Understanding Gen Z Through Dialogue

Carly Berns initiated the conversation by emphasizing the shift from traditional data-driven strategies to more personal interactions. “In a digital age where data prevails, we sometimes forget the human element in marketing. Today’s panel is about going back to basics and understanding Gen Z through real, unfiltered conversations,” Berns explained.

This approach aligns with the growing necessity for brands to adopt a more hands-on and responsive marketing model that values direct feedback from consumers, mainly through social media listening and interactive platforms.

Jeremy Lowenstein on Milani’s Evolution and Strategy

Jeremy Lowenstein shared the evolution of Milani Cosmetics, a brand that has adeptly navigated the complexities of staying relevant despite its long history. “Milani was founded 23 years ago with two core principles: affordable luxury and radical inclusivity. We began with a focus on Black women, recognizing a significant gap in the mass market,” Lowenstein noted. He highlighted how this foundation helped Milani stay ahead of the curve, particularly in appealing to a generation that values inclusivity and authenticity.

Discussing the brand’s strategic use of TikTok, Lowenstein said, “TikTok has not just been a platform for engagement but a powerful medium to amplify our foundational messages. Gen Z doesn’t just buy products; they buy into transparent and ethical narratives that align with their personal beliefs and views on social justice.”

The Shift From Brand-Centric to Influencer-Driven Content

The panel of Gen Z consumers discussed their content preferences that feel personal and relatable over polished, brand-generated messages. “When I discover a brand, I’m less interested in what the brand says about itself and more in what people like me are saying,” one panelist shared. This sentiment was echoed across the discussion, underscoring the pivotal role of influencers and user-generated content in shaping purchase decisions.

Integrating Traditional and Digital Marketing Channels

An exciting aspect of the discussion was the revival of traditional marketing channels, such as billboards and physical brand experiences, integrated with digital interactions. “Marketing is cyclical. What was old is new again, and there’s a robust comeback for methods like product placement and experiential marketing,” Lowenstein remarked. He illustrated this with Milani’s recent campaigns that cleverly integrate physical product interactions through pop-up events, amplified across social media platforms to maximize reach and engagement.

Skepticism Towards TikTok Shop

Despite the popularity of TikTok for content consumption among Gen Z, the panel received lukewarm responses from the platform’s e-commerce feature, TikTok Shop. A consumer noted, “If TikTok Shop disappeared tomorrow, I wouldn’t miss it. It feels too forced, and that’s off-putting.” This insight benefits marketers who are considering doubling down on social commerce as part of their strategy.

Future Directions in Gen Z Marketing

As the session concluded, Lowenstein provided further insights into adapting to the evolving market landscape. “As marketers, our challenge is to keep up with trends and anticipate them. Integrating community-focused initiatives with innovative digital strategies will be key to resonating with Gen Z,” he advised.

The eTail Palm Springs 2024 session highlighted Gen Z’s complex marketing nature and provided a roadmap for brands looking to forge genuine connections with this pivotal demographic. By focusing on transparency, inclusivity, and community, brands can craft narratives that engage and inspire loyalty among Gen Z consumers.

In a candid dialogue, Bill Parlaman shares insights gleaned from years at the forefront of digital marketing, illuminating the path to prosperity amidst the ever-shifting landscape of consumer engagement.

“The story of the farmer and his diamonds resonates deeply with the challenges and opportunities we encounter in the digital realm,” remarks Parlaman, reflecting on the timeless allegory that underpins his approach to marketing strategy. “In today’s hyper-connected world, where every click and interaction holds profound implications for business success, the imperative to harness the power of data has never been more pronounced.”

As Chief Marketing Officer at fullthrottle.ai, Parlaman is intimately familiar with the nuances of audience-centric marketing, where the strategic cultivation of first-party data lies at the heart of effective engagement strategies. “Your data is your diamonds,” he asserts, echoing the sentiments of TK Kader, Founder of Unstoppable and a renowned authority on SaaS growth strategies.

“Businesses must recognize the intrinsic value of their data assets rather than succumbing to the allure of external solutions,” Parlaman emphasizes. “In an era where third-party tracking cookies are becoming obsolete, the ability to collect, analyze, and activate first-party data is paramount.”

