The Path to Customer Success with Bynder’s Heidi Lasker

We’ve increasingly heard customer success and customer experience used interchangeably, but Heidi Lasker, SVP of Customer Success for the Americas and APAC at Bynder, believes that while they are interconnected, they hold different spaces within a company.

In this episode, Heidi and I discuss tools for customer success and how to integrate them within the lifecycle of your customer and user relationship.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How Bynder excels at customer success
  • Why strong cross-functional collaboration is critical to CX
  • How to deliver the best possible experience through success programs

Key Highlights

  • [02:15] Heidi’s career journey
  • [04:49] The role of Bynder in today’s online world
  • [06:00] How trends in the market have influenced Bynder’s path
  • [07:38] Getting control of your asset management
  • [10:38] What “good” content operation looks like
  • [12:50] How Customer Success is defined today
  • [15:38] The interplay between Customer Experience and Customer Success
  • [18:20] Community’s role with users and customers
  • [21:17] Marketing’s role in Customer Success
  • [24:45] An experience that defines Heidi
  • [26:33] Heidi’s advice for her younger self
  • [27:18] What marketers should be learning more about
  • [28:46] Brands Heidi is fascinated by
  • [30:20] The biggest opportunity and threat for marketers today

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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.

The Power Of Connection With The Meet Group’s Catherine Connelly

Starting her first company at age 15, Catherine Connelly is all about meeting new people. As the SVP of Marketing for The Meet Group, the top provider of live streaming video and creator economy solutions for a number of the world’s top social apps, Catherine relies heavily on that connection to her users for audience engagement and growth.

In this episode, Catherine and I discuss her extraordinary career path, iOS changes, The Meet Group’s differentiating model for monetization, and the importance of storytelling.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How to update your tactics for performance marketing
  • The future of social media monetization
  • The importance of PR and storytelling

Key Highlights

  • [0:42] First business at age 15 with her two brothers
  • [04:25] Catherine’s career path
  • [12:24] Having a place to connect with others
  • [15:48] Knowing where your users are; how to update your tactics
  • [17:04] How iOS changes affect acquisition efforts
  • [19:39] Monetization of The Meet Group
  • [23:57] Catherine’s role at The Meet Group
  • [27:45] Best tactics for performance marketing
  • [31:38] App Store optimization
  • [37:31] PR, storytelling, and making viral or sharable moments
  • [42:49] A moment that defines who Catherine is today
  • [44:59] Catherine’s advice for her younger self
  • [47:22] What marketers need to learn more about: macro trends and thinking scrappy
  • [49:54] The companies and causes Catherine follows: Oasis Consortium
  • [52:40] The biggest opportunity for marketers today: Apple really makes things up

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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.

Leisure And Business Flights Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels

Traveling for business and pleasure is picking back up, according to new data from Deloitte and the Mastercard Economics Institute. The former’s summer travel survey shows financial concerns have some staying home, but those who do plan to travel are prepared to increase their budgets. Meanwhile, Mastercard found travel spending is returning to experiences over souvenirs and that the loosening of restrictions is encouraging tourism. Here are the key findings from each report.


Deloitte: 2022 Summer Travel Survey

Nearly half (46 percent) of Americans are planning a trip involving stays in hotels or other types of paid lodging. Most of these travelers are younger, but those over 55 are also open to travel again via car and plane. About 30 percent of travelers plan to spend more than they did in 2019; high airfares and room rates are the top reason why.

US-based properties, carriers and destinations stand to collect the lion’s share of travel spend, with 67 percent of travelers planning hotel stays and 16 percent planning rental stays.

Just 15 percent of Americans, or 27 percent of travelers, plan to take an international flight.


Mastercard Economics Institute: Travel 2022 Trends and Transitions

Global leisure and business flight bookings have exceeded pre-pandemic levels while spending on cruise lines, buses and trains saw strong improvements this year.

By the end of April, global leisure flight bookings surpassed 2019 levels by 25 percent; short- and medium-haul leisure flight bookings were up 25 percent and 27 percent, respectively. Global business flight bookings exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time in March, with long-haul growing double-digits in April. Mastercard says the return to the office was a primary driver.

