The Business Benefits Of Continued Education With Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek, CMO At Skillsoft

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In this episode, Michelle and I discuss our mentors and role models, Michelle’s priorities as CMO, and why hearing directly from customers helps her ensure Skillsoft is preparing today’s workforce for tomorrow’s economy.

Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is a big proponent of continual learning and believes development and growth should be accessible to all. She is passionate about making learning fun and gets to do just that as CMO at Skillsoft. As CMO, she is responsible for leading the global marketing strategy and increasing demand for Skillsoft’s solutions by understanding people don’t want to be marketed to; they want to be communicated with.

 In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • What jobs will be most in demand in the future and the current skills gap
  • The importance of marketers who also understand the financials of the business
  • Why Michelle puts such an emphasis on investing in leadership training

 Key Highlights

  • [01:25] Michelle’s Professional and Personal Role Models
  • [06:30] Michelle’s journey to becoming CMO of Skillsoft
  • [10:15] What is Skillsoft and who do they serve?
  • [13:45] Most in-demand roles and the skill gap
  • [14:15] Skillsofts tops 3 business priorities
  • [16:40] Skillsofts top 4 marketing priorities
  • [20:40] The importance of cross-functional training and curiosity
  • [23:00] The importance of training first-time managers
  • [25:40] Sustainability initiatives at Skillsoft
  • [29:15] How 9/11 impacted Michelle’s leadership style
  • [35:05] Learn to give yourself grace
  • [37:10] Markets have to be business people first
  • [38:25] Brands and causes that are impressing Michelle right now
  • [40:30] The threat of not investing in training for the future
  • [41:25] The importance of values alignments and authentic communication

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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

Retailers Look To Search, Partnerships For Growth In 2023

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According to a recent report from CommerceNext, retailers are seeing falling ROI on some ad strategies and will look to partnerships to boost customer acquisition and revenues in 2023.

The CommerceNext report, 2023 Digital Trends & Investment Priorities: A Brief Benchmark Report On Growth, Risk, And Strategy, reveals that the majority of retail marketers are reporting less growth than expected in 2022, and 42 percent are showing flat or declining sales.

“Inflation and interest hikes cooled consumer demand and forced more consumers to shift spending to non-discretionary items like groceries and gas,” the report states. ”These factors have sobered up retailers and brands who have tempered their forecasts to reflect both the anomalistic nature of 2021 and a new batch of macro forces that could curtail sales further.”

According to the report, this was especially surprising for retailers selling online, as eCommerce has shown robust growth during the past years since the start of the pandemic.

Marketing KPIs Faltered In 2022

For marketers, 2022 meant increased pressure on strategy to deliver conversions. Yet according to the report, most failed to meet expected benchmarks in 2022 in paid social.  

The combination of missed KPIs and lowered expectations for consumer spending have led to a new perspective on 2023 among retailers, according to the report.

“Humbled by both disappointing sales and harsh economic trends in 2022, retailers and brands curbed their enthusiasm for 2023,” the report states. “Growth rate expectations are in line with 2022’s actual performance, with nearly half (45 percent) of respondents projecting flat to single-digit growth (see Chart 2) and 11% are projecting negative growth.”

The report states that as economic uncertainty lingers, retailers and brands are limiting technology investments and doubling down on developing more effective strategies to boost marketing ROI. The report states that that will be more challenging in 2023 because of slowing online growth, the complexity of gaining accurate metrics, as well as the apparent downward trend in paid social KPIs.

Marketers May Dive Into Social Commerce 

According to the report, over 70 percent of retailers believe that most of their revenue in 2023 will come from retention and acquisition marketing efforts, with just 15 percent seeing improvements to customer experience as a revenue driver. According to the respondents, the bulk of customer acquisition spend will be focused on three areas: paid search, paid social and partnerships and affiliates, with 36 percent allocated to influencer marketing. 

According to the survey, as retailers shift their paid social strategy in search of improved ROI, they may look to diversify their spending on social platforms. 

“Where will those acquisition dollars go now? In terms of strategic shifts in social specifically, TikTok will likely soak up some extra ad dollars as retailers increase testing and try social commerce,” the report states. “TikTok end-to-end commerce is coming and is worth carving out some testing budget. The social media giant is staffing up its own U.S. fulfillment centers and continues racking up social commerce buyers faster than any other platform other than Instagram.”