Drawing parallels between the farmer’s quest for external riches and the temptation to seek solutions beyond one’s domain, Parlaman highlights the importance of cultivating a culture of data-driven decision-making within organizations. “Too often, businesses overlook the wealth of insights waiting to be unearthed within their digital ecosystems,” he laments. “By reframing our perspective and embracing the paradigm of audience-centric marketing, we can unlock the full potential of our data assets and drive meaningful business outcomes.”

As businesses grapple with the complexities of the digital landscape, Parlaman offers practical guidance on navigating the evolving terrain of consumer engagement. “It’s not merely about attracting traffic to a website; it’s about understanding the diverse needs and preferences of our audiences and tailoring experiences that resonate on a personal level,” he explains.

Through segmentation, targeting, and activation strategies, businesses can leverage first-party data to create personalized experiences that foster deeper connections and drive enduring loyalty. “The true measure of success lies not in the accumulation of data but in its transformation into actionable insights,” Parlaman asserts. “By harnessing the power of customer data platforms (CDPs) and other advanced analytics tools, businesses can unlock the full potential of their data assets and chart a course to sustained growth and prosperity.”

In the grand tapestry of digital commerce, where fortunes rise and fall with consumer sentiment, the story of the farmer and his diamonds serves as a timeless reminder of the latent potential within our grasp. As businesses embark on their quest for digital riches, let us heed the wisdom of experts like Bill Parlaman, who illuminate the path to success amidst the complexities of the modern marketplace.

With a tenure spanning two years at Barion, Judik has encountered a common misconception about his role: “Do you even do anything?” This question, he notes, underscores a fundamental misunderstanding of the multifaceted nature of marketing.

“People often perceive marketing as mere news consumption and merchandise ordering,” explains Judik. “However, marketing encompasses a diverse range of disciplines, from performance marketing to branding and beyond.”

At Barion, a leading fintech company specializing in payments, Judik navigates a complex landscape with finesse and agility. He embraces continuous learning and underscores the importance of staying abreast of evolving trends and technologies in the dynamic marketing landscape.

“One of the key skills in marketing is the ability to learn every day,” emphasizes Judik. “It’s about adapting to new challenges and embracing innovation, whether it involves mastering coding languages or understanding the intricacies of our product offerings.”

Barion’s corporate culture, characterized by its commitment to innovation and collaboration, provides a fertile ground for Judik’s creative endeavors. As CMO, he oversees a wide array of marketing initiatives, from performance-driven campaigns to strategic branding efforts.

“In a startup environment like Barion, versatility is essential,” notes Judik. “From crafting compelling brand narratives to executing data-driven marketing campaigns, every day presents a new opportunity to innovate and excel.”

Judik’s proudest achievement during his tenure at Barion was the successful launch of the company’s revamped website, a project that required meticulous planning and execution within a compressed timeframe.

“We had less than half a year to overhaul our online presence,” recalls Judik. “But through collaborative teamwork and innovative solutions, we delivered a cutting-edge platform that reflects Barion’s commitment to excellence.”

Judik envisions Barion as a global powerhouse in the fintech industry, renowned for its innovation and reliability. With ambitious plans to expand the company’s product offerings and market reach, he remains steadfast in his commitment to driving tangible results while upholding Barion’s core values.

“In marketing, as in life, effective prioritization is key,” says Judik. “By striking a balance between urgency and importance, we can achieve our long-term objectives while addressing immediate needs.”

As the driving force behind Barion’s marketing endeavors, Balazs Judik exemplifies the spirit of innovation and resilience that defines the company’s ethos. With his visionary leadership and unwavering dedication, he continues to chart new paths for Barion in the ever-evolving landscape of fintech marketing.

“Passion is the driving force behind Exness’s success,” Cardalda asserted emphatically, setting the tone for a conversation steeped in the company’s ethos of unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence. With an enthusiasm palpable in his voice, the CMO underscored Exness’s steadfast commitment to crafting premier products that resonate with its diverse clientele.

Unveiling the bedrock principles of Exness’s triumph, Cardalda outlined three pivotal pillars: foresight, innovation, and customer-centricity. “Our long-term vision guides our every move, ensuring we lay down a robust foundation for sustainable growth,” he explained, highlighting the company’s proactive approach to anticipating market trends and adapting to changing customer needs.

