forced and ingenuine. I do see potential with influencers using BeReal to boost their personal brands by building a more intimate relationship with their follower base, but for advertisers like us, BeReal does not align with our goals, at least in its current iteration.”

Anthony Sprunk – Content Creator

 

“I think it can be both genuine and fake depending on the user. It becomes more staged when people wait to post their BeReals late – until they’re doing something “cool” – which is something I’ve seen quite a bit using the app myself. As for marketing, I have seen some funny TikToks and tweets about the app, but I have yet to see brands using it as an online marketing tool. I’m just not sure it’s the right app for marketing content.”

Leo Koenig – Content Writer

 

“I don’t use BeReal personally, but I tend to think it is not going to last like other social media apps have. I’ve heard some complaints about the BeReal app itself being glitchy or slow, which is fixable, but also may have turned people off from the start, making it hard to win them back over. However, I do think there is potential for certain brands to build a following on BeReal by posting “behind the scenes” content from employees. This will work best for restaurants and smaller businesses where the average employee is relatable to the masses. This may be hard to accomplish, as service workers are often the ones with the least amount of time on their hands to be posting online during their shifts, but it is not impossible. I think we need to give the app a bit more time before we write it off entirely from a marketing standpoint. After all, if we think back to the early days of Instagram, the potential for marketing was quite limited, but that has since changed dramatically.”

The general sentiment from our team is that in its current iteration, BeReal is ultimately not an effective tool for brands, and not accomplishing its goals for general use either. In other words, we don’t think it is not a good sign that we are so increasingly detached from reality that we need an app like BeReal to purportedly provide it for us. However, while our team at Fortress may not see BeReal as the next big thing for digital marketing, we should point out that there are some success stories for how brands have used BeReal for product placement, sales boosts and general brand awareness, and one of these is Chipotle.

Chipotle has always been quick to hop on social media trends and stay on brand while doing it. Maintaining an edgy, entertaining, and fun voice throughout their marketing, Chipotle is never afraid to take risks. So earlier this year, when BeReal began ascending, Chipotle ran an introductory ad campaign where they posted a reusable promo code, awarding the first 100 people to use it with a free entree.

It was a success. They have since built a modest but active follower base, giving them one more outlet for engagement with their target demographic.

Come back to this page for more insights into the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, and if you have a project you would like to collaborate with the Fortress team on, get in touch today.

Being a Chicago-based agency is about much more than where our office is physically located. It’s an acknowledgement of our hard work, hospitality, and humility, values that are shared by Chicago as a community. Our work has always mirrored these traits we share with Chicago, and our recent projects are no exception. 

Kam Buckner for Mayor

Chicago is a city where everyone has a story. That’s why we fit right in, because we understand the importance of storytelling in digital marketing. Take the Kam Buckner for Mayor project for example. Prior to our work with Kam–which consisted of building a website, a launch video, social media marketing, and more–we had never worked on a political campaign as an agency. But we saw how committed Kam Buckner is to making a difference in the city we love as much as he does. So, we put that mutual passion to work and told the story of Kam’s Chicago roots and his track record of fighting for Chicagoans. Take a look at the launch video here:

EverThrive Illinois

Another recent campaign we worked on was for EverThrive Illinois. EverThrive is an organization dedicated to reducing maternal mortality in African-American communities in Chicago. African-American mothers in our city are at a dramatically increased risk of dying during or shortly after pregnancy. We are honored to be a part of raising awareness about this issue through a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. Our efforts included branding, web design, and video production. Here is a look at the video we produced for EverThrive that focuses on their “The Gathering” initiative, a support community for expecting mothers: 

Walner Law

Another example is our client Walner Law who has committed to serving the city in the legal space. A staple of Chicago personal injury law since 1973, this firm needed help building their online presence to match their real-life legacy. Walner has won hundreds of millions of dollars for their clients who have been injured unjustly, and we’ve assisted them on several fronts over the years. These projects have consisted of social media marketing, a brand-new website, podcast production more recently, and many more marketing, branding, and web development efforts in-between. Walner and Fortress are a true, mutually beneficial partnership of companies who are proud to represent Chicago. Check out an episode of the Words With Walner podcast. Filmed inside Fortress’ studio, this episode discusses how Chicagoans can get help if they are in a truck accident:

We’re also proud to say that like Chicago, we are not a monolith at Fortress. The diverse perspectives we bring to the table at each client kickoff meeting and at every stage of a project are what makes us unique. With this strong in-house diversity, we are at our best when we are together; in sync with our surroundings and aligned on the tasks at hand. That’s the reason we haven’t bought into the work-from-home revolution, because we see our office space as a home in itself. It’s a home for collaboration and honest conversation, both internally and with our clients. 

Chicagoans know our city isn’t perfect. It can be unforgiving, and it has a way of humbling you. Our industry is the same way. But it’s that humility that keeps us going. And rather than pretend everything is perfect, Chicagoans like us get up early, go to work, and hustle every day to see things through and deliver. In our case, that means changing our clients’ lives by transforming their brands.

[Written from the perspective of Joel Mathew.]

