Kathryn Duncan

window to the weekend. wrapping a very full week of American Marketing Association events and board meeting. more to follow next week, but sharing this view from our Chicago office space. the future is bright. 😎 #boardservice #marketing #strategicplanning

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***WHO WANTS TO TRY THE LATEST BUSINESS AI TOOL, RIGHT NOW, FOR FREE?*** Tough Guy Sales and Marketing is now selling an AI solution for the CPG/cannabis/hemp space to take websites to another level. You know those ole "chat bots?" Well try the new AI version of the chat bot. Just drop your URL in demo field and press run. Let me know if you're interested in adding AI to your website. It's a great sales and marketing tool, captures data, and closes on customers like you've never seen! Even tells jokes! #cannabis #cannabisindustry #cannabiscommunity #marijuana #marijuanaindustry https://lnkd.in/e6dj7e-2

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The most successful social media post I have ever been part of started with these words: "We hear you." The key to the success? Leading with empathy. A while back, a client of ours at Smoketown, LLC got wrapped up in a rumor that was fueled by misinformation. This rumor turned into potent controversy on social media and our client was widely accused of walking away from their core values. No part of these rumors were true, and, to be honest, they were quite absurd. A natural reaction would have been to be judgmental: how could these folks fall for such a ridiculous story? But that reaction, while natural, would have been the wrong one. In the midst of a firestorm, it is powerful to slow down, summon more empathy, and figure out the underlying reason for the drama. Once we did that, the frame changed. We read the radioactive social media comments. A pattern emerged: the brand's fans were having a hard time trusting institutions, including us. It was almost as if they were just waiting for the trust to be broken. So we tried to level with them: "We hear you." At the end of the day, no matter how value-driven and transparent a brand is, they are still a business. And to consumers, this means there is always the potential for their trust to be broken. That's why brands with a real commitment to their values, which was the case for this client, need to make empathy a core competency. From the outside, the social media post could have seemed simple, almost trite. But the reaction was exactly what we hoped: Thousands of positive engagements. More shares than any post in the company's history. Consumers appreciated being heard. With empathy, everyone won. #empathy #brandcommunication #brandvoice #marketing #brandvalues

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Question for CPG marketers. Does anyone have recommendations on CPG marketing courses, training, or thought-leaders they would recommend? It's harder to find good ones than I thought and I'm putting together a list / resource for the top ones. Thanks for your help!

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We're so excited to be working with Saje Natural Wellness. Our teams have been busy working away on a full brand transformation for their stores in the United States and Canada. In our "Remedy Real Life" campaign, we're targeting what we call, the wellness curious. If you're reading this, it's probably you. Do you have trouble sleeping? Stress? Sometimes a bit anxious? Ever feel burnt out? If you answered yes to any of these, you need to go to a Saje store or to their online store and check these products out. I love how the team is also just being clear on what each product does to help people. (Lowers stress, helps sleep, brain boost...). Clarity in the wellness category is so important. Most people (absolutely me) are so confused on why we should take a vitamin or supplements and what do they actually do to help you. Here's one of the videos. LinkedIn won't allow me to post the full campaign of videos and images together.

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22 Genes Marketing at The Car Wash Show last week learning, connecting and spending time with one of our favorite client groups. At 22 Genes we support marketing strategy and execution for companies looking for an unbiased, experienced group of traditional, digital and local marketing pros. Reach out and let’s talk about you’re needs and how we can help 😃 #marketing #marketingprofessionals #nationwidemarketing Joe Sciara

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Above all else, build repeatability. Great campaigns that drive ROI are what keeps marketing investment flowing. But building repeatability around those campaigns and processes drives efficiency. And the more efficient you are, the more campaigns you can do. It's as simple as that.

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This is "3 Takeaways," our RSW/US ad agency new business video series, and in this episode, I explore why business development efforts often fail in small and mid-sized ad agencies. If you’re facing these biz dev challenges, take a step back, evaluate, and adjust your approach to win more business. #businessdevelopment #adagencies

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A little BTS from our Analytics team. "Finding the optimal mix of creative, dayparts, and stations requires attentive effort and constant testing to deliver the best results. By looking at trends in performance and actively fine-tuning rotations, Modus Direct ensures our clients achieve optimal campaign outcomes, maximizing their advertising investments." #advertising #Analytics #optimization #ROI

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I'm convinced most of us don't know whether trade show attendance is fiscally sound. They're fun and educational but where's the ROI? This blog post is your roadmap to clarity for industry shows. We discuss how to make sure your trade show presence delivers measurable success, not just empty promises. Read about strategies for quantifying your investment, defining goals specific to the transportation sector, and tracking leads that translate into real deals for your business. I think it'll be super helpful.