Experiential spending is now 34 percent above 2019 levels, with the largest spending increases seen in bars and nightclubs (72 percent) followed by amusement parks, museums, concerts and other recreational activities (35 percent).

International tourist spending on experiences grew 60 percent in Singapore and roughly 23 percent in the US. In the UK, spending growth each month in 2022 more than doubled compared to 2019 levels, currently 140 percent for April.

Consumers have also grown more comfortable with group travel, as recent spending levels suggest. Though it remains below 2019 levels, global spending on cruises gained 62 percentage points from January to the end of April. Buses are back at pre-pandemic levels while passenger rail spending remains 7 percent below. In addition, spending on tolls and auto rentals are up nearly 19 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

As travel restrictions loosen, booking has become easier. As a result, the US, UK, Switzerland, Spain and The Netherlands are now the top destinations for tourists globally.

Brands Are Having Trouble Navigating Socio-Political Situations According To Survey

A new poll from Axios Harris which surveys over 33,000 Americans nationally about the 100 most visible companies in the country is showing that brands are having some trouble navigating an increasingly complex socio-political landscape.

The companies are ranked by survey responders across seven different dimensions like trust, ethics, growth, service, etc. That then creates an aggregate score that provides insight on how consumers view the company’s reputation. 

Overall, grocery chain brands a faring well this year, with Trader Joe’s ranked #1, HEB Grocery at #2 and Wegmans sitting at #5, dominating the top 10. Previously, Patagonia held onto their position at #1, but has fallen to #3.

This year, hardware technology companies like Samsung, Sony, IBM and Microsoft are seeing dramatic jumps in their rankings from the previous year, with high scores in growth and vision dimensions. 

But it hasn’t been positive for all and there are some clear indicators that brands are facing some difficulties when it comes to navigating a fraught political environment.

For example, Disney has fallen hard from 37th just a year ago to now 65th place, which is likely from the company’s decision to speak out on Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. For McDonald’s, a delay in pulling its business out of Russia likely affected the company’s reputation negatively this year among survey respondents. 

This is all likely because 31% of respondents say that companies should prioritize the views of customers moreso than its shareholders (16%). According to Axios, companies that had clear partisan affiliations were ranked as having higher trust and responsibility scores than those that did not last year.

The Power Of The Open Internet With The Trade Desk’s Ian Colley

Ian Colley has worn many hats, from working as a chicken processor in his college days to his current role as CMO at The Trade Desk. He joins the show to share what he’s learned about marketing, communications, and data-driven advertising from the variety of roles he’s played.

In this episode, Ian and I discuss the open internet and how it allows you to manage your campaign spend more precisely, reach your entire audience, and make data-driven decisions. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How to manage your campaign spend more precisely
  • Why connected television needs to be a part of your advertising strategy
  • The importance of data-driven decisions in advertising 

Key Highlights 

  • [02:00] Ian’s career path, from a large corporation to a startup
  • [04:30] Crossover between communications and marketing
  • [08:30] The power of the open internet
  • [10:30] Reaching your entire market with connected television
  • [13:30] How The Trade Desk helps modern marketers
  • [15:30] The transformation of journalism
  • [17:00] An experience that defines Ian
  • [18:45] Ian’s advice for his younger self
  • [19:30] What marketers should be learning more about
  • [21:30] Brands Ian is fascinated by
  • [23:00] The biggest opportunity and threat for marketers today 

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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.

Leaning Into “And” As A CMO With Jenny Rooney, Co-Founder Of Black Glass CMO House

Jenny Rooney is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Black Glass CMO House, a new membership club for CMOs, focused on empowering, inspiring, and supporting the person behind the title. Before starting CMO House, Jenny spent over a decade with the Forbes CMO Network team, where she managed content and events critical to executive-level marketing decision-makers.

In this episode, Jenny and I discuss defining your unique skills and purpose. Jenny shares that the CMO role is full of nuance, and, to be successful, you have to embrace the “and” that comes with it.

Listen to learn how to uncover your marketing superpowers and harness them for holistic growth.