Moreover, Cardalda emphasized Exness’s unwavering focus on innovation, positioning it as a beacon of progress within the industry. “Innovation is not just a buzzword for us; it’s ingrained in our DNA,” he affirmed, citing the company’s track record of pioneering solutions that redefine industry standards and elevate its clientele’s trading experience.

In a nod to Exness’s recent 15th-anniversary celebrations in Cyprus, Cardalda vividly portrayed the festivities, which were characterized by reflection, revelry, and a forward-looking vision. “The anniversary served as a poignant moment to reflect on our journey, acknowledge our achievements, and chart a course for the future,” he reminisced, alluding to a forthcoming brand revitalization initiative aimed at reinvigorating Exness’s visual identity to mirror its evolving ethos.

Delving into the intricacies of the brand refresh, Cardalda introduced the concept of “EXO” as a symbol of Exness’s fusion of technical prowess and heartfelt passion. “EXO encapsulates the essence of who we are—a harmonious blend of innovation and empathy,” he elaborated, hinting at an imminent rollout of refreshed branding elements poised to resonate more profoundly with Exness’s global audience.

Buoyed by Exness’s remarkable growth trajectory, Cardalda exuded confidence in the company’s trajectory as it solidified its position as a global leader in trading. “With nearly $5 trillion in monthly trading volume and a rapidly expanding customer base, 2024 holds tremendous promise for Exness,” he declared, projecting a year of consolidation and expansion for the firm.

Cardalda expressed gratitude for the opportunity to illuminate Exness’s journey and vision, reaffirming the company’s unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. “As we forge ahead, guided by our core principles and driven by our passion, Exness remains poised to shape the future of the financial industry,” he concluded, leaving an indelible impression of determination and foresight.

Avishai Sharon, Co-founder & CEO of TrenDemon, discussed their software on ILTV:

How Do You Connect Content Marketing to Sales?

My personal background was heading a marketing agency for many years and one of my biggest struggles was how do I prove our value and our effort to our customers and how do you connect the impact of what we call content marketing to business goals and to sales? When we couldn’t find an easy way to show that correlation three and a half years ago we went ahead and founded TrenDemon to help companies do just that.

We connect their marketing efforts, which today rely mostly on content, you want your audience to consume valuable content, as opposed to just advertising. The big challenge is how do you attribute those efforts to sales? There’s actually a prior problem, how do you actually map the customer journey? How do you track those different touch points into one picture?

Reverse Engineering Successful Customer Journeys

The first thing we do is look at all the different touchpoints that a customer has had over his lifecycle. We ask the question, not just where do they come from, but how deep was their engagement? Did they actually watch the video? Did they actually read the article? Then you can start reverse engineering those successful journeys and say what’s common about all of these successful journeys.

What we found, and this is the interesting thing, we’re working with over 90 companies today worldwide and the vast majority of content the companies produce, over 90 percent, is ineffective at driving business goals. As you guys know it’s very expensive to create quality content and it takes a lot of effort.

If People Read the Right Content They Will Covert to a Sale

The second interesting thing is that if you do manage to find those 10 percent and you find a way to get it in front of the right people you’re actually able to improve dramatically your results. So there’s not just a correlation between what buyers did beforehand, there’s also a causation, a causal relationship, that if people read the right content at the right time they’re more likely to follow a path. We’re not probably as sophisticated as we believe that we are.

We’re a SaaS company, a cloud-based solution. We’re working a lot in the US and one of our biggest markets and growing markets is Japan. They’re investing a lot of content and a lot on technology. Essentially, because we look at the customer journey and not necessarily specific languages we can operate in any environment which allows us to grow pretty much anywhere. As long as they have content, which means that they’re producing something other than just advertising, they want people and audiences to actually engage with what they’re producing and they do have some business outcomes that they’re looking to measure.

About TrenDemon:

Founded in 2013, TrenDemon is the world’s leading content marketing attribution and optimization solution, helping marketers prove and improve their content’s impact.

TrenDemon insights can help you uncover your content marketing ROI, impact on business goals, and engagement to help guide the content strategy. Our optimization units will help you increase conversions and shorten time to convert on your owned assets.

TrenDemon proudly serves a wide range of customers, from Fortune 500s and brands to SaaS, B2B, and financial companies and is backed by leading VCs.

Farfetch plans to use their IPO windfall to dramatically improve their technology which they see as the best way to improve the consumer experience.

