Q&A with Cameron Worth, CEO & Founder, SharpEnd

Media 7 | April 22, 2020

Cameron Worth, CEO & Founder of SharpEnd leads the company’s mission to help brands move closer than ever to consumers by connecting packaging, retail and experiential activity.

He is a regular speaker and writer on how to build brands in a connected world. He has spoken at Cannes, the Festival of Marketing, LuxePack Monaco and New York, Ad:Week Europe and New York, DMA, the Connected Consumer Conference, Mobile World Congress and the IoT World Forum.

MEDIA 7: How did the idea of “the agency of things” come to your mind?
CAMERON WORTH:
 SharpEnd was created in 2015 as the world’s first Internet of Things focused agency, so there is a slight play on words when we say we’re the Agency of Things. I think the idea of giving things their own agency is an interesting concept, and the strapline fits our capabilities on multiple levels.

M7: In what way does technology drive the association of SharpEnd with global brands? What approaches are followed to enable sustainability?
CW:
Our simple proposition is to help build brands in a connected world, and to do that you must always start with identified consumer needs or pain points and look at technology as just an enabler to deliver an appropriate solution (when appropriate). 

Take the issue of sustainability, which is often a pain point for brands that grapple with issues such as how we can reward sustainable behaviour change. One of our approaches to this could be to look at communicating the recycling credentials of the different products. Whilst the consumer can engage with a product as part of a wider consumer experience, the same technology could also house content that could tell you whether the product is recyclable, which type of bin it goes in etc.

SharpEnd’s work with Unilever is a case in point. We built a digital product that incentivised recycling through gamification but also served to educate through informing people how and where to recycle in a clear fashion. All users had to do was simply scan their packaging to have all this information at their disposal.


"Brands tend to overlook their largest owned media asset - the product itself."

M7: What are the modern brands not doing enough to engage with their customers?
CW:
Brands tend to overlook their largest owned media asset - the product itself. It’s a costly oversight when you consider that brand owners have far more products in the market than they do TV spots, or outdoor posters.

For us at SharpEnd, we look at activating the product as a digital touchpoint – whether that’s an NFC enabled wine bottle, QR codes or augmented reality.

Ultimately, it’s about using the product as a direct channel for engagement. We believe every progressive brand that makes and sells products should be doing this.

M7: How important for you is creating value for your consumers? Could you tell us how connected packaging provides value?
CW:
It’s central to what we do - it's why we start with the pain point rather than the technology.

Our starting point creatively is always “how do we heighten the enjoyment in the context of use?”

Connected packaging is different to traditional advertising. You’re no more than 5cm away from the product, and usually the product is in hand at the point of engagement. You’re either thinking of using, or actively using the product. The relationship is arguably more intimate and therefore more compelling.

Take our work with  Böen Wines for example. As part of the world’s largest roll out of NFC in the wines category, the post-tap creative platform included providing food and wine pairings that complemented the wine consumers were interacting with, as well as sharing information on the brand’s heritage and tasting notes. Everything we implemented went towards heightening the consumption moment experience, and the brand has been reaping the rewards with high engagement rates and session lengths of well over a minute per engagement.


"Every progressive brand that makes and sells products should use the product as a direct channel for engagement."

M7: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your work - what day to day processes have you had to re-tool to be able to pull them off remotely? What does your remote tech stack look like?
CW:
We are benefiting from the fact that as a five-year-old business, we’re natively connected. We’re very collaborative, we’ve always been working from Google Docs and we’ve been using Slack religiously for a few years now.

The very nature of our work means that the brand owners we’re supporting are based in various locations across the globe, so we’ve always been using video conferencing too. So there hasn’t been too much of an impact on SharpEnd’s ways of working.

That being said, one of the main things our leadership team is focusing on is mastering remote management and leadership. How do you keep the team motivated? How do you make sure everyone is feeling included? What are you doing on a weekly basis to make sure that it’s not just professional, but there are social elements as well? We’re being very respectful of the fact this is a lockdown from the greater world and not just from the office.

Figuring out what we can be doing in terms of team building exercises is on-going. This is something that I don’t think anyone can nail by themselves, and we’re looking online for a lot of inspiration on how to go about doing this.



"At SharpEnd, we look at activating the product as a digital touchpoint – whether that’s an NFC enabled wine bottle, QR codes or augmented reality."

M7: Do you think we will constantly be looking over our shoulders and have to have a remote plan ready?
CW:
I have made an active decision to not comment on potential long-term impacts of Covid-19. There will be a time for that, but now is the time for sensitivity on a human level, in my opinion.

