Small business can change the world (and this is how) with Campaign Del Mar
Live Chat with Mia Fileman from Campaign Del Mar
Today I'm chatting with Mia Fileman, from Campaign Del Mar. Mia runs can help you to upskill through strategic marketing courses and education
During this episode, Mia and I discuss:
Return on effort in the marketing space
How to authentically market yourself in a way that works for you with campaigns
Creating a business model that works around travel and a family.
You can connect with Campaign Del Mar through these links: Website – Instagram – Facebook
Audio
Transcript
Fiona Johnston 00:00
Hello, I'm going live again. Let me do the technical things, okay everybody I'm joining you again live and very shortly I'll be joined by Mia Fileman from Campaign Del Mar. Hello. Oh, how are you?
Mia Fileman 00:39
I'm very well for Friday. How are you, honey? Oh… and we shall be right back.
Fiona Johnston 00:57
Sorry technical issues. Hello. Hello.
Mia Fileman 01:02
Hello. I can do like an Instagram Live issue, right? Yeah, like 50%
Fiona Johnston 01:10
Server juice or something? Yeah. Anyway, we're both here.
Mia Fileman 01:17
Hi, Gera. Hi, Katie. Hi Karina.
Fiona Johnston 01:25
Hello. Thanks, everyone for being here. And today we're talking about how small business can change the world. And of course not I invited my beautiful friend Mia from Campaign Del Mar. Now, onto the call. Because I've noticed that there is a big shift a lot more marketers are the quality marketers are actually talking a lot more about how business can be a force for good. And I love that you're part of that conversation. So did you want to just let the audience know a little bit about you and how you came to run Campaign Del Mar? At this moment in time.
Mia Fileman 02:06
For sure, yeah, it's definitely a very positive change that everyone is saying that we need to put purpose above profit. And there are a lot of marketers who have realized that we have a bit of a bad night amongst the world and the community. And it marketing can be a force for good. So I think the more people that talk about it, the better. I came to run Campaign Del Mar, because of a boy, he, I know he's a helicopter pilot in the army. And he got to a place called Toowoomba. And they went to spent two and a half years of my life in a lovely place, not a lot of jobs for marketing managers in Toowoomba. So that was the push before I jumped to start my own business. And I started an agency actually first and then realize that Toowoomba was just the first stop on a long itinerary. Yes, that would be my life. And every two or three years, we were moving. So I needed a business model that was a lot more portable. And I wanted to be more present for my children. And my community want that too. And I'm sure Karina can echo that from the working mama community that we don't want to go to work full time, 40 hours a week in a corporate job with a commute. And so we can reinvent how we do business. And that's what I've done with the internet
Fiona Johnston 03:49
And our ability to be so hypermobile has just opened up so many opportunities for so many people. And I think mums's are one of the greatest beneficiaries of that kind of technological advancement. Yeah.
Mia Fileman 04:06
Totally. Yeah. Unless your internet drops out when you have 300 people on a live event which is happening for me next week. And it's literally keeping me up at night that the internet is about in the middle of our discussion
Fiona Johnston 04:21
Maybe there should be a generator or something like that you can get to boost your Wi-Fi for the day.
Mia Fileman 04:29
A top tip actually, is to make sure that there's a co-host. So Emily from my team will be the co-host so that if my Internet does drop out it doesn't end the call. So that's
Fiona Johnston 04:42
Good. A tip shoulder that load with you to get some of those nerves off your off your Sangha suddenly, so may I imagine that you could have started many different types of businesses, any any type of business because you're so clever and adaptive. Well as well. So why campaigns your mom? Like, what was the? What is your purpose? Or what are you hoping to achieve with your business?