Farfetch Founder and CEO José Manuel Ferreira Neves recently discussed Farfetch and the online luxury brand industry on Bloomberg:

Online Luxury is Growing 25 Percent a Year

It’s a very unique opportunity. You have this amazing global industry. It’s $300 billion, the personal luxury goods industry and only 9 percent is online. There are two opportunities here really. One is the growth of online luxury which is going to grow to 25 percent a year for the next seven years. This is a $100 billion opportunity shift in online luxury.

The big question is how is technology going to help brands and retailers really improve the consumer experience in the physical store. This is something at Farfetch that we are very passionate about.

China is an Incredible Opportunity for Online Luxury

China is a very exciting opportunity. Chinese citizens are at the onset of the luxury industry, whether they shop at home or when they’re shopping abroad. Online penetration is very low in China so this means that there is an incredible growth runway for Farfetch in the territory.

That led to our partnership with JD.com where we have our own team. We have the Farfetch China app and website, we have local customer service, local payment systems, and local marketing. It’s a truly localized service. That is what’s driving incredible growth to the Farfetch brand in that region.

José Neves, founder and CEO of @farfetch, told us about the company’s grand ambitions for China at the WWD’s Men’s Wear Summit this week. https://t.co/MrMj7y5VCG

— Jing Daily | 精日传媒 (@JingDaily) March 29, 2018

WeChat is an amazing app with over 900 million users. It is the Instagram, plus WeChat, plus PayPal, etc. of China in one app. That is very powerful and very interesting. Now with our acquisition CuriosityChina we are powering the retail presence of 80 luxury brands. We think that is very interesting for the industry and we think that is probably something that we will see for the western world.

How Farfetch plans to capture the growth in online luxury e-commerce https://t.co/t9HI0igMFV pic.twitter.com/RjvAel79li

— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) September 21, 2018

Brands Now Using Social and Digital Marketing Extensively

I think brands move cautiously and they choose their marketing channels very carefully. As these newer channels have developed the brands have adapted to them and their now using social media and digital media extensively to create desire, to drive discovery of new products obviously transactions as well.

It’s a gradual pace but it’s really exciting that were at that inflection point where the brands see this as a tremendous opportunity.

Tim Mapes, Chief Marketing Officer of Delta Airlines, recently discussed how Delta uses its army of employees in its marketing:

All 85,000 Employees Are Brand Ambassadors

One of the dynamics of being in this role of Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Delta Airlines for ten years, when I think the average used to be 23 months, is the fact that Delta is such a values-driven organization and values transcend time. Marketing’s role within Delta is really seen to be everybody’s role. I have the opportunity to serve as Chief Marketing Officer, but 85,000 people are all brand ambassadors.

All 85,000 members of the company are selling, they’re promoting, they’re providing a brand experience in what they do each day. That’s very much conscious on our part. We share that view with everybody that we’re all having a net impression. I say often within the company, everything communicates.

Whether the flight attendants are happy, whether the coffee works, whether the lavatory is clean on the plane, whether the flights operate on time, all of that in your customer experience is a part of the net impression you have on your impression of Delta at the end of the day.

Delta is Using Data to Drive the Customer Experience

When you carry 185 million passengers a year and we know where you’re going when you’re going, whether you’re a Sky Club member, whether you have the American Express co-branded credit card, all of that data is resident in Delta.

Taking that in and knitting it together horizontally, not just so that we in the loyalty program can know that you as a Diamond flyer prefer to sit on an aisle seat and like gin and tonics,  but also that the last three flights you took had your bag misdirected, so we’re able to say up or down what type of experience are we delivering.

Prosperity Coming Out of the Roots of Austerity

I think one thing that’s fascinating about Delta is you’re talking about a 90-year-old company that nonetheless in the last 10 years has experienced the best in the worst year in the history of the company. So 9/11 2001 you’ve got obviously all the fallout and the impact of that on travel and then experiencing record profits more recently.

We’ve been paying our employees profit sharing in excessive of a billion dollars a year each of the past four years so even in a short decade of time you’re seeing prosperity coming out of the roots of austerity and problems.

Delta CMO: How Cool is That…

I grew up watching really two programs that I can consciously recall. One was Mr. Rogers. People think about puppets and silliness and kind of milk toast Mr. Rogers bless his heart. The transcendent qualities that he taught in terms of respect and that you’re special just the way you are, from a hospitality perspective and a diversity and inclusion, he was way ahead of his time. In a way, with kindness and grace that the company and all of our world would do well to have more of today.

