Blizzard & Bloom: Insights from the Ice and the Green Scene

Why Your Brand Needs a Strong Strategic Partner

• Jay

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Our conversation with Darci Knowles and Julie Machado highlights the evolving landscape of marketing and the importance of building strong strategic partnerships. We discuss how partnerships can help businesses not only navigate challenges but thrive through intentional marketing strategies.

• The journey of Darcy Creative from inception to present 
• The significance of consistency in branding and messaging 
• Importance of strategic marketing in revenue generation 
• How creative strategies can enhance community engagement 
• The role of recruitment in establishing brand culture 
• Insights on the balance between creativity and strategy in marketing campaigns 

If you're looking to elevate your brand and storytelling strategy, be sure to check out Darci Creative’s services at darcicreative.com.


Speaker 1:

Welcome to Blizzard and Bloom, the podcast where we navigate the storms and celebrate the triumphs in business and entrepreneurship. Join us as we dive into stories, insights and strategies from top professionals to help you thrive in today's evolving landscape. And now here is your host, jay Rotinelli. Here is your host, jay Rotinelli.

Speaker 2:

Hello everybody, welcome back to podcast series Blizzard and Bloom. Last week we had Martin Tirado on from Simon Association, shared some good insights with us on the snow industry and different initiatives and technology that's taken place, so that was a great one. Today we've got a couple of great folks here that I know myself in Piscataqua Landscaping I've had a partnership with for several years. So, without further ado, I want to introduce you to Darcy Knowles from Darcy Creative and Julie Machado from Darcy Creative. So welcome and thanks for being on the show with us today. Appreciate it.

Speaker 3:

Thanks, jay, to Darcy Knowles from Darcy Creative and Julie Machado from Darcy Creative.

Speaker 2:

So welcome and thanks for being on the show with us today. Appreciate it. Thanks, jay. So I asked you two to come on the show as guests because I think about the marketing and really how you have all explained it and how it's evolved just in my portion in Piscataqua and how it's been such a, such a need, um, and the need for consistency as well, to continue down the path instead of just a quick marketing blast, so um. So, darcy, can you share a little bit kind of how you started the company and and what got you there?

Speaker 4:

yeah. So we're about to celebrate our 18th year this fall. So what's cool about our partnership with Biscataqua is that Justin and I have been working together for 16 of those 19 years. So you know, we kind of have grown together over the years in our careers, which has been really awesome.

Speaker 4:

I started the company because I had a prior agency in a prior life and I took some time away and did some creative things and then I just got kind of pulled back into marketing. It's really my sweet spot in terms of, you know, helping people identify what's unique about them and getting that out there. I started with a local community project and it kind of evolved into me just reestablishing an agency. So it's been a pretty amazing almost 19 years and I can say that this team that I have right now is sort of my dream team, the team I've been trying to kind of cultivate over all these years, and that's a really cool piece of it, and I know you have had a chance to really experience the expertise of a lot of our team members, which is really what makes it work, you know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's been a great experience. And, again, we think about all the time we talk to Piscataway, about how you you know how do you sew together a great team, Because it's not just one person that makes or breaks it and it's really about the whole experience. And Julie, I actually was working with Dee initially and then Dee was promoted and you came on as account manager for Piscataqua and it's been a great relationship. So can you share a little bit about kind of what your role is there and how you work with Piscataqua?

Speaker 3:

Absolutely so. I started with Darcy. I'm three years in. It will be four in July which is really exciting.

Speaker 3:

A small Piscataqua anecdote when I was interviewing for this position, we had set up a call with Darcy and this was the call that would tell me whether, you know, I was moving on or I was going to be accepted or get the role. And I was on Peaks Island, we were on vacation with my family and I had like gone to a place where I had reception. Obviously, you know, on the island it's a little funny and Justin gangster drives by in his golf cart with his family because he was also on vacation. So I took it as a sign from the universe that I was going to get this job and and I did. So that was really. You know, piscataqua has always been. I even think I brought up um in our discussions. The billboards were so fantastic. They had always stood out to me on the Seacoast area and that was one of the things that we discussed when, when I first started interviewing.