Strength. Safety. Stability. 

Fortress embodies all of those and more. 

Our rock solid foundation is built on genuine relationships, consistency, and respect for our company and clients. We are a family. We are a team. 

I built this company after experiencing a discouraging work environment, a dog-eat-dog world where my colleagues and employers were focused on money alone. After witnessing a toxic atmosphere where creativity is stifled and voices go unheard, I knew I needed to make a change. And when I couldn’t find anything better in the corporate world, I decided to build my own business with its own culture.

Here at Fortress, we do the opposite. We steer clear of that culture, eliminate that selfish environment, and replace it with something stronger. Our company name is a symbolic representation of that. We are a fortified place, a stronghold, and a place of comfort and peace for both our team and clients. We dedicate our time and energy to building genuine relationships and treating people with the respect they deserve. 

We respect, care, and love our people. For that reason, the words employer and employee are rarely used here. You will only hear us use one word: team.

When people hear the name Fortress, we want this same sense of respect, comfort, and security to be felt. I want them to trust who their dollars are going to – people who are client-success obsessed, who possess unmatched energy and passion, who operate differently and authentically, who value integrity, rest, and generosity. 

Because of this mindset and attitude, we have built a strong foundation that cannot be shaken. After starting out with nothing, carving a path for ourselves, and fighting through the pandemic, we are stable amidst chaos. 

With our core values at the heart of all our work, we will always be a fortress for our team and our clients.

Joel Mathew | CEO & Founder

“Truly he is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

Psalms 62:6

We’re Proud to Announce Our 3 New Telly-Award Winning Productions!

We’re thrilled to have won three Telly Awards for our commercial productions – “Imagine” General Admission Spot for Southern Illinois University, “Imagine” Hispanic Latino Spot for Southern Illinois University, and “On Chicago’s Side” for Walner Law. 

The Telly Awards, founded in 1979, honor excellence in local and regional broadcast and video commercials across all screens. Each year, the Telly Awards receive 12,000 entries from all 50 states and from 5 continents. We are honored to have been chosen as award recipients in their 43rd year. 

Our commercials for Southern Illinois University – “Imagine” General Admission Spot and “Imagine” Hispanic Latino Spot – were each one of just three winners for the production of Regional TV for a school, college, or university. Additionally, our production of Walner Law’s “On Chicago’s Side” was also just one of three winners for Local TV regarding law and legal services. 
 

Taking Our Video Production Capabilities to the Next Level

After winning our first Telly Award in 2021 for another Southern Illinois University commercial titled “It’s Our Turn,” we were even more determined to keep up the momentum, producing top-quality commercials for our clients. Winning three more Tellys in 2022 is a testimony to the time and energy put into producing captivating, professional, and visionary videos. 

This is a proud moment for our team. However, the real reward is seeing the positive impact that these commercials have had on our clients’ businesses. As with everything we do, we will continue to improve, advance, and innovate to bring success to our clients. 
 
Take a look at our production reel which showcases all of our video capabilities, from animation to full-production commercials.

From Script to Screen, We’ve Got You Covered

In addition to video production, Fortress also specializes in the placement of commercials on broadcast, cable, and OTT. 

From script to screen, Fortress has you covered.

If you have any questions about how video production can help build your brand and drive leads to your business, contact us.

When are you more likely to be interested in a product or service? Is it when a stranger representing a company is selling it to you in a traditional advertisement? Chances are you will hit “Skip Ad” right away or scroll past. 

But what if the person you see is a familiar face, someone you admire in some way – or at least recognize? Then there’s potential, and that’s where influencer marketing comes in. In this blog, we’re going to highlight what strategies have proven successful in the past and forecast what trends will make waves in influencer marketing in 2022.

How and When Does Influencer Marketing Work?

Influencer marketing works best when the chosen influencer has a consistently devoted base of supporters. This should come as no surprise, because by definition, an influencer is someone with an established level of credibility in their field. 

They have reached their elite status by being people-pleasers. Let them do the work of adding credibility to your brand. Here’s the truth: chances are they’re better at it than you. Nielsen has reported that 92 percent of people trust recommendations from individuals over brands. 

Plan Your Strategy

Once you’ve decided to adopt an influencer marketing strategy, then comes the time to set a plan about how you’re actually going to implement it. One option to strongly consider is prioritizing the use of short-form video in your strategy. 

Short form video has been proven to be an effective way to get through to consumers. As we have referenced in a past blog, short-form video has the highest return on investment of any marketing strategy in the social media space. 

Predictions – Where Will Influencer Marketing go in 2022?

It can be hard to keep up with the constantly evolving landscape of social media. However, if you look closely enough, you can make note of the direction things are headed in terms of what marketing approaches are growing in popularity.

One of these emerging trends is the use of college athletes as influencers. Until very recently, college athletes were not allowed by the NCAA to profit off their name, image, and likeness. Now that that has changed thanks to a Supreme Court ruling, it will give more brands the ability to use athletes to promote their products and services.