Mia Fileman 05:12
Well, I think you have all people know how obsessed I am with campaigns, like, they are my, the love of my life. It was always going to be something in that department. But I guess my, my greater purpose is the fact that every day I see female business owners really struggling with their marketing like it's a real obstacle in their success. You know, there is this narrative that, thankfully, is changing, that you need to be on social media all the time, you need to show up on Instagram, on stories on lives on, you know, post and reels. And it's exhausting. And it's causing burnout, but it's actually not delivering any real results. And as a professional marketer, I know what delivers real results campaigns have been proven time and again. So my purpose is to help business owners be successful by showing them that there is a more sustainable way for them to approach their marketing. And that's fine learning how to create integrated multi-channel marketing.
Fiona Johnston 06:13
I think a lot of marketers need to stop relying so much on return on investment and start thinking about return on effort. Because the amount of effort that's just being sprayed around all of these different channels, and one of my clients was trying to tell me this week that a marketing person had told them to get on tick tock. And that may work for many kinds of businesses, but this particular business would not be a tick tock kind of, it's just not going to suit them. They just need to focus on you know, a couple of channels and do them really well. So even the market, bears are out there telling people that they need to be on, you know, all of these multiple channels. Yeah. So
Mia Fileman 06:58
yeah, I hear that a lot
Fiona Johnston 07:00
I know that you have you love of campaigns. And you know how much you're really positioning yourself to help burners not get to that kind of burned-out phase by getting a better return on their effort, shall we say, through years and campaigns? So do you feel like that's the impact that you're having? And if so, like, you know, how have you kind of, you know, measure that the impact that you're having, or how has the way that you work and shifted and changed so that you're able to really kind of deliver on that impact that you want to be making?
Mia Fileman 07:40
Yeah, to be honest, I think I'm just getting started. But where I've seen impact in my work, the last three years has really been around educating people about shady marketers, and single use tactics and shady marketing tactics, and really creating a lot of awareness around the fact that not all advice is created equal. Exactly. Like you said, a lot of this advice is very self-serving. If you're an Instagram coach, of course, you're going to tell people that all they need is Instagram. And if you are an Instagram coach, yeah, maybe all you need is Instagram. You're a perinatal psychologist. No, no, no.
Fiona Johnston 08:17
Yeah.
Mia Fileman 08:21
So I feel like that's where I've, I have made impairment where people have come to me and have said, I thought this was marketing, I thought that this is what I needed to do. I thought it always sat very uncomfortably with me to be deceptive to be misleading. To use shame-based language, to use false scarcity to use false authority. This is what I was taught to do, because I thought that that's just what you needed to do. And I'm really glad that that tide is changing. A lot of people are talking about the gurus now. And we've really lifted the veil and and maybe that is part of the reason why marketers have decided to pivot to, you know, actually trying to create marketing and business as a force for good because now, the gig is up on the shady shit.
Fiona Johnston 09:09
My understanding is that the, you know, the, the modern version of marketing was actually founded by Freud's nephew, who was a German guy in the 30s 1930s 1940s. I'm not sure I'll be getting the details wrong, but the gist is, right. So Freud, who was learning about emotions and how they kind of impact us, his nephew, somehow got his hands on the research and worked out that marketing until that point had focused on features rather than benefits. And he was the first one to start using marketing as a kind of emotional, shall we say, manipulation tool. So he was the first one to start using emotional language and I'm in order to try to sell more. So I think that sort of foundation of marketing is sketchy. You know, it was using the manipulation tactics to try to get people to do X, Y, or Z. So it's kind of no wonder that, you know, the, if the genesis of the common, or the sort of modern marketing now was something that's shady, that it takes a lot of own learning to get to the point where marketing now is about, hey, why don't we just be honest? And see how that works? Yeah.
Mia Fileman 10:29
So I have a, for sure, I have a different perspective of your marketing style. And because I'm Greek, and for me, marketing started in ancient Greece in the marketplace, and people would come to the marketplace with things that they knew people would want to buy
Fiona Johnston 10:45
Yeah in demand.
