BrandKnew July 2018

Branding matters. Because branding matters.

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07.18#69

Dear Friends: The heat is on and I don’t just mean the weather. The FIFA World Cup has set the cat amongst the pigeons and coming towards the business end of it as we put this issue to bed, the big guns Argentina, Portugal, Germany, Spain are already out. Iconic brand names of football like Messi, Ronaldo, Iniesta found their nemesis at this most revered global stage for the beautiful game. Just as the game of football brings about feelings completely beyond bizarre, it’s noteworthy to understand how customers feel about your brand- it’s all about feelings- you can read it here.

The TV Advertising landscape is changing and we share how in a feature in this issue. Contrary to popular belief, Emotions play a huge role in B2B Branding- the article herein articulates more. Brands are always on the lookout for a rockstar CMO and in this issue you will know how to hire one. The Future of Advertising has been debated by pundits and observers for a long time and in this issue we refer to the role that Ad Blockers will have to play in the times to come for Advertising. For all those brand owners and marketers constantly looking for inspiration, the feature ‘10 Genius Marketing Campaigns that went Viral‘ will provide huge fodder for thought. There is plenty more to soak in and I leave you to explore and experience.

Till the next…

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Suresh Dinakaran @ISDGlobalDubai

@Brandknewmag

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suresh@groupisd.com Managing Editor: Suresh Dinakaran Creative Head/Director Operations: Pravin Ahir Magazine Concept & Design/ New Media Specialist: Mufaddal Joher Business Development Directo: Rishi Mohan Senior Hustler-Digital Marketing & Brand Development: Nikhil Thekkumkoottathil Creator: Brand Stories: Salindu Sadishan Brand Research & Creative Engagement Specialist: Anushka Kartha Country Head, Australia: Norbert D’Souza Country Head, UK: Sagar Patil Regional Director: Krishna Chugh Country Manager, India: Vinit Chugh Business Development Director, India: Kenneth Extross Brand Growth Architect: Ashutosh Deshpande

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CONTENTS

The 3 C’s that make your brand worth paying more for How TV Advertising is transforming Technology Is Changing What a Premium Automotive Brand Looks Like Brandspeak: Does Emotion Play a Role in B2B Branding?

10 Genius Marketing Campaigns That Went Viral The Future of Advertising Is In the Hands of Ad Blockers 5 ways brands can win in the “don’t just sit there” economy The ultimate B2B email marketing checklist Does the world need another ad agency?

How to Hire a Rock Star Chief Marketing Office 7 Ways Brands Are Evolving Their Message For Digital Video VR and advertising: How brands can start planning now How Spotify Broadens Your Musical Tastes How social media became a pink collar job Wondering How Customers Feel about Your Brand?

Book, Line & Sinker

The 3 C’s that make your brand worth paying more for

By Mark Hadfield

You do not have to look far to read that businesses are facing an uncertain economic landscape across Asia. A landscape in which brand worth has never faced fiercer scrutiny.

Toys R Us is the latest stark example of what happens when people no longer want to pay what a company wants to charge them. And pressure to cut prices is stronger than ever thanks to the ever growing influence of digital transparency and retail procurement departments; last year, Amazon and Walmart asked for 10-15% price reductions from many of their suppliers, and Lazada demands a price decrease of up to 95% from some of their suppliers.

The ever-savvy price conscious consumer Moreover, in this environment, a power shift has taken place as price-conscious shoppers have seized control. Indeed, our research found that 69% of 14,000 shoppers would not be prepared to pay more for one brand over another. What price loyalty?

Typically, brands respond with the ubiquitous strategy of discounting to drive volume. However, as numerous research studies have proven it is a short-term strategy and one that ultimately damages both brand and business in the longerterm. Conversely, our research shows that a 1% price increase can drive a 12-15% increase in profit. That is three times the profit increase seen by boosting sales the same amount.

Which shows that the commercial impact of protecting prices can outweigh cutting them to drive volume.

Price perception is irrational The good news is that consumers’ perceptions of pricing are fundamentally irrational. Behavioural economics studies show that when you flip the context, rebundle your output and shift the focus from price to value through added layers of experience, consumers are willing to pay disproportionately more for it.

The blurry pricing propositions of Singapore Airlines ‘cash & miles’ or LiveUp member rebate levels show how consumers’ perceptions of price can be hacked. By combining data-led

pricing strategies with the creativity and behavioural science of a modern agency, brands can dramatically outperform the competition in a commoditised market. But that needs to start with bringing pricing strategy back into the marketing conversation. To help us achieve this, we have recently integrated specialist pricing consultants into the heart the agency where they work with planners and creatives to help brands package and protect the worth of their offering.

Price perception can be hacked So how can brands hack consumers’ sensitivity to price? By first answering a simple question: what about your offering are people prepared to pay more for?

To help answer, there are three levers to help you increase your price perception: - Understanding how you can ‘create’ more value via rituals, theatre or value-added services, such as the work we have been doing with Kerry recently - innovating how syrups are perceived and dispensed in the retail channel - selling more and at a higher price.

- ‘Connecting’ that new value to your audiences in meaningful ways. Such as our debut work with Starbucks for Frappucino that reframes it from a 1-for-1 favourite to a positive creator of culture that is worth paying more for.

- Identifying how to ‘convert’ sales at the optimum level to balance value with volumes, and short and long-term objectives. Helping IHG maintain price integrity across online distribution channels is a good example of optimising sales in a rapidly evolving industry In economically testing times, it is the businesses who innovate and disrupt that will overcome their competition.

For marketers everywhere, it is time to seize back control of the most ignored, most impactful lever in the marketing mix: Pricing.

Mark Hadfield is regional head of planning at Iris Worldwide.

How TV Advertising is transforming INNOVATION IS FUELING A BROADCAST RENAISSANCE

By Grant Covell

At the 2017 IAB Annual Leadership Meeting, Marc Pritchard, the chief brand officer for Procter & Gamble, came out with some strong words about the future of media, marketing and the strategies brands must implement moving forward. After significantly cutting the company’s digital ad spend, Pritchard spoke at the Association of National Advertisers conference in March 2018 and stated that our society’s new priority on transparency is transforming the marketing industry -- from “wasteful” tactics used in mass to data- and technologybased brand building.

I believe his statements strongly echo the bright future of the broadcast industry with the upcoming deployment of ATSC 3.0. The updated broadcast signal will increase the over-theair broadcast bandwidth, allowing stations to broadcast in 4K Ultra HDTV, immersive audio and new interactive services.

By significantly increasing the content that can be distributed over the air, linear TV will have a digitally connected viewer interface, enabling local broadcast to reach viewers on tablets, mobile devices and connected TVs in addition to traditional sources. This allows the broad-reach platform to also deliver a one-to-one experience. I believe this new broadcast standard will reshape the way viewers interact with broadcast content and, thus, the way brands connect with consumers through broadcast media.

A New Frontier The early innovations that will deploy include addressable advertising via over-the-air content with IP-based, one-toone targeting capabilities -- a concept that seemed far in the future just a few short years ago. Additionally, advanced measurement capabilities will enable better analytics for broad-reach audiences.

Consider this: The same medium that drives awareness at the top of the funnel will now have the precision to follow the viewer throughout the decision-making process and into the purchase phase. That is powerful and filled with immense opportunity. As we begin to experiment with these models

today, I believe we will learn a great deal about effective mass reach and targeting strategies for brands to implement.

Historically, broadcasters focused on the communications aspect of the “4Cs” of marketing -- communication, channel customer and cost -- but, as the viewer-to-content relationship changes, so does our partnership with the brands we work with. From my perspective, ATSC 3.0 will firmly put broadcasters in the consumer data and insights business. We will be able to help our partners make strategic decisions about their customers and ensure they are reaching the right customers through this iteration.

Additionally, through the ATSC 3.0 evolution, broadcasters become a sales channel and source of reduced cost for brands. In this future version, I envision your local station will look more like Amazon or Netflix than a static dial position.

The proximity between content and commerce closes as viewers become consumers who can immediately interact with brands through content and make real-time purchasing decisions.

Today’s largest global advertisers are demanding more from their media partners with a focus on innovation, technology and data. It is important that advertisers, agencies and media partners remain agile to shift with consumers and their evolving habits. To do this successfully, the industry needs to move beyond the typical buy-sell negotiation based on cost and, instead, include a more open dialogue focused on problem-solving and creating lasting value for both the advertiser and the audience.

The local broadcast industry’s future is bright. It holds more potential and can do more today than most realize. It’s true that what is old is also new.

SVP/Katz TV Group, overseeing nationwide sales and brand partnerships for one divisions. Founder of KTVG innovation incubator Channel-Nex.

Technology Is Changing What a Premium Automotive Brand Looks Like

By Jian Xu and Xiaoming Liu

Many mature industries are experiencing significant technological disruption. The automotive industry is being disrupted by electric vehicles and self-driving cars, just as home appliances is being disrupted by the Internet of Things and smart appliances, home entertainment by on-demand content providers, and apparel by online personal stylists such as Stitch Fix and Trunk Club.

Leaders in every industry are no doubt keeping a vigilant eye on such developments, yet one very important aspect of this disruption has been largely overlooked: technology fundamentally changes what makes your brand premium.

The traditional drivers of brand premium are being joined (and to varying degrees supplanted) by newer, tech-enabled variables: software, interactive products, digital interactions,

immersive experiences, and predictive services, to name a few.

Here’s how technology is changing the game in the automotive industry: Product: hardware vs. software. While hardware currently accounts for 90% of the perceived value of a car, Morgan Stanley predicts that percentage will eventually drop to just 40%, with the remaining 60% being dominated by the car’s software and content.

