The advice to “Never Miss an Opportunity to Take Advantage of a Crisis”, has never been more true. Today marketers are under more pressure than ever to help firms communicate internally and externally as well as proving their departments are essential components of their firms’ efforts to move forward in a responsive and business savvy way.
Demonstrating the value of marketing while partners are cautiously monitoring cash flow takes a strong understanding of the firm’s short- and long-term business goals, a tight grasp on ROI and a willingness to try different tactics. This is the time to introduce new and effective tools and strategies that leadership may have been less open to in stronger financial times. This can be the time to show bold leadership and secure yourself as a valuable member of the leadership team.
Join your fellow AAM members at 1 p.m. ET May 27 for a webinar featuring two chief marketing officers who guided their firms through the last recession.
Lori Colvin, an AAM Hall of Famer and CMO of Armanino, and Jeff Antaya, CMO of Plante Moran, will share their insights on how they’re applying the lessons they learned to their marketing approaches today.
Since CPA firm revenue is expected to shrink as much or more than it did during the recession of 2008-2009, according to AICPA CEO Barry Melancon, how can marketers help their firms survive and thrive?
In this moderated conversation, Lori and Jeff will talk about:
- Creatively communicating with clients without aggravating them
- Building brand loyalty to counteract price sensitivity
- Maximizing marketing budgets
- Proving marketing’s value
- Positioning your firm for long-term growth in lean times
Dawn Wagenaar, owner of Ingenuity Marketing, will facilitate the discussion. Lori and Jeff will answer your questions as well.
About Lori
Lori Colvin is a partner at Armanino LLP, ranked the 20th largest accounting & consulting firm in the nation by Accounting Today and a “Best of the Best” firm for the past 15 out of 16 years ranked by Inside Public Accounting. She has been with the firm since 1999. She oversees brand, market positioning, MarTech, marketing analytics, and growth initiatives. She has led merger & acquisition activities including brand transition into new geographies and new employee communications. In 2007, she was named “Marketer of the Year” by the Association of Accounting Marketing and in 2008, she was admitted to the firm’s partnership. She currently sits on the Marketing Committee of Moore Stephens North America and the Advisory Board of IPA. Lori has spoken for the AICPA on Sales Compensation Models, for AAM on M&A- Leading the Brand Change, for Winning is Everything on Measuring Success Through Integrated Marketing Technologies and for Moore Stephens International on Innovative Lead Generation.
About Jeff
Jeff Antaya is a Partner and the Chief Marketing Officer at Plante Moran. He leads a team of approximately 85 individuals focused on growing the firm. His responsibilities include social media, brand development, marketing technology, communications, and digital business attraction and business development. Jeff has a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy. Jeff is a founding member of the firms PRIDE affinity group focused on our LGBTQ staff.
Jeff began his career as an accountant with PWC and eventually moved into the cellular phone industry, working at both Verizon and Nextel Communications. Over the course of 10 years, he held various sales and marketing executive positions at Nextel and played a significant part in the company’s growth into a fortune 100 company before it was acquired by Sprint. His position at Plante & Moran has allowed him to merge his skills in accounting, sales, and marketing to help Michigan’s preeminent firm grow and expand.
Jeff is actively involved in Detroit and serves on various art and social service boards and advisory groups.
After over thirteen years at Plante Moran in August 2020, Jeff will retire from Plante Moran. This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter which will take shape over the coming months.