Speaker 2:

I'll go back. That's cool.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Fun little Vizcataqua anecdote yeah absolutely, and I'm curious because I want to talk about some of those initiatives of billboards and some of the branding stuff we've done. So, you know, I think about the marketing and I think, Darcy, I shared with you. I feel like people, when times are good, they feel like they don't necessarily need that marketing or that budget and they can cut from it. When I've come to learn through education from yourselves that that's probably the most important time to have it, because that's when you're making the impact and that's when people are going to remember the brand and the name, I think about that. Talk to me a little bit like what's really the key role of a strategic marketing partner. It's more than just, hey, we're going to get a billboard for you or we're going to do this. I mean, maybe you could even talk about some of the great things that we've done together as a partnership.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I mean I always like to say strategy first. I mean I think one of our strengths is that we're very strong strategically but we're also very strong creatively. So those two things working together. But the creative is driven by the strategy. So we work with our clients in the fall of the upcoming year to say what are your goals for next year, you know, and try to help them get as narrow with those goals as possible, so that I mean marketing is designed to reach revenue goals.

Speaker 4:

So that's really our first, that's our priority. You know, like how do we design a strategy within a budget over the course of the next year that is going to help us, help this client reach their goals? It's really key and I think you've experienced this too is our approach is really consistent communication. So if something is happening within your company that we need to pivot the strategy, we can do that. We're very nimble that way. So we have this overarching strategy for the year, but we design it so that it's flexible enough so that we can change messaging or we can change reach or, you know, redefine the target audience, whatever those goals might be that come up in the course of the year that aren't predictable, you know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, I can tell you that your team's done a phenomenal job with that, because I think about some of the things we've done at Piscataqua with just some of the mergers and acquisitions and Darcy, you and your team are probably sometimes the last to know about it, but I can't thank you enough and tell everybody how quickly you are able to pivot and help us make those changes with the deliverables, and that's been really cool. Julie, maybe you and I would have just been kind of working through this week on changing over for lack of a better term IP address, website, things of that nature with the Seabreeze merger, and maybe you could just kind of share a little bit of what goes into that and how you work with your team in doing so.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, absolutely. It seems really simple when you look at it, but there are so many moving parts, especially when it's an established business, like Seabreeze Property Services was. They were fully established in their community. They had digital marketing assets all over the place, as well as a strong brand and strong look and feel.

Speaker 3:

So when we are looking to merge those feelings and have them be pulled into the Piscataqua family brand and look and feel, we had to lay out a very strategic timeline and also make sure that we were taking into effect, that you were absorbing staff and process and procedure.

Speaker 3:

So we you know we it seems like something we wouldn't have to care about, but we really do, because when we make that announcement, when we flip the switch, it affects every asset of your business and the people that are working for you. So we really we want to let the community know, we want to let your clients know what, what the information is, but we also really want to take care of your team and make sure that that process is as smooth as possible, especially the new staff that's coming into your team. So we really try to take account for all of those pieces. So we had a lot of communication over the last few weeks in terms of laying out switching over social media accounts. This is a little bit of a different situation than some other acquisitions we've had in the past. So we are maintaining multiple social media accounts for a time period and so just laying out, being very clear about what the path is and what the steps are, and when these announcements are going to be made.

Speaker 4:

So, I think we did a really good job.

Speaker 2:

Intentional. It's like your team is phenomenal at being intentional, right, like sometimes Justin or myself will come to the table or send you emails, or in our monthly meetings strategic meetings we might have some ideas, but does it line up with the intent of what you have all put together? Is strategized over not only the course of the month or the year, but just how protecting the brand and strategizing the brand out there. And again, I think your team's done a phenomenal job of being intentional with those deliverables because, you're absolutely right, it impacts everybody, from employees to clients and the community.

Speaker 2:

So it's interesting to think I had a funny story and I don't know if I shared with you, julie, but about three years ago I went to Kennebunkport and I've been at Piscataqua about eight years and a gentleman had called and in two things I had gone out to meet him and two things that came to mind and and this was was really from darcy. As I got there and he goes, I knew just what you were going to look like, jay. I saw your picture on the website I did my research.

