Wayne Stober

Being strategic is about being different, not better. My favorite definition of strategy is from Alex M H Smith: "Strategy is how a company produces differentiated value." I work with hundreds of brands every year, and many of them struggle with achieving their business goals. • Revenue isn't growing • Costs are increasing • Profitability is shrinking • The board's confidence is waning Is it sometimes because they're executing on their marketing terribly? Sure, that's a common issue. But you know what's more common? They lack strategy. Really anything even related to strategy. It's very easy to identify; I just start asking them a series of questions. • "What's your unique value prop?" • "How are you different from your competitors?" • "Who is your ideal customer? What do they care about?" Almost invariably they start with saying something like "we sell X for [adjective/adverb]." Strategy isn't an adjective, it's a verb. You have to be actively doing something DIFFERENT, and it can't just be "better" or "cheaper" or "faster." It has to be meaningfully distinct for the market to take notice. That can come in the form of its positioning and marketing, sure, but more often than not it comes from either the product itself OR the business model (how you sell that product). I'll give you an example: True Classic is able to drive INSANE lifetime value per customer because of the combination of their product differentiation and business model: • Subscription based model (not distinct on its own) • Simple, clean, comfortable clothes (not distinct on its own) • Targeted at lazy / busy / casual dudes (not distinct again) But the combination of those three things: 1. We understand our customer base, they just don't even want to really "think" about their clothing choices so we'll make it easy for them. 2. We can make our product high value through packaging, minimal branding, and focusing just on the necessities. 3. They can just pick their bundle and it keeps going indefinitely, for clothes that are likely to "wear out" over time and need replacing. Could Hanes have done something similar? Absolutely. Could TC come out and say "we're faster" or "we're cheaper" or "our clothes are better!" Sure, but, then none of us would be talking about them as a brand. Before you start wondering how you're executing on media or if your attribution is setup properly or if you should add an app to your website, figure out if you even have a strategy at all. Once you do, everything else becomes easy. #strategy #dtc #ecommerce

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🔍 Is Your Email Marketing Ready for Apple’s new AI? 🔍 Apple’s AI capabilities are primed to reshape the email marketing landscape by prioritizing emails and redefining engagement metrics. Discover how to stay ahead by leveraging personalization and high-quality content. Dive into the changes and strategies for success. 👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e6BGT3tZ #ai #artificialintelligence #appleintelligence #emailmarketing #marketingstrategy #marketing #digitalmarketing

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🤖🎯 Crafting an AI strategy is like mapping out a digital treasure hunt. It's all about finding those hidden gems that can transform your business from the inside out. With AI, you can uncover insights into customer behavior, automate the mundane, and innovate your services at a pace that keeps you ahead of the competition. Imagine coupling AI's power with video marketing – with so many choices from Runway, HeyGen, and more, you've got no shortage of tools to choose from I'm curious, what's one goal you think AI could help you achieve this year? #AIGoals #DigitalTreasureHunt

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What does the 'Fractional' part of a FCMO really entail? Is it about time? Effort? Compensation? I'd say it encompasses all of the above. The idea behind a fractional C-level executive is that a company gains access to an expert senior-level strategist for a portion of the cost. However, there's a limit to how thinly a person can spread their attention, work, and time, especially in a role that demands accountability, involvement, and leadership. So, here's my perspective on how many fractions the term 'Fractional' truly represents. #FCMO #FractionalCMO #marketing #IMC #chiefmarketingofficer

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Q: Before investing in an AI project what should an organization think about? I was talking with a friend who asked if I could expand on what different AI initiatives entailed, and how it can they be used to help companies?  The current statistics flying around state 70 - 80% of new AI initiatives fail... Gartner Data Management Reports is quoted stating, "that 85% of AI projects fail due to unclear objectives and obscure R&D project management processes." We've all heard the old adage, 'Garbage in = Garbage out' which guarantees a negative ROI and wasted budget for AI projects that fail. All because of a failure to the prework necessary for success: I researched various articles, papers, and yes I used AI to help too (LOL). I pulled together a list of the top 10 things you should take into consideration before kicking off an AI initiative. Here are the first 4 in this post and if you like them, the rest to follow in another post. I'm a food lover and to create a great meal you start with fresh vegetables, herbs, proteins and spices which need to be prepped and turned into ingredients for the meal. Same for an AI project that starts with reams of raw data, electronic files (various systems) and various data sets. We want to be able to mine information efficiently and effectively to ensure we can derive maximum value. Here are some best practices around digitizing a company's data and information let me know what your thoughts are and how your organization is approaching these types of AI initiatives: 1) Data Quality Assessment: Where do we start, well what have we got in the cupboard, before making a grocery list we have to check the pantry and determine/assess our existing data. Evaluate its quality, accuracy, completeness, and consistency. Now, we have to make our grocery list based upon any data gaps, errors, or inconsistencies that need to be addressed before digitization. 2) Data Governance Framework: SOP's and data governance frameworks will need to be established. The team will need to define policies, procedures, and standards for managing and securing data to start and then move forward. We know what we need, which includes roles and responsibilities, data stewardship, data access controls, and compliance requirements. 3) Data Integration Strategy: Okay, now start laying out the cooking instructions, what's the data integration strategy and how do we streamline the process of collecting, aggregating, and consolidating data from various sources. How long is this going to take? These systems can include internal systems, external sources, and third-party applications. 4) Data Security Measures: Establish measures to protect sensitive information, support corporate guidelines, ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and maintain a firewall against bad actors. What level of encryption, access controls, data masking, and what regular security audits needed to protect data against unauthorized access and cyber threats.

