Marketing Trends

Over the course of more than 230 episodes of Marketing Trends, we have heard from industry leaders about their strategies and tactics, learned from their wins and their failures, and we’ve looked at the future of the industry and made predictions about what’s to come. But no one could have predicted the twists and turns of 2020. In our episode with David Marine, the CMO of Coldwell Banker, he might have said it best:"Everyone has a plan to get punched in the face. And I think on a global scale, everybody's been punched in the face in some way, shape or form over the last couple of months….but I give my team a ton of credit and the ability to pivot. ...if there's a marketing term of the year, that would be it. Because we had to look at what we had, let's not abandoned ship with it, but how does it make sense for today's environment where we can, where we find ourselves?"As David said, everyone and everything changed, and so businesses needed to adapt and make decisions on a daily basis that ultimately would impact their bottom lines. Ultimately, campaigns had to end, messaging had to shift, and the way brands interacted with their customers was different than ever before. Empathy led the way, which Mary Hines, the Chief Marketing Officer, US Consumer at Citi, mentioned when she dropped by the show.“We got together as a leadership team and created a task force to ensure that across everything we do, that we were having the right, appropriate language, tone, and visual imagery in light of this unprecedented time, and to ensure that our offers were relevant. So instead of marketing three times on dining out, which would have really toned us as irrelevant, we shifted to things like restaurant takeout and streaming services — things that were much more relevant to the time. And then recognizing that we were also going into a recessionary event, given the economic impacts, ensuring that we had the right assistance for our customers.”While we are all still living through unprecedented times, one thing remains true: business carries on. Every marketing leader we speak to understands that fact, and they also know that if they want to continue to succeed, regardless of the changing times, they need a plan. They need to know where the market stands, what their customers need, and how expectations are shifting. Basically, they need data. Or, as Dani Cushion, the CMO of Cardlytics said:“If you're not using data to figure out how to make sure that you're reaching people who are receptive to, or have some kind of higher propensity to buy your advertising, you're just still spraying and praying.”There are countless ways that marketing leaders gather and analyze data. One is through the Salesforce State of Marketing and Customer Insights Research Reports. On this episode of Marketing Trends, we invited Chris Jacob, a Product Marketing Leader at Salesforce, to give us insights into those reports, including a deep dive into some of the data that leaders like the ones we bring on this show are using to make decisions about the future of their marketing efforts.Main Takeaways:Taking Your Pulse: In 2020, every person and every industry had to make adjustments. But those adjustments didn’t happen once and then life kept rolling forward. Every day saw different challenges, which meant that consumers and businesses were forced to constantly adapt. In order to stay on top of everything that was happening in the world of marketing, Salesforce was constantly checking in with and surveying leaders in the industry.Zoom Out: When there are so many insights in a report, it’s easy to get fixated on one data point or audience segment, but it’s important to look at the entire picture. If you only focus on, for example, a big shift in how millennials are consuming content, the other segments of your audience may get ignored, which ultimately will impact your bottom line. Take in the whole picture and make decisions based on everything you know.Consistency is Key: Consumers reward brands that maintain a consistent set of values. When the world changes or the needs of the consumer base shift, brands should stay true to the key tenets that they set up for themselves, show empathy, and be transparent with the decisions they are making. Those are the only ways to build lasting trust with consumers.---Marketing Trends podcast is brought to you by Salesforce. Discover marketing built on the world’s number one CRM: Salesforce. Put your customer at the center of every interaction. Automate engagement with each customer. And build your marketing strategy around the entire customer journey. Salesforce. We bring marketing and engagement together. Learn more at salesforce.com/marketing. To learn more or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, visit MarketingTrends.com. Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Whether it’s the latest Jordan’s, the classic Nike Killshot sneakers, or your standard run-of-the-mill Vans, sneaker culture continues to dominate urban culture. But how much are those classic Air Force Ones worth? Are you overpaying for those limited run Lebron’s?“StockX is about balancing the needs and the wants of buyers and sellers. We are working to cater to both sides of the market, being data-driven, and changing the dynamic in the space. Rather than letting brands determine how something should be priced, or when something should be available or be out of stock, we're really flipping that paradigm and allowing the market to determine how much something is worth and really leveling the playing field.”StockX is attempting to walk that line between being a safe-haven for buyers looking for a fair deal, and an online marketplace for collectors trying to unload their merchandise. Deena Bahri  is the CMO of StockX and on this episode of Marketing Trends, she discusses the work StockX is doing to be a valued online merchant, and she dives into the dynamics of appealing to a sneaker audience, and much more.Key TakeawaysCustomerX: One of the key challenges with being an eCommerce platform that deals with third party buyers and sellers is building trust with your audience. They need to know that the products they are purchasing are indeed what they intended to buy. But you have to balance the needs of both your buyers and sellers so both sides are having a good experience. StockX has a team of authenticators to ensure the seller gets a fair price and the buyer receives the proper product.Have Empathy: Now more than ever brands need to value their customers. This means having empathy for those customers when situations arise. Make sure your brand is providing a voice that encourages your customers to reach out to you and then when they do reach out about disagreements, be transparent and confident in your process while trying to provide as much context as possible.Tech, Data, and Shoes Oh My!: Growing a business, especially when that business is in eCommerce, means you have to be well-versed in your technology stack, the data and analytics you are collecting. You must understand and utilize the insights that you can gather from that data collection.---Marketing Trends podcast is brought to you by Salesforce. Discover marketing built on the world’s number one CRM: Salesforce. Put your customer at the center of every interaction. Automate engagement with each customer. And build your marketing strategy around the entire customer journey. Salesforce. We bring marketing and engagement together. Learn more at salesforce.com/marketing. Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

