The Social Media Success Ingredient You Mostly Ignore

The Hero’s Journey

Take a moment to imagine where the galaxy would have ended up if Luke Skywalker had never gone to see Yoda. Or maybe if Neo had never met Morpheus, or if Frodo never trusted his friend Gandalf.
You get the picture. Every hero needs a mentor.
Now swap the word “hero” for “marketer” and you have an idea of why there is so much noise in today’s social landscape. As a younger, more social oriented generation begins to take its place in the business world, it seems there’s less time spent on seeking the wisdom of seasoned veterans and more spent jumping straight in.
Bernhard Schroeder of San Diego State University’s Lavin Entrepreneurship Center is out to change that by fostering an environment where millennials are embraced for their strengths and brought into the fold. The instruction of branding concepts not immediately inherent to the digital world combined with their natural understanding of modern values will train up millennial marketers to be true brand heroes.

In This Episode

• Why many millennials don’t understand branding
• How the move to digital has affected the passing of branding knowledge from generation to generation
• Why social media engagement doesn’t always equal brand value
• Why having a cause and putting it forward can solidify your brand image
• How to be a marketing leader and approach marketing from an educational standpoint
• Why your social media content should be dictated by a brand story

Quotes From This Episode

“I look at millennial marketers as Frodo, and they need to go find their Gandalf.” — @bernschroeder1
“Millennials are the most important audience for the next 10 to 15 years.” Share on X

“I need to build something out when someone hears me, sees me, sees my logo, they immediately think I’m more valuable even before they’ve done the product evaluation.” — @bernschroeder1

“You can't get strategic knowledge in a heartbeat.” Share on X

Resources

• Bernhard Schroeder
• The Lavin Entrepreneurship Center
• Brands and Bullshit: Excel at the Former and Avoid the Latter
• The Brand Gap