Product: mechanical vs. interactive. Premium car brand buyers were traditionally satisfied with a highperforming, safe, and luxurious driving experience. However, in the digital age, drivers increasingly expect their car to also be a smart device on wheels that keeps them constantly connected, makes them safer and better-informed drivers, while also entertaining them.

Our conversations with automotive industry leaders suggest there will be significant growth over the next several years in premium brand cars equipped with large-screen infotainment systems, large LCD dashboards, and augmented reality head up displays.

Marketing and sales: offline vs. online. Brand marketing and the car buying experience have always been integral to being a premium automotive brand, and the majority of those crucial interactions have already moved online.

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In its study of “The Shifting Automotive Shopping Landscape,” TNS Global reports that premium car owners experience an average of 8.9 touch points during the purchase process, of which 5.5 occur online. And while only 2% of today’s car buyers purchased their car online, 77% say they anticipate purchasing cars online in the future.

Marketing and sales: emotional vs. experiential.

Automakers have long known that the more premium a car brand is, the more emotion factors into brand perception, which is why premium brand marketing makes consumers anticipate serene gratification. However, experientially engaging car buyers may soon be as essential. A recent consumer survey revealed that 82% of current car owners and potential car buyers want to explore and configure their vehicle via immersive technologies like virtual and artificial reality. Premium brands need to do more than keep pace with industrywide efforts to provide such experiences — they need to lead them, or face surrendering a key element of their brand’s cachet.

Services: offline vs. online. Our review of historical data and major automakers’ announced plans indicates that connectivity devices in cars will increase from 22% in 2017 to 69% by 2020, laying the foundation for automakers to significantly lessen the need for car owners to bring their vehicle to a facility for maintenance. The rapid growth of electronic vehicles (EV) will further accelerate the shift to online services, since the EV structure greatly simplifies aftersales maintenance. The majority of service touch points may soon move online. Again, customers will expect premium brands to be ahead of the curve in providing after-sale car service convenience.

Services: real-time vs. predictive maintenance.

Increased connectivity will also make predictive maintenance the main service mode, as automakers will continuously capture and rapidly analyze massive data on driving behavior, road conditions, and other variables to anticipate and finely hone vehicle service. A World Economic Forum white paper predicts remote diagnostics, enabled by telematics, will add $60 billion of profits to OEMs, suppliers, and telematics service providers through 2025. An IoT Analytics study spanning 13 industries, including automotive, found that predictive maintenance solutions being achieved today deliver 20%25% efficiency gains, and forecast the revenue opportunity in predictive maintenance will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 39% over the next five years.

Brand equity: heritage vs. digital. A cumulative effect of the shifts described above may be a diminished value of brand heritage, relative to a rising premium on consumerpleasing digital innovation. This final and most strategic shift could create a historic opening for new automakers — including EV makers in developing countries such as China, and self-driving/EV start-ups by internet companies.

Proprietary research A.T. Kearney conducted for a client found that 45% of car owners would switch from their current brand to a vehicle offered by a tech company new to the automotive industry. Data-savvy automotive start-ups that use customercentric thinking to guide their innovative prowess could significantly undermine even the most esteemed premium brands.

In sum, a reshuffle of premium brands is near. Established premium brands who choose to go on relying exclusively or even primarily on their traditional strengths could soon lose much of their ability to attract consumers and to grow or hold market share, while new brands may be able to gain premium standing much more quickly than was ever before possible. For example, Tesla required only about a decade to establish itself as a premium brand.

How can established premium automakers best react?

Realistically assess the staying power of the qualities that made your brand premium in the past, in light of the new variables now reshaping brand premium in the automotive industry.

Will what you offer today still be perceived as premium in five or 10 years? For example, superior driving experience is currently a hallmark of most premium automotive brands.

However, as autonomous driving advances, the experience of being in a car will be much like being in a mobile lounge, where the occupants will expect to do almost everything they can do in the office or at home. To maintain premium brand status, OEMs need to make great leaps in providing seamless digital integration in automobiles.

Premium automotive brands also need to transform marketing and sales from today’s push system to a pull system that engages customers via digital interactions that are transparent, time efficient, and pleasingly experiential.

Further, it will be impossible for OEMs to innovate at the requisite pace entirely through their company’s own proprietary R&D. Rather, they will need to build and support innovation ecosystems with newly essential forms of expertise not to be found within the automotive industry, including specialists for battery cells, 2D/3D sensors, AI/algorithms, HD maps, app development, cloud computing, and communication infrastructure. One example of this trend in motion is the Open Automotive Alliance composed of a range of prestigious automotive brands and technology partners.

Automotive OEMs that are unwilling or unable to be a leader in leveraging new technologies to deliver brand premium could choose to become a more mainstream brand. The goal will then be to cost-effectively produce automobiles that can compete on the basis of affordable value. Companies that choose such a course should concentrate their investments in excellence in mass manufacturing, rather than in being among the first to embed new technologies that dazzle highend buyers.

The choice is truly that stark. Given how radically technology is changing the definition of premium across automotive product, marketing and sales, services, and brand equity, the status quo is not viable. OEMs must dramatically diversify their investments in being a premium brand, or see their claims to premium status inevitably slip away.

Jian Xu is a Partner in A. T. Kearney, the global management consulting firm. He leads the firm’s automotive industry practice in Greater China.

Xiaoming Liu is a Principal in A.T. Kearney Greater China, advising automotive OEMs and engineering service firms in new product development and management.

Brandspeak:

Does Emotion Play a Role in B2B Branding?

By Joe Pantigoso

Recently, as I was going through a brand inventory framework to help a group of startups identify opportunities to better define their brands, one startup leader commented, “I don’t need to think about emotional benefits. I’m a B2B brand.”

Many in large as well as small companies believe that emotional benefits are only for B2C brands. They think that B2B brands should focus solely on functional benefits given the often high cost of B2B purchases, the complex procurement process and the potential business impact if the purchase fails to meet expectations.

However, some Bain and Company consultants in a recent Harvard Business Review article argue that it’s critical to consider “the full range of both rational and emotional factors behind business purchases.”

They cite emotional benefits like whether a brand can “reduce anxiety” or “enhance the buyer’s reputation” as impacting the B2B purchase, too. Reliability, trust, credibility, partnership, confidence—all emotional benefits—can sway a B2B decision.

A “Think with Google” piece brought this to life: “When a personal consumer makes a bad purchase, the stakes are relatively low. Best case, it’s returnable. If not, it might require an explanation to a spouse. Business purchases, on the other hand, can involve huge amounts of risk: Responsibility for a multi-million dollar software acquisition that goes bad can lead to poor business performance and even loss of a job.”

Market researcher Forrester linked these emotional benefits to an opportunity, describing brands as “a proxy to allay the fear of buyers.” I also appreciated how the Forrester analyst emphatically commented: “If you thought B2B was all about features and functionality, think again. The human brain abhors complexity, and… influencers and decision makers in B2B are desperately seeking the right signal to simplify decision-making. That signal is brand!”

To see how some B2B brands are using emotional benefits to engage their audiences, just take a look at their YouTube videos and survey the themes:

Boeing – reliability

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EY – purpose and legacy

Goldman Sachs – leadership

McKinsey – reinvention

3M – improving people’s lives

A former CMO of mine used to explain B2B marketing not as “business to business” but as “people to people.” People

way, it becomes clear why B2B marketers need to consider emotional benefits for B2B brands.

comprise organizations that make business decisions for B2C as well as for B2B brands. And people are human and full of emotion. I particularly like Dr. Jill Bolten Taylor’s description of humans: not as “thinking creatures that feel”, but as “feeling creatures that think.” When you look at it that

Joe Pantigoso is a Senior Director in Global Branding at SAP, a leading enterprise software company and top globally-ranked brand.

10 Genius Marketing Campaigns That Went Viral FROM IKEA’S PEE TECHNOLOGY TO A HILARIOUS VIRAL VIDEO FROM CARMAX, THESE COMPANIES KNOW HOW TO MAKE THEIR MARKETING MAGIC MEMORABLE.

By Entrepreneur Staff

The purpose of marketing is simple: Put the right message in front of the right audience. But before brands can do that today, their marketers must take on a more difficult task: Refine a message that cuts through the noise (and then, you know, actually get it to cut through).

As part of our 100 Brilliant Company list, we singled out 10 genius marketing moves -- both big and small -- that got people talking for all the right reasons.

Gravity Blanket Two weeks into their Kickstarter last year, John Fiorentino and Mike Grillo had already raised $2 million (of an eventual $4.7 million) to launch a line of 15-, 20- and 25-pound blankets. That’s when they got a note from the crowdfunding company itself telling them to revisit their marketing language. The creators had claimed that their $249 blanket would lower stress hormone levels and thus “treat” insomnia. The problem wasn’t whether the blanket could quell restless sleeping habits; it was the word treat, which implies science-backed promises the company couldn’t independently support. “Our strategy was to play in this tech-science place,” says Grillo. “But we had to reexamine that.”

Rather than panic, the founders saw a chance to find an even bigger opportunity. They did a deep dive into feedback from early backers and combed through Facebook and Twitter comments, and they realized consumers didn’t want a rigorously tested gizmo touting facts and figures anyway. People just wanted something that felt cozy, calmed their nerves and looked nice.