Mia Fileman 10:47
Yeah. So when you have something that people want to buy, you don't need to use any of that shady shit, because it really does sell itself. So I really do believe that marketing is about getting the right messages to the right people at the right time. And then they would stand on some sort of like little stone pedestal, and they would say, but that that's what SEO is for sale. And people would come and they would buy them. And they would broadcast that they have this and that that is the the bedrock of marketing is meeting people's needs. And some of those needs are emotional. And so if we genuinely meet people's needs in an emotional way, then that's not a problem. That's not weaponising psychology, it's when you say that my seven-day email challenge is going to transform your life. But I really questioned the validity of that statement. I mean, my email marketing workshop is pretty epic. But…I don’t think its going to transform your life!
Fiona Johnston 11:51
For sure, yeah. And I think it's really interesting that there's more people with sort of bigger platforms actually calling this stuff out now. So, you know, when I started my business, nearly 13 years ago, now, people thought I was crazy, because I said, I'm only going to work with businesses that are doing good things for the world. And I had so many naysayers, saying there's not enough of those kinds of businesses how it's already hard enough launching a business. And I can say, hand on heart, 12 and a half years later that there are enough businesses doing that. And I would hope that, you know, anybody who is running a business with a social purpose is actually already coming to work with me. And then if people who come and work with me, aren't already doing great things in their business, I might just be the gentle nudge that helps them to do those kinds of little things, or make those small changes that can actually make a really big benefit on the kind of ripples that move out from them. So yeah.
Mia Fileman 12:57
Yeah, I have been loving saying you show up on Instagram, sharing your client stories, because yeah, I didn't even I mean, we're pretty good friends. And I didn't even realize the calibre, and the quality of clients that you work with. And so I'm in love with all of them. So. A + marketing to you my friend
Fiona Johnston 13:17
I mean, I've seen some really amazing things happen in small businesses, like, I'll share one really simple thing that one of my previous employers did, which is still one of my favorites. So I used to work at Mountain Goat, which is a craft brewery, they probably wouldn't be described as a small business anymore, but they were, you know, 20 years ago when I was working with them. So they had a policy, which was that if you got to work any by any means, other than using your car, you got $1.50 A day as a bonus. So at the end of the year, it was my job, because I was in I was actually the general manager and did the finances as well. It was my job to go and work out how much each staff member was getting for their sort of annual bonus. And it was called the bike bonus because most people rode bikes. And the really interesting thing is that the culture that created was that you really thought about it before you got in your car to drive to work. And you really had to sort of convince yourself well, you know, I could catch the tram or I could ride my bike, and nine times out of 10 you would ride your bike because that felt like the culturally right thing to do. And it didn't cost them a huge amount of money. It meant that they needed a hell of a lot less car parts than a traditional business would because most more than half of their team were actually taking them up on the offer and yeah, I just love the real simplicity of that and how it just you know creates ripples. Yeah. story heard in businesses you've worked with or or maybe you could share with me who's your favorite car? their business or brand at the moment in this business as a force for good sort of space.
Mia Fileman 15:07
Yeah, so I really respect to Zero Co. And of course, the three brands that are coming on the panel next week Heaps normal Verve Super, and Voodie, I have a drawer full of beauty. And the there was a business model that existed when I was in New Castle. Unfortunately, it hasn't quite made it to Darwin. And it was like sauce, Whole Foods. And you could go in there with empty jars and empty containers. And you can just restock your pantry items without any single use plastic. And it just felt so nostalgic for me. Because that's what we used to do at the Dandenong market when I was growing up is, you know, the Greeks would arrive with their olive oil canisters, and they would get to the top and they would just get filled up. And then we'd get like six kilos of pistachio nuts, because that's how many we eat in a week. So I just really love how we're almost going, returning back.