For years, the relationship between brand and consumer has been one factor that has separated companies from their peers. But what do those same relationships mean when it comes to B2B companies? Is there the same customer satisfaction when it comes to businesses on a customer journey? “At the end of the day, businesses don't sell to businesses. Human beings sell to other human beings, and the ability to understand your customer, understand the pains that they're facing, how they make decisions and what part you can play, make their job’s and their lives easier is paramount to the success of a CMO.”That’s, Gina Hortatsos, the CMO of LogicGate, and on this episode of Marketing trends, she discusses why the customer journey for B2B companies needs to evolve. Plus, Gina dives into the best hiring practices and why a small, but mighty team is the way to go.Main TakeawaysFeeling Risky: Risk management is harder than it has ever been. With more and more employees working remotely, the number of potential employees exposed to security and privacy risks has increased as well. Companies can no longer rely on the structures they had in place before. In order to manage risk, you have to have a system in place.Selling To A Person, Not a Business: B2B companies are drastically behind their B2C counterparts when it comes to personalizing the customer journey for their clients. At the end of the day, companies have to remember they are selling to other humans and must have a better understanding of the pain points those customers are facing and how they make decisions, then create an experience that addresses those things.You Need An Attitude Adjustment: When looking at your hiring process, identify core pillars. For LogicGate, three key elements they look at when analyzing potential employees are intellectual curiosity, willingness to learn, and, most importantly, a candidate’s attitude.---Marketing Trends podcast is brought to you by Salesforce. Discover marketing built on the world’s number one CRM: Salesforce. Put your customer at the center of every interaction. Automate engagement with each customer. And build your marketing strategy around the entire customer journey. Salesforce. We bring marketing and engagement together. Learn more at salesforce.com/marketing. To learn more or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, visit MarketingTrends.com. Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Kate Huyett is the CMO of Bombas, which she says has two main identifiers:“The two main pillars that we've been focused on, you know, really steadily over the last six years, our comfort and mission…When someone puts our socks on their feet and they say, wow, these really are the most comfortable socks I’ve ever put on and I can feel great about wearing them because an item has been donated to someone in need." That second pillar of being mission-driven is rooted in the idea that brands can make a difference through the products they sell, especially if the products are of high quality. tOn this episode of Marketing Trends, Kate discusses what it means to be mission-driven, and why your products need to be your guiding light. Plus, Kate touches on the importance of your overall portfolio succeeding and why podcast marketing was right for Bombas.Main TakeawaysPortfolio over Channel: The overall performance of your portfolio is far more important that the individual success of different channels. When analyzing your channels, even if every channel appears to be succeeding, if the overall return is poor, something is wrong. Make sure to look at the overall health of your portfolio and let that dictate your direction.Know your Mission: Your mission and product need to be your guiding light. At Bombas, there are two main pillars they follow that lead their marketing efforts, comfort and mission. If you’re a brand-first product, let that product speak for itself.Influencing the Masses: One of the more unique ways Bombas has chosen to spend its ad dollars is through podcast marketing. Podcasts tend to have loyal listenership, which in return boasts authentic trust between the host and the audience. If an audience trusts the influencer, they are more likely to purchase your product.---Marketing Trends podcast is brought to you by Salesforce. Discover marketing built on the world’s number one CRM: Salesforce. Put your customer at the center of every interaction. Automate engagement with each customer. And build your marketing strategy around the entire customer journey. Salesforce. We bring marketing and engagement together. Learn more at salesforce.com/marketing. To learn more or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, visit MarketingTrends.com. Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

