Dear BAMf Podcast: Episode 39 with Whitney Curry

Dear BAMf // Episode 39: Whitney Curry of Pacaso talks about the power of data and internal communications.

In this episode of the Dear BAMf podcast, we speak with Whitney Curry, Chief Marketing Officer at Pacaso. As Pacaso's CMO, Whitney is responsible for driving demand, building brand, and creating exceptional customer experiences online and offline. She launched her career at Zillow as the startup’s first intern. Throughout her 12-year tenure, she held leadership positions in marketing and PR, and played a key role in growing the brand into a household name. Whitney is passionate about bringing the voice of the customer into daily decision-making. In this episode, Whitney answers some tough marketing and PR questions from our listeners, including this one about rethinking brand messaging:

Dear BAMf,

I'm struggling with how to push my startup to embrace some more bold messaging. I'm in charge of our brand and marketing. We have some industry vets here that certainly make our B2B clients feel secure and safe with our cybersecurity offerings. The thing is, per my research and consulting with two external agencies on branding, this industry is marked by a lot of "scary messaging and dark colors." I'd like us to have a brand that conveys trust that stands out. Have you seen this done successfully elsewhere that I could maybe point to? I don't think my executive team can think of anything creative unless they see otherwise.

Listen now to hear how Whitney advises this writer to move forward.

Dear BAMf: Episode 39

Episode 39 highlights:

• (01:49) What is Pacaso?

  Timeshares are a thing of the past as Whitney explains, "Pacaso is a new startup that was founded to solve the problem of second home under utilization. There are 30 million (believe it or not) second homes in the U.S. and Europe." Whitney insists it's better to resource shared home ownership through an LLC. Whitney explains the pain points Pacaso eliminates, " What we call DIY co-ownership is certainly possible. Pacaso is a fully managed LLC co-ownership solution. It's tech enabled, and we take away all the interpersonal stress and hassle so that you can just show up and enjoy your second home." To make things even easier, it's all done through the Pacaso owner app.
  

• (06:15) What are you most proud of accomplishing in the last 12 months?

  Whitney talks about the vulnerability of leaving Zillow after more than a decade, saying, "I took a big leap after 12 years at Zillow. I started there as the company's first intern. It had been 12 amazing years. I started making copies in the copy office and ended up leading brand marketing." Despite hesitation, Whitney decided to follow her heart and desire for change. Just days after making the announcement, new offers and opportunities began to flood in. Whitney explains her point of pride by saying, "The practice of flag raising and being open to change, and risk, and challenges is really what I'm most proud of. That and attempting to make sourdough in the pandemic." 

• (06:56) What is your favorite way to tell a story?

  
  Whitney's favorite way to tell a story is through video, but not how you might expect. Whitney reminds our listeners that video with your phone can tell captivating stories. "My current favorite is what I call 'hacky video.' At the end of the day, you can get so much heart and emotion from user-generated content, from content that you're sourcing from your community." Although Whiney appreciates and has experience with high-production shoots, she sees the source of strong storytelling. "There are so many ways that you can capture the heart and soul of a story, even if it's a simple 'direct-to-camera, shot-on-iPhone, or a shot-on-zoom moment, because it really lets the story become the hero." 

• (10:31) How do I encourage my start-up to alter their current messaging and branding?

  We have said it before and it applies once again, data is king and Whitney agrees. She suggests doing research first. "Build a case with data and put together that narrative, bring it to the executive team, and take seriously the art of putting together your case." Expectation setting is key in the exchange with your internal team. Remember that your current branding was created by someone who may be attached to their ideas. To balance this Whitney says, "Approach with great sensitivity, thinking around what the business goals are, what you're trying to solve, and what impact your change will have on the business." Whitney doubles down on data and gives the listener options of ways to collect testimonials, suggesting focus groups, Survey Monkey, AB testing on Facebook, and a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative research.

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