My only request to the team is that we make sure we’re staying sensitive, responsive and productive.


M7: When did you start working and what was it?
CW:
I started when I was 16 in publishing and got to see first hand how brands were shifting spend from print to online. I was there when the publication I was working on launched its first website, and saw the ad sales starting to increase, and the print sales starting to shift over.

That was 15 years ago now, but my career path has always been in and around online, from digital innovation to engagement tech, to where I am now as the founder of the world’s first IoT agency.

ABOUT SHARPEND

SharpEnd – The Agency of Things™ - is moving brands closer than ever to consumers by connecting packaging, retail and experiential activity.  We are a full-service partner to some of the largest global brand owners across fashion, spirits and CPG including Estée Lauder Companies, Pernod Ricard, PepsiCo, Mattel and Nestlé. You can find out more here https://wearesharpend.com

More C-Suite on deck

Q&A with Andrea Lechner-Becker, Chief Marketing Officer at LeadMD

MEDIA 7 | December 5, 2019

Andrea Lechner-Becker, Chief Marketing Officer at LeadMD is an experienced Marketing and Sales Executive with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Skilled in Business Process, Marketo, Sales, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and IT Service Management, Andrea is also a strong business development professional and a storyteller. MEDIA 7: What inspired you to get into marketing? ANDREA LECHNER: Frankly, not having better options. I originally attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse thinking I’d major in Archaeology. I wanted to be Indiana Jones! But, after visiting the archaeology building – i.e. the cold, dark basement of the science building – where a girl sat to piece together pieces of an old Native American vase, I knew archaeology was not going to be the right path for me. And so, without being good at science and a major in art or art history was unlikely to pay my bills, I decided to go into “business”. I originally registered as a management major, but took my first marketing class and thought it was more interesting and switched my sophomore year. That was pretty much it. I’d never been involved in business classes or DECA in high school – I didn’t really know what to do or what jobs in marketing were even possible. I dumb lucked myself into it really. M7: As a storyteller, do you relate the brand to a story or story to the brand? AL: Both? Neither? I think there are stories in every brand, because there are people working on the brand and people engaging with the brand and people using what the brand creates. People, most often a single person, are at the heart of great stories. You can start with the “point” of the story you’re trying to tell. Say you have a software that help accountants better create reports for board meetings. It’s likely you’ll want to tell a success story about an accountant getting promoted to CFO in part because your software helped better communicate their work product to the board. You could have the idea for that and go looking for that story in your customers. OR, you could hear that story, and say, “That’s amazing!” and share it with customers, partners and internal people. Stories are all around us – the most important thing is to keep your ears and eyes open for finding them.

Read More

Q&A with Sangram Vajre, Co-founder & Chief Evangelist at Terminus

MEDIA 7 | January 9, 2020

Sangram Vajre, Co-Founder & Chief Evangelist at Terminus is also an author and host of the podcast FlipmyFunnel. He is one of the leading minds in B2B marketing. MEDIA 7: What are you passionate about? SANGRAM VAJRE: Three things: Lead professionally. Grow personally. Love family. M7: Terminus has been recognized as one of Georgia’s 40 fastest-growing companies by ACG Atlanta. What factors contribute to this pace? SV: One of our core values is #OneTeam – which means we think and act as one team and know that if we treat our team right, they will treat our customers amazing. There are no great companies, only great people that make those companies.

Read More

Small businesses are now competing in a marketplace dominated by low-cost large enterprises, says Herby Duverne, CEO at Windwalker Group.

Media 7 | June 6, 2022

Herby Duverne, CEO of Windwalker Group, discusses the best practices for developing strategic partnerships, brand awareness strategies, the best way businesses can tackle challenges, and more. Continue reading to find out more about Human Capital Development via Corporate and Government Training.