They say two is better than one, so it stands to reason that three is better than two, right? Well, you can ask Jason Clark that question because he has not one, not two, but three roles at Netskope. Officially, Jason is the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, and what that means is that he is responsible for the marketing, security and strategy teams. Luckily, Jason has incredible people working with him to lighten the load, but that doesn’t make the work he does simple. On this episode of Marketing Trends, Jason takes us behind the scenes of life at Netskope and what it means to market and provide security transformations to companies around the world.  Main Takeaways:   I Was You: When what you’re trying to sell is security, it’s hard to not fall into the trap of being alarmist. You don’t want to scare potential customers, instead you want to empathize with them. One way to do that is by bringing in former CIOs to sell to CIOs, because someone who is sitting in that leadership position is much more likely to listen to someone who was once in his or her shoes than a typical salesperson. Howdy, Partner: In terms of security, for the most part everyone is fighting the same enemy. That makes it prudent to find and work with best-in-class partners to provide even more protection to the customers you are working with. And when you work with good partners, everyone in the partnership — including the customer — wins in the end. The Link Between CSOs and CMOs: While the head of security and head of marketing might not seem like two people who have a lot in common, the truth is that both of those roles boil down to one idea: trust. CSOs need to build trust in the security and the team they have built and CMOs need to build trust among customers. As such, the two roles should be much more connected and rely on each other more. --- Marketing Trends podcast is brought to you by Salesforce. Discover marketing built on the world’s number one CRM: Salesforce. Put your customer at the center of every interaction. Automate engagement with each customer. And build your marketing strategy around the entire customer journey. Salesforce. We bring marketing and engagement together. Learn more at salesforce.com/marketing.  To learn more or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, visit MarketingTrends.com.   Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

They say two is better than one, so it stands to reason that three is better than two, right? Well, you can ask Jason Clark that question because he has not one, not two, but three roles at Netskope. Officially, Jason is the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, and what that means is that he is responsible for the marketing, security and strategy teams. Luckily, Jason has incredible people working with him to lighten the load, but that doesn’t make the work he does simple. On this episode of Marketing Trends, Jason takes us behind the scenes of life at Netskope and what it means to market and provide security transformations to companies around the world. Main Takeaways:I Was You: When what you’re trying to sell is security, it’s hard to not fall into the trap of being alarmist. You don’t want to scare potential customers, instead you want to empathize with them. One way to do that is by bringing in former CIOs to sell to CIOs, because someone who is sitting in that leadership position is much more likely to listen to someone who was once in his or her shoes than a typical salesperson.Howdy, Partner: In terms of security, for the most part everyone is fighting the same enemy. That makes it prudent to find and work with best-in-class partners to provide even more protection to the customers you are working with. And when you work with good partners, everyone in the partnership — including the customer — wins in the end.The Link Between CSOs and CMOs: While the head of security and head of marketing might not seem like two people who have a lot in common, the truth is that both of those roles boil down to one idea: trust. CSOs need to build trust in the security and the team they have built and CMOs need to build trust among customers. As such, the two roles should be much more connected and rely on each other more.---Marketing Trends podcast is brought to you by Salesforce. Discover marketing built on the world’s number one CRM: Salesforce. Put your customer at the center of every interaction. Automate engagement with each customer. And build your marketing strategy around the entire customer journey. Salesforce. We bring marketing and engagement together. Learn more at salesforce.com/marketing. To learn more or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, visit MarketingTrends.com.  Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Mark Timm says one of the best days of his life filled with mixed emotions. Riding the high of a successful day at the office was compounded by the realization that his work life and personal life were out of sync. Something had to change. So, it did. Today, Mark is a serial entrepreneur and the co-author of the book, Mentor to Millions, and he joined Marketing Trends for a vibrant discussion on how that moment led him down a pathway to his current endeavor. Plus, Mark dives into how marketers can stand out in a crowded eCommerce space. Main Takeaways Think Differently: As a marketer, your promotional materials have to stand out. If most companies are sending digital marketing materials, shift to the other end of the spectrum and send physical mailers. If your marketing doesn’t make the consumer stop and think about it, you aren’t doing effective marketing. Know Your Numbers: When doing digital advertising, have a full understanding of the cost of your product and what your cost-per-customer ad spend can be. Businesses and marketers get in trouble when they don’t have a full understanding of those two numbers and when you don’t have an understanding of those numbers, that’s when overspending occurs. Find a Mentor: In business, having a mentor is the best way to set yourself up for success. Some of the most successful and important business people had mentors when they were growing their businesses. Mentors help you learn the fundamental aspects of success and how to manage success. --- Marketing Trends podcast is brought to you by Salesforce. Discover marketing built on the world’s number one CRM: Salesforce. Put your customer at the center of every interaction. Automate engagement with each customer. And build your marketing strategy around the entire customer journey. Salesforce. We bring marketing and engagement together. Learn more at salesforce.com/marketing.  To learn more or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, visit MarketingTrends.com. Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