Read the full report.

The Power Of Breakthrough Creative With Geoff Tanner, Chief Commercial And Marketing Officer At J.M. Smucker Co.

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Geoff Tanner is a passionate believer in the power of breakthrough creative. That philosophy and his passion for music lead to some of the most iconic campaigns of the past ten years. Geoff oversees the consumer and customer experience across the commercial funnel. He has a unique perspective on the blending of sales and marketing that helped JM Smucker transform from having a “sleepy” brand portfolio to being named on the Fast Company list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.

In this episode, Geoff and I discuss the key elements JM Smucker targeted to transform the brand portfolio, marketing strategy, and operating model. Geoff tells us what “The Power of One” is, the importance of household penetration and reach, and how improved metrics will impact the future of marketing and creative

 In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How diverse the JM Smucker portfolio is and the impact of multiple acquisitions
  • How to maintain relevance for a brand that is over 100 years old
  • Issues with ROI and impact measurements, and what the future may look like

 Key Highlights

  • [01:30] How Geoff is giving back to his community through music
  • [05:22] The path from rugby in New Zealand to the C Suit at JM Smucker
  • [08:15] How the public should think about JM Smucker’s portfolio
  • [09:25] JM Smucker’s transformation and new marketing model
  • [13:15] The key elements Geoff and his team had to change to reach their goals
  • [13:50] What is the “Power of One,” and how did it impact their agency search
  • [15:00] Identifying what was most critical to driving the business
  • [16:10] Modernizing Meow Mix
  • [17:45] Ludacris and Jif Peanut Butter
  • [18:50] Facelift for Folgers
  • [20:20] The Byron Sharp and Mark Ritson Influence
  • [22:45] Transforming the “selling machine”
  • [24:30] Markers of growth
  • [27:05] The balance of reach and creative
  • [28:25] Talk about JB Steenkamp
  • [29:15] How getting an internship at Heinze shaped Geoff’s perspective
  • [31:25] Give back earlier and know your value
  • [34:15] The fusion between sales and marketing
  • [35:50] Brands Geoff has his eye on
  • [37:05] The threats and opportunities associated with mass media measurement

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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

The Intent Economy: Why Social Commerce Is More Important Than Ever

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In 2012, Harvard professor David “Doc” Searls predicted that the marketplace would thrive or fail based on its ability to bridge the gap between customer intent, commercial user experiences and consumers’ need for data privacy. Ten years later, we revisit his speculations in the age of social commerce. 

How Social Media Became An Intent Map

Searls quite accurately predicted the future of social commerce in his 2012 book, “The Intention Economy: When Customers Take Charge.”

“Each customer will come to market equipped with his or her own means for collecting and storing personal data, expressing demand, making choices, setting preferences, proffering terms of engagement, offering payments and participating in relationships—whether those relationships are shallow or deep, and whether they last for moments or years,” Searls writes. “Those means will be standardized. No vendor will control them.”

While consumers have yet to be in complete control of their data, social media companies, in many aspects, are. When consumers opt-in to social media, they deliver a trove of search and behavioral data to social platforms, a practice that has drawn the federal government’s attention for years. According to a recent study, the average app may contact as many as 15 domains, with 12 of those connections initiated with unknown third-party domains.

That data allows these platforms to perform most of the functions that Searls described above only via predictive algorithms. Surprisingly, social apps contacted the fewest URLs. Part of that may be because social apps have access to exceptional first-party data. Platforms today serve as a proxy for customer intent, translating consumer behavior into insights that allow brand marketers to target their audiences effectively. But there’s a hitch—even on social media, banner ads still have low click-through rates. 

Today, brand marketers are shifting spending to platforms that deliver content that consumers enthusiastically engage with and share. TikTok, the social media platform with the highest user engagement, has an average watch rate of approximately 16 percent. That engagement is all the more valuable to brands, as TikTok’s dominance in user engagement means it has somehow hooked into consumer intent and leveraged those insights to deliver $2.5 billion in consumer spending in 2021.

According to TikTok, consumers are engaging with content and regularly taking action. That means brand marketers can leverage insights from TikTok (or other platforms) to determine consumer intent and shorten the distance between intent and purchase through social commerce—provided the platform’s regulatory and privacy concerns are addressed.

