We’re so excited to share that FactSet’s “Not Just the Facts” campaign has earned three major wins at the 2025 ANA B2 Awards, which celebrate the very best in business-to-business marketing.
Developed with our amazing client FactSet, the campaign challenged the conventions of boring B2B financial marketing by spotlighting a common frustration: financial professionals need data, but facts without context are useless. With a smart, tongue-in-cheek approach, “Not Just the Facts” positioned FactSet as the antidote—offering insights that are as meaningful as they are actionable.
These awards reflect the power of blending creative bravery with strategic clarity, and what’s possible when a brand is willing to break away from the usual B2B playbook. Congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this vision to life, and thank you to ANA and the jury for this honor.
AdForum interviewed VSA Chief Growth Officer Ariadna Navarro to get her thoughts on the future of AI and creativity, and how companies can set ethical, responsible guardrails around the technology. Check out an excerpt below.
It’s a little of both right now. We encourage everyone to use it, but with guardrails and guidelines to keep the work honest, human, and original. At the moment, AI is best suited to things like exploration, evaluation, and experimentation. It can reliably accelerate existing processes—from research and analysis to idea generation and content creation—but it’s equally susceptible to misinformation, redundancies, and both legal and ethical issues that we’re only beginning to understand.
In other words, AI is an exciting, new option in our toolkit, but it’s nowhere near a replacement for any of the ways we work yet.
The accessibility factor is core to AI’s success. It’s incredibly rare for a tool to possess both the low barriers to entry and the near-infinite possibilities that AI represents. The open format and widespread availability of this generation’s AI tools have given them access to an unheard-of volume of perspectives, permutations, and information that’s driving its rapid evolution, but that also comes with increasing risk.
While the exponential growth and innovation of these nascent phases is exciting, it’s also why we can’t afford to lose any more ground in understanding and safeguarding against the dangers and threats it could pose.
VSA’s Marisa Rondinelli, a director of strategy, was recently published by the Association of National Advertisers. Her piece, “Why TikTok Trends Are a Marketer’s Best Friend,” explores why brands should take social media trends seriously, and how doing so creates better products and stronger customer loyalty. She also lays out actionable steps that brands can take to improve their social listening and quickly respond and capitalize on social media trends. Read an excerpt below.
Today’s viral TikTok trends featuring unconventional hacks, secret-menu items and #challenges have led to the emergence of ”TikTok products.” Born from real users rather than the boardroom, these trends are forcing brands to respond, wreaking havoc on supply chains and angering retail workers. Despite this disruption, here’s why they’re the best thing to happen to your business—and how to make the most of it.
As marketers, it’s our job to be the voice of the consumer. We research and we listen, we plan and we predict. Yet we often get it wrong.
Consumers are complicated and unpredictable. Their beliefs don’t match their behaviors, and their preferences don’t translate to purchases we think they will. So when they tell us what they want, it’s on us to listen—and respond.
Yes, these viral-born products, hacks and ideas can create a diversion from approved marketing plans and leave brand and product managers scrambling. Brands may even feel trapped—held hostage by the whims of TikTok trends. But if we look past the initial chaos that’s created, we can see them for what they really are: a gift. Because at their core, they’re built of the stuff marketers’ dreams are made of.
First off, these are authentic endorsements of the brand from trusted voices. Organic exposure from influencers is valuable enough—couple that with the virality of a social media trend, and you have grassroots marketing at its finest. Remember when nostalgic millennials discovered the magic that happens when you put ice cream in a Fruit Roll-Up? These are moments that build both ownership and brand awareness for your business.
Second, these trends are novel solutions rooted in unmet needs. Social media has created a way for brands to connect with customers like never before and what once could only be obtained in listening sessions is now a dialogue that runs 24/7. When trends like the cottage cheese and mustard sensation that captivated the protein-craving community emerge, brands can learn in almost real time what their customers want and how they’d prefer that need to be met.
Lastly, these trends showcase sizable demand that equates to strong conversion. It’s the kind of clear ROI signal you rarely get from other forms of marketing. Take the Peter Thomas Roth eye tightener that has repeatedly sold out since the original viral video gained over 50 million views in 2021. Trends pay off.
To capitalize on these moments, there are a few ways brands can ready themselves for maximum impact:
Top up social listening capabilities to get wind of trends sooner. Better yet, bring creators into the conversation early by creating influencer networks, hosting co-creation sessions, or offering product-previews in exchange for feedback and usage ideas.
Chief Growth Officer Ariadna Navarro recently appeared on “The Unified Brand Podcast,” hosted by Chris Outlaw.
During the show, Ari shared how brands can increase their Moments of Impact® (MOIs) by investing in the brand interactions that matter, and using their brand as a filter to decide which moments have the greatest significance for brand recognition and loyalty.
Thanks to Chris Outlaw and ”The Unified Brand Podcast“ for having Ari on. Listen to the full episode.
Invenergy, the leading privately held developer, owner and operator of sustainable energy solutions, recently launched its new website, marking the culmination of a strategic effort to enhance the dialogue around the clean energy transition that the company has been leading for over 20 years.
The new site focuses on Invenergy’s history, its expansion into new technologies, and showcases the company’s global portfolio and end-to-end clean energy expertise. Notably, Invenergy’s commitment to being a trusted partner and proven pathfinder is a consistent theme throughout the interface.
“Invenergy was founded on an entrepreneurial spirit that guides everything we do, and we wanted to reflect that core value in our new website,” says Randy Frink, Invenergy’s Vice President of Marketing. “As Invenergy continues to experience tremendous growth, our new website serves as an essential resource for our customers, partners and employees who have all been key to Invenergy’s position as the premier provider of clean energy solutions.”