The other was Bewitched because I got to watch Darrin, and this as a kid, but he just looked like he was having fun in advertising with a great social life and great personal life. I just thought wow,  advertising art that actually generates commerce. How cool is that…

Scott Heimes, Chief Marketing Officer at Zipwhip, discusses how two-way text messaging can be an extremely effective way to communicate with your customers in an interview on the B2B Growth Podcast:

76% of Consumers Have Received Text From Businesses

Over 76 percent of consumers have received some kind of text from a business. The most common are appointment reminders or bank alerts. This really just scratches the surface. Texting has so many applications beyond just alerts and reminders. There are sales and marketing, discount coupons and giveaways, customer support and service, recruiting and staffing, and internal communications at places like educational institutions. It’s so new and businesses are continuing to innovate in this medium. There are a lot of powerful use cases for businesses.

We have over 30,000 businesses using our software today. They range from very small businesses like yoga studios or lawn care services all the way up to multi-billion dollar insurance companies that are using our solution in their claim call centers. Industries include financial services, staffing and recruiting, healthcare, legal, and more. We have 156 professional sports teams that use our solution. They use it for ticket sales and customer service. There are lots of fitness gyms, radio and TV stations that use our text solution as well. It really does run the gamut of anybody that wants to communicate with their customers via this preferred medium.

Report Shows Increasing Use of Texting by Businesses

I just talked to the Director of Communications for the Sound Transit Authority, the public transit authority in Seattle, who uses our solution. They publish an 800 number to text or call when people see problems on the trains. Rather than get on the phone and calling, more and more people are texting those alerts. It’s really an interesting use case. Another one is during a recent hurricane down in Houston we had an insurance agent that was using our software to communicate with all of his customers in the area because the phone lines were largely down. Texting was working well to create engagement and communication during those tough times.

We recently created a report called the State of Texting which is a deep research study that highlights the adoption curve of text messaging as a business communication tool. It identifies how many consumers are already being texted by businesses as well as many other key insights and trends. One of the things we saw was that there are a lot of one-way texting tools where you get an alert from your doctor’s office, for instance, but you can’t respond to it. It was actually fired off by a CRM using an API that was just one way.

Text is a Great Way to Increase Engagement

Increasingly, consumers would prefer to be able to respond to those texts and have an actual interaction with a human on the other side to either reschedual that appointment or alert them that they are going to be five minutes late or something like that. We are seeing a trend where people want to be able to respond to texts and have an interaction as opposed to continuing to be one way.

For businesses, the communication channels of email and phone are just becoming less and less effective. Text is a great way to increase your engagement and responsiveness with consumers. They’ll actually respond to a text. One of the things we are doing as a company is everything we can to maintain the purity of the texting medium to make sure that spam doesn’t leak its way into this channel.

>> Listen to the complete interview with Zipwhip CMO Scott Heimes on the B2B Growth podcast.

Seth Freeman, Chief Marketing Officer of Buffalo Wild Wings, was recently interviewed on Adweek’s CMO Moves podcast with Nadine Dietz. Freeman discussed their new “game on” brand architecture that defines not just their new marketing strategy but really the heart of the business. “The purpose ultimately is really about inspiring legendary experiences between friends,” noted Freeman:

Turning Good Times With Friends Into Great Times With Brothers

When I think of brand architecture it really gets to the essence of the brand. There are three components to it in the way we framed it up.  They are the promise, the essence, and the purpose. We identified an insight out there that guys want to turn good times with friends into great times with brothers. More accurately, legendary experiences with brothers. That was the cultural insight that really framed our brand architecture.

When we think about our purpose we defined our promise as the great American sports bar that turned game time into stories worth telling. It wasn’t just about inviting folks to watch a game. It was about translating that into an experience worth telling. That’s what folks are really looking for. That’s the promise that we deliver on every single day. That’s why we get up. That’s why folks are going out there and doing the job that they do and delivering a great experience.

It’s “Game On” for Buffalo Wild Wings

Our purpose ultimately is really about inspiring legendary experiences between friends. The essence of the brand is around this idea of camaraderie and ritual and something that we like to call “game on.” It’s our ability to make sure that when folks come in to experience Buffalo Wild Wings that we have a game on mentality and that we bring them the very best of who we are. We have 80,000 folks out there working across Buffalo Wild Wings and they bring it every single day.