Read More

Q&A with Andrea Lechner-Becker, Chief Marketing Officer at LeadMD

MEDIA 7 | December 5, 2019

Andrea Lechner-Becker, Chief Marketing Officer at LeadMD is an experienced Marketing and Sales Executive with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Skilled in Business Process, Marketo, Sales, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and IT Service Management, Andrea is also a strong business development professional and a storyteller. MEDIA 7: What inspired you to get into marketing? ANDREA LECHNER: Frankly, not having better options. I originally attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse thinking I’d major in Archaeology. I wanted to be Indiana Jones! But, after visiting the archaeology building – i.e. the cold, dark basement of the science building – where a girl sat to piece together pieces of an old Native American vase, I knew archaeology was not going to be the right path for me. And so, without being good at science and a major in art or art history was unlikely to pay my bills, I decided to go into “business”. I originally registered as a management major, but took my first marketing class and thought it was more interesting and switched my sophomore year. That was pretty much it. I’d never been involved in business classes or DECA in high school – I didn’t really know what to do or what jobs in marketing were even possible. I dumb lucked myself into it really. M7: As a storyteller, do you relate the brand to a story or story to the brand? AL: Both? Neither? I think there are stories in every brand, because there are people working on the brand and people engaging with the brand and people using what the brand creates. People, most often a single person, are at the heart of great stories. You can start with the “point” of the story you’re trying to tell. Say you have a software that help accountants better create reports for board meetings. It’s likely you’ll want to tell a success story about an accountant getting promoted to CFO in part because your software helped better communicate their work product to the board. You could have the idea for that and go looking for that story in your customers. OR, you could hear that story, and say, “That’s amazing!” and share it with customers, partners and internal people. Stories are all around us – the most important thing is to keep your ears and eyes open for finding them.

Read More

Q&A with Sangram Vajre, Co-founder & Chief Evangelist at Terminus

MEDIA 7 | January 9, 2020

Sangram Vajre, Co-Founder & Chief Evangelist at Terminus is also an author and host of the podcast FlipmyFunnel. He is one of the leading minds in B2B marketing. MEDIA 7: What are you passionate about? SANGRAM VAJRE: Three things: Lead professionally. Grow personally. Love family. M7: Terminus has been recognized as one of Georgia’s 40 fastest-growing companies by ACG Atlanta. What factors contribute to this pace? SV: One of our core values is #OneTeam – which means we think and act as one team and know that if we treat our team right, they will treat our customers amazing. There are no great companies, only great people that make those companies.

Read More

Small businesses are now competing in a marketplace dominated by low-cost large enterprises, says Herby Duverne, CEO at Windwalker Group.

Media 7 | June 6, 2022

Herby Duverne, CEO of Windwalker Group, discusses the best practices for developing strategic partnerships, brand awareness strategies, the best way businesses can tackle challenges, and more. Continue reading to find out more about Human Capital Development via Corporate and Government Training.

Read More

Related News

TECHNOLOGY

Awesome Motive Announce Acquisition of SMB WordPress Training Resource, WP101

Awesome Motive, Inc. | March 06, 2023

Awesome Motive, an emerging software and media company that powers more than 21 million websites, recently announced the acquisition of a popular WordPress training resource, WP101, for small businesses. More than three million individuals have learned WordPress through their video lessons. The WP101 Plugin enables WordPress agencies and service providers to give white-labeled professional WordPress training videos to their users in an effortless manner. The acquisition of WP101 further solidifies Awesome Motive's position as the market leader in the web presence and WordPress space, as the company continues to provide innovative solutions that influence the web for billions of users globally. Syed Balkhi, CEO of Awesome Motive, said, "We are excited to welcome WP101 to the Awesome Motive family." He further mentioned, "Professional training videos are critical for the success of any business, and WP101 makes it easy for companies to add WordPress training to their employee onboarding and SOPs." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) Shawn Hesketh, Founder of WP101, said, "After more than 14 years of producing WordPress tutorial videos, I could not be more grateful or excited to see WP101 join the Awesome Motive family. It gives me great joy to know that WP101 will continue to flourish and positively impact people's lives worldwide for years to come." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Awesome Motive Awesome Motive is a prominent software and media company that helps change the web for billions of people throughout the globe. Its software powers more than 21 million websites and includes well-known website tools such as WPForms, OptinMonster, MonsterInsights, All in One SEO, PushEngage, SeedProd, WP Mail SMTP, and more. Awesome Motive has created a world-class team of industry experts (100 percent remote in more than 45 countries) that provide unmatched products and services to assist small businesses in growing and competing with large corporations.