The Social Commerce Opportunity For Brand Marketers

As cookies become a thing of the past, social platforms’ first-party data will be key to finding a way to identify intent and shorten the sales funnel. Social commerce meets brand marketers’ needs on all fronts, allowing them to gain access to insights drawn from first-party data and making it easier for brands to drive sales through a native environment.

One simple way to do this is to partner with creators on platforms like TikTok. Approximately 67 percent of users surveyed said that TikTok inspired them to make a purchase, and creator partnerships on TikTok saw a video view-through rate increase of 193 percent for brands, per Hootsuite. According to eMarketer, U.S. social commerce sales will likely reach $45.74 billion by the end of the year, with more than half of the country’s adults making a purchase via social media.

The key reasons that social media users did not make a purchase through a social media platform range from a preference to make purchases directly from the brand to a need for clarification about the security of payments. For brand marketers seeking to capture consumers on social networks, solving payment concerns and developing branded e-commerce experiences will be key to engagement as social commerce grows. But brands shouldn’t forget, as Searls points out in his original article on the concept, that the Intention Economy is more than transactional: “Conversations matter. So do relationships. So do reputation, authority and respect. Those virtues, however, are earned by sellers (as well as buyers) and not just “branded” by sellers on the minds of buyers like the symbols of ranchers burned on the hides of cattle.”

For Searls, an avowed data privacy advocate, ad tech and media must focus on something deeper than fostering clicks. Businesses should craft their outreach based on customer intent—the needs and preferences that users share willingly. While Searls is a harsh critic of all things ad tech, his words may offer some insights for marketers.

“So, what can we do?” Searls writes. “The simple and difficult answer is to start making tools for individuals, and services leveraging those tools. These are tools empowering individuals with better ways to engage the world’s organizations, especially businesses […] Build some of those and we’ll have an intention economy that will do far more for business than what it’s getting now from the attention economy, regardless of how much money that economy is making today.”

Being A Data-Driven Agile Leader With Stacey Pool, CMO At Noodles & Co.

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As a world traveler who loves to learn, Stacey Pool embodies the “growth mindset.” With over twenty years of experience in consumer marketing, she has held a variety of leadership roles across multiple industries and has a strong track record of utilizing guest insights to deliver strong business results.  

In this episode, Stacey and I discuss the brand refresh she is leading at Noodles & Co. with digital initiatives and data components. Stacy knows it is people that fuel it all and has learned that being a balanced leader requires you to be able to adjust quickly to changing needs.

 In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • The importance of broadening your skill set and being an agile leader
  • The way digital and physical engagement intersect
  • How Noodles & Co. is using data to improve both the guest experience and profit margins

 Key Highlights

  • [03:45] How did Stacy end up as CMO at Noodles & Co.
  • [07:00] How lateral moves helped Stacy in her current executive roles
  • [09:00] The importance of agility and cross-training in leadership
  • [10:45] What Stacy learned from her transition to the food industry
  • [13:20] Noodles & Co. overview and differentiators
  • [15:20] The new brand positioning Stacy brought to the company
  • [18:25] The 100-day action plan and how it had to be adjusted
  • [21:00] How Noodles & Co. is approaching the digital transformation
  • [24:00] The data world Noodles is trying to build
  • [26:50] How data storage and usage have evolved
  • [28:25] How Stacy approaches the people side of the business
  • [32:10] The two experiences that shaped who Stacy is as a person
  • [33:50] Why people should give themselves more grace
  • [35:15] The importance of CDPs for marketers
  • [37:22] The work Stacy is doing with Community First and other brands to watch
  • [40:15] The threat of the unknown and the need to pivot quickly

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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

Gaining Relevance And Connecting To Consumers With Laura Hutfless, CEO And Co-Founder Of FlyteVu

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Laura Hutfless operates at the intersection of brands and culture makers. She works with founders with passion and brands with a purpose, helping them use ad dollars to drive change, understand where their consumers are, and leverage those spaces to change perceptions and earn trust.

In this episode, Laura and I discuss the difference between creating culture versus chasing culture, integrating versus interrupting, the importance of having a two-way exchange with consumers, and why marketers need to lean into Web3.