As we were talking to consumers, one of the things we learned was that some of the most impactful experiences that they talked about was with the bartenders and servers. They are influencing whether or not those folks come back. For instance, one of the most memorable experiences they talked about was the bartender remembering them when they came back.

That is our brand architecture, but it also lends itself to things we have done in rolling out this purpose to the broader community through our Brand Champ Initiative. That really is a cultural movement that we are employing across our franchises and corporate stores. We have over 1,200 locations where folks are trained to make sure that the brand architecture is translating to a way that is meaningful to the consumers and also meaningful to the folks that are on the front lines every single day.

Lee Odden, CEO of TopRank Marketing, discusses how B2B influencer marketing can be a highly effective force in driving leads and conversions for companies. Lee was interviewed by Tim Washer at the 2019 Content Marketing World Conference & Expo:

Influencer Marketing Is Powerful Because Of Influence Itself

Influencer marketing is powerful because of influence itself, not about the people. Influence has always been a factor in being persuasive and being effective as a communicator, as a marketer, and really being able to tap into the dynamics of that. The psychology and sociology of that is something that is everlasting, it’s evergreen. While there are trends in terms of tactics that come and go, there’s this consumerization of B2B. B2C influencers are misbehaving and have fake followers, etc. and some of that’s leaking over into B2B. But I think that’ll reconcile a little bit and kind of clean itself out. In the future brands are going to be looking at influence as a really key component of their holistic marketing strategy internally and externally.

A lot of people when they think of influencer marketing they think of a Kardashian or some people think of something like Baddiewinkle, a 90-year-old woman who wears hip-hop clothes and now has her own makeup line on Sephora versus someone like Tamara McCleary interviewing an executive at Dell about the right IT infrastructure for doing edge computing. That’s really what it’s about in B2B.

B2B Influencers Actually Have To Have The Main Expertise

One of the big differences between B2B and B2C influencers is that in B2B you actually have to have the main expertise. You actually have to be knowledgeable and have a depth of that expertise in what it is that you’re influential about. It’s also important to have a network for distribution and a place to publish your content. It’s great to have a personality and that’s less common in B2B, where you have charisma. Well, lack of personality is a form of personality I suppose. 

The good thing is that we’ve figured out ways to coach folks that have that domain expertise and an active following but they’re not necessarily used to being social. We are coaching them in how to activate themselves and to pull out the best of what they have to share in a way that’s very promotable. Many of them start to open up a little bit after we show them how to do it.

B2B Influencer Marketing Adds Up To Nurture and Conversion

In the planning stages (with a client looking to promote something) we’ll look at the topics that are important around the announcement and how it affects customers and how customers will think of that news and how it’ll affect or change their lives. Those topics are then what we want to be influential about. We’ll use those keywords or topics to search our network using influencer marketing software to find who is influential around those topics, who’s publishing content, who self-identifies around that topic, and whose audience is actually activated around that topic. We find those people who have trusted voices with an active community and we invite them to collaborate on content and give their opinion about the announcement. 

We co-create content with them in concert with brand messaging. So now instead of people just ignoring the press release we actually have storytelling happening with these different voices. You have this intersection of one or two or three or four influencers talking about this topic and those audiences intersect and cross. They intersect across channels too. Your customer is hearing this credible message not only from the brand but also from people that they trust in different channels. That all adds up to yes. That all adds up to nurture and ultimately conversion.

Rewards Matter

Naturally though, not all apps are made equal. Looking at the top rated apps can start to help understand why. Chick-fil-a, for example, is the top rated restaurant app. What separates it from a low rated app like Little Caesars? Rewards. Brands like Chipotle, McDonalds, and Chick-fil-a offer distinct advantages to those using their apps.

Most commonly these advantages come in the form of rewards. If you continue to buy Chipotle, you’ll start to get free food. If you sign up for a McDonald’s account, you’ll get a free large fry. The system has variance but the benefit is clear, free things for continually buying from the same place. These rewards benefit the consumer and the business alike. 

A Look into Travel Apps

Although that’s not to say that the only thing causing an app’s success is its perks. Looking at travel apps, for example, the most important variable becomes practicality and consistency. After all, there’s nothing worse than needing to get somewhere and being late due to the app malfunctioning. 