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

  • The importance of empathy as a CMO
  • The power of defining your skills and purpose
  • What it means to focus on “and” not “or” as a CMO

Things to listen for:

  • [01:00] Jenny’s career path
  • [04:00] What differentiates CMO House from other organizations
  • [07:35] Welcoming diverse perspectives
  • [09:00] Qualities of great CMOs
  • [11:00] Weathering challenges in marketing
  • [15:30] Adapting to new ways of working with tight constraints
  • [19:30] Clarifying your skills and purpose
  • [24:00] Approaching the metaverse
  • [27:30] Using business for good
  • [31:00] The role of CMOs in driving growth
  • [34:00] Re-defining creativity
  • [37:15] Transitioning from CMO to CEO
  • [40:00] Embracing the nuance of the CMO role
  • [44:45] What marketers need to learn more about

Resources Mentioned:

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Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart: 


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.

The Great Debate: Marketing Growth Frameworks

There are two schools of thought when it comes to marketing growth: purists who strongly believe in the traditional principles of brand building and pragmatic balancers who utilize a mix of modern marketing opportunities. That’s according to a new MMA Global report that explores marketers’ approaches to leading growth frameworks.

First up, the research shows that 65 percent of marketers claim to have clear alignment on their growth strategy while 83 percent of the very senior team and 50 percent of all other levels have very clear alignment on growth drivers.

Though greater familiarity with the frameworks indicates increased alignment in terms of growth strategy, not many marketers are familiar with more than one or two leading growth frameworks. For example, 80 percent of marketers are extremely familiar with at least one marketing growth framework while about 12 percent are familiar with at least five. In addition, 64 percent are familiar with one framework and 81 percent are familiar with five. Most are familiar with four (86 percent).

Though 65 percent of companies have very clear alignment about marketing growth drivers, only 25 percent of companies have achieved year-over-year growth over the last five years. 

The two schools of thought MMA uncovered include the “go long and broad purists” and “pragmatic balancers.” The purists are primarily comprised of very senior marketers (43 percent) with strong convictions that the primary drivers of growth include the traditional principles of brand building, reach and penetration. Forty-two percent of these purists have clear gaps in martech capabilities and 59 percent of them don’t believe that some customers are more valuable than others. 

Balancers, on the other hand, are mostly mid-senior marketers (73 percent) who utilize modern marketing opportunities such as targeting and who choose to balance varying approaches without focusing on one unifying theory. Additionally, 51 percent of them have industry-leading, best-in-class martech capabilities. MMA notes that these schools of thought likely co-exist within the different ranks of the same companies.

While 22 percent of marketers maintain a narrow viewpoint on how to drive growth, the majority believe that “going broad” is the best approach (78 percent). More than half of marketers prefer to “go long” when it comes to driving growth while 15 percent prefer to “go short.” Thirty-one percent are more open to maintaining a balance between the two, 37 percent of which are from companies that were formed before the year 2000.

Marketers also can’t agree on whether all customers have the same value when it comes to growth. Forty-five percent believe that all customers actually do have the same value and that companies should focus on increasing penetration. 

Twenty-two percent believe some customers have higher value but the effort of going after them isn’t justified. Thirty-three percent of marketers believe that some customers have much higher value and actually are worth the extra effort. These marketers feel that companies should focus their marketing on maximizing the lifetime value of these customers.

When asked their thoughts on driving return on investment (ROI), marketers assign roughly equal value to media, creative, brand and targeting. Twenty-seven percent of marketers believe that brand equity is the most important driver of ROI, followed by strength of creative (26 percent), media allocation (24 percent) and targeting (23 percent). Creative occupies 49 percent of the total pie, followed by media (reach, targeting and regency) and brand.

Marketers told MMA that they allocate 80 percent of their budget to building long-term assets. Brand assets and customer assets hold roughly equal budget shares. Most budgets are leveraged for building and maintaining brand equity (26 percent), enhancing customer loyalty (21 percent), driving immediate performance (20 percent), improving experience and convenience across the customer journey (19 percent) and developing new products and services (15 percent).

When asked about the essence of branding, 56 percent of marketers cited establishing mental availability while 22 percent named building differentiation. Another 22 percent find value in balancing the two.

MMA also gauged respondents’ sentiment around loyalty programs and found that although they’re a key part of the marketing mix for most companies—especially among service and retail companies—31 percent believe they’re a waste of time and resources.

