Redefining Branding With Business Communication

Meli Laurance is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in various industries, including cosmetics and personal care, fibers, packaging, consumer goods, food and nutrition, and automotive. She is a passionate storyteller and skilled communicator, known for her commitment to creating meaningful content that fosters customer-brand connections. As a mom of three young children, twin boys aged six and a three-year-old daughter, Laurance balances a challenging career in chemicals with working motherhood. She has set a high standard in the industry, showcasing what women can achieve. Currently, she serves as the Director of Business Communications and Branding at Vantage Specialty Chemicals.

Please Share With Our Readers Your Career Journey And Current Roles And Responsibilities

My role is centered on helping our company convey its story, the corporate narrative, through our brand and the broader business landscape, in addition to internal storytelling and communication channels. Consistency in brand and branding is pivotal in building trust with our audience and helps folks understand what we represent as a company. My role is to act as a bridge between corporate communications and the various business units. My primary objective is to facilitate the integration of the corporate narrative into these businesses, ultimately positioning our company effectively in the marketplace

My career journey started off in sales and eventually transitioned into corporate marketing. Once I earned my MBA in marketing, I could fully transition over to marketing and business communications roles. Over the years, I have held diverse positions that helped build my communications competency, but my roots are in business. I spent close to five years in the personal care sector as well as another five years in the plastics industry. This breadth of experience has provided me with a profound understanding of different facets within the chemical industry, spanning both downstream segments like personal care and food, as well as upstream areas like plastics and industrial chemicals. This experience has helped me understand that each business needs its own flavor and feel, and it is my responsibility to help businesses retain it.

What Are Some Of The Strategies You Employ To Adapt To New Changes?

When it comes to adapting to digital communications, it’s crucial to use tools appropriately. We have various digital tools at our disposal, including our website, social media platforms, email promotions, media relations, and QR codes linking to websites. The key is not to inundate these channels with content for the sake of it but to have a clear understanding of our objectives and select the most suitable channels to achieve them. The challenge lies in navigating the information overload that can easily occur in the digital age. It’s essential to act strategically to avoid repetitive work and obtain the maximum outcome from our efforts

Is There Any Project Initiative You Have Been Part Of Lately?

I recently partnered with our talent acquisition colleagues to create an ongoing campaign that positions us as a leading employer in the chemical industry. We aimed to recruit early career professionals from current students to recent graduates at college fairs both in the U.S. and LATAM. Here are the key areas of focus that helped this strategic project succeed:

Prepare The Team: We ensured that the colleagues at the career fairs were understood the key messages and talking points with students.

Branding: The look and feel of the booth will make it stand out. Additionally, we wanted the talent team to feel a sense of pride and ownership, so we provided branded polos for the team

Go Digital: Because students rely on their smart devices and less inclined to take physical notes, we employed a QR code, a simple yet effective tool that gives students direct access to submit their information, and another opportunity for us to share relevant information with them.

Sustainability: Today’s college graduates are keyed into topics like climate change and sustainability, not to mention, it’s an important topic for our company. With a digital approach, giveaways made from recycled bottles and literature printed on recycled paper, we actively demonstrated our commitment to sustainability.

Promote Your Presence: We gave the colleges a shout out on social media both in anticipation and after the job fair to extend our presence to a broader audience of students as well as university alumni.

What Is Your Piece Of Advice To Your Fellow Peers?

Strategic communications is a core business function that is a key enabler to any business activity, especially when it comes to implementing a new strategy or effectively navigating change management. If you want to grow in communications, seek out those companies that position the function that way, rather than those that may put it more as an afterthought – an extended marketing arm or part of the HR function. As a strategic partner, give careful thought to the target audience – who it is you’re talking to and how they would prefer to receive information. Then, consider what you’re trying to communicate and what would motivate them to take action. Choosing the right channels to share that message is a vital part of the process but should only be approached after you have considered your audience and not in the reverse order. By consistently beginning with your audience and aligning their preferences with your messaging goals, you lay a solid foundation for success