Most people connect then pitch. Wrong. You build real relationships by creating real value first. The conversion happens when they already trust you. Yes, you can do this with great authentic content, but there's more. Host small gatherings in your city. Invite 5-10 connections for coffee, no agenda, just connection. People buy from people they've met in person, people they like, people who have already helped them win.
Hearing stories triggers hormones like oxytocin (associated with attachment and trust), which helps us attach importance to the lessons behind the stories and make the lessons sticky. At one time, storytelling was key to survival. After all, the cavemen (and women) who listened to the cautionary tales about not straying far from the campfire at night were the ones who dodged the saber-toothed tigers and lived to pass along their genes.
The research shows that for early-career marketing professionals aged twenty-two to twenty-five, AI has caused a net loss of approximately twenty percent of headcount in sales and marketing roles. The effect decreases as seniority increases, but there's an overall deflection across the field since January when everyone figured out ChatGPT existed.
This isn't just a celebrity brand endorsement. Since joining Update, Kardashian has worked closely with the team to completely rethink Update's branding, taking it from what Solomons describes as a "masculine tech bro" look to a can that feels perfectly natural in Kardashian's hand. This shift taps into the refined personal brand that Kardashian has built over the past several years.
Media buying refers to the process of purchasing advertising space across various platforms, including social media, search engines, and traditional media. It's about strategically placing ads where they will reach the target audience effectively.
We've never had more ways to reach people, and yet it's never been harder to actually stick in their minds. Messages flash by. Feeds refresh endlessly. Ads disappear the second you scroll. But the things we can touch, hold, and spend time with ... those linger. They're processed differently by the brain, and they're recalled more clearly after the moment has passed.
My journey as a bootstrapped founder has been pretty unique, and I love to share my insights and lessons learned with others who may be traveling along a similar path. But there's another dimension, too. I want to be embedded in the communities that I think Jotform should reach. If you know me, and my product feels familiar, you're more likely to think of us the next time you need an online form builder.
Step 1 Building a content framework with actual, useful content Not to bang a familiar Earnest drum, but these days far too much content doesn't have any actual... content. So for Vodafone we concentrated on creating an integrated digital campaign built on a foundation of engaging and useful information that demonstrated Vodafone's grasp of the issues facing executives today. This earned Vodafone executive attention and allowed them to build relationships based on real empathy.
This year has been volatile for brands. With tariffs taking effect, the job market slowing, and consumer spending barely keeping pace with inflation, it's no surprise that ad spend has slowed in tandem. Amidst economic uncertainty and an onslaught of unanswered questions, brands are increasingly looking for demonstrable ROI in their marketing and design budgets. Some may choose to invest in a costly new campaign or commit to a new brand identity, while others will default to slashing their budgets altogether.
So you could be like, 'I hate her because of the American Eagle,' or you love her because of the American Eagle, but no matter what, you're talking about her. For a brand launch, that's always a good thing. Controversy and craziness and all that kind of stuff is good for initial curiosity.
Less than a year after some backlash to American Eagle's decision to enlist actress Sydney Sweeney as the face of its brand, the retailer is reinvesting in its celebrity strategy. Last week, the blonde haired, blue-eyed actress joined the retailer to ring in the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The NYSE appearance comes after the "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" ad campaign last summer which sparked debate as to whether the play on "jeans" and "genes" was racially charged.
Omnicom posted its first earnings report following its $13 billion-plus acquisition of rival Interpublic Group in November, but did not break out organic revenue figures, a closely watched measure of agency health. Total revenue for Q4 landed at $5.5 billion, up 27.9% versus the year-ago period, with gains partially attributed to a month of factoring in the IPG business. Media and advertising made up about 60% of revenue for the period ended Dec. 31, while precision marketing contributed 10.3% and public relations 9.1%.
Last week, I bought a first edition management book for $150, even though the entire text is available online for free. It wasn't until my therapist asked me about my childhood relationship with books that things clicked. Growing up in a suburban town where the library was my escape, I remember desperately wanting to own the books I borrowed, to have something permanent that couldn't be taken back. Now, thirty years later, I'm still buying that feeling of security.
It's human nature to want to act immediately and alleviate pressure when you find yourself in hot water. But sharing news that isn't complete yet or telling the public too much too soon can turn up the temperature even more. Avoid the need for a public retraction later by accurately, concisely and clearly communicating with your audience from the start.
CMSWire's Marketing & Customer Experience Leadership channel is the go-to hub for actionable research, editorial and opinion for CMOs, aspiring CMOs and today's customer experience innovators. Our dedicated editorial and research teams focus on bringing you the data and information you need to navigate today's complex customer, organizational and technical landscapes.
For the first time, we introduced a comprehensive methodology that started with a formal submission process and included peer recognition, client surveys, employee surveys and media surveys. Survey participation was optional. Some firms felt uncomfortable asking clients for help or didn't want to burden staff. We respect that. Survey data was additive, not punitive-used when evaluating firms with comparable impact. We noted when response rates were particularly high or low, recognizing that high scores with robust participation are especially impressive.
There's something about watching Siff Haider's social media clips - where she breaks down retail strategy, trend forecasting and founder mindset - that feels like a Masterclass in building a modern wellness brand. On Instagram Reels, she shares her POV on topics like "How To Find Initial Customers As A New Brand" and "How To Build A Viral Brand With No Marketing Budget." On her Dream Bigger podcast, Haider covers everything from goal setting and brand storytelling to high-performance habits.