 In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How consumers and pop culture need to guide marketing plans
  • Why clients come to FlyteVu
  • The importance of building community, not just follower counts

 Key Highlights

  • [01:40] Becoming a new mom
  • [04:10] Laura’s path to founding FlyteVu
  • [06:30] Why brands need to connect to consumers through pop culture
  • [08:00] Starting with the headline you want to create and work out from there
  • [09:00] Examples of what Flyvu clients are looking for
  • [12:00] What brands should be focused on regarding culture
  • [15:00] Power of having partners who are aligned with brands values
  • [16:30] How marketing leaders should approach marketing
  • [17:20] Why FlyteVu is moving into web3
  • [18:30] Web3 educational workshop series
  • [20:50] What is Fv Incubator
  • [24:25] Underlying purpose to why Laura launched FlyteVu
  • [27:45] The power of the FlyteVu Fund
  • [30:00] Do you need a big budget to make a big impact?
  • [32:20] A story speaking to the power of imaginative deals
  • [33:55] How a sudden loss impacted Laura’s worldview
  • [38:00] Laura advice to her younger self
  • [39:20] Brands Laura thinks people need to take notice of
  • [41:30] How being encumbered by the process is a threat to marketers

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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

What Makes A Great CMO With Norm Yustin, Partner And Global Leader Of Customer Activation & Growth Practice At Russell Reynolds Associates

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Norm Yustin spent the first part of his career as a marketing executive. However, after a particularly impactful recruiting experience and some encouragement from friends and family, he made the move into leadership recruitment. Norm is widely published on the future of tech-enabled, go-to-market leadership, and he brings a unique perspective of developing self-awareness in pursuit of your passion.

In this episode, Norm and I discuss why CMOs need to be the most dynamic players in the C-suite, the danger of hyper-specialized teams and why risking leadership changes may be the right thing to do, and where the next-gen CMOs are coming from.

 In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • The state of the CMO role today
  • What should job seekers need to know from a recruiter’s perspective
  • What aspiring CMOs should be thinking about in terms of skill development

 Key Highlights

  • [03:30] Norms transition from being an executive to recruiting executives
  • [07:17] How losing out on a job shaped the way Norm thinks about recruitment now
  • [11:05] What does it mean to be a CMO today?
  • [14:00] Evaluating if a job is a right fit for you or if you just covet the role
  • [16:20] Why marketers tend to job hop more frequently
  • [18:30] Psychosomatic look into CMOs
  • [19:40] The obsession with Growth Titles and what it tells us about the state of change
  • [22:00] What to take away from the Trends of engineers turned markers
  • [23:30] Why are 80% of CMOs external hires?
  • [27:40] Wavemaker vs Waveriders
  • [31:40] Norm’s thoughts on the CMO to CEO trend
  • [37:05] How traveling shape Norms worldview and leadership style
  • [40:45] Norm’s advice to his younger self
  • [43:50] The everchanging quest of understanding consumers
  • [47:00] Positioning yourself as a “Customer-centric tech-enabled leader”

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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

Building A Brand From The Inside With Stephanie McCarty, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer At Taylor Morrison

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With a background in journalism and a career in communications, Stephanie McCarty may not be the typical CMO, but that is exactly what makes her perfect for the job. She is leading a marketing revolution in homebuilding by reimagining the marketplace and digital shopping experience at Taylor Morrison.

In this episode, Stephanie and I discuss how to get your entire organization rowing in the same direction by understanding that culture building is the groundwork for success and why having a consistent, compelling message is essential no matter who you are talking to.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • The importance of pushing for innovations in established industries
  • Benefits of building the brand reputation from the inside out rather than trying to shape external opinions
  • Why CMOs need to focus on the employee experience as well as the customer experience

Key Highlights

  • [02:00] How experiencing loss at an early age motivates Stephanie today
  • [05:20] The nontraditional path that led Stephanie to the CMO role
  • [16:00] The rapid pace of change in the marketing industry
  • [17:50] Who is Taylor Morrison?
  • [19:30] What marketing and communications look like at Taylor Morrison
  • [25:30] How to stay close to the customer journey
  • [28:00] Collecting and using data to understand how customers think
  • [33:00] Advice for CMO’s thinking on the employee experience
  • [35:20] What is TMLiving?
  • [38:50] Defining moments in Stephanie’s life
  • [41:00] The power of “radical candor”
  • [42:50] Advice for her younger self
  • [43:20] Focusing on customer effort
  • [44:00] Brands that have nailed the customer experience
  • [45:45] The opportunity associated with rapid change

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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

Cultivating A Community Of Brand Advocates With Traeger CMO Todd Smith

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Todd Smith developed a deep respect for brands and brand managers early in his career. After years of working across several different industries, Todd has been CMO at Traeger for the past three years, where he spends most of his time working with the sales, product, and technology teams to drive innovation in every step of the customer journey.