“Everything else out there was really clinical and used to help patients with autism, sensory processing disorders, PTSD,” Grillo says. “We developed something you might see at West Elm.” Grillo and Fiorentino modified the clinical language from their marketing and turned their focus to the lifestyle consumer. They started working with influencers who could attract the Goopminded shopper and forged partnerships with retailers like Amazon and Target. Sales have since hit more than $15 million, giving the founders enough confidence to further explore the feel-good lifestyle world with products like weighted eye masks, a melatonin mist and new duvet cover colors. (Written by Margaret Rhodes)

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Crock-Pot What do you do when your flagship product kills a beloved TV character? Crock-Pot faced that question after Milo Ventimiglia’s character on NBC’s This Is Us perished in a fire caused by a defective slow cooker. As slow-cooker panic spread across the internet, the company responded with a #CrockPotIsInnocent campaign, featuring a Super Bowl ad with Ventimiglia calmly (and safely!) serving chili from a Crock-Pot.

CarMax In November 2017, filmmaker Max Lanman posted a witty, beautifully produced video on YouTube that he created to help his girlfriend sell her 1996 Honda Accord. The video went viral. The car-buying site CarMax immediately responded with a funny video of its own, which included a binding offer to buy not just her car, but the cat from the video, and everything else. The response netted more than 400,000 views, far more than any other CarMax YouTube video.

MoonPie You’d think an iconic, century-­old baked goods company like MoonPie would stick to warm and fuzzy. At least until November, when it tweeted, “It’s as good a day as any to stick a MoonPie in the microwave, light a couple candles, and scream into a soft pillow.” That kicked off an absurd, surreal months-long campaign, both on Twitter and in the form of a series of joyfully weird ads MoonPie claimed were made to run during the Super Bowl, but didn’t. This gave them all the visibility of a Super Bowl ad without buying time.

Halo Top Most marketers sell ice cream as a wholesome family treat. Halo Top bucked the trend and opted for horror, airing a dystopian commercial that features an old woman in a white room being force-fed ice cream by a Kubrickian robot that informs her that “everyone you love is gone; there’s only ice cream.” The ad generated enormous buzz, further setting the best-selling Halo Top apart in a crowded market.

Cards Against Humanity Last year, a brand of potato chips called Prongles mysteriously appeared on Target’s shelves (including in the toy aisles) with the clunky, if familiar-sounding, tagline “Once you pop…that’s great.” The chips sold out instantly and left a lot of baffled news stories in their wake. It was later revealed that Prongles was a stunt two years in the making…not by the chip company but by renegade game company Cards Against Humanity.

Procter & Gamble In 2017 the consumer goods giant ran a poignant spot, “The Talk,” in which parents of color speak to their children about racial bias. Part of P&G’s “My Black Is Beautiful” campaign, designed to celebrate cultural identity and start a conversation about racial bias, the ad inspired so much discussion that the brand doubled down and struck a deal to have it incorporated into a plot on the hit sitcom Black-ish.

Kentucky for Kentucky This small brand, which sells dozens of Kentucky-themed products, from hats to shot glasses, might have trouble getting attention outside of…you know, Kentucky.

At least before it placed a much-talkedabout ad in the Oxford American’s Kentucky issue containing a glaring typo designed to alarm the magazine’s highbrow readers: “we speak you’re language.” Under­neath, it read, “We know... We just figured a typo would be the best way to stand out in...Oxford American magazine. But nice catch anyway, William Faulkner.”

KFC The franchise, which in recent years has rebranded itself with sharp and funny marketing, had two coups in the last year -one on purpose, and one in response to a crisis. First, the company, which has reinvigorated its Colonel brand spokesman by casting different actors in the role, debuted its first female Colonel in the form of country legend Reba McEntire. The move generated a lot of chatter: Is this progress? Absurdity? Both? Then, when KFC restaurants in London went through a chicken deficit, the company ran a full-page ad that rearranged its acronym into a mea culpa (at left).

IKEA Earlier this year, IKEA, working with Swedish agency Åkestam Holst, redefined the idea of user engagement. It ran an ad in a women’s magazine that offered a novel proposition: “Peeing on this ad may change your life,” it read. The ad was treated with pregnancy-­kit technology. If the reader were pregnant, the ad would reveal a special discount price for an IKEA crib.

YOUNG ADULTS ARE HUNGRY FOR THE AD INDUSTRY TO BE BETTER. THEY ARE RIGHT.

By Laura Desmond

“I block ads because I believe ads can be so much better.”

This was a direct quote from an advertising student at the University of Texas. I visited campus recently and had the opportunity to talk informally with advertising students from the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations.

What I learned affirmed my faith in the future of advertising.

I also walked away with a strong sense that these young students, if given the chance to practice the craft the way they see it, would upend the whole industry.

First, I was blown away at how smart, thoughtful and energized these young professionals are about advertising and media. It’s exactly what our industry needs: young talent who believe advertising and marketing can both be better as well as help society, and who want to lead the way. They were passionate, and we discussed a wide ranging set of topics throughout our 75-minute chat.

Second, the students already have a high standard for corporate excellence and behavior. They are savvy and sophisticated, watching and studying everything. This extends

to how they think about brands, advertising and the value exchange between their time and attention, as well as a brand’s message or promise.

When the topic turned to ad blocking, I asked the students which of them employed ad blocking. Half of them raised their hands. I asked why, and the professor interjected, “I know it doesn’t make sense that advertising students are blocking advertising.”

But the thing is, it did make sense to me. Their range of answers were fascinating and counter-intuitive. In the end, it may be exactly the type of radical, post-digital, 21st-century advertising thinking we need.

So why do they ad block? Expectations and relevance.

1) They expect more for their time and attention.

They simply do not want to sit through pop-up ads, banners, displays and 30-second commercials that are not entertaining or informative. They want more creativity.

A great example of creativity cited by a student was “OK Cupid’s DTF campaign.” It broke through because it was

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The Future of Advertising Is In the Hands of Ad Blockers a strong example of user need (dating) and technology (their app) coming together. The ads and messages were relevant, irreverent and meaningful to the young singles dating scene, and their anxiety about being noticed. One of the students said it was obvious the company and its agency did their homework and research on young professionals and millennials want from dating, as it was obvious from the messaging and the use of media, they got it’s all about getting past the anxiety.

3) They expect advertising to be relevant and to take them seriously. They want better targeting! They want more creativity and more authenticity. They are begging for brands to be more vulnerable, real and authentic. It’s ok if you make a mistake — not everything has to be packaged.

However, they do expect companies and brands to admit when they are wrong. And, they want to know upfront, what’s happening with their data. The best value exchange with any person starts with honesty.

2) They respect and give serious credibility to ads, content and memes that get through their ad blocking software. In fact, if content and marketing makes it through their ad blocking, they find it more interesting and they pay attention. Why? Because they believe it was more targeted and embedded into content they care about, and therefore, more effective.

For one student, the “Truth” campaign from The New York Times stood out because it spoke to him and respected his time and interests on many levels. The student loved the media placements in a mix of traditional TV, out of home and digital. There was nothing fancy about this campaign other than it respected his intelligence and being a thoughtful young adult in an increasingly complex world.

Spotify’s “Thanks, 2016. It’s been weird” stood out for one student because it was not only witty and funny, but very relatable. Their media strategy was to be on platforms that related their ad messaging back to search and social data such that the student saw the campaign during his search and social activity. It was a great example of targeting interests through different media platforms versus trying to target an audience with an ad. This is a classic example of fighting through ad blocking. The student would not have seen the ads in a conventional way, but because they targeted interests, they followed him through his consumer journey — exactly what the future should be about.

So what does this mean? Young adults are hungry for the ad industry to be better. By better I mean to be more creative, to use data more strategically and ethically, and to use media in unexpected and surprising ways.

I, for one, am relieved. By ad blocking, these UT students will make advertising better. They know what works, they know what doesn’t, and they are determined and idealistic enough to go after it. They have the insight to build a better model that is authentic, more creative and uses technology and data better than the experts on Madison Avenue today.

Graduation day can’t come soon enough.

5 ways brands can win in the “don’t just sit there” economy

By Damian Bazadona

The first part of 2018 has blown the lid off of a long-time conversation around the relationship between corporations and social responsibility. Most well-established companies already have CSR programs and many of them do some amazing things. Consider the work that wins at competitions like Engage for Good and Cynopsis Social Good Awards as solid case studies.

However, some brand initiatives put a bad taste in your mouth. Take an oil company cleaning up an ocean they are busy polluting as an example, or a fast food chain creating wellness programs for kids they are driving towards obesity.

It’s initiatives like these that are a slap in the face to the construct of “corporate social responsibility.”

On the bright side, let’s look at what’s happening right before our eyes. CSR is evolving into not simply being a “program” in a company or a mention in their manifesto. It’s evolving into a way of doing business and pushing organizations to be part of an ongoing conversation.

In recent months, we’ve seen Delta, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Walmart all make the bold decision to be a part of the dialogue on gun control after the horrific tragedy in Parkland, Florida. Whether their motivation came from their hearts or their wallets, the leaders of these corporations took unprecedented actions by either removing specific products from their shelves or ending some long-standing relationships.

These brands decided to accept the consequences of those actions as the price to pay for something they believed in.

They did so knowing they’d get mixed emotions from all their stakeholders – including employees, investors, and customers.

So, I welcome you to the “don’t just sit there” economy.

If you are a business that has the ability do something about an issue impacting the community you serve, then you should expect to feel the pressure to take action. In the “don’t just sit there” economy, inaction is no longer an option when your consumers are demanding change and it will not serve your organization wisely in the long term. This is the new normal.

Some organizations may feel skeptical and hesitant about this budding norm, but those who are already proactive and genuine in their CSR practices are well-equipped to thrive in

this evolving, participatory culture.

I believe the organizations that will win in this new economy have five key attributes that will naturally push them to rise above the rest: They know their gifts Winning organizations know what they do best and how they can apply their skills to the communities they serve without diluting their brand’s values.