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🏁 Bringing #speedway action to life with #LivematchPro. STATSCORE launches enhanced trackers and widgets, elevating speedway fan and bettor engagement to new heights 🙌 📊 LivematchPro, at the core, promises lightning-fast updates and captures the thrill of speedway racing, providing comprehensive data on rider performance, heat results, and standings. Its customizable features ensure a uniquely engaging viewer experience. 🏁 Additionally, #PrematchPro offers in-depth pre-race data, including statistics, head-to-head comparisons, and lineup information, while a variety of other widgets enhance the fan experience with up-to-date events, standings, and historical rivalries information. For a deeper dive into how #STATSCORE's upgraded live trackers are redefining engagement in the speedway world, explore the full details here ➡

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The J Curve for AI and the Future of the Enterprise Sales Team Good read on 'New World Same Humans' (thanks for sharing Dave Jackson) on Substack re the "Productivity J-Curve." 💡 Initially, integrating AI may cause a dip in productivity as organizations adapt, but this is quickly followed by a significant surge. This transformation is happening faster than previous revolutions (eg. PC, Internet) 🔥 For B2B sales teams, AI is a powerful ally, not a replacement. It automates routine tasks and enables higher value tasks and sales motions - allowing sales teams to focus on strategic activities, value add and relationship-building. #AI #Sales #EnterpriseSales #FutureOfWork

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The technology aspect of immersive retail is important, but authentic and personable connections are the addition that helps fully realize these experiences. Retailers looking for expansion need to check these boxes while relying on their unique purpose to differentiate them from the crowd. This creates encompassing moments that not only bring consumers to appreciate the physical store—but the online presence as well. #RetailTrends #ExperientialRetail #BrandStrategy

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Cultural Fit in Vendor Selection is crucial for aligning values and ensuring smooth partnerships. Learn how to effectively evaluate and integrate cultural fit. ... \<a class="cz_readmore" href=""\>\<i class="fa czico-061-menu-4" aria-hidden="true"\>\</i\>\<span\>Read More\</span\>\</a\> https://lnkd.in/d4pMrhY6 #businessvalues #compatibilityassessment #culturalalignment #culturalassessment #culturalfit #culturalintegration #organizationalculture #partnershipsuccess #procurementbestpractices #procurementstrategy #strategicsourcing #suppliercompatibility #vendorevaluation #vendormanagement #vendorselection

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Brown Thomas /Arnotts loyalty program has transitioned from Wonder Card to the Encore program, powered by Aptos technology. This is a great example of keeping the customer at the heart of loyalty initiatives and knowing when to evolve for enhanced engagement. Reviewing and updating your customer loyalty programs is crucial. It's not just about offering rewards; it's about creating meaningful, personalised experiences that resonate with customers. The shift from Wonder Card to the Encore program exemplifies this, as it aims to elevate the shopping experience and unlock exclusive benefits for customers. Successful loyalty programs are those that adapt to changing consumer needs. By leveraging data-driven insights and innovative technology, companies can tailor their loyalty offerings to deliver genuine value and build lasting connections with their customers. Congratulation to all involved! This is a great loyalty program. #CustomerLoyalty #loyaltytechnology

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FULL ARTICLE --> https://lnkd.in/gDbnMCDY "...the importance of a franchise's website cannot be overstated. As the cornerstone of your Digital Activation Strategy (DAS) i.e. listings, review, social, paid, direct mail - to name a few, your website is not just a tool, but the heart of your online presence, the source of truth for customers and the digital front door for local marketing." #franchise #websites #digitalmarketing

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Learn how Best Buy is leveraging Adobe Experience Cloud to streamline content management and improve speed to market. With Adobe Experience Manager and Adobe Workfront, Best Buy has unlocked reducing time spent on iconic launches by 83%: ✨ Efficient Content Delivery: Best Buy now uploads product images, all different SKUs and content to the website in hours, a task that previously took days. 💯 Enhanced Personalization: Adobe Experience Manager enables personalized content delivery across different channels, ensuring relevance for customers. ⏱ Significant Time Savings: what once required a team of four working 15 hours now takes a single person just 2.5 hours, thanks to streamlined workflows. 🤝 Improved Collaboration: Adobe Workfront facilitates faster creative approval processes and task management, boosting efficiency and reducing time spent on iconic launches by 83%. https://lnkd.in/d5nMRtXP #retail #retailmarketing #contentsupplychain #digitalmarketing #ecommerce

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Thanks for having me on Gamesforum & Josh Vowles. Sharing some of my thoughts and insights on the mobile gaming and reward UA space!

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Absolutely thrilled to be sharing our success story with Caylent! Together, we've optimized our lead qualification processes and customer support interactions by implementing an #AmazonBedrock based chatbot on the Perform[cb] website, driving some truly remarkable outcomes. Check out this super cool video below to see firsthand how we're leveraging the power of the GenAI chatbot!

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