HHM CPAs

Overview

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HHM CPAs, a prominent accounting firm based in Chattanooga, employs over 180 professionals and serves clients nationwide. Initially brought on board as the full-time Marketing Director, my primary objective was to enhance the firm’s digital marketing strategies and foster brand consistency. Through my leadership, we successfully revitalized the company’s online presence and significantly improved both internal and external marketing initiatives. This role enabled me to accomplish the following projects and achievements:

• Developed a Comprehensive Branding Guide: Established a unified branding guide to ensure consistent messaging and visual identity across all company communications and platforms.
• Redesigned and Optimized Websites: Successfully overhauled and optimized three major websites, resulting in an average 25% increase in online engagement.
• Revamped Intranet Site: Reconstructed the intranet site from scratch, enhancing its functionality and boosting employee productivity by 20%.
• Implemented New Sales and Branding Initiatives: Launched innovative sales and brand awareness strategies, which increased lead generation and improved prospective client retention by 30%.

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Challenge

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The primary challenge was to systematically implement changes that would enhance organizational efficiency without disrupting the current workflow. It was imperative to ensure that these modifications were effectively communicated and embraced across the firm. In a large organization like HHM, with numerous interdependent components and extensive personnel, gathering comprehensive information and achieving consensus was a significant task.

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1. Branding inconsistencies: HHM faced notable branding inconsistencies across its five entities, with another in development, all operating under the same corporate umbrella. Each entity had its own variation of the logo, which had undergone numerous iterations. These inconsistencies extended into client communications, affecting email signatures, printed materials, and digital marketing efforts. This lack of uniformity in branding led to confusion among clients, who were uncertain whether these entities were independent companies or part of a unified organization. Even seemingly minor discrepancies in font size, weight, and placement contributed to a fragmented brand identity, undermining HHM's overall image.
2. Broken Intranet Site: Shortly after my tenure began, HHM's intranet site, which housed numerous internal forms, resources, and client information, experienced a critical failure. Despite concerted efforts from the original developer, the IT department, and myself, we were unable to restore the site. This situation presented an opportunity to overhaul and update the intranet infrastructure. However, the challenge was compounded by the limited timeframe of a few weeks to complete the redevelopment and ensure seamless integration with the company's operational needs.
3. Outdated Websites: Among the five entities under HHM, only one lacked a website. The existing websites were outdated, inconsistent, and had been developed on various platforms by different parties. Some sites were managed by third parties, making updates and modifications cumbersome, while others were maintained internally on basic website-building platforms and lacked proper indexing and optimization for cross-platform viewing. This phase of the initiative required a comprehensive effort to locate, transfer, and redevelop three of the four websites, bringing them under centralized control to ensure consistency and ease of maintenance.
4. Internal Confusion: HHM had several internal marketing initiatives designed to encourage employees to network and promote the organization. However, these efforts were hampered by a lack of communication regarding available opportunities, outdated and inconsistent tracking methods, and a general misunderstanding of the significance of being a "brand ambassador." Addressing these issues required a concerted effort to streamline communication, modernize tracking systems, and foster a deeper understanding among employees of the critical role they play in reinforcing HHM's brand identity.

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Results

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Branding & Style Guide: Established a unified branding guide for HHM, harmonizing diverse style sources to create consistent logos, fonts, and overall brand identity. Designed a comprehensive website resource to facilitate adherence to brand standards across the organization. I also implemented a program that allowed centralized control for all email signatures ensuring consistency throughout the brands.
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Revamped HHM CPAs' outdated website, modernizing navigation and SEO practices. Streamlined employee onboarding with Zapier automations, introduced a search function for employees, and implemented advanced SEO strategies and analytics.
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Revitalized the intranet site 'Connect' , rebuilding it from scratch within the first month. Updated outdated forms and introduced automations. Later, enhanced the site with personalized dashboards, announcement automations, and integrated marketing initiative point submission and tracking via Zapier.

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