They understand their responsibility Winning organizations recognize what their organization has direct control over and how they can make an immediate impact.

They maximize their excess Winning organizations don’t accept valuable resources getting wasted – they leverage and utilize their surplus for good. Internal volunteers or voices are not hard to come by.

They are mindful of their part Winning organizations don’t just jump into an issue for a participation trophy. Instead, they make sure they are mindful of how to match their ideals with the consumers they serve.

Most importantly, they are proactive with their superpowers Winning organizations understand that many issues impacting communities need help year-round – not just during moments of outrage. The reality is that causes need help, even more, when they are out of sight and out of mind.

Companies that participate out of the limelight, will end up winning in the long run.

So, whether we like this new reality or not, I would advise businesses of all sizes to not just sit there; it’s time to get up, give back, and become an organizational catalyst for our future. Assume your community needs you now more than ever – because they do.

Damian Bazadona is the president and founder of Situation Interactive, a digital-first marketing agency that connects people with experiences. He is a speaker at a variety of universities including NYU, Columbia, Yale, and SUNY Albany.

The ultimate B2B email marketing checklist

By Gillian Bayer

When it comes to digital marketing, email remains king.

According to WordStream, 59% of B2B marketers say email is their most effective channel for revenue generation, and 93% of B2B marketers surveyed by the Content Marketing Institute anticipate using email as their primary vehicle for content and information distribution this year. A Campaign Monitor study also found that every $1 spent on email marketing makes $44 in return.

out from the rest?

Tip: Use industry news as a way to pull unique insights from the issues and challenges facing your target audience.

Write an enticing subject line If your subject line is not interesting, your audience will never click through to see the message.

In 2017, SmartBrief launched nearly 1,500 dedicated emails, resulting in more than 17 million opens and nearly 600,000 clicks. The sends addressed a wide range of topics and assets – from traditional branding to lead generation, event promotion and product launches.

Make it educational. It might come as a surprise, but when you’re writing for B2B, striking an informative and educational tone always offers the best engagement. Avoid being overly promotional and using these trigger words: new, free or special.

If you only have one shot to get your message across, then take a look at the top B2B email marketing strategies with the greatest impact on engagement.

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Win with content In B2B marketing, content is at the heart of a top-performing dedicated email message. What can you offer that can provide the greatest resource to busy industry professionals?

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Define your goal. If your goal is lead generation, then realize that the most successful sends utilize white papers and case studies to stay on top of industry trends. For brand awareness, what valuable content and educational resources are available on your website?

Make it timely. Top-performing sends also offer solutions to timely, hot-button issues or focus on key holidays.

What unique solution can you provide? The space is crowded. Who else is writing about this topic and how does the solution you’re offering help you stand

Include pre-header text. Pre-headers are optional in most email platforms, but these 30-50 additional characters, appearing directly below your subject line within the inbox, can add more context and intrigue and can positively influence your open rate.

Design to stand out Once your email is opened, strong creative keeps them reading.

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Maximize your creative. The most dramatic dedicated e-blasts stand out. Don’t shy away from colorful graphics that will pique a reader’s interest. You want to get them to your end goal, but a strong design will keep them engaged.

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Make it dynamic. If you have the opportunity, include videos, infographics, blog posts or other interesting content to engage your audience. According to Campaign Monitor, video in an email can increase open rates by 19% and increase click-through rates by nearly 50%.

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Stay above the fold. Keep your main points clear and concise early on to avoid making your readers scroll.

Business School link to multiple resources within one email, but ultimately, these brand-awareness sends are driving highly engaged professionals back to valuable resources within their websites. For lead generation, keep your creative and your links focused on the action you want them to take.

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Test your buttons. Attractive buttons do matter. While SmartBrief hasn’t seen a dramatic increase based on a specific color, bright buttons can drive higher click rates by up to 30%.

Go the extra mile If you have a little more time, here are a few additional things to consider.

Include a clear call to action Don’t leave it a mystery. Your readers want to know where they’re going before they click.

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Ensure your CTA is clear. We’ve said this before about landing pages, but people won’t click if it’s unclear what they’re clicking to and what’s in it for them.

Base your links on your goals. There are varying data on whether adding more links will increase your CTR. Instead, focus on ensuring your links are matching your end goal. In SmartBrief’s look at top-performing sends of 2017, brands such as Kikkoman and Harvard

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Test whenever possible. Optimize your sends by A/B testing one or two important variables, including subject lines and calls to action.

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Use stylized alt-tags. Alt-tags can help engage readers across various email platforms.

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Day of the week. Although Mondays and Tuesdays are common days for dedicated email sends, content is ultimately what drives email performance, and the open and click rates are generally consistent throughout the week. In a look at open-rate averages from Monday through Friday, Friday actually shows the highest returns.

If you have a one-shot opportunity to reach a B2B audience, use this checklist to maximize your opportunity and build the greatest engagement possible.

Gillian Bayer, Emily Brooks, Liz Corrigan, and Melissa Fass work on the Advertising Operations team at SmartBrief. They execute campaigns across SmartBrief’s 14 industries with the goal of a smooth and successful campaign for each advertiser.

Does the world need another ad agency?

“THE WORLD DOESN’T NEED ANOTHER AD AGENCY.”

By Suresh Dinakaran

Dear Brand Owners & Marketers It’s amazing how a single tap on the space bar can make such a difference.

“Another” is one of those odd English words that have multiple and contradictory meanings. One definition is “being one more in addition to one or more of the same kind,” like having another car payment or eating another piece of pizza (two more things none of us likely need).

But “another” also means “different or distinct from the one first considered.” That puts an entirely different spin on things, and putting a space between the letters underscores the point.

The world rarely needs “another,” but it will always welcome “an other” — particularly in the most mature, crowded and commoditized industries, where sameness leads to staleness.

Time after time, another product or service gets superseded by an other product or service, making our lives more pleasant, more efficient, more productive, or better in a host of additional ways.

Seeking “an other” is a good strategy to keep pace with the inexorable march of creative destruction. In the marketplace,

what is, will not always be, and what is to come, has not always been. The task of strategists is to be agents of creation rather than victims of destruction. Our challenge is to pursue the new and unproven even as we preserve the existing and profitable.

Unless you can ensure your company, brand or service is continually and legitimately “an other,” it’ll end up becoming just “another.”

We are tribal by nature. Human beings have evolved in that fashion. Therefore the ‘ herd mentality ‘. Yes, we have heard that before. And this as well. Birds of the same feather. Flocking together. Which leads to the SOS factor: Sea of Sameness. What makes you distinct? What makes you unique? There is comfort in fellowship. There is comfort in companionship. But, the real magic happens outside the comfort zone.

Are you up to the challenge/opportunity? We at ISD Global (https://bit.ly/2riIk7l) are and looking forward to it.

Suresh Dinakaran is Group CEO of ISD Global, a brand strategy & creative ideations entity based out of Dubai with operations across the globe. With over two decades of insights, expertise and experience in building and growing brands across multiple geographies and media platforms.

How to Hire a Rock Star Chief Marketing Office FORMER NIKE DESIGNER D’WAYNE EDWARDS SAYS BRUCE LEE HAS IMPACTED HIS CAREER AND DESIGN.

By Patrick ‘Mad’ Mork

The ten qualities you should look for when interviewing potential CMOs for your start-up.

scaling strategies and how they combined various marketing functions to deliver on their goals.

Hiring a chief marketing officer (CMO) can be one of the most important decisions you make as a start-up CEO. The right CMO can build a world-class marketing team that will not only help you acquire more customers, but also strongly enhance the perception and brand value of your company.

2. Adaptability

However, despite its importance, the CMO role is often misunderstood. CEOs, particularly first-time founders, often end up hiring the wrong person. Here’s a checklist of traits you should look out for in a great CMO, with sample interview questions to facilitate your decision-making process.

Adaptability is one of the most important skills for a start-up CMO. Markets change, competitors act in ways you didn’t anticipate and, all of a sudden, it’s a whole new ball game.

Great CMOs can think on their feet and adjust their strategy if the product upgrade is delayed by six months. They can switch target audiences if you realise that your product resonates more with mothers in their 40s than with young women. They love a challenge and embrace change with energy, confidence and a positive mindset.

1. Strategic mindset

Sample interview questions:

Too many founders and CEOs confuse strategy with goals.

Having a goal for your company doesn’t mean you have a strategy. Your strategy is how you drive your mission. Great CMOs get this. They are able to see the big picture and see where the industry is going, what competitors are doing and what the market wants. More importantly, a great CMO understands the synergy between each marketing component (product, brand, content, communications, social media, pricing, distribution, growth and user acquisition).

1. Have you ever had to overhaul your strategy in light of new business conditions? How did you do it? What was the result?

Sample interview questions: 1. Tell me about a company whose marketing strategy you admire and why?

2. What was your marketing strategy at your previous company? What was your rationale?

3. Describe the target audience for your previous company.

Why did you go after that audience? How did you position your product or service?

You may also ask your CMO candidates to describe their best

2. What’s the most unpredictable thing you’ve ever done?

3. What do you do to push yourself out of your comfort zone?

Pay particular attention to candidates who have successfully switched industries. Steer clear of candidates who have been with the same company for the last ten years.

3. Leadership Great CMOs are able to motivate, inspire and lead people. In many cases, CMOs are also the public faces of the company. In dire situations, great CMOs can rally the troops, assuage their fears and fill them with the purpose to carry on.

Sample interview questions: 1. Tell me about a particular crisis your company or your team faced. How did you handle the situation? What did you learn?