Professional athletes are often at a premium, but college athletes are, on average, easier to acquire and work with. Take Braelon Allen as a recent example of this in practice. Allen is a freshman running back for the University of Wisconsin football team who is coming off a tremendous season.

At just eighteen years old, he’s already a big-time ambassador for a company called Iron-Joc, a clothing brand based in Wisconsin. Since bringing him on as an influencer, they have tripled their sales, according to their founder and owner, Paul Hanson. 

Expect to see more and more of similar uses of college athletes as influencers in 2022 and beyond.

Another trend that we predict will be significant in the future of influencer marketing is the advances that platforms like Tik-Tok are making in their live-streaming capabilities. 

Imagine a live Q&A session with an influencer regarding a product instead of a pre-recorded video message. You just can’t beat that kind of engagement between influencer and consumer, so expect to see more of that across all social media- whether it be Tik-Tok, Instagram Live, Facebook Live, or Twitter’s “Spaces” feature.

Takeaways

The key universal takeaways here are to know your audience, stand for something, and establish goals for what you are trying to accomplish in using influencer marketing. 

Know your audience, meaning think about the demographic that is inclined to be interested in your product. As is the case with short-form video, in general, younger audiences are more likely to be won over by influencer marketing.

Stand for something, meaning make sure your content is promoting a message that people are likely to support. It is more complicated to try to get consumers to identify with brands that are irresponsible with or dismissive of concerns regarding environmental sustainability, as an example. Make space to reassure your base that you care about what they care about.

Establish goals, meaning know what your ultimate intentions are in developing your strategy. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, encourage people to try a product, simply gain followers, or increase sales?

People in 2022 expect their interactions to be efficient and brief. Commuters expect their trains and buses to arrive on time, and their coffees to be made fast. The realm of digital marketing is no different. When these same people browse the internet searching for content to consume, their attention spans are short. It is crucial for brands to realize this and examine the helpfulness or short-form video to boost their site traffic sales, and clientele. 

Social Media and Short-Form Video

According to HubSpot, in their 2022 Marketing Industry Trends Survey, short-form video has the highest Return on Investment (ROI) of any marketing strategy involving social media. They found that thirty percent of social media marketers plan to invest in short-form video more than any other trend in 2022. 

This isn’t shocking when you take a look at just how powerful and popular the platform Tik-Tok has become in the world of social media. Specializing in these short-form videos as opposed to still images or longer-form videos, Tik-Tok has over one billion active users. For comparison, Twitter has 186 million daily active users. Even more noteworthy, teenagers in particular are hooked on Tik-Tok, spending an average of 80 minutes per day on the platform. 

For an example of how powerful influencer marketing on Tik-Tok can be, look no further than Chipotle. Tailored toward the key Gen Z audience, Chipotle has created numerous “challenges” for followers to complete and brought in major influencers to spread the word. In one of these challenges, called the #ChipotleLidFlip campaign, Chipotle partnered with influencer David Dobrik, resulting in 111,000 submissions in the first week of the campaign, and hundreds of millions of views. Your brand may not be as big as Chipotle, but the lesson is clear; tailor your short-form content on Tik-Tok toward the demographic that uses it the most, young people. 

What does effective use of short-form video look like?

Finding success with short-form videos will depend on your company’s overall content strategy, but there are a few things to highlight that can be useful for all brands. First, use short-form video to invite engagement. If on social media, invite users to comment and share your video and incentivize them to do so. Think about any promotional content your company could produce, which would drive strong engagement and create the reposts and retweets you’re looking for. In a similar vein, short-form video can be productively used for things like product teasers and supplementary information embedded in website content.

Here is an example of an effective use of short-form video, from one of Fortress Consulting’s clients, Chicago-based Falafel and Shawarma restaurant, Benjyehuda. It’s a simple idea being executed here, but it’s effective, nonetheless. When the user sees the overhead shot of the employee putting together a meal, they themselves, while scrolling through their Instagram reels feed, can envision making a trip to Benjyehuda for a meal. 

Here is another example of short-form video and how it can be effective, from Fortress.

Short Form Video for Website Content

Another slightly different but equally important example of how short-form video can enhance your brand is seen with this webpage from another one of Fortress’ clients, Action Injury Law Firm. Action’s goal in including multiple case studies on their website is to show their potential future clients just how dedicated they are to the success of the individuals they represent. As you can see on the link provided, they included a clip of their client, James Gibson, speaking about his case. The video is about ninety seconds long, but its effect is just as strong, even if the average user only watches thirty seconds of it. What this video does is provide true testimony to the work Action does, from a client themselves, not a company representative.

While we tend to think of social media as the main place for short-form videos to thrive, the Action Injury Law Group example shows that all companies, regardless of their presence on social media or the services they provide, can benefit from incorporating short-form videos into their digital persona.

Takeaways

Remember that short form video is your friend, regardless of the size of your business. Tik-Tok presents an immense opportunity for smaller brands to reach wider audiences. This is because their algorithms allow posts to go viral regardless of how many followers the account who posted the video has.

While some content is better than no content when it comes to short-form videos, the best practice is to be as creative and engaging as possible. Thinking about how to tailor your videos towards a younger audience.