MarCom Solutions

The right game plan and tactics
to reach your goal

Using a combination of strategy and storytelling, Fresh Notion MarCom Solutions helps solve challenges that organizations face when working to establish a vision, create a plan for growth and make meaningful and measurable connections to external and internal audiences. Whether you are looking to build a plan from the ground up, or need support in a specialized area, we apply tested methods to determine how marketing and communications will help drive your overall business goals.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Fractional Leadership

A fractional executive provides strategic MarCom leadership and expertise on a contract / part-time basis. A fractional leader is more than a “consultant.” As a part-time member of your leadership team and partner in your success, we provide a fresh perspective and guidance to help address challenges, seize opportunities, and drive growth.

Brand Strategy, Positioning and Messaging

We help define your value proposition and determine how your brand should be positioned in the market. Through these insights, and additional market research as needed, we develop a strategic vision, enhanced by a clear and consistent narrative that will resonate with audiences. We then determine the tone of voice, language and core messages to define specific ways to talk to audiences. This becomes a playbook for future team members to use in campaigns and programs.

Brand Architecture

For companies with multiple brands in its portfolio, or a parent brand that differs from its consumer offerings, we organize, illustrate, and articulate the breadth and depth of offerings in a way that addresses the competitive environment and anticipates how the company wants customers to see and engage with its products or services.

MarCom Channel Planning

We analyze the interrelated roles of each marketing and communications channel (advertising, digital media, newsletters, social media, website, community events, media relations, internal communications, etc.). By considering the business objectives, audiences, messages, and available resources, we determine the optimal level of investment, frequency, and key performance indicators for each channel.

Content Strategy

Content is an increasingly important way to earn the attention of audiences and help brands stand out in a crowded digital and social media environment. By determining the role that content, tailored for the channels and audiences, can play to further support the brand strategy, we can organize a strategy and plan that uses preexisting pieces and explores new ideas.

Executive Communications

For small- and mid-sized businesses and startups, executive leaders must be able to communicate a clear and inspiring vision to numerous audiences. Your organization’s narrative is as important as its marketing plan, which is why we dive into strategy, content development and copywriting to reach and engage key audiences and stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, investors, and Boards.

Issues Management

We partner with you to determine where potential reputational risks exist in your organization or industry and assess your protocols and resources to effectively manage and respond to issues and crises. We hope the plans are never needed, but we are there to help manage through any situation, ensuring a coordinated response that is aligned to overall positioning goals.

Team Structure and Mentoring

As your business grows, so will your MarCom needs. We can help develop current team members to serve as future MarCom leaders and provide guidance on the resources, roles, organizational structure, and external partners needed to maintain and evolve your MarCom program.

ABOUT FRACTIONAL LEADERSHIP

Why should I consider hiring a fractional marketing or communications leader?

Owners and CEOs at small- and medium-sized businesses and startups often find themselves wearing many different hats across planning, operations, and management. When that happens, there never seems to be enough time for developing strategy and implementing plans in areas that are key drivers of success.

You may see the need for senior-level strategy and expertise but may not have the budget for a full-time executive. That’s where a fractional leader plays an important and valuable role. In these roles, clients can tap into an experienced professional on a flexible basis. As a part-time member of your leadership team and partner in your success, we provide a fresh perspective and strategic guidance to help address challenges, seize opportunities, and drive growth.

What are the benefits of hiring a fractional marketing and communications leader?

Cost-Effective Expertise: Receive senior-level guidance without the expense of a full-time executive. Get access to expertise at a fraction of the cost.
Flexibility: Adjust the hours based on your needs. This allows you to scale up or down as your business evolves.
Strategic Focus: Align marketing efforts with overall business goals, ensuring a cohesive approach and strategic use of resources.
Objective Perspective: Gain fresh insights and an unbiased viewpoint to identify areas for improvement and opportunity.
Project-Based Support: Outsource specific marketing projects (e.g., launching a new product, preparing for a key presentation), without a long-term commitment.

Whether you are looking for advisement during a period of change, must fill an interim role, or want to test the waters before scaling up, a fractional marketing and communications leader can provide strategies and solutions tailored for your organization.

Do I need a fractional leader if I already have a marketing and communications person/team?

Fractional leaders most often work in organizations that have current marketing resources. Some questions for you to consider as a business leader: Who is developing the marketing strategy, driving the plan, and measuring its impact? Does your marketing team report to an operations leader or other non-marketing executive? Do you have tactical support for areas such as your website, social media, graphic design, etc., but lack an overarching vision or goals? Is your marketing team able to evolve at the same pace as the needs of the business? Do you see an opportunity to help your team develop professionally?

This is where a fractional leader can help solve the big challenges, set the strategy, and help ensure you are getting the best return on your investment in marketing and communications.

What are the payment terms for a fractional leader?

A benefit of a fractional leader is that the support and terms can be customized to your business needs. Agreements may be based on an hourly rate or a retainer, depending on what makes best sense for the scope of work.

OUR LEADERSHIP

Michael Lourie

Founder, Fresh Notion MarCom Solutions

Michael has more than 20 years of experience as a marketing and communications leader in health care and consumer products. Using a combination of strategy and storytelling, his diverse background in brand building, marketing planning and implementation, internal communications strategy, crisis management, media relations, market research, and copywriting has resulted in award-winning campaigns and is why business leaders turn to Michael as a thought-partner when identifying and prioritizing organizational goals and strategies.

Michael worked at BJC HealthCare for nine years, most recently serving as vice president of Strategic Marketing, where he guided all aspects of marketing strategy, research, planning, messaging, implementation, and measurement for the BJC HealthCare brand, 14 hospitals, service organizations, clinical programs, BJC Medical Group and Goldfarb School of Nursing. In this role, he evolved BJC HealthCare’s brand architecture, visual identity, and narrative, bringing structure and consistency to a previously siloed health system and hospital marketing strategy. The launch of the “You Deserve Extraordinary Care” positioning across all hospitals and channels differentiated BJC HealthCare in the market and drove BJC toward its vision to become a premier integrated academic health system.

Prior to BJC, Michael was with Anheuser-Busch InBev for more than 8 years, first in international and U.S. brand communications positions, before becoming the director of Corporate and Facility Communications. Among his roles, he served as the crisis management lead for the North American Zone, working across all departments to anticipate areas of risk and coordinate responses on a broad range of external issues. He then transitioned to the marketing side of the business, managing brands and programs in the company’s Import, Craft and Specialty portfolio.

He began his career at public relations agencies in New York and Chicago, working with clients in the food and beverage, health care, and pharmaceutical industries. Michael earned an MBA from Washington University’s Olin Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from The University of Texas at Austin.