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2. What’s the most unpopular stance you’ve ever taken? Why? 3. What was the most challenging conflict you’ve ever had to manage between two people or two teams? How did you handle it?

4. Emotional intelligence The best CMOs usually have high levels of emotional intelligence.

Not only are they self-aware, but they can also read the feelings of others. They are self-confident and optimist. They are also skilful mediators, natural ambassadors and diplomats who know how to diffuse the most challenging situations.

Sample interview questions: 1. What’s the most difficult situation you’ve ever had to manage regarding someone on your team?

2. What would people say are your greatest strengths? Any areas of improvement?

3. Describe a situation where teams you managed struggled to collaborate. How did you handle the situation?

5. Management ability The CMO role is one of the most complex in management today. The CMO has to manage large teams across multiple disciplines from brand management to user acquisition to communications to product marketing. Great CMOs are able to identify and hire people who are smarter than themselves (in their respective areas), as well as manage and retain them.

Their success depends on their aptitude to build a strong team to execute their marketing vision.

Sample interview questions: 1. How would people who have worked for you describe your management style?

2. What do you look for in the people you hire?

3. Would you ever hire an amazing employee knowing that they might not work well in a team environment?

6. Intuition Most CMOs struggle with excess data. Great CMOs know which metrics matter but also trust their gut when they have to make a decision amidst ambiguity. In a data-centric world, it’s easy for CMOs to suffer from analysis paralysis. Great ones cut through the noise, ask smart questions, look at the data and then decide partly based on what their gut tells them.

Sample interview questions: 1. Can you describe a situation where the facts and data could have led you to make a decision that could have landed either way? How did you resolve this dilemma?

2. Have you ever made a decision that went against your gut feeling? What was the result? What did you learn?

3. How have you handled situations where a more analytically minded peer argued against your intuitive recommendation?

roll up his or her sleeves to get things done. This is particularly true as a stop-gap measure in high-growth environments, where it also helps set a leadership example. As a CMO, I’ve written blog posts, sent emails and even created graphics. That said, if you expect your CMO to do grunt work for the next two or three years, you probably aren’t ready to hire one.

Sample interview questions: 1. Have you ever been in a situation where someone on your team couldn’t deliver and you had to jump in?

2. Would you rather leave something important pending while you hire a great person to do it? Or would you risk doing it yourself, learn from the experience and then hire someone better to do it in the future?

3. How do you decide whether to let people figure things out of their own or do the task yourself? (Great CMOs will only take over when the situation demands it.)

8. Curiosity Great CMOs have a growth mindset. Though they might not know everything about search engine optimisation, user acquisition or content marketing, they want to understand how these strategies work, how they fit into the bigger picture and how they can be improved. Great CMOs are always looking for ways to improve themselves, their teams, their tools and their processes.

Sample interview questions: 1. Tell me about a time you went out of your comfort zone.

What did you learn?

2. What is the most profound book you’ve read recently? Any takeaways?

3. If you had the time, what marketing skill would you like to improve? Why?

9. Sales acumen In this day and age, marketing is all about sales. Great CMOs constantly think about how to find or retain more customers at every step of the marketing process. They are natural salespeople who sell without selling. They seek to build customer relationships based on deep-seated needs, such that when a contract needs to be signed or a product purchased, it is just a simple formality.

You only need one question here, to yourself: Are you fired up about hiring this person after meeting them?

10. Experience A CMO title is earned through experience. Although your candidate may not have been a CMO before, the person does need at least 10 to 15 years’ experience, a deep proficiency in one or more areas of marketing and a thorough understanding of how all the different pieces fit together. A great CMO can take your company to a whole new level and should be one of the most important hires you make.

7. Ability to take charge Great start-up CMOs are not afraid to enter the fray, in contrast with corporate CMOs for whom diplomacy and collaboration are paramount. The start-up CMO also needs these corporate skillsets (or the ability to grow into them) but must be ready to

Patrick ‘Mad’ Mork (INSEAD MBA ‘00J) is an Executive Coach and the Chief Storyteller at madmork stories.

7 Ways Brands Are Evolving Their Message For Digital Video

By Giselle Abramovich

Consumers sure are hungry for their daily digital video.

Today, they spend almost 83 minutes per day consuming this type of content, heading toward 92 minutes by 2020, according to eMarketer’s most recent estimates.

Read on for our deep dive into seven of the biggest trends we’re seeing in video today and what to expect in the future.

For brands and marketers, that growth represents huge opportunities to creatively captivate audiences through site, sound, and motion.

Vertical video is the outcome of a mobile-first generation who interacts with their devices in portrait mode. In fact, the smartphone is the device of choice for more than 75% of worldwide video viewing, according to eMarketer.

“We define digital video as any audiovisual content that is delivered via an Internet connection or a mobile network,” said Paul Verna, a senior analyst at eMarketer. “That encompasses everything from YouTube, to video on Facebook, to Netflix, to HBO Now. It’s really anything that’s audiovisual but not delivered by cable, satellite, or over-the-air.”

Indeed, given advancements in the underlying technology, a plethora of new video formats have come to the forefront, with multiple channels and platforms for sharing and distributing content, Verna told CMO.com.

In response, marketers have become “brilliant strategists” in terms of using video to drive engagement, conversation, and “measurable, custom journeys toward brand love and purchase,” said Tod Loofbourrow, chairman and CEO of ViralGains, a provider of video advertising technology.

1. Vertical Video

Acording to Jeff Pedersen, principal product marketing manager for Creative Cloud Enterprise at Adobe (CMO. com’s parent company), the challenge with vertical video is largely in the editing. Often, brands, which are accustomed to filming in the traditional landscape, or horizontal mode, find themselves having to reshoot the content for mobile.

“Vertical video is just a whole, new creative idea,” Pedersen said. This changes the game in how videos are shot to begin with, Pedersen said, emphasizing the importance of planning for mobile/vertical video way before the shoot starts. “As digital screens continue to populate in new areas and formats, expect the video multiformatting issue to continue to grow as a need,” Pedersen said.

Indeed, as mobile Internet use continues to grow and outpace

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desktop, getting vertical video right is a must. Earlier this year, Digiday highlighted publisher News U.K. for its launch of the “V-Studio,” which helps advertisers on its media properties (The Sun and The Times of London, among others) to convert their horizontal videos into the vertical format. News U.K. reportedly ran 16 vertical video campaigns from October 2017 through January 2018, with luxury brands such as Michael Kors and Mr Porter adopting to the format quickly.

As more publishers follow suit, vertical video advertising is expected to grow.

“If you know that your video is going to Snapchat but you’re also doing a TV campaign, try to plan for that when you do your shoot,” Verna advised. “There’s going to be a difference in how you shoot a scene depending on whether the video will end up vertical, horizontal, or both.”

2. Shoppable Video Shoppable video is an example of product placement at its finest. In the past, products were strategically placed into television shows and even movies, end of story. But with shoppable video, consumers can view a product in a video, then click or tap to be linked directly to purchase it online.

Fashion brand Ted Baker has dabbled with shoppable ads.

The brand has a three-minute shoppable film experience called “Mission Impeccable” in which viewers can at any time choose to browse through the apparel and accessories worn by the actors and actresses and make purchases for themselves.

dwindling consumer attention span and increase conversion.”

An example of this today is Amazon’s X-Ray, which overlays information on top of the digital video content that consumers watch. Wondering who that actor is or what song is playing in the background? The tool instantly provides extra information about what is on the screen. “And just imagine if that idea can extend to brands and to products,” Adobe’s Pedersen said.

3. Ephemeral Video Ephemeral video is audiovisual content that is available for a capped period of time. That mentality of “check it out now or risk missing out” is what makes the format so popular with young audiences. This month, Facebook revealed its Stories feature now has 150 million daily viewers. To capitalize on this growing audience, the social behomoth will start testing its first Facebeook Stories ads in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil.

You can’t possibly talk about ephemeral video and not think of Buzzfeed or Refinery, both of which are creating short videos for content platforms such as Stories, Snapchat and Instagram. Other publishers, such as Vice, have made the same commitment, as have brands including J. Crew, Michelob Ultra, and LG, to name a few.

But ephemeral content doesn’t only live on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. For example, record label Main Course offers a Soundcloud of its artists’ new releases for which fans are granted a limited time to listen before the content disappears.

“The fleeting nature of this type of content adds to its novelty and appeal among audiences, especially younger ones,” according to Paula Bruno, president of Blissful Media Group, a social media agency. “Because ephemeral content is short-lived and spontaneous, it is thought of as being more authentic than sponsored posts and raises the potential of FOMO [fear of missing out]. As a result, viewers tend to act fast and purchase now.”

4. Interactive Video

“Mary Meeker at Kleiner Perkins said it best: ‘Content is the store,’” said Allon Caidar, founder and CEO of TVPage, an online shoppable video platform. “Consumers today seek engagement everywhere, as well as the ability to act on that engagement instantly. Making content shoppable through leveraging AI-driven product-to-video metadata matching gives merchants the ability to respond to today’s consumer.”

Retailers and brands also have the opportunity to take shoppable content to the next level by streaming live to consumers, using technology that scans live video and automatically serves up related products to buy in real time, Caidar added.

“Before technology made it possible to shop directly from video, merchants relied on static product images or videos to reach consumers,” Caidar said. “The transition to dynamic and shoppable video content has proved to engage the ever-

Interactive video allows consumers to engage beyond mere viewing. For example, nonprofit Mended Little Hearts uses interactive video to illustrate how donations help children with congenital heart disease. Within the video, viewers are encouraged to donate to the cause; each time a donation is made, the video becomes sunnier and more fun for the main character, Max.

