#Hashtags, The Gartner Marketing & Communications Podcast

On this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner analyst Kate Muhl leverages Gartner’s proprietary quantitative and qualitative consumer research to paint a vivid picture of consumer life — and brand challenges — in the postinflation era. The discussion hones in on the consumer trends and cultural themes that will matter to CMOs and their organizations in 2025, as well as thought starters on making the most of those trends.Kate Muhl is a Gartner analyst specializing in cultural and consumer insights. Kate has been researching and advising on the consumer and U.S. culture for nearly two decades.

Joining the discussion is Augie Ray, a Gartner Vice President Analyst specializing in customer experience strategy. He dives into the critical nature of customer churn, emphasizing the importance of understanding where and why customers abandon brands. Augie highlights how CMOs can leverage data insights to identify detrimental touchpoints and implement proactive strategies to improve customer retention. He also explores the influence of organizational biases on CX initiatives and the need for a holistic approach to enhance brand loyalty throughout the customer journey.

Mike Froggatt, a Gartner analyst specializing in digital advertising, and Eric Schmitt, an expert in advertising strategy and analytics, delve into the secrets behind successful advertising. They unpack what separates high-performing marketers from the rest, emphasizing the necessity of data-driven tactics. The duo discusses the challenges of navigating an evolving advertising landscape influenced by privacy laws and new technologies. They also explore the role of generative AI in creative tasks and the importance of smart media planning to adapt to market changes.

In this episode, Gartner analyst Joesph Enever discusses insights from Gartner’s latest research on what really makes a difference in whether CMOs get credit for the value they create. The discussion includes how CMOs can approach telling the story of value, strategically alter their relationship to marketing analytics, and adjust their approach to metrics and talent to solidify their standing with the C-suite.Joseph Enever is a senior research director covering Marketing Data and Analytics. Joesph is focused on how marketing teams can evolve their marketing data and analytics capability, and navigate the key issues and technologies to achieve the best possible results. He has a deep understanding of digital analytics and optimization, from both digital transformation and practitioner perspectives.

Ant Duffin, a Vice President Analyst at Gartner specializing in digital commerce, shares insights on how top brands excel in the evolving digital landscape. He emphasizes the importance of a differentiated commerce strategy, focusing on customer retention alongside attraction. The discussion unveils strategies for talent development and highlights the balance between quick and thoughtful buying experiences. Duffin also underscores the role of innovative tools like generative AI and the need for effective customer relationship-building in driving success.

In this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner analyst Kate Muhl discusses findings — including some surprises — from recent consumer research into how consumer targets and audiences in the U.S. are thinking about — and coping with — this election season. We also discuss what those findings mean for CCOs and CMOs trying to make the right kind of connection with them.Kate Muhl is an Gartner analyst specializing in cultural and consumer insights. Kate has been researching and advising on the consumer and U.S. culture for nearly two decades.

In this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner analyst Jason Daigler discusses how CMOs and digital commerce leaders can use consumer insights to make better digital commerce decisions. The discussion includes insights discovered in recent consumer surveys and how the data paints a picture of where CMOs should invest and where they should pull back.Jason Daigler is a vice president analyst at Gartner focused on digital commerce technologies, including topics such as launching a commerce site, multichannel strategy, B2B commerce, channel integration, digital shelf analytics and marketplaces. Jason has 20+ years of business experience in digital commerce, software development and product management.

In this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner analyst Rick LaFond discusses how to create compelling value propositions and marketing communications that address the emotional side of B2B buying. Conventional wisdom suggests that while B2C buying might be emotionally charged, B2B buying is highly rational. However, B2B buying is heavily driven by emotions, and buyer perception of “personal value” from a brand is nearly 3x more strongly associated with positive brand outcomes than perception of “functional value.”Rick LaFond is a Gartner Senior Director Analyst for Gartner for Marketers. He leads Gartner's B2B customer acquisition & account growth research. As an analyst, Rick supports Gartner's clients with insights and guidance on various marketing topics, including demand generation, digital marketing strategy, sales enablement, content marketing and account-based marketing.

In this episode, Gartner analyst Audrey Brosnan shares how to build a clear vision for journey orchestration, highlighting key differences between campaign management and journey orchestration. The discussion offers practical advice on achieving results, using agile strategies, and overcoming challenges to position CMOs for success.Audrey Brosnan helps marketing leaders and digital marketers understand, evaluate, and optimize first-party marketing technologies to deliver results. She analyzes how capabilities like multichannel marketing, customer journey orchestration, personalization, and customer data management contribute to successful digital marketing programs.

In this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner analyst Halle Stern discusses how to ensure that personas are created using prescriptive data to create customer understanding assets that improve marketing strategies. The discussion covers how to involve stakeholders from other functions in the creation of personas and to see the value in using personas in their day-to-day work. Halle also discusses how to keep personas relevant and refresh them to change as target customers change.Halle Stern is a Senior Principal Analyst in Gartner’s marketing practice. She helps clients to better understand their customers’ needs and challenges to improve customer experience outcomes such as customer satisfaction, loyalty, retention and advocacy.