This is why an app like Fly Delta tops the charts over other others like American Airlines. Regardless of the quality of the airline itself, it’s helpful to have a consistent boarding pass and UI. Issues with this are what causes lower reviews and less people using the service. Other travel services like Uber and Lyft are also generally well reviewed. 

Shopping Apps

These apps were built with the intention of being entirely digital services, and it shows. They’re reliable, have well designed UI’s, and are very easy to use. Finally moving over to shopping apps, one last factor can be highlighted once more, that being usability. Many shopping apps for clothing won’t have exclusive deals, so what’s the advantage of using them over physical shopping? 

Put simply, it’s easy to shop online. Even if it may be slightly more expensive in certain cases, the practicality of online shopping is undeniable. So what happens when the app is frustrating to use and hard to search through? People will not use it. This is why an app like Etsy tops the shopping charts in terms of positive review. 

Etsy has a great selection, but considering how much they offer it can be overwhelming to navigate. In a similar manner to Lyft and Uber though, it exists and was created with the internet in mind. This gives the app a distinct advantage in design and it shows. Although there are many categories to sort through on the app, they’re easy and simply to navigate. Shopping apps should keep people on the app so they actually buy something. Etsy manages to do this well.

Conclusion

It’s these factors that make the difference between good and bad brand apps. Of course overwhelmingly popular apps will always see use. Amazon and Temu are simply too practical to not use for many, regardless of quality. Although for apps of smaller brands, these factors make a huge difference. And that difference displays itself through which apps are reviewed well. 

Scott Tousley, Senior Team Lead of User Acquisition for all products at HubSpot, was recently interviewed on the B2B Growth Podcast by David Kelly, General Manager at Sumo Dojo. Tousley discusses how HubSpot is using Surround Sound Marketing Strategy to drive leads and sales:

Surround Sound Marketing Strategy Starting to Take Off

There is a very smart individual at HubSpot named Alex Birkett based out of Austin, Texas. He is working on this concept that is really starting to take off called Surround Sound Strategy. Essentially what that means is that it runs with the notion that marketers are selfish. All we care about is how do we drive more traffic to our website. I don’t care where it comes from. Whether it comes from search or social or referral traffic or email, it doesn’t matter. You’re always looking at how do I get more traffic to my website? The reality is that when we are trying to buy something you don’t go to one website. You go to multiple different websites when you are trying to make a purchasing decision.

For example, I’m in South Lake Tahoe right now. One search I just did recently was “best bars in South Lake Tahoe.” I wanted to see a list and I wanted to see some reviews from a couple of different websites. I also like to surf, so let’s say I’m in the market for a new shortboard. So I search for “best shortboards 2019.” First, I’ll read a listicle, then I will go back to Google and I will click on the next list. Then I will go back again and click on the next list. Then I will start to narrow my decision based on seeing the same thing over and over. Once I narrow it down I will do a versus search such as “lost puddle jumper” vs. “channel islands average joe.” I’ve narrowed my decision at that point.

We Want To Be At All Stages of the Purchasing Decision

What we are trying to do at HubSpot right now is figure out how to be everywhere. We want to be at all stages of that purchasing decision when people are searching for “what is the best blank that exists today.” Well, there are a ton of lists that are out there and a ton of review sites and HubSpot’s B2B software (has to be there). There are a lot of review sites just dominating search engines right now like Capterra, G2 Crowd, and Software Advice. A lot of those are pay to play. You have got to pay to get listed on what appears when you land via search. Most of them are.

But listicles are free. Not only are they free to get added to, but they are free to create. That’s one of the biggest things we are working on right now. How do we change our mindset from being so obsessed at driving traffic to our website? How do we make sure that HubSpot’s brand is everywhere when you are doing your product research and you are on many different websites? We actually sometimes prefer that we drive traffic to multiple different websites where we are listed versus just to our own. It’s good for social grouping.

Listen to the full interview with HubSpot’s Scott Tousley.