Technology, Touch, And Trust With Truist’s Vinoo Vijay

Vinoo Vijay, now CMO of Truist Financial, is back on the show to discuss purpose-driven strategic marketing. During his first episode with us, Vinoo shared his story about coming to the U.S. at age seventeen, eventually leading him to be the CMO at H&R Block, Ally, and now Truist.

In this episode, Vinoo and I discuss how his team carefully balances technology with touch to create a client experience unlike any other in the banking space. Vinoo shares about developing and positioning the Truist brand, how his team reinforces purpose on a daily basis, and his vision for marketing.

Listen in for Vinoo’s advice on weaving your purpose into your daily life and making your strategic marketing efforts a success.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Empower your team to align their personal purpose with your organization’s purpose
  • Identify your problem before attempting a solution
  • Reinforce your purpose on a daily basis

Things to listen for:

  • [03:00] Vinoo’s career journey and passion for finance
  • [08:00] Making a positive impact as a company
  • [11:30] Managing the evolution of Truist
  • [13:00] Creating a space where people want to be
  • [15:30] Developing and positioning the Truist brand
  • [20:45] Reinforcing purpose on a daily basis
  • [23:00] Aligning personal and organizational purpose
  • [26:00] Connecting client experience with business needs
  • [30:00] Vinoo’s vision for strategic marketing
  • [35:30] What CMOs need to do to be successful
  • [36:15] What marketers should be learning more about
  • [38:20] The biggest threat and opportunity for marketers today

Resources Mentioned:

Follow the podcast:

Connect with the Guest:

Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:


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.

Marketing Budgets Increased To 9.5% Of Company Revenue In 2022

Marketing budgets have risen to 9.5 percent of overall company revenue in 2022, an increase from 6.4 percent in 2021, according to Gartner’s annual 2022 CMO Spend and Strategy Survey.

Seventy percent of respondents reported their budgets had increased this year, however they still lag pre-pandemic spending levels when the average budget between 2018 and 2020 was just under 11 percent.


Digital Accounts For 56 Percent Of Marketing Spend, But Offline Channels Rebound

Chief marketing officers have transitioned from digital-first to hybrid multichannel strategies. When asked to report the proportion of their 2022 budget allocated to online and offline channels, respondents said online channels hold 56 percent while offline channels hold 44 percent of the available budget. This split is more equitable than in recent years, Gartner found. In terms of the average spend across industries, social advertising is first, followed by paid search and digital display.

“Post-lockdown, CMOs need to listen carefully to their customers and pay attention to the channels they are using, as this more closely resembles a hybrid reality,” said Ewan McIntyre, chief of research and vice president analyst in the Gartner for Marketing Leaders practice.


Marketing Spend Is Increasing Across Nearly All Industries

Average marketing spend has grown across eight out of the nine industries included in Gartner’s survey. Financial services companies have the highest budget at 10.4 percent of company revenue—up from the second-highest budget in 2021 of 7.4 percent. 

Travel and hospitality and tech products tied for second-highest budgets this year at just over 10 percent of company revenue—almost double what each allocated in 2021. 

Although almost all industries’ budgets increased, spending for CMOs at consumer goods firms has decreased somewhat, dropping from 8.3 percent in 2021 to 8 percent in 2022.


CMOs Confident On Brand Capabilities, But 58 Percent Lack In-House Resources

Brand was ranked as one of the lowest capability gaps, reflecting CMOs’ confidence in their capacities to manage. In fact, brand strategy and activation are near the top of the list of budget allocations across marketing’s program and operational areas, accounting for roughly 10 percent of the budget. 

Nevertheless, as Gartner notes, other strategic capabilities gaps remain—marketing data and analytics were cited by 26 percent of CMOs as a top capability gap, followed by customer understanding and experience management (23 percent) and marketing technology (22 percent). 

These points reveal a larger resource challenge for CMOs, with 58 percent reporting that their teams are incapable of delivering their strategy.

Gartner’s findings are based on a survey of 405 chief marketing officers and leaders in North America and countries in Northern and Western Europe. The survey was conducted between February and March 2022 and included marketing professionals from different industries at companies with varying sizes and revenues, with the majority reporting annual revenue of at least $1 billion.