Speaker 2:

And then he goes. Secondarily, he goes you see this? He goes this is a nice drink, glass rocks glass. He said you folks did some branding almost three years ago. So keep in mind now that's true. So that's almost six right. And he says you did such a phenomenal job, it was so tasteful. He goes I thought about you because you're a brand. And he said it made me call you back. And so I think about those things. And number one, darcy's famous quote people do business with people. They like right and people like pictures and they want to know who they're dealing with and who they're seeing. And just having our photos on the website has been just tremendously successful. So that was really cool. But, darcy, could you think of a couple different marketing initiatives that you've done over the course of your time working with Justin and Piscataqua that you thought were really impactful?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, sure, I mean. What you're talking about is that the decision was made between Justin and I and other leadership at Piscataqua back then that he wanted to penetrate that market in Kennebunkport, which is, you know, southern Maine area, and so we came up with this strategy to do a three-part, three-dimensional mailing to very specific households. So they received, and one of the things they received was these rocks glasses that had the logo etched in it. And you know, the idea there was to create something that was going to be a value to this sort of affluent market that they wouldn't throw out, that they would keep in their wherever in their home so that you know we would constantly be reminding them if they needed your services that you would be the one to call. And so you know that was super successful and we ended up replicating that super successful. And we ended up replicating that there was a local French bistro that roasted their own coffee. So we packaged up the Piscataqua blend coffee and that was one of the things that we sent. So it was very personal, very thoughtful kind of gifts that we were sending to this very specific high-end audience and it was super successful. And I know you've gotten some great projects up there and you know we've extended the brand, so to speak, up into that region and we've done that likewise in the Lakes region of New Hampshire and now we're doing it in the Portland main market.

Speaker 4:

So what's cool about the partnership is that we have so much trust at this point. You know we understand where you guys want to go and we're able to sort of design these creative approaches to help you get there. So I mean, when we first started, I came up with a position in the line called Celebrate Beauty and the idea was you know people take pride in their homes. You know you want to enjoy your outdoor spaces. So that was sort of a launch point for us. It coincided with an anniversary milestone. And then we moved into something called Rock Solid and I know Justin has always really loved it because he's gotten such great feedback on it and we kind of have come back to it.

Speaker 4:

And so we're working on refining the brand right now and that's where we're really integrating that into the brand, because it really speaks to the history, the longevity of the company, the commitment to excellence, like that, and we put that on a billboard. You know people start to really get the story of Piscataqua. So that's what you know. We're kind of, we're really storytellers. We're trying to tell the story of Piscataqua one piece at a time, so that people see these different messages in different places and they really start to understand that this is a company that's committed to their staff, that's committed to excellence, that's committed to their clients. This whole culture that you guys have built is the story that we tell through the marketing that we do.

Speaker 4:

So those two things Celebrate Beauty Rock Solid and our current one, which I think is maybe the best yet One Call, one Company but it's also reflective of the evolution of the company, which is there's really nothing you can't do, and we want to make sure people understand that, whether it's a large project or a small, you know, whatever the need is, you can solve for it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah all time because, you're right, it's an evolution within the company because, you know, 15 or 20 years ago we didn't really refer or partner, you know, with any other contractors and we just focused on what we did. And now time has evolved. It's to your point. Like you know, one call, one company people want to, just if they want to pick up the phone once and and and make that call or reach out one time. And you know we're finding that we're doing a lot of that now and by me that doesn't necessarily mean we're going to come build your shed or your trellis or your, you know, three-season room, but we've got great general partners that we can trust and rely on that. We're not afraid to either refer or subcontract with us to do the work. So that's a really important thing. That's kind of evolved here at Piscataqua.

Speaker 2:

So, Julie, I know I think about some of the branding and one thing I want to share is how collectively we've worked through the billboards and when people are listening in on this.