Read More

SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS

BILL Extends Its Commitment to SVB-affected SMBs

BILL | March 15, 2023

On March 14, 2023, BILL, a leading financial automation solutions provider for small and midsize businesses (SMBs), announced new offerings for businesses impacted by the recent events involving Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). These new programs are aimed at helping SMBs remain fully operational during this challenging time. BILL's new offerings include programs to enable business continuity for existing customers who are also SVB customers. The first program is BILL balance, a secure and convenient way for customers to store and move funds in order to make quicker payments to vendors to any bank in the US with no additional fees. The second program is pre-approval for a Divvy line of credit, which allows small businesses to quickly pay bills using an existing or new Divvy corporate card. The third program is the ability to connect SVB debit cards to BILL Pay By Card, allowing customers to access their funds immediately and use them to pay vendors. For the next 30 days beginning March 14, BILL will reimburse all pay-by-card transaction fees made with SVB debit cards. In addition to the above three programs, BILL is also offering a new three-month free trial of the BILL platform for any businesses looking to improve control, efficiency and visibility of their financial operations. BILL's core products and services can also assist SMBs in streamlining financial processes, improving financial controls and visibility, and providing users with access to capital. On the BILL platform, SMBs can automate payables and receivables workflows, manage cash in and out with an array of quick and safe payment offerings, and access business credit and control expenses with Divvy's Spend and Expense Management Platform. All of these offerings are part of BILL's ongoing commitment to automating the future of finance so that businesses can thrive, particularly during challenging times like those facing SVB customers. About BILL BILL is a financial automation software company that provides solutions to small and midsize businesses (SMBs) to streamline their financial operations. The company's mission is to automate the future of finance, so businesses can thrive by providing a platform that simplifies and automates financial processes.It offers a suite of products and services that enable SMBs to automate payables and receivables workflows, manage cash in and out, access business credit and control expenses. These services include ACH, card, and international transfers, as well as the ability to store and move funds securely and conveniently using BILL balance. In addition, it integrates with popular accounting software like QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite, making it easy for businesses to manage their financial operations in one place.

Read More

MARKETING AND NETWORKING

Nextdoor Unveils Free Marketing Tools to Promote Neighborhood Small Businesses

Nextdoor | March 13, 2023

Nextdoor has recently unveiled a suite of products designed to assist small businesses in growing in the face of increased economic challenges. This suite of free marketing tools, including events, videos, polls, and unlimited business posts, is aimed at small businesses worldwide, finding new approaches to create genuine connections with a high-intent local audience. The new suite of marketing tools includes a streamlined post composer that allows small businesses to upload engaging content for free as often as they'd like. In addition, the new composer has unlimited access to the following new post formats: Events: Businesses can create and share events to attract new neighbors and increase foot traffic. Events will be promoted on the Discover page for neighbors within a 10-mile radius, as well as in the newsfeeds of the business's neighbors and those who have Faved the business. Polls: Businesses may create polls to learn more about their customers’ requirements and discover what neighbors desire. Polls make it simple for businesses to get data from verified locals. Video: Video content brings businesses to existence by allowing neighbors to see available items or receive a warm welcome from local employees. A survey found that 87% of Nextdoor neighbors are more willing to spend money with a small business if they know anything personal about it, such as its backstory, local history, or individuals who work there. All small business users worldwide can now access events, videos, polls, and limitless business postings. Small companies wishing to attract local clients may create a free Nextdoor business page to take advantage of the new capabilities and engage with their neighbors via unlimited business postings. Nextdoor Advertising is a simple method to spread the word up to 30 miles for eligible businesses wishing to increase their reach. About Nextdoor Nextdoor is a social networking platform that connects people within their local neighborhoods. The platform aims to create more robust and safer communities by providing neighbors with a way to communicate and share information with each other. It offers a variety of features, including a newsfeed, classifieds, and events, and allows users to share recommendations, ask for help, and offer assistance. Additionally, the platform provides tools for local businesses to connect with their community and promote their products or services. With over 10 million registered users in the United States alone, Nextdoor has become a popular way for neighbors to stay connected and informed.

Read More

TECHNOLOGY

Awesome Motive Announce Acquisition of SMB WordPress Training Resource, WP101

Awesome Motive, Inc. | March 06, 2023

Awesome Motive, an emerging software and media company that powers more than 21 million websites, recently announced the acquisition of a popular WordPress training resource, WP101, for small businesses. More than three million individuals have learned WordPress through their video lessons. The WP101 Plugin enables WordPress agencies and service providers to give white-labeled professional WordPress training videos to their users in an effortless manner. The acquisition of WP101 further solidifies Awesome Motive's position as the market leader in the web presence and WordPress space, as the company continues to provide innovative solutions that influence the web for billions of users globally. Syed Balkhi, CEO of Awesome Motive, said, "We are excited to welcome WP101 to the Awesome Motive family." He further mentioned, "Professional training videos are critical for the success of any business, and WP101 makes it easy for companies to add WordPress training to their employee onboarding and SOPs." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) Shawn Hesketh, Founder of WP101, said, "After more than 14 years of producing WordPress tutorial videos, I could not be more grateful or excited to see WP101 join the Awesome Motive family. It gives me great joy to know that WP101 will continue to flourish and positively impact people's lives worldwide for years to come." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Awesome Motive Awesome Motive is a prominent software and media company that helps change the web for billions of people throughout the globe. Its software powers more than 21 million websites and includes well-known website tools such as WPForms, OptinMonster, MonsterInsights, All in One SEO, PushEngage, SeedProd, WP Mail SMTP, and more. Awesome Motive has created a world-class team of industry experts (100 percent remote in more than 45 countries) that provide unmatched products and services to assist small businesses in growing and competing with large corporations.