This trend is even making its way onto connected TVs. “If you’re watching at home on, let’s say, Sling TV or any of those platforms, you can use your remote control to interact with an ad,” eMarketer’s Verna said. “That’s something a lot of people are starting to experiment with.”

customer action.”

An example is a series of NBC Olympics promotions that led up to the 2018 Winter Olympics. Video ads ran on NBC Sports, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Android and Apple mobile operating systems featuring five U.S. athletes: snowboarder Shaun White, alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, figure skater Nathan Chen, freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy, and alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin. Viewers, using their TV remotes, were able to click through information and fun facts about the athletes.

6. 360-Degree Video

Abbey Thomas, CMO of Tremor Video, saids she expects the trend of customizing video ads to specific TV events will continue to grow.

“Thanks to new, emerging technologies, advertisers are now able to have a one-to-one direct conversation with their customers within the modern living room,” Thomas told CMO.com. “This truly takes the linear experience and makes it digital. ... The opportunity for brands is to align digital creative with on-air activity. And when real-time TV data is combined with advanced video creative, it generates optimal video performance, which makes digital video advertising incredibly more valuable.”

5. Personalized Video Personalization tactics are effective because people like when their experiences are tailored to their needs and preferences.

Personalized video marketing is no exception.

Adidas, for example, created and delivered personalized videos for each and every runner in last month’s Boston Marathon. Runners received their videos just hours after they crossed the finish line.

Recent developments, such as open platforms and chatbots, promise to significantly expand the use of personalized video going forward, Benami added.

AOL research from 2017 found that almost half of global consumers (49%) are experiencing 360-degree video on mobile. At a time when consumers are demanding experiences and not just “buy me, buy me” ads, 360-degree video offers a compelling way to take people behind the scenes to get to know a brand.

Take NASCAR as an example.

“Before emerging technology like VR and 360-degree video, getting people to a track was the single opportunity to fully appreciate a NASCAR event,” said Tim Clark, the brand’s vice president of digital media, in a recent interview with CMO.com. “I think we still agree that that’s the case, and the ultimate goal is to have NASCAR fans experience races in person. However, virtual reality and 360-degree video is probably the next best thing.”

For instance, NASCAR fans can take a 360-video tour of the NASCAR garage, where aficionados can see cars up close and from different angles. This 360-degree access was made available on the NASCAR website, through its mobile app, and on Facebook and YouTube.

7. Live Video Live video is also gaining in popularity among consumers.

Brands are following the eyeballs. For example, General Electric used Facebook Live to host a 360-degree livestream dubbed “The Creators Circle.” The host of the three-hour livestream, Nina Hajian, interviewed artists and influencers such as Cat London, Dschwen and Alicia D’Angelo in creative spaces set up for their individual artistic expertise. The video aimed to introduce the brand’s Relax, Refresh and Reveal LED light bulbs, which the artists used throughout their creative spaces. Viewers could move from room to room to see how each artist was using their bulb during the creative process.

Additionally, Adobe’s Think Tank program (Adobe is CMO.com’s parent company), which periodically gathers thought leaders to tackle different topics, live-streams the conversations to millions on Facebook. The result? Real, raw, uncut discussions about digital marketing trends, challenges, and opportunities.

“Human beings are hard-wired to consume audiovisual content,” said Yotam Benami, CMO at Idomoo, a personalized video provider. “Our brains process it faster, and much more information can be retained in a far shorter time when compared to text or audio. Personalized video is data-driven video [that] translates data-driven insights into

Indeed, the opportunity is vast with live video programming.

A recent study by Livestream and New York Magazine found that 78% of online audiences are already watching video on Facebook Live, and that number will continue to grow, especially with the rollout of 5G and faster network speeds across the U.S. Giselle Abramovich has 10-plus years of experience covering and analyzing marketing, media, and commerce. Before joining CMO.com by Adobe, she wrote and edited for publications such as Digiday, DM News, Mobile Marketer, Mobile Commerce Daily, and Luxury Daily.

VR and advertising: How brands can start planning now

By Charles Dearing

At first, virtual reality seemed like a niche technology that would cool off after a couple of years. It’s becoming clear that VR is here to stay, though. The potential innovations and the future of the platform seem unending and bright. With Sony’s PlayStation VR platform alone selling over 2 million units, the legitimacy of the technology has become undeniable.

mind and allows them to entertain their potential customers while also relaying their branding message to them. Instead of having potential customers watch mindless television ads and look at stolid billboards, while occasionally creative, companies can create experiences that consumers will not forget.

Google Cardboard offers an affordable VR set for mobile phones and the Samsung VR gear has enraptured its fan base. The offerings do not stop there as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive have completely engulfed the PC VR market. There is a great argument that, in fact, virtual reality is not only a lasting trend but a soon-to-be integral part of everyday life.

This allows a company to really embed themselves into the consumers mind and allows for a deeper connection to the customer. Soon, as virtual reality hardware becomes ubiquitous, marketing in the VR space will become a no-brainer and will completely revolutionize marketing altogether.

Consumers all over the world are adopting the hardware at rates faster than expected. Companies, at least those wise enough to see, are developing applications and experiences for the virtual reality platform. There is really so much to be excited about in this space for a variety of reasons.

For businesses that are interested engaging the VR market the simplest thing they can do is to create an app that accurately displays their message and provides consumers with the feeling of their business. This is a cross between design and product development with a strong sense of UX.

The most important to businesses, however, is the impact that VR has on marketing.

This will allow potential consumers to connect with a brand on a deeper level. It is also an invaluable tool for those who do not have traditional businesses that creates goods found quickly on shelves. For instance, a company that creates rocket engines can use virtual reality to give an in-depth look at their products and allow the consumer to see them in action. For car companies this can be an even greater experience as virtual reality can give the potential customer the experience of driving one of their cars. It is also great for the independent crafts makers as they can submit a virtual image of their creations and allow customers to interact with them.

It goes without saying that a business that can deliver a sensory experience to potential customers is one that will most likely see an increase in revenue. This is why there has been so much innovation in the business space so quickly.

Owners all over the world see that the impact of VR is not just a gimmick but a real transformable experience.

Getting started with VR Entering the virtual reality space is not as difficult as many believe it to be as the platform has a fairly easy and accessible entry point. This has, at least partially, led to the increased participation in the development of virtual reality software.

You no longer need a team of engineers to create a virtual reality app that is at least basic in design but still provides a deep sensory experience. However, developers are still recommended for apps that are robust and interesting to really set yourself apart from the competition.

We see businesses like Coca-Cola and Google getting into the VR space and making experiences that effectively market their brands while simultaneously providing consumers with a memorable experience. This is most likely the most important aspect of virtual reality and that is that marketing is no longer one-sided. It provides companies a gateway into a person’s

Ultimately, marketing in the virtual reality space is about giving customers an experience rather than just noise. It’s not about how invasive or loud your ad is, but rather, how impactful the experience you create for them is. Marketing with virtual reality creates sensory bonds with consumers and gives all companies an edge in their respective markets. Virtual reality hardware is gaining momentum quickly and soon will be in almost all households in some form or another. The sooner your company can breach their space the the better your impact will be. Marketing in VR is no longer just a gimmick or niche idea, it is now the future.

Charles Dearing is a veteran tech and marketing journalist who has written for various publications such as ProBlogger, Big Think and Apps World.

How Spotify Broadens Your Musical Tastes NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT STREAMING MUSIC SUBSCRIBERS LISTEN TO A MORE DIVERSE ARRAY OF ARTISTS — AND MORE MUSIC IN GENERAL — ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS.

By Patrick J. Kiger

If you’ve signed up recently for Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, or one of the other streaming audio services that now account for more than half of all music consumption, you may have noticed that your listening habits have changed. Now that you don’t have to pay for each CD or digital download, it could be that you’re venturing away from your longtime favorites and checking out the likes of Trombone Shorty, rockabilly chanteuse Wanda Jackson, or some obscure punk band from Finland whose name you aren’t even sure how to pronounce.

If that’s the case, it wouldn’t surprise Bart J. Bronnenberg, a Stanford Graduate School of Business marketing professor who’s been researching consumer demand for musical variety and how it influences their choices.

“The thing with CDs and iTunes is that when you bought a title, more variety would cost you more money,” explains Bronnenberg, whose own eclectic musical tastes range from blues to classical. “With streaming, that’s not the case. Once you buy a subscription, the incremental variety to you is free. We were interested in figuring out the consequence of this cost shock on consumers.”

In a study recently published in the journal Marketing Science, Bronnenberg and coauthors Hannes Datta and George Knox, both of the Netherlands’ Tilburg University, found a way to discern the effect on consumers when they switched from purchasing individual songs or albums to subscription streaming. They analyzed more than two years’ worth of data from a popular online service that tracks members’ listening history across a wide variety of platforms, ranging from iTunes and Windows Media Player to streaming services like Spotify.

The tracking app, which the researchers promised to keep anonymous, then makes music recommendations to its members based on their consumption across multiple platforms.

The researchers could identify when users switched from purchasing music by the song or album to streaming, and then could track what happened to their music consumption — including the total number of songs, unique artists, and distinct genres they listened to.

While it may seem intuitive that subscribers freed of economic limits on consumption would consume more, the sheer magnitude of the shift was startling. In the first week, the number of songs played by new converts to streaming increased by 132%, while the number of unique artists heard jumped by 62%.

What’s even more surprising is that those trends persisted, even after the novelty wore off. Six months after the switch to streaming, users’ music consumption on digital platforms was still 49% higher than it previously had been, and the number of unique artists that they listened to was 32% higher, according to Bronnenberg.