No two generations are ever the same, but there has never been a generation that has demanded so much of a marketing department’s attention quite like Generation Z. On this episode of Marketing Trends, Kamal Bhandal, the Vice President of Global Marketing and Consumer Marketing for Align Technology, discusses how marketing teams are shifting their attention to connect with a younger generation and meet their needs. Plus she talks about why authenticity and storytelling are at the heart of their efforts to connect with that group. Main TakeawaysDemanding Attention: Generation Z is demanding the attention of marketers everywhere and forcing marketing departments to up their game when it comes to creativity. In order to appeal to a younger audience, marketers need to improve their creativity levels by telling authentic and different stories. If you can’t connect with Generation Z from an authenticity standpoint, you won’t be able to speak to them effectively.Experimentation Breeds Success: Focus your efforts on trying new things. If your data is telling you your messaging isn’t working, it’s time to invest your resources into something new. Feel free to expand your horizons to understand what works for your brand and what doesn't.Consuming That Content: Media consumption has changed and as a result, content production strategies need to be adjusted as well. As consumers are spending more time with their devices, you should be experimenting with new ways to reach them where they are.---Marketing Trends podcast is brought to you by Salesforce. Discover marketing built on the world’s number one CRM: Salesforce. Put your customer at the center of every interaction. Automate engagement with each customer. And build your marketing strategy around the entire customer journey. Salesforce. We bring marketing and engagement together. Learn more at salesforce.com/marketing. To learn more or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, visit MarketingTrends.com. Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

When Martin Kihn was a disgruntled marketing consultant, he wrote a book called House of Lies.  Millions of copies sold, a television offer, nearly five seasons and 58 episodes later, that tale has been heard in one form or another by the masses.. But, Marty’s marketing story didn’t end there.  Today Marty is the SVP of Strategy for Marketing Cloud at Salesforce and he joined Marketing Trends for an in-depth conversation on what he sees happening in the industry today. Plus, he discusses his new book and why data continues to push marketers forward.Main TakeawaysShift Happens: The fundamental aspects of marketing have changed. It’s now less about being creative and more about understanding what your data is telling you. As a marketer, you need to understand what your data is telling you and how it relates to your consumer. Then you need to inject that data into their experiences and influence them in the proper moments.Just Out Here Browsing: Browsing companies are taking a more prominent role in the marketing landscape. The level of connection between the consumer and the device is growing. Any businesses currently competing against companies that own major browsers are struggling to keep up with the level of data those companies collect.Fall Guys: As a competitor, you must organize your customer data. If you continue to stand still, and don’t empower your data, you will fall behind as a marketer. And those companies that stand still completely and do nothing with their data, will likely be out of business within five years.---Marketing Trends podcast is brought to you by Salesforce. Discover marketing built on the world’s number one CRM: Salesforce. Put your customer at the center of every interaction. Automate engagement with each customer. And build your marketing strategy around the entire customer journey. Salesforce. We bring marketing and engagement together. Learn more at salesforce.com/marketing. To learn more or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, visit MarketingTrends.com. Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

How many drinks does it take to get to .08? That single question lingers in the minds of consumers everywhere after a few drinks. What if the answer was just a few breaths away? What if you never again had to guess about your ability to safely drive home? That’s the world Shawn Casey is trying to create with BACtrack. Shawn is the VP of Marketing at BACtrack, and on this episode of Marketing Trends, he discusses how he is working to build brand awareness and how to capitalize on content your audience is connecting with.Main TakeawaysTailored to You: When you’re an eCommerce store, you have an opportunity to personalize the experience to your customers. Look at what pages they are viewing, what content they are looking for, and then tailor the experience to them.Make Content that Resonates with the Audience: Sometimes content you least expect to work is your biggest driving force. Make sure your content has a purpose that fits your audience. If it’s impactful and meaningful, your audience will find it and engage.Building Awareness: One of the biggest hurdles for BACtrack has been finding ways to build awareness around consumer breathalyzers. The best way to overcome that? Go straight to the consumer and test products in real-life situations with real-life people.---Marketing Trends podcast is brought to you by Salesforce. Discover marketing built on the world’s number one CRM: Salesforce. Put your customer at the center of every interaction. Automate engagement with each customer. And build your marketing strategy around the entire customer journey. Salesforce. We bring marketing and engagement together. Learn more at salesforce.com/marketing. To learn more or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, visit MarketingTrends.com. Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.