Dive Brief:
- 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 trying to push past solely being associated with tax season to position itself as a provider of trusted financial advice year-round. It is also trying 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 is applying a “fail fast, learn fast” ethos that runs counter to traditional tax-season marketing. Brands in a number of categories are exploring more social-first tactics to engage Gen Z and account for a decline in traditional media.
Dive Insight:
Social-first marketing continues to pick up steam as legacy brands race to modernize their approach. Social ad spending has climbed steadily over time, but the H&R Block news is the latest signal that more organizations — including those in conventionally staid categories — are enacting bolder moves to orient their strategy around a channel that is essential for connecting with younger consumers and requires an always-on mindset compared to traditional ad campaigns.
For 70-year-old H&R Block, the deeper relationship with VaynerMedia comes as the firm tries to shed an image largely tied to tax season, which only occupies a few months of the year. The brand hopes VaynerMedia can help 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 aims 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 statement. “VaynerMedia’s integrated approach fuels agility, sharpens our cultural edge, and ensures we’re building stronger connections with more customers, all year long by integrating H&R Block into daily interactions.”
H&R Block in recent years has worked to evolve its marketing and customer service, tapping into TikTok content, generative artificial intelligence and subcultures like gaming. In February, the company launched tax-themed virtual experiences in Roblox, an online game popular with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The spaces were limited to users 18 and older.
The news notches another win for VaynerMedia, which was an early mover in the social-first agency space. PepsiCo earlier this year 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, another legacy brand vying to recapture its edge.