“All these effects are very sizable, and they actually seem to represent a long-run behavioral shift,” Bronnenberg explains. “You end up listening to more music and, on balance, the variety expansion is quite large — you tend to listen to the same thing less often.”

At the same time, users’ consumption of music by superstar artists actually declined slightly, by 7%. Instead, the researchers observed users trying many new artists and songs. “There’s a lot more discovery going on,” Bronnenberg says. Most of the additional music was only listened to once, since “when you get more

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OUR RESULTS POINT TO A MORE FRAGMENTED MARKET, POTENTIALLY MORE AMENABLE TO SMALLER ARTISTS AND LABELS. BART J. BRONNENBERG

venturesome, you also end up trying things you don’t like.” But because those choices didn’t cost anything except users’ time, they continued to explore. And in the process they also discovered new songs and artists that they did like, which they continued to listen to repeatedly.

Bronnenberg emphasized that the research looked at streaming music from the demand rather than the supply side. But he suspects that the changes in consumer behavior that he and his colleagues observed could have important implications for an industry that is already being transformed by streaming services.

Spotify, the largest of the streaming providers, now has 40 million paying subscribers worldwide. For $10 a month, the customers have access to a library of more than 30 million songs. The company has another 60 million members who can listen for free but have less control over what they can listen to. The musicians and their labels get paid based on the number of times a song gets streamed.

“The shift from ownership to streaming potentially levels the playing field to the benefit of smaller producers,” the researchers write. “Our results point to a more fragmented market, potentially more amenable to smaller artists and labels.”

Bronnenberg also thinks that the advent of curated lists on streaming services — a phenomenon that the study didn’t examine — could create value for consumers by guiding their musical exploration. “For a company like Spotify, which has a catalog of millions of songs, consumers are also appreciating and probably willing to pay for good curated lists,” he says.

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA BECAME A PINK COLLAR JOB

By Jessi Hempel

COMPANIES HIRING FOR technical positions often slip language into their job postings that appeals to men. They say they’re looking for “ninjas,” who seek to “obliterate competition,” and are capable of “dominating.” By now, these wordings are a well understood form of bias that produces more male candidates than female.

But one job in the digital economy falls predominantly to women. It’s an oft-overlooked position, drawing on both marketing and editorial skills, that has become increasingly critical both to business success and online discourse. The pay is poor, and the respect can be limited. Take a look at

the job posting for any social media manager. You’ll discover the same bias in its language, in reverse: a bias for sourcing

BY NOW, THESE female candidates.

Social media managers are “the behind-the-screens labor involved in media and technology, central to propelling our digital economy forward,” says Brooke Erin Duffy, who is an Assistant

WORDINGS ARE A WELL UNDERSTOOD FORM OF BIAS THAT PRODUCES MORE MALE CANDIDATES THAN FEMALE.

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Professor in Communications at Cornell. Between 70 and 80 percent of social media workers self-identify as women on the salary compilation site Payscale. The career has been referred to as the Pink Ghetto.

According to a study, published by Duffy and University of Oxford researcher Becca Schwartz in New Media & Societyand slated for a print release early next year, companies create this diversity gap by advertising social media as “women’s work”—at the same time as they routinely undervalue it. Duffy and Schwartz studied 150 job postings to determine how businesses recruit social media specialists. These companies, which included BuzzFeed, Equinox and Thrillist, advertised jobs that called for applicants to be sociable, exhibit deft emotional management and be flexible–all traits that Duffy says are typically associated with women.

The feminized nature of social media employment, Duffy and Schwartz argue, is connected to its “characteristic invisibility, lower pay, and marginal status” within the tech industry. The pair cites statistics from Payscale that place average pay for a social media specialist at $41,000. But that’s for staff jobs.

Duffy, who last year published the book(Not) Getting Paid to Do What You Love: Gender, Social Media, and Aspirational Work, has been tracking this field for awhile. This spring, she conducted an additional 25 interviews with social media managers to better understand the dynamics of the job. Most social media jobs, she says, are contract positions; the ghosttweeters responsible for upholding a brand’s social persona, for example, may be balancing two or three clients at a time.

In the job descriptions Duffy and Schwartz studied, which included both entry-level postings and calls for internships, companies often made the jobs sound like non-work: fun hobbies for which people just happened to get paid. (Or, occasionally paid. Many of the internships were offered without pay, or for school credit.) Postings referred to the job as sociable, blurring the boundaries “THE ASSUMPTION between work and play. Perks on offer included everything from WAS THAT THESE discounts on classes at Equinox to JOBS WERE LaCroix and free massages at the EXTENSIONS OF digital media company Ranker.

“The assumption was that these WHAT PEOPLE jobs were extensions of what WOULD BE DOING people would be doing for fun anyway,” says Duffy.

FOR FUN ANYWAY”

Duffy notes that social media specialists’ roles are not simply to steward a brand’s presence on social media, but to act as a personal round-the-clock ambassador for the brand. Companies sought out workers who had active social followings already, and could prove they use many different services, from Twitter to Instagram to Pinterest, regularly. For these workers, tech addiction or obsession was not pathologized, but in fact “bound up with notions of the idealized worker,” according to the study. Candidates were encouraged to be always online– and passionate personally about the brands for which they worked. Companies sought workers who expressed social allegiance: Candidates were expected to show a “passion for travel and [The Points Guy] brand,” or a “deep passion for

the UrbanDaddy brand and lifestyle.”

At the same time, their true identities go unrecognized. Unlike journalists, social media managers have no byline. They don’t reveal who they are when tweeting under a brand’s handle or posting to Pinterest. In that way, social media workers are a digital version of public relations professionals, an often low-status woman-dominated role within corporate America.

Social media managers usually command less respect than PR managers, while taking on responsibility for an increasingly important distribution channel. Strategic use of social media has been credited for influencing elections, harnessed to transform fledgling startups into billion-dollar companies, and used as a form of warfare. But this influence doesn’t translate into a higher paycheck or more internal power.

The study also suggests companies are seeking out candidates capable of “emotional labor.” This falls into two buckets. Companies advertise for candidates who are “upbeat” and “kind-hearted,” and capable, generally, of the emotional finesse involved in wrangling a brand’s messages into 140-character tweets, managing its employees so that they participate, and interacting with the wider audience of brand loyalists. But social managers must also withstand the vitriol of the trolls who target Tweeters and posters with an expanding vocabulary of hate speech. “You are on the other end of a public face,” says Duffy. “You are dealing with the trolls yourself.”

Duffy and Schwartz believe the influx of women in these roles is the reason salaries and status remain low. Historically, when women entered both journalism and public relations beginning in the late 19th century, society began to value these types of work less. Similarly, they suggest, when companies use female-centric language to advertise, they’re devaluing the nature of the work.

By contrast, there’s a different type of social media work that companies value highly—the work of coding and building the networks. It similarly happens behind-the-screens, and relies on a set of specialized skills. These professionals, who are overwhelming white and male, are like gold to employers, who offer them “hefty base salaries, top-notch benefits and perks galore.” They are valorized by society. As anyone who has watched HBO’s Silicon Valley will note, they are often perceived to lack the emotional finesse necessary to accomplish the “emotional labor” involved in social media and we consider that more of a point of humor than a deficit.

Women are left to shoulder the burden of labor for communications and branding—necessary roles whose value does not command similar prestige. It’s the digital version of the pink-collar job, and until companies evaluate their hiring process, this division of labor will only become more entrenched.

Jessi Hempel is a senior writer at WIRED covering the business of technology. Before joining WIRED, she served as a senior writer for Fortune, where she penned cover stories on Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as IBM and RIM.

Wondering How Customers Feel about Your Brand?

A NEW ALGORITHM TRACKS PEOPLE’S PERCEPTION IN REAL TIME VIA TWITTER. Based on the research of Aron Culotta and Jennifer Cutler

By Kellogg School of Managemen

For decades, marketers have relied on surveys to gauge how customers perceive their brands. While this tried-and-true method does a good job of revealing how brands stack up against the competition on everything from health to luxury, it is also time-consuming and labor-intensive. By the time you have survey results in your hand, they may already be out of date.

Jennifer Cutler, an assistant professor of marketing at the Kellogg School, thinks it may be time to send many surveys into a well-deserved retirement. Instead, she and a coauthor have developed a real-time tool based on Twitter activity.

Cutler and coauthor Aron Culotta of the Illinois Institute of Technology have created an approach that allows marketers to track in real time how their company compares to others for any attribute that interests them: in minutes, a marketer can know whether customers see Tesla as more or less luxurious

than Porsche, a task that previously might have taken weeks or even months to complete. This is accomplished not by tracking what users are posting to Twitter, but rather whom they follow—an approach Cutler believes offers deeper and more nuanced insights into how companies are viewed.

“There’s a lot of excitement in the field of marketing about the potential to extract insights about consumers from these data, but there’s definitely been a struggle to figure out how to do that,” Cutler explains.

Thus, much of that data remains Consumers untapped by marketers. Thanks to research like hers, however, reveal a lot about “a lot of the barriers to entry and a lot of the obstacles to themselves online, applying large-scale data even when they say mining for marketing insights nothing at all. are falling down.”

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The Power of Social Media Data Mining When marketers look to social media, they are often focused on what consumers are saying about their brands. Though Cutler believes text analysis has its place, there are serious drawbacks to relying on text alone. For example, although 20 percent of US adults have Twitter accounts, fewer than half post actively.

“Among those that write, very few are going to write about a brand, and even fewer still are going to write about your brand,” Cutler explains.

But consumers reveal a lot about themselves online, even when they say nothing at all.