VSA and their partners did a phenomenal job, and we can’t wait to see the response to our new online presence,” says Frink.
Working closely with global creative agency VSA Partners, Invenergy developed a messaging platform and visual design that clearly communicates both its offerings and its proactive commitment toward helping each stakeholder navigate their individual journey through the clean energy space.
“Invenergy’s website truly sets the clean energy leader apart in the industry,” said VSA Associate Partner of Client Engagement Jerry Stiedaman. “The new site invites a dialogue with all of Invenergy’s stakeholders and clearly guides the audience to their desired resource.”
“VSA and their partners did a phenomenal job, and we can’t wait to see the response to our new online presence,” says Frink.
Check out the new site, which is now live.
VSA’s purpose is to design for a better human experience. As a strategy and design agency, we blend consumer insights and data with human-centered design to activate meaningful, motivating and measurable experiences in an increasingly noisy world. With offices in Chicago, New York and San Francisco, VSA offers a full range of fully integrated capabilities — branding, advertising, data science and technology—all under one roof. VSA is also a proud member of Meet The People, an international family of unified and independent agencies. For more than 40 years, we have delivered solutions for business and creative leaders at some of the world’s most respected brands and forward-thinking organizations, including Google, Nike and IBM.
Invenergy drives innovation in energy. Invenergy and its affiliated companies develop, own, and operate large-scale renewable and other clean energy generation and storage facilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Invenergy's home office is located in Chicago, and it has regional development offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Japan, Poland, and Scotland.
Invenergy and its affiliated companies have successfully developed more than 30,000 megawatts of projects that are in operation, construction or contracted, including wind, solar, transmission infrastructure and natural gas power generation and advanced energy storage projects.
VSA's Jerry Stiedaman wrote an article for WARC, “With consumers craving stability, now is the big opportunity for big brands.” Read an excerpt below.
Ongoing consumer uncertainty means that for big brands, it’s time to shine. Despite the call to disrupt and reimagine business—a call that spawned a thousand startups—the national and global turmoil of the past few years (and in the financial sector the past few months) has brought about a significant shift in consumer priorities. The result is a renewed focus on the familiar and reliable.
According to PwC’s February 2023 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey, 96% of those surveyed said they were planning on adopting cost-saving behaviors in 2023. The study also showed that 69% of consumers altered their nonessential spending in the previous six months. These statistics show that consumers are adopting much more careful spending habits in 2023, and brands will need to make their offerings feel truly valuable amid growing price sensitivities.
The antithesis of long-lasting value? A company with shady credentials or an unproven track record. Startups have been hit particularly hard with this brand connotation—failures have left thousands of consumers in the lurch. As one example, before its recent sale to e-commerce specialist Retention Brands, the subscription makeup service Birchbox left customers without their monthly boxes for some time. The brand posted a mea culpa on Instagram, citing “a host of unprecedented setbacks that are affecting all of you, our cherished members.” It’s no wonder that people seek safety over novelty.
The startup landscape is also getting walloped by financial factors. Rising interest rates around the world mean they are increasingly vulnerable to competition. VC funding is radically slowing after the worst Q4 since 2013. And the startup-friendly tech sector has seen more than 100,000 layoffs this year. This damage was further compounded by the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in early March. Many startups relied on SVB for banking and payroll—in fact, 88% of Forbes’ “Next Billion-Dollar Startups” were SVB customers.
With startups hurting from financial difficulties and reputation damages, more established brands have a clear opportunity here to reposition their offerings and lean into the demand for safety and consistency with a longevity well suited to the task.
So how does the big brand take advantage of these times? Here are three thought starters:
The last decade has seen a barrage of brands differentiating themselves with a veneer of friendly colors and unconventional marketing tactics. While that might get people in the door, it certainly won’t make them stay. By refocusing on stability and strength, you’re investing in your company’s future: Bain & Company says that “across a wide range of businesses, customers generate increasing profits each year they stay with a company. In financial services, for example, a 5% increase in customer retention produces more than a 25% increase in profit.” Put simply, existing customers spend more than new customers. Plus, their referral potential gives you a free, built-in acquisition machine.
VSA CEO Anne-Marie Rosser was recently published in Forbes magazine with her piece, “How To Accelerate Your Business During A Downturn.” Check out an excerpt below.
The outlook for business right now can feel bleak. Few financial experts can agree on what the economy will look like in even one month. Prices are rising. Customers are nervous. And with such volatile economic headwinds, pulling back and waiting out the downturn might seem like a smart defense. But if we’re honest with ourselves as business leaders, we know that pulling back now is not a defense at all. It’s simply a form of paralysis.
As counterintuitive as it seems, I believe now is the time to play offense. And that doesn’t have to mean spending more. What it does mean, though, is acting bravely and reprioritizing your spend for better effect.
Throughout my decades of experience in the agency world, I’ve gotten insight into a wide range of companies and their tactics for navigating economic volatility. Often, we’ve been working right alongside them. The following tactics are certainly not an all-inclusive list, but they are the mindsets I’ve seen work time and again.
As I lead an agency that cut its teeth in design, I can tell you that designers appreciate constraints—and they’re not alone. Reflecting on your situation and defining the challenges you face is always the best place to start.
A macro example: Most companies have the dual challenge of needing to address both the acquisition of new clients and the retention and growth of existing clients in any given year. But this looks different based on industry and where the company is in its lifecycle, i.e., its circumstances.
Less mature companies or those that are less recession-proof might still need to drive acquisition as the primary focus. Resetting to metrics that drive acquisition in the near term can help focus on limited resources. Conversely, many companies find that retention becomes the primary focus. This move to retention might mean that the budget shifts to more high-touch activations, such as events and in-person workshops—face-to-face time with clients to deepen relationships.
