- H&R Block is uniting its social creative and media duties under one roof through an expanded relationship with agency VaynerMedia, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- The tax-preparation firm is attempting to push past solely being related to tax season to position itself as a provider of trusted financial advice year-round. It can also be attempting to account for changes in consumer behavior while streamlining marketing decision-making.
- The initiative is spearheaded by H&R Block Chief Marketing and Experience Officer Jill Cress, who’s applying a “fail fast, learn fast” ethos that runs counter to traditional tax-season marketing. Brands in a lot of categories are exploring more social-first tactics to interact Gen Z and account for a decline in traditional media.
Social-first marketing continues to choose up steam as legacy brands race to modernize their approach. Social ad spending has climbed steadily over time, however the H&R Block news is the most recent signal that more organizations — including those in conventionally staid categories — are enacting bolder moves to orient their strategy around a channel that is crucial for connecting with younger consumers and requires an always-on mindset in comparison with traditional ad campaigns.
For 70-year-old H&R Block, the deeper relationship with VaynerMedia comes because the firm tries to shed a picture largely tied to tax season, which only occupies just a few months of the 12 months. The brand hopes VaynerMedia can assist it push the envelope and pivot in real time to capture relevant discussions, an embrace of risk in a typically conservative field. The partnership also goals to wed H&R’s brand-building initiatives closer to performance marketing.
“Bringing social creative and media together under one partner isn’t just operationally efficient, it’s a competitive advantage,” said Cress in a press release. “VaynerMedia’s integrated approach fuels agility, sharpens our cultural edge, and ensures we’re constructing stronger connections with more customers, all 12 months long by integrating H&R Block into each day interactions.”
H&R Block in recent times has worked to evolve its marketing and customer support, tapping into TikTok content, generative artificial intelligence and subcultures like gaming. In February, the corporate launched tax-themed virtual experiences in Roblox, a web based game popular with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The spaces were limited to users 18 and older.
The news notches one other win for VaynerMedia, which was an early mover within the social-first agency space. PepsiCo earlier this 12 months deepened its collaboration with the shop, aligning VaynerMedia closer to its in-house agency to support beverages like Pepsi and Mountain Dew with their socially led marketing. VaynerMedia in March was also named social agency of record for JCPenney, one other legacy brand vying to recapture its edge.
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