Merkle’s Holiday Preparation Playbook For 2022

Brands have had to overcome countless hurdles over the past few holiday seasons. With rising inflation, supply chain issues, shipping delays, workforce shortages and potential new COVID strains, this year will be no different. To ensure your brand is ready for whatever this holiday season throws our way, Merkle just released its 2022 Holiday Preparation Playbook, which breaks down the prominent trends emerging this year, the keys to success around those trends and how to stand out in a crowded market.


How Brands Can Reimagine Their Approach For The Hybrid Shopper

This holiday season, focusing solely on ecommerce and delivery could eat into your bottom line. At the same time, if you only drive in-store shopping, you’ll miss out on opportunities to convert. A brand’s best bet is using a hybrid model. Here are some ways to set up yours for success.

Tighten Up Your Logistics 

  • Given that consumers want to know how many products are left in their size and desired color, and where to find them, transparency about inventory and product availability is a baseline requirement. So it’s important to ensure your product information management (PIM), enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other platforms are up to date.

Embrace A Total Commerce Approach 

  • The way that your brand ventures into the holiday season must be centralized—including budget, KPIs and internal alignment. If your organization isn’t working toward a single, unified goal on the back end, your front-end experiences will never truly align.

Make The Physical More Experiential

  • Consumers make purchase decisions online now more than they ever have before, but that doesn’t mean they won’t shop in-store. Moving into the holiday seasons, it’s important that you get more people through the door by creating specialized experiences only available in physical retail spaces.

Consider Delivery Hubs 

  • Brands with a large footprint should identify underperforming stores and help drive foot traffic while freeing up delivery congestion at other stores by converting the underperforming ones into dedicated destinations for curbside pickup; buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) or ship from store.

Embrace The Store-Within-A-Store Concept 

  • Retailers and CPGs can win this holiday season by embracing the concept of a store-within-a-store. While CPGs can benefit from the additional visibility opportunities by partnering with a retailer for a dedicated space within an established brick-and-mortar, retailers can optimize square footage and offer their customers another reason to shop in person.

How To Blend Your Physical And Digital Spaces

  • To maximize your physical and digital space, Merkle suggests creating a virtual showroom. Part of the appeal of in-store shopping is the ability to see, feel and try on products before purchasing them. Offer this experience to the customers who can’t make it in person by creating a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) tool that puts them in the outfit or showcases the furniture in their home.
  • It’s now common practice to offer certain products exclusively online, but doing so can put some of your in-store customers at a disadvantage. Merkle advises providing those shoppers with an on-shelf QR code or physical lookbook so they can purchase additional online-exclusive products.

Meeting Customer Needs In An Uncertain World

Due in part to budget constraints, some consumers choose to spread out their holiday spending over several months rather than all at once. Merkle’s tip is to prepare and promote holiday products and deals as early as the changing of the leaves. In addition, pay attention to what consumers expect from your brand. According to Merkle’s research, along with that of other leading organizations, 42 percent of consumers believe that in-store purchasing is the most convenient way to receive products. Thirty-six percent feel the same about home delivery while just 13 percent feel the same about curbside pickup. Only 9 percent of consumers feel BOPIS is the most convenient way to receive products.

Additionally, research shows that roughly half of ecommerce sales will take place on mobile apps in 2022. Plus, 63 percent of consumers want free shipping and feel it’s very important in delivering convenient experiences. Sixty-nine percent feel brands should offer new ways to receive products. And according to Merkle’s first-party data, 42 percent of consumers want to handle customer service issues in-person rather than by phone, website, email, chatbot or social media. Here are more ways to meet customers’ needs in an uncertain world.

Plan KPIs For The Entire Quarter 

  • Though Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the two biggest shopping days of the season, it would be nearsighted to measure success based on that one week given the holiday shopping season now runs the entirety of Q4. Ensure your KPIs account for the entire season and that you’re planning for sustainable growth as opposed to a spike in the last week of November.

Cover The Basics 

  • Although we’re no longer dealing with lockdowns, several peak pandemic-era amenities are now necessities, including curbside pickup, BOPIS and other delivery methods.
  • Help streamline transactions by offering as many payment options as possible, including self-checkout, contactless checkout, mobile checkout and a buy now, pay later (BNPL) feature—which is particularly critical moving forward.