Speaker 2:

Justin's a big proponent of billboards and fortunately we have those resources close by to us. We're in some communities where they big proponent of billboards and fortunately we have those resources close by to us. We're in some communities that they don't have the billboards, but the messages that get put out there again I'll use the word intentional, Julie, just talking with you through the 106 billboard right up in the Lakes region and I like the fact that when we work together you listen and understand to what our real needs are and what our real wants, concerns and things of that nature. Everything from sitting in on our sales meeting and then helping with that billboard. And you know, when you and I went back and forth, I'm like, well, the cars sit there on a Sunday afternoon and those are the folks that we're looking for, and you know you went through the efforts of reaching out to these folks and solidifying that and that's turned out really cool. So that was a good experience working with you through that.

Speaker 2:

So I appreciate the fact that you know you're honest, like you're not just going to yes us and say, oh yeah, that's great, that's great when you know in fact we're landscape contractors, right, so we rely on you folks, so you've been great with helping through that. Some of the other things is we can you talk about, julie? When we look at a business, how does it roll out from a marketing standpoint or strategic plan? Is that something that there's things put in place each month and you work through those, or how does that typically work?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, Absolutely so. First, I don't want to lose something, because you gave me a thought when you were speaking earlier about your contact in Kennebunk. I thought you touched on.

Speaker 3:

Something really important is that it took him three years from getting the mug to making the call, and so a lot of these strategies that we put in place, billboards included. Somebody that drives by a billboard isn't going to be like oh, I'm going to revamp my backyard tomorrow because I saw that Piscataqua Landscaping does that. These are, but I think they are so valuable, and so you are creating a very immediate connection with that client really good point, justin.

Speaker 2:

I remember when we did that campaign and I was like, well, we're putting that money in and I'll tell you that the return on it was far better than just sending out a five by nine postcard. Now we're more in the relational sales business than we are transactional right. So yes, you know some of that comes into play. But it was the fact of how you work through those and kind of educated to your point like it's the long game, like you're not you're not necessarily going to see results in.

Speaker 2:

You know a month or six months, 12 months, it might be three years on that, one on some yeah, some components, they you know, some are more immediate.

Speaker 3:

You know our, our google ads, our social media ads those are those tend to have a more immediate impact. Um, so, to talk about, you know, the strategy and how we lay that out. We have really, I think, honed Darcy has done, obviously, a fantastic job in the last four years. I've seen the evolution of us really honing a very to reach and we lay out campaigns that everything flows from. So if we're talking rock solid or we're talking one call, one company, the social media, the emails, the blog content all of that is supporting that one message that we're putting out. We do have sort of internal buckets under that overarching campaign.

Speaker 3:

So, for Piscataqua Landscaping, we want to talk about your expertise.

Speaker 3:

We want to talk about how your amazing team and how they interact with each other and how they work together for a common goal. We want to talk about your impact to a community, because your team is constantly out in the community giving their time, donating their goods and services, and that's something I think a homeowner or a business would want to support and those are their items. We've had a lot of discussions over our time about whether it's bragging or whether we should be talking about it and I think, in terms of marketing, people want to know who is supporting their community. They want to know those businesses that are going above and beyond, and so Pescatica is one of those businesses. So those internal buckets we really want to also hit all the time. So we're constantly trying to reaffirm your team is so fantastic. They are not only doing fantastic work on the seacoast, but in terms of reaching out nationally, chris Kemp is consistently getting recognized in major publications. We want to promote that because your team is, above and beyond, doing such a fantastic job.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thank you yes.

Speaker 3:

So we have a strategy that is outreach in terms of we want you to get leads, we want to increase leads, we want to make sure that you're getting those big projects, that people are able to know about you and get them in, but we also are continually building up blocks underneath that to reaffirm all of those individual boxes as well blocks underneath that, to reaffirm all of those individual boxes as well.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thanks for sharing that. That's been super helpful how we get together once a month and then we've got some initiatives and some deliverables and we work through that plan and we can adjust right where we're going and that's the beauty of it. It's a great relationship because it's so flexible. You hit on one really good point there a minute ago. That is the complete other piece of this package that when I think people, when people talk about marketing or at least for myself and some others like we don't think about this aspect and it's recruitment, and when I think about how your team ties in, ties in with recruitment and you know the marketing aspect, like even just the billboard that we have out there with the hat, one call, one company, it's easy.