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Imagine running a retail store and being able to zoom out to understand what drove your customers to come in and shop. Did they see an ad? Notice the storefront while driving by and pull off to visit? In e-commerce, we call this website traffic sources. Luckily for us, we have that visibility. The origin of a brand's website traffic isn't just a set of numbers; it can be a roadmap that unveils opportunities for improving your website's performance. Let's examine the five most common traffic sources and the insights they can provide: 🌱 Organic Search: High traffic indicates strong SEO. To optimize, ensure your top landing pages deliver what users seek and what you want them to know. 🏠 Direct Traffic: This reflects brand recognition. Fluctuations may indicate offline campaign impacts or notable brand events. Use custom URLs to gauge these efforts. 🔗 Referral Traffic: A sign of effective partnerships. Analyzing referrals helps identify and enhance successful collaborations. 📱 Social Media: Reflects your marketing effectiveness. Tailor content for each platform and leverage paid ads for targeted reach. 📧 Email Marketing: Offers insights into your email strategy’s effectiveness. Test and optimize content, timing, and frequency for better results. When we start any kind of optimization project with clients, we love digging into a client's traffic sources. They can tell us so much and inspire new ideas for improving customer engagement, conversion, and retention.

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Came across this post by CMO Steve Hardy that addresses spray-and-pray vs. sales/marketing aligned pipeline discipline. There needs to be more of this thinking. It is the path to sanity and to sustainable value creation in GTM. A good read.

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Want to increase cart value during Prime Day? Check out some of my strategies that I personally use to help increase cart order value!

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If your programmatic provider dumped you because you aren't what they'd consider big enough, or able to meet their capped minimum spend, then Swish is here to help. My philosophy in business has always been the client's best interest, not our agency's pockets. Whether you spend a million dollars a month or $1000 a month, we treat everyone with the same service and respect. #HRprofessionals #talentacquisition #healthcare #retail #STEM #trucking #Swish #businessphilosophy #clientfirst #smallbusinesssupport #recruitment #staffing #HRconsulting #talentmanagement #HRhealthcareprofessionals #EmploymentMarketing #HumanResources #recruitmentagency #recruiting #diversityandinclusion #RecruitmentMarketing #employerservices #HRsolutions #Marketing #RecruitmentAdvertising #Recruitment #talent #TalentAcquisitionprofessionals

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THE RISE OF MOM & POP SHOPPING... JUST IN TIME FOR MOM'S DAY. "78% of consumers say it’s important for them to shop small, and they plan to do it more this year. Moreover,46% regularly seek out small businesses in their community." #economy #smb #smallbusiness #smallbusinessweek #smallbusinessmonth #smbs #local #localbusiness #momandpop #localeconomy #convenience #consumers #consumertrends #retail #retailindustry #retailtrends #2024 #business #companies #transaction #localeconomy #consumerjourney #customerjourney #customerexperience #cx #sales #revenue #success #mothersday #fathersday #marketing #advertising #promotion #marketingfunnel #marketingecosystem #consumersupport #smbsupport #priority #product #quality #price #impact #community #communityimpact #town #directmail #flyers #print #printad #digital #socialmedia #seo #sem #shopsmall #discovery #flyers #email #emailmarketing #websites #dtc #ecommerce #businesscards #events #tradeshows #ad #advertisement #budget #expertise #optimism #positive #economicforecast #shopping

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"Promotional products has longevity. 53% of consumers use those at least once a week or more!" via https://lnkd.in/g6umTF9m Promotional products marketing is a powerful tool that transforms brand names into tangible items customers can use and appreciate daily. This constant, physical presence boosts brand recall and fosters a positive association, subtly building lasting relationships and loyalty. #Marketing #PromotionalProducts #BrandBuilding

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