HCC Marketing’s DeWitt re-elected association leader

Advertisers must be self-policing.
Advertisers must be self-policing.

William C. DeWitt, partner at HCC Marketing, was recently re-elected president at the Financial Marketing Association. DeWitt has more than 20 years of experience in advertising, working for major companies like Citizens Financial Group and Bank Rhode Island, as well as leading advertising agencies such as Arnold Worldwide and Deutsch. In 2010, he joined the full-service marketing communications company HCC Marketing. DeWitt is a member of the Barrington Town Council, as well as the board of directors for Girls Scouts of Southeastern New England. He is also a consultant to the Barrington Adult Youth Team (Anti-Drug Task Force). He holds a B.A. in economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Duke University.

PBN: There are some new regulations that affect the disclosure of financial information in advertising. What do you think has been the affect of these changes?
DEWITT: I think the new regulations have had a chilling effect. In some areas they are so ambiguous and unclear that banks and credit unions are choosing not to advertise at all rather than run something that might be interpreted as “out of compliance.” That hurts the consumer because they have to spend more time and money tracking down the information that they need in order to make an informed decision. Advertisers must be self-policing and demonstrate that they can balance disclosure and promotion. In the long run, brands that strike that balance will be successful. Consumers are smarter than regulators give them credit. And with the rise of social media and consumer advocacy, consumers can really take to task a brand that tries to take advantage of them.

PBN: What are some of the benefits for businesses working with a smaller firm?
DEWITT: When you are working with a smaller firm, you are often working with a principal or owner, someone whose reputation is directly at stake. And if the owner empowers his staff, the staff takes their responsibility and their commitment to quality just as seriously. So the whole company becomes as focused on the customer’s success as the customer and they will bend over backwards to make sure the customer gets the company’s best work.

PBN: You also volunteer at several nonprofit organizations. What made you choose these organizations?
DEWITT: I have probably been most involved with Girls Scouts. I have been a member of the Board of Girls Scouts of Southeastern New England for seven years. Their mission is to develop girls of courage, confidence and character. Traits that I think are incredibly important. Since I have been involved, Girls Scouts nationally has gone through a tremendous transformation. It’s not cookies, camping and crafts; it’s technology and entrepreneurship. And one of our biggest challenges is getting perception to catch up with reality. Girl Scouts is a wonderful brand that probably did not evolve as quickly as it could have, but it’s getting there and the organization positively impacts thousands of Rhode Islanders.

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