Fiona Johnston 16:08
You know, everything that our grandma's grandpa's were doing would actually be so good for the world right now. I mean, they barely use plastic, they, you know, we’re really conscious about what, you know, if they were buying food from the market, it was going to all be consumed, whereas now, I think something like 30 or 40% of food ends up in the bin. And it's a that's a huge waste of resources, money and transport and carbon emissions, etc. So maybe we should be asking, What would grandma do? Oh, is a great grandma. It's not a learner is it's an honor. Yeah, yeah, of course it is. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So we should be asking, what would what would the I do in this situation? Well, that exactly. So my followers or everybody who's watching this, how can they kind of support you? Or come and find out more about you? Or do you have anything coming up? That might be exciting for them? Yeah, we can connect.
Mia Fileman 17:14
Yeah, so if you show us. So if you're not already registered for the panel event that's happening on Tuesday, our campaigns for social impact, feature Heaps Normal, Verdie and the impact business school. And so that's happening 1pm Sydney time? And yeah, I love Instagram, some days. I love LinkedIn most days, and the website would be the best place to get in touch, which is campaigns
Fiona Johnston 17:41
Before you go, is there in your kind of travels as a campaign marketer? Is there a quote or a book or a person that has really influenced how you see, see the world from a campaign lens, someone that sort of motivated or inspired you?
Mia Fileman 18:03
One of my favorite quotes that I actually heard not too long ago was last year and it was during some sort of like ‘Lunch and Learn’ presentation was the presenters said almost flippantly marketing. Sorry, Campaigns, are were marketing and advocacy meet campaigns are where marketing and advocacy meet. And now it was so poignant for me, I was like, That's right. Marketing is not just for moving product and services we can have and we can use it to change behaviours, change minds, change perceptions, and really, that set me on this path towards not just building marketing campaigns to sell more socks. But you know, marketing campaigns to sell ethical Socks, socks that are made from recycled fabric and socks, where every sale of a sock 1% of the profits goes back to the planet and so we can combine profit and purpose. So yeah, that would probably be the quote for sure. And then, because you sent me some questions beforehand, I was really thinking about books and people. I don't know if you feel like this fee, but like, I don't have a lot of like idols that are like big names. You know how some people are just like, Oh, I love Marie Forleo or I'm Gary Vee fan. I just I don't idolize celebrities that much. It's the people in my network that I know well that impressed me 365 that I've been able to get close to that I go oh my god. Behind the scenes in front of the camera behind the camera. You are a confirmed legend. And that person for me is very that's very sure. My love for her just runs so deep. So yeah, I'm I'm all about out the people that I've actually met and had conversations with when the camera's not rolling and seeing what they're like on the inside. And she's like,
Fiona Johnston 20:11
Is there anything in particular that she's shared with you, that would be okay to share publicly that has really stayed with you.
Mia Fileman 20:20
I just think that like her entire philosophy is about making the world a better place. Like it's baked into her entire business. And, you know, this is what she wants to do. And, you know, I know that on the weekends, she goes and picks up trash does not like she leaves this purpose. It's not just like a platitude, or, you know, virtue signaling. It's, who she is.
Fiona Johnston 20:44
And one might say that Clean up Australia Day was you know, an early, very compelling campaign.
Mia Fileman 20:54
Yeah, such a good campaign. Love that one. Slip, Slop, Slap, Movember. Are you okay?
Fiona Johnston 21:01
I think I love that you I'm bringing the tone campaign and the sort of education around what a campaign actually is into the small business landscape because I think the power of a campaign in terms of really squeezing the juice out of a small businesses marketing spend and marketing effort really needs campaigns rather than the sort of throwing pasta at walls trying to work out what sticks Why don't we say what happens if we just put all of our focus into a single message for six weeks or three months or three days or whatever it is? So yeah, thank you for increasing the calibre of marketing education in the small business space I love it
Mia Fileman 21:50
We can make marketing great again!
Fiona Johnston 21:53
Well, thank you for having this chat with me Mia, thanks for everyone who was joining us and yeah, hopefully, this inspires somebody out there even just one person to start using their business as a force for good.
Mia Fileman 22:08
Thank you so much for having me Fi and have a good weekend, everyone.