These Twitter lurkers are following other users—companies, politicians, celebrities, friends—and making lists of accounts, organized by topic. Through lists, users can create their own curated newsfeeds around topics of interest (“sports,” “science,” or “politics”). And unless they have made their Twitter account private, all of this information is publicly available.

Across these many millions of user-curated lists, certain commonalities begin to emerge. @ESPN, for instance, might appear on many user lists labeled “sports” because users strongly associate it with that topic. Ditto @DogRates and “cute,” or @nytimes and “news.”

This is the basis of Cutler’s algorithm, which identifies exemplary accounts for particular topics. The tool searches for accounts that appear on many lists labeled, for instance, “environment,” and narrows those accounts down to the strongest exemplars. In the “environment” example, @ SierraClub or @Greenpeace might be exemplary accounts.

The algorithm then looks for overlap between the followers of the exemplary accounts (@Greenpeace) and the followers of a particular brand (say, Toyota Prius). This information is used to compute a score between zero and one that shows how the brand is associated with the attribute. Lower scores mean most customers do not associate the brand strongly with the attribute (say, Walmart and luxury); higher scores indicate a stronger association (Toyota Prius and the environment).

To test the reliability of the method, the researchers compared their computer-generated results with traditional survey results for 239 brands. The researchers recruited survey participants online and asked them to rank each brand from one to five according to how strongly they associated it with one of three attributes: eco-friendliness, luxury, and nutrition. They found that in most cases, the survey results closely matched the results produced by the algorithm.

One interesting exception: survey participants rated Lamborghini higher on luxury than the algorithm did. It was an intriguing anomaly, considering the brand’s reputation

and the eye-popping cost of its cars. So they looked more closely at Lamborghini’s Twitter account to figure out why the algorithm might have faltered.

In contrast to other companies, which use Twitter to interact with customers or share information about their product, Lamborghini’s account was a more general news feed on car technology.

“We think that it’s quite possible that people were following Lamborghini and ‘news feed’-type brands for systematically different reasons than why they might follow other brands,” Cutler explains.

Why consumers follow particular brands, and how brands use social media to achieve a variety of strategic aims, is something Cutler hopes to investigate more deeply in future research.

Future Applications Overall, however, Cutler and Culotta found their tool provided a highly reliable measure of brand perception.

And in contrast to the sluggish process of administering surveys, the algorithm can respond quickly to shifts in public perception or changes in a particular area of interest.

“Anytime we want to run this model, we can just query again, and if there are new players in the field—new, trendy sustainability exemplars—then we’ll catch them with the new query,” Cutler says.

She hopes marketers will realize that “it’s important to consider your followers’ social relationships and social networks on social media, not just what they say. What we’re showing here is that networks can provide a lot of extra information that is often missing in text.”

It is an insight Cutler believes can be applied much more broadly.

“Although we talk about brand perception specifically in this paper, the general idea of looking to your users’ network connections can be applied a lot of different ways,” she says.

For example, she is currently at work on a project that uses similar data-mining techniques to help marketers develop customer personas.

And she hopes as social-media data mining becomes more accessible to marketers, it will allow them to gain insights into deeper and more abstract qualities of brand image.

“As we develop these new techniques, it can start to open the door to new types of questions that marketers can ask that they haven’t been able to ask before,” she says.

The faculty of the Kellogg School of Management bring their latest research and expertise to you in an accessible, engaging format.

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Lean Branding: Creating Dynamic Brands to Generate Conversion (Lean (O’Reilly)

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be: The world’s best selling book

By Laura Busche

By Paul Arden

This practical toolkit helps you build your own robust, dynamic brands that generate conversion. You’ll find over 100 DIY branding tactics and inspiring case studies, and step-bystep instructions for building and measuring 25 essential brand strategy ingredients, from logo design to demo-day pitches, using The Lean Startup methodology’s Build-Measure-Learn loop.

The world’s top advertising guru, offers up his wisdom on issues as diverse as problem solving, responding to a brief, communicating, playing your cards right, making mistakes and creativity, all notions that can be applied to aspects of modern life. This book provides a unique insight into the world of advertising and is a quirky compilation of quotes, facts, pictures, wit and wisdom, packed into easy-to-digest, bite-sized spreads.

Branded Nation: The Marketing of Megachurch, College Inc., and Museumworld

Drucker on Marketing: Lessons from the World’s Most Influential Business Thinker

By James B. Twitchell

By William Cohen

Branded Nation uncovers a society where megachurches resemble shopping malls (and not by accident); where a university lives or dies on the talents of its image makers -- and its ranking in U.S. News & World Report; and where museums have turned to motorcycle exhibits and fashion shows to bolster revenue, even franchising their own institutions into brands.

Drucker on Marketing is the first comprehensive look at the marketing wisdom of one of modern history’s most influential business thinkers.

A former student of Peter Drucker, William Cohen has sifted through Drucker’s huge body of work, singled out his most salient ideas on marketing, and constructed them into a framework that not only outlines Drucker’s marketing philosophy but provides practical advice...

How Cool Brands Stay Hot: Branding to Generations Y and Z

How to Style Your Brand: Everything You Need to Know to Create a Distinctive Brand Identity

By Joeri Van den Bergh, Mattias Behrer The book reveals how Millennials think, feel, and behave, and discusses how recent developments such as the recession, mobile marketing and purchasing, and the adaptation and evolution of social media, have impacted Generation Y. All the chapters offer new case studies and interviews, from companies such as H&M, Forever 21, and Converse, as well as updated facts, figures, and research.

Archetypes in Branding: A Toolkit for Creatives and Strategists

By Margaret Hartwell, Joshua C. Chen Archetypes in Branding: A Toolkit for Creatives and Strategists offers a highly participatory approach to brand development. Combined with a companion deck of sixty original archetype cards, this kit will give you a practical tool to: Reveal your brand’s motivations, how it moves in the world, what its trigger points are and why it attracts certain customers.

Forge relationships with the myriad stakeholders that affect your business...

By Fiona Humberstone In How to Style Your Brand, Fiona shares with you the secrets behind using colour to create an emotive connection; how to use pattern and illustrations to add character and personality and how to carefully select typefaces that add a distinctive and intentional edge to your designs.

The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design

By Marty Neumeier THE BRAND GAP is the first book to present a unified theory of brand-building. Whereas most books on branding are weighted toward either a strategic or creative approach, this book shows how both ways of thinking can unite to produce a “charismatic brand”—a brand that customers feel is essential to their lives.

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Brands in Glass Houses: How to Embrace Transparency and Grow Your Business Through Content Marketing

By Dechay Watts, Debbie Williams, Said Baaghil (Contributor) Brands in Glass Houses shines light on businesses that are revealing themselves authentically, not just as a marketing tactic, but also as a way of doing business. It shows you how to provide interesting content so that customers can connect with your brand on an emotional level...

KNOWN: The Handbook for Building and Unleashing Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age Kindle Edition

By Mark Schaefer

Brand Mascots: And Other Marketing Animals

By Stephen Brown (Editor), Sharon PonsonbyMcCabe (Editor) Featuring case studies and empirical analyses from around the world – here Hello Kitty, there Aleksandr Orlov, beyond that Angry Birds – the book presents the latest thinking on beast-based brands, broadly defined. Entirely qualitative in content, it represents a readable, reliable resource for marketing academics, marketing managers, marketing students and the consumer research community.

Kellogg on Advertising and Media: The Kellogg School of Management

By Bobby J. Calder (Editor), Philip Kotler (Foreword)

In this path-finding book, author Mark Schaefer provides a step-by-step plan followed by the most successful people in diverse careers like banking, education, real estate, construction, fashion, and more. With amazing case studies, dozens of exercises, and inspiring stories, KNOWN is the first book its kind, providing a path to personal business success in the digital age.

In Kellogg on Advertising and Media, members of the world’s leading marketing faculty explain the revolutionized world of advertising. The star faculty of the Kellogg School of Management reveal the biggest challenges facing marketers today- including the loss of mass audiences, the decline of broadcast television advertising, and the role of online advertising...

Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands

Brand Portfolio Strategy: Creating Relevance, Differentiation, Energy, Leverage, and Clarity

By Marty Neumeier “When everybody zigs, zag,” says Marty Neumeier in this fresh view of brand strategy. ZAG follows the ultra-clear “whiteboard overview” style of the author’s first book, THE BRAND GAP, but drills deeper into the question of how brands can harness the power of differentiation. The author argues that in an extremely cluttered marketplace, traditional differentiation is no longer enough— today companies need “radical differentiation” to create lasting value for their shareholders and customers.

By David A. Aaker In this long-awaited book from the world’s premier brand expert and author of the seminal work Building Strong Brands, David Aaker shows managers how to construct a brand portfolio strategy that will support a company’s business strategy and create relevance, differentiation, energy, leverage, and clarity....

Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits

Unstoppable Influence: Be You. Be Fearless. Transform Lives.

By Debbie Millman, Rob Walker (Foreword)

By Natasha Hazlett

This book elevates the discussion to the level of revelation. Each chapter is an extensive dialogue between Debbie Millman, herself a design visionary, and a different leader in the field. By asking questions deeply informed by her own expertise, Millman coaxes lucid, prescient answers from twenty-two interview subjects, among them Malcolm Gladwell, Tom Peters, Seth Godin, and godfather of modern branding Wally Olins.

In Unstoppable Influence, attorney, speaker, and business coach Natasha Hazlett takes you on an unfiltered, comfort-zone-stretching journey to becoming the Unstoppable Influencer you were created to be!

One decision helped this uninspired, unmotivated entrepreneur on the verge of abandoning her business to finally ditch her limiting, selfsabotaging beliefs and uncover her radiant Truth.

Now she’s helping thousands of others do the same.