Speaker 2:

You know, when I took my wife by, I stopped and I said what do you think of that? And she goes it's nice, it's easy, it's comforting, it's comfortable. And I think about that and I was like okay, that's cool, like you know, that's the message, kind of that we're delivering, like we're easy, we're you know, and we're rock solid. And some of that recruitment stuff that we've done has been phenomenal. When we talk social media and talk to me a little bit about you know what you think about from a marketing, but then recruitment and then how you tie that all in. You know I've always heard it's people first, right, you get people, you put your team first and if you train them and you they have good morals and values, they'll help support, organically or naturally, your clientele. So I look at how you bring the marketing and recruitment together. So maybe you could just chat about that first.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, absolutely so. I think one of Piscataqua's core values is fun, and I think that aspect we want to lead with expertise but we back it up with with the fun, because your team, I think, is so fantastic to work with, so we want the homeowners to know that this really great team is going to be coming to their, their home, to do work. But also, I think you and I talk a lot about soft recruitment efforts in our marketing and in our social media. So we do some very hard recruitment efforts where we're, you know, posting for jobs and we are, you know, showing the open positions. But the soft recruitment is, you know, the fun things that the team is doing together, the shout outs that that your leadership is giving to team members. We want to give a sense of the environment at Piscataqua which I think is so respectful of one another. And you know, when I say fun, I think that respect is included in that, because you just get a sense that everyone is valued on your team and so, coming from other landscaping companies, hardscaping companies, potentially people didn't experience that sort of feeling and so we want people to know. When we're talking about any part of the work that you're doing, we love to highlight your team because it also gives future employees a sense of what it's like to work at Piscataqua Landscaping. So we always have that soft recruitment in mind In my time at Darcy I think it's for every company, not just Piscataqua Landscaping, but recruitment.

Speaker 3:

It has gone from like a mid-level need to a top-level need and we've pushed recruitment in places that we hadn't previously pushed recruitment because it has become so important to companies. It's become so much harder to secure the numbers that people need to do the work that they need to do, so we have pivoted immensely, even throughout the year. I think that's one point where we pivot most frequently is in recruitment, because we want to be able to have the needs that you're getting. We've worked with you in terms of working with other organizations, we've worked in other areas of the country and the world, so we want to make sure that we're there to support you in the effort that you need and I think that that has been very valuable over the past, over my time with working with you.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, you nailed it. You nailed it, I think. The recruitment thing again, I don't think people realize that if you have a really great marketing partner, um, that that recruitment comes natural and it's part of it and it's part of who you are and what you represent, um, so you know, I think some people forget. So well, thanks for sharing that just kind of um, kind of a kind of a recap for uh. You know, for the show and uh, some of the key lessons that we've learned uh is certainly the branding and you know the continued efforts and how it's not a short game, to Darcy's point, it's the long game. Right, you may see some short-term successes or deliverables, but when you have a strong brand, you know, I think to myself and you know kind of cliche, but it's a lot more difficult to uphold a brand than it is to build one.

Speaker 2:

Sometimes, and I think that's kind of some of the things we're working through with your team, fortunately, is how we continue to scale and protect our brand, and it's even everything you know. You folks are working on a brand logo book for us, and I mean kudos, I mean that's a phenomenal thing, so that you know just like a Coca-Cola or a Pepsi or something. When somebody in their team goes, they know what logos they're using and what they're representing. Darcy, last kind of quick question for you what is some advice that you could give not only younger entry-level business owners, entrepreneurs, but even other folks that are contemplating marketing like? Can you give us some advice on folks that are looking to build a marketing partnership and what they should be looking for?