In this episode, Todd and I discuss how no matter what you’re selling, it’s all about understanding who you are trying to reach and working to build a connection. Todd is passionate about cultivating a community of advocates and is always trying to adapt and develop new ways to engage.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How Traeger is cultivating a community of passionate advocates
  • The benefits of leveraging collaborations in product and marketing
  • The importance of valuing relationships

Key Highlights

  • [03:30] How Todd became CMO at Traeger
  • [07:00] Marketing across different industries
  • [07:35] How is the role of CMO defined at Traeger
  • [08:20] what is the Traegerhood?
  • [11:20] Marketings role in fostering community
  • [14:45] How Traeger is building a long-lasting customer journey
  • [16:40] Transitioning distribution channels
  • [17:50] Leveraging collaborations in product and marketing
  • [20:00] Product innovation as a growth driver
  • [23:00] The “coaching tree” and how it guides Todds decision making
  • [24:50] The importance of valuing relationships
  • [25:55] Staying up to speed by being close to the consumers
  • [27:00] Companies to watch
  • [29:30] Evolving the way you reach your consumer

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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

CMO Moves: John Boris Joins Tripadvisor

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This week we’re covering new marketing leadership moves at Tripadvisor, Weedmaps, BlueBet, Better Bath and Beyond and more.

Tripadvisor Appoints John Boris As Chief Marketing Officer

Veteran marketer John Boris has been appointed by Tripadvisor as CMO. Boris, who previously served as CMO for Shutterfly, has more than 26 years of professional work experience and will lead customer acquisition and engagement, marketing efficiency, brand reach and resonance, as well as partnerships.  

“I’m excited to have John join Tripadvisor as our Chief Marketing Officer, knowing he will put the needs of travelers and our partners at the heart of everything we do. John has a demonstrated track record building global brands, and this company will benefit from his deep experience in e-commerce, travel, and hospitality,” said Matt Goldberg, CEO of Tripadvisor, Inc, in a press statement.

WM Technology Names New CMO

WM Technology, Inc—more commonly known as Weedmaps—has named Randa McMinn as its new CMO. McMinn, who has more than 28 years of professional work experience, was previously CMO at Reali.

“Randa brings an immense wealth of experience to Weedmaps, and her leadership will be critical as we work to further enhance our marketplace experience for consumers while also building innovative and critical technology solutions for our retail and brand partners,” stated Doug Francis, co-founder and Executive Chair of WM Technology in a press release. 

Sage Appoints Former CMO As Non-Executive Director

Sage has appointed Maggie Chan, founder of Tenshey and veteran tech marketer, as the company’s non-executive director. Chan, who has more than 17 years of professional work experience, was previously the CMO of SAP. 

Andrew Duff, chair, stated: “I am delighted to welcome Maggie to the Sage board. She brings with her deep international marketing and brand experience gained from her time spent at some of the world’s largest technology companies and will highly complement the skills we already have on the board. Maggie also brings a passion for creating diverse and inclusive cultures, and I look forward to the valuable contribution she will make in board discussions as we build an inclusive, high-performing and accountable culture at Sage.”

BlueBet Adds CMO

BlueBet has named Tony Thomas as its new CMO. Thomas, who has more than 20 years of professional work experience, will manage strategic marketing processes and strategies.

“Tony is a world-class marketer that thinks differently, and we’re delighted to be bringing his expertise, drive, and track record of supporting growth to BlueBet.“

Stated Bill Richmond, CEO at BlueBet, in a press statement.

Bed, Bath And Beyond Names New EVP

Bed, Bath and Beyond has named Bart Sichel as EVP, Chief Marketing & Customer Officer. Sichel, previously of Mckinsey and Company, will lead will fully integrated marketing and customer strategies for Bed Bath & Beyond, buybuy BABY and Harmon. Sichel has more than 35 years of professional work experience.

“I’m joining Bed Bath & Beyond at an important moment for the company and look forward to partnering with the entire leadership team to build on the power of each concept and strengthen relationships with our partners,” stated Bart Sichel in press release.