Align Your Options To Customers’ Experiences

  • Tap into your first-party data to determine how your customers like to pay for and receive products.
  • Serve up and pre-populate the payment, delivery and other options that best align with their preferences and habits.
  • Given inflation is affecting markets and segments differently, regional and demographic preferences and data are key.
  • Even if your system isn’t able to accommodate regional variances, be transparent about the options available and how your customers can engage with your brand to get what they’re looking for.

Consider Your Marketplace Strategy 

  • Because of the increased visibility and access to a broader range of consumers, it’s no longer a choice whether you should sell your products on a marketplace—it’s a necessity.
  • You don’t want to give all of your products and hold on relationships with customers away to third parties. Find the balance between which products will go on a marketplace and which will remain exclusive to your owned channels.

The Role of Content: How Brands Can Communicate Effectively Given The Hurdles Along The Way

Holiday planning starts at the beginning of summer and demands a well-thought-out, agile and flexible strategy. As you’re configuring these plans, remember that consumer behavior can change minute-by-minute; this means that your messaging, approach and priorities must be able to pivot at a moment’s notice. Customer loyalty and their purchasing decisions will be affected by how you respond during these periods of adjustment, so be transparent and communicative. Here’s where to start to get your content right.

Plan Out Your Calendar 

  • Most consumers have a budget that’s been set in stone. For this reason, it’s important that you capture as much of that budget as possible as early in the holiday season as possible, but do so without offering your best deals before Black Friday. To this aim and to drive demand throughout the season, take time to be deliberate about and stagger your offers and releases.
  • Check your plans against your data and be intentional about who gets what offer and when. For example, for customers who exhibit behavior that indicates a high likelihood that they’ll make a purchase this season, adjust your offer cadence to expedite their purchase or delay the offer to see whether they’ll purchase without the added incentive.
  • Leveraging your data to be more deliberate and precise about when to deploy the offers you have planned can help protect margin during these deep promotional periods.

Give A Reason To Believe

  • If you’re not among a customer’s top brands for product consideration, you may not get the opportunity to attract much attention. For this reason, it’ll be critical to give consumers a reason why and when to buy from you.
  • Be creative in finding ways to inform them about what’s coming so they can save some of their budgets, if necessary, and give you that consideration.

Leverage Chance-To-Win Promotions 

  • One of the most impactful strategies you can deploy leading up to and during the 2022 holiday season is running promotions to engage consumers. They help gather zero- and first-party data while impacting several necessary points of emphasis.
  • Chance-to-win promotions help drive conversions and increase sales; motivate specific, desired consumer behavior; bring consumers together to create social movements and train, engage and reward seasonal retail workers.

Focus On Charitable Efforts 

  • Remember that you won’t want to talk solely about your offers for the entirety of the season. Intersperse other in-demand topics such as sustainability, social-impact activities and how your brand gives back to its communities.
  • For younger consumers, a product’s price and quality are two considerations among many that influence their purchase decisions.
  • How you engage with society and the issues of the day are major drivers of how consumers behave with your brand as 83 percent of Gen Z consumers and 76 percent of millennials feel that brands should take a stance on social issues.
  • The holiday season offers a strategic time to share your charitable initiatives and potentially provide incentives for your customers to give back as well. A promotion, for example, that donates a portion of sales to charity provides an opportunity to drive purchases without a discount.

Holiday Content Ideas

Here are Merkle’s tips for engaging your customers using chance-to-win promotions from September through to the end of the year.

  • Digital Wish List With Chances To Win: Drive online engagement, time spent, education and incremental sales by offering online customers an interactive tool that allows them to build a personalized online wish list that they can then send to others. One lucky winner will receive everything on their wishlist.
  • Hashtag Sweepstakes: “Hashtag-to-win” campaigns on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok can be built quickly and are a simple way to grow your follower base, engage fans, build buzz and showcase user-generated content (UGC).
  • Days Of Giving Sweepstakes: Launch an advent calendar-inspired campaign where one consumer is offered a mystery price each day it’s active. The daily mystery prize will lure new consumers to your brand while building your database and keeping your brand at the forefront of people’s minds throughout your most crucial revenue-driving period of the year.