Speaker 4:

It's such a loaded question because it's such a range. You know, I think it's going back to sort of our origin story between Darcy Creative and Piscatica Landscaping. Justin is passionate about marketing, he's a natural marketer, but he had reached a point internally where he just did not know how to go to the next level, and I think that happens a lot, and so what ends up, the mistakes people make is that they say, okay, well, let's try some radio, or you know and speaking of the billboard, by the way, that was a big sales pitch on my end Cause he was like no, I don't think so Cause, justin, as you, you guys know is kind of an under the radar guy.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, yeah, she for him, but it's ended up to be a kind of a core piece of our, our communication strategy. But I would say, don't make the mistake of trying this, then trying that and trying this. One of our biggest strengths is creating integrated strategies, which Julie's touched on when she mentions email and blogging and social media and billboards and we've been on TV for Biscuitical, we've been on radio. It depends on where we are in the marketing cycle. So I would say, definitely consult with a professional. I mean, I think you don't need to go all in and hire an agency, but just to get the foundation of understanding what really makes marketing work, instead of trying this, trying that. I've talked to so many companies that come in to see us who are frustrated because they basically don't think marketing works because the tactics they've used have not been designed to do it properly. You know, when marketing is done properly, it gives you a return. It's just, it's sort of the science of it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, no, that's great. Great to hear.

Speaker 3:

I think, to add to that too, we are in an age where everyone is being told that AI can do everything for you they can write your blogs, they can write your ads, they can create your ads and so what we are seeing is a lot of companies with ads and blogs and websites that all look exactly the same. So I think it's a great tool. I mean, obviously, we are trying to utilize it in our business as well. It's not like we're shunning AI, because it is really valuable, but you do need to be able to tell an authentic story, and I think that's where our team and Darcy in particular, really shine for Piscataqua and our other clients as well, because you really need a human connection in those ads, and so when you see that, when you see an actual artist created your graphic design and your billboards and you know a real human wrote in a, you know to connect to another human, it really does make a difference.

Speaker 3:

So I think you know you have to utilize technology. It's, you know it is a tool. I love it. It really does. It is the wave that we're all riding, but you have to have a balance, and I think that that's something that a lot of people, as they're looking to marketing, I think are being swayed by, by companies especially. They're going to the radio station and the radio station is like oh well, we can put together these ads and they're all AI Not to give any, you know? No, no, shout out.

Speaker 4:

We love our radio station partners, but I think you have to be careful online, so yeah, it's amazing and you can feel it, and consumers are really savvy, you know they can feel if it's mechanical or if it actually has heart, which is the difference, right? I mean, as human beings, we have hearts, and that's what we try to do is go to the heart of the matter with our clients, like what is the essence of this company and how do we communicate that? And you can't do that through AI alone. So it's a really valid point.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, absolutely I think, looking back at you know, the last billboard that we had was a little unconventional in terms of we did not talk about landscaping at all. We really didn't have a call to action at all. Was for those of you in the Seacoast area, in the Lakes region. It was we wanted to establish how long Piscataqua has been a staple and how long it has been in business.

Speaker 2:

And just put that name in front of them. Yeah, people were humming the song to us.

Speaker 3:

I mean we got more shout outs of people. You know other people that knew that we had. We were working with you, sending us compliments on the board and I you know you've had similar stories, stories, jay, that you've shared with us?

Speaker 2:

yeah, absolutely, and so taking.

Speaker 3:

I mean that was a really out of the box approach yeah yeah, well, it was, uh, it just it's.

Speaker 2:

It's another kind of feather in your cap of stuff that you've all done for priscata, so you kind of close it out, but I want to say thank you both for being on the show with me. I appreciate it. I can tell folks to your point about the my Sharona billboard that if you're looking for creativity, collaboration and folks that are intentional, I'd advise you to reach out to Darcy Creative. The team there Just been a great partner for the last 16 years and we're obviously going to continue down the road. We've got great things coming and the collaboration is great. So thank you all. If they want to learn more, they could go to your website, darcycreativecom, and take a look there and find some information. So thank you again both for being on here and next episode we've got Kevin Battistoni from Hunter Industries, North America Customer Experience Manager, so I look forward to that.

Speaker 1:

So thank you manager, so I look forward to that. So thank you. Thanks for tuning in to Blizzard and Bloom with Jay Rotinelli. We hope you feel inspired and empowered. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Join us next week for more insights and stories to help you bloom in your business journey.