Five Questions for Kathy Collins, VP of Marketing Communications and Brand Management

It's the end of the summer, and we're thinking about barbecues and the first day of school... not taxes. But Kathy Collins, H&R Block's Vice President of Marketing Communications and Brand Management and VP of Marketing for Retail Tax, says finances are a business for all seasons. We recently had the opportunity to ask Ms. Collins how she's using social media and video in her campaigns, how she's measuring success, and what it's like to make taxes engaging year-round.

1. How are you thinking about social media and video?

In the past we’ve used video mostly for user-generated contests or promotions. As we continue to evolve our participation in social media, we realize that there is a big opportunity for us to create simple, educational videos that could reach consumers where they are, by providing an explanation for even the most complex tax situations on YouTube. We always remember, however, that it’s a fine line we walk between being entertaining yet informative. After all, it’s peoples’ financial lives we hold in the balance. We present tax and financial information to our YouTube audiences in a ‘human,’ voice, not corporate speak.

2. H&R Block has seasonality built into its marketing cycle. How does this affect how you think about your presence during Tax Time and year round?

Although tax preparation is a seasonal 'event,' life does happen outside of tax season! Think about it - nearly every event in one’s day-to-day life has a tax implication, whether it’s getting married, having a baby, buying a house, or going back to school. Therefore, we need to be available for our clients when – and where - they need us, whether that's in or out of the traditional "season." We will provide consistent and continuous year-round tax expertise through a number of media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and our own community site.

3. The "Don't Miss It" Game used YouTube Annotations, a new feature, in a very innovative way. Where did you come up with the idea?

We work with a number of agencies to develop creative formats from which we can connect with consumers. One of our agency partners actually brought this idea to us. We loved it because it allowed us to provide tax expertise in a fun and interactive way. We are always looking for the most innovative ways to reach our current and potential clients, while at the same time, showcasing our tax expertise.

4. How are you defining "success" for your campaigns?

Success is a long-term strategy, not a one year marketing campaign. We look at longer term measures such as brand awareness and brand attributes, positive word-of-mouth, and increased customer retention. It's all about making a connection with our consumers, interacting and engaging with them. The emotional connection is critical. We continue to learn, and redefine success and move the conversation from a corporate monologue to a customer dialogue. Last year, we did a pilot program where we asked 10 tax pros to answer tax questions on Yahoo Answers, when they weren’t doing their day job. Those 10 tax pros answered nearly 7,000 questions, within a 4 month period. The success of this program showed us that there is huge appetite for answers, we just need to be there to provide the expertise.

5. What's your favorite YouTube video?

Sappy as it is, I still love the PS22 Chorus singing Landslide.

H&R Block's "Don't Miss It" Game used YouTube Annotations to engage the community.

Posted by Kristin Kovner, YouTube Industry Marketing