Read More

SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS

BILL Extends Its Commitment to SVB-affected SMBs

BILL | March 15, 2023

On March 14, 2023, BILL, a leading financial automation solutions provider for small and midsize businesses (SMBs), announced new offerings for businesses impacted by the recent events involving Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). These new programs are aimed at helping SMBs remain fully operational during this challenging time. BILL's new offerings include programs to enable business continuity for existing customers who are also SVB customers. The first program is BILL balance, a secure and convenient way for customers to store and move funds in order to make quicker payments to vendors to any bank in the US with no additional fees. The second program is pre-approval for a Divvy line of credit, which allows small businesses to quickly pay bills using an existing or new Divvy corporate card. The third program is the ability to connect SVB debit cards to BILL Pay By Card, allowing customers to access their funds immediately and use them to pay vendors. For the next 30 days beginning March 14, BILL will reimburse all pay-by-card transaction fees made with SVB debit cards. In addition to the above three programs, BILL is also offering a new three-month free trial of the BILL platform for any businesses looking to improve control, efficiency and visibility of their financial operations. BILL's core products and services can also assist SMBs in streamlining financial processes, improving financial controls and visibility, and providing users with access to capital. On the BILL platform, SMBs can automate payables and receivables workflows, manage cash in and out with an array of quick and safe payment offerings, and access business credit and control expenses with Divvy's Spend and Expense Management Platform. All of these offerings are part of BILL's ongoing commitment to automating the future of finance so that businesses can thrive, particularly during challenging times like those facing SVB customers. About BILL BILL is a financial automation software company that provides solutions to small and midsize businesses (SMBs) to streamline their financial operations. The company's mission is to automate the future of finance, so businesses can thrive by providing a platform that simplifies and automates financial processes.It offers a suite of products and services that enable SMBs to automate payables and receivables workflows, manage cash in and out, access business credit and control expenses. These services include ACH, card, and international transfers, as well as the ability to store and move funds securely and conveniently using BILL balance. In addition, it integrates with popular accounting software like QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite, making it easy for businesses to manage their financial operations in one place.

Read More

MARKETING AND NETWORKING

Nextdoor Unveils Free Marketing Tools to Promote Neighborhood Small Businesses

Nextdoor | March 13, 2023

Nextdoor has recently unveiled a suite of products designed to assist small businesses in growing in the face of increased economic challenges. This suite of free marketing tools, including events, videos, polls, and unlimited business posts, is aimed at small businesses worldwide, finding new approaches to create genuine connections with a high-intent local audience. The new suite of marketing tools includes a streamlined post composer that allows small businesses to upload engaging content for free as often as they'd like. In addition, the new composer has unlimited access to the following new post formats: Events: Businesses can create and share events to attract new neighbors and increase foot traffic. Events will be promoted on the Discover page for neighbors within a 10-mile radius, as well as in the newsfeeds of the business's neighbors and those who have Faved the business. Polls: Businesses may create polls to learn more about their customers’ requirements and discover what neighbors desire. Polls make it simple for businesses to get data from verified locals. Video: Video content brings businesses to existence by allowing neighbors to see available items or receive a warm welcome from local employees. A survey found that 87% of Nextdoor neighbors are more willing to spend money with a small business if they know anything personal about it, such as its backstory, local history, or individuals who work there. All small business users worldwide can now access events, videos, polls, and limitless business postings. Small companies wishing to attract local clients may create a free Nextdoor business page to take advantage of the new capabilities and engage with their neighbors via unlimited business postings. Nextdoor Advertising is a simple method to spread the word up to 30 miles for eligible businesses wishing to increase their reach. About Nextdoor Nextdoor is a social networking platform that connects people within their local neighborhoods. The platform aims to create more robust and safer communities by providing neighbors with a way to communicate and share information with each other. It offers a variety of features, including a newsfeed, classifieds, and events, and allows users to share recommendations, ask for help, and offer assistance. Additionally, the platform provides tools for local businesses to connect with their community and promote their products or services. With over 10 million registered users in the United States alone, Nextdoor has become a popular way for neighbors to stay connected and informed.

Read More