Nirosha Methananda, Vice President of Marketing at Bombora, discusses the challenges of marketing without annoying your potential customers by bombarding them with marketing messages in an interview with Logan Lyles on the B2B Growth Podcast:

Marketing Is Really About the Customer Experience

As a B2B marketer, I get marketed to a lot. It’s something that I have increasingly noticed and I’m probably not the only one. That’s just becoming part of the experience in terms of being inundated with different messaging and different calls and this, that, and the other. Use this, do this, buy this, whatever it is. It’s really not a great experience. It doesn’t necessarily provide value. Marketers are so busy as it is, and I know that is applicable across the board with everyone we are marketing to. Being able to cut through the noise and having an understanding of all these different things is very challenging. 

Having on top of it being inundated with this constant flow of messaging like meet me, meet me, meet me, is not very helpful. That’s one of the things that I’m passionate about. It’s really about customer experience. I think that is something fundamental to marketing. I feel like we have gone down this path of almost over automating and having to constantly pounce on people without necessarily being conscious and mindful of what their experience is on the other end. From my experience, it’s leading to me switching off and ignoring messages. I’m sure I’m not the only one. 

Create a Marketing Strategy That’s Not Annoying

It also leads to this annoyance and irritation which leads to distrust of brands and that’s not great for this industry. From a customer perspective those bad experiences, unfortunately, more than good experiences, they stay with you for longer and you remember that. Another thing that we don’t necessarily think of is that it’s wasteful. It’s wasteful of time and it’s wasteful of money especially for marketing and sales where money is a precious resource. It’s not something to be wasted. That’s basically why I’m passionate about creating a marketing strategy that’s not annoying.

As an example, our Intent Event was our first flagship event that we did last year. It was a closed event so we did have limited numbers and we were limited as to what we could do with promotion. What we did was try to have mindfulness around what we were sending out and ensuring that it was helpful. Making sure that the recipients, the people that we invited, were given all the relevant information, but there was brevity in the communication as well as encouraging them to participate without forcing them to be there. 

There was certainly some urgency around some of our communication but it wasn’t you need to attend this and this is why you must attend this. It was more about being a bit more subtle in presenting them the idea and the concept of what it was, why it would help them, and exactly the information that they needed. What that meant was not sending out multiple emails, being very controlled around it, really thinking about what the experience was before the event, to during the event, to after the event. We were really focused on the customer and making sure that all of the content and communication was educational and helpful.

A lot of major companies are using artificial intelligence because it helps make their job easier. If you notice in the infographic below, you will see that 77% of companies use or are researching artificial intelligence. 

Industries Using AI and Marketing

For example, AI is used in legal and professional services, high-tech, financial services, retail, automotive, and pharmacy. AI can solve problems in some of these marketing industries because it can facilitate learning and create new solutions.  

For example, AI has been used in 14% of pharmacies in healthcare while it is used in 28% of legal and professional services. It proves that AI is progressing in each of these industries, regardless of its level of usage.

AI is employed in diverse industries, each utilizing its unique applications within the aspect of marketing. It is utilized in email marketing, marketing lead scoring, customer service routing, fraud detection, cross-selling and upselling, and service chatbot. It is used a lot in businesses as it helps increase productivity.

It will help increase productivity due to the advancements of new AI applications. There has been an increase in AI startups since 2000. It is constantly on the move of making more and better marketing tools. 

New AI Tools

There are new marketing tools that have been created for businesses and individuals to leverage in their daily activities. Examples include ChatGPT, Make-A-Video, Bard, and many others. 

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that is capable of interactive dialogue as 1 million people utilize these tools. Make-A-Video is an AI tool that helps generate videos from text-based prompts. Bard is Google’s newest answer to ChatGPT.

There are many more marketing tools, but they all help contribute to the betterment of businesses. These tools contribute to enhancing marketing outcomes on a global scale, as they are widely embraced and utilized to achieve better marketing results.

These tools utilize advanced technologies such as natural language processing, video generation, and content creation algorithms to enhance marketing strategies. 

Experts are deeply intrigued by the continuous improvement and advancement of AI. According to the founder and CEO of the Marketing AI Institute, businesses that fail to adopt AI are falling behind in today’s society.

Individuals who embrace and use AI will gain an understanding of its capabilities and its capabilities in solving business challenges.

Bringing it all Together

Due to the ongoing evolution of AI, the world can anticipate additional applications in the future. There will also be new features for AI in the future. AI in marketing automation is increasingly relied upon, and small businesses are enjoying enhanced accessibility to these technologies. See more about AI and marketing in the visual deep dive below, courtesy of Nova:

One of the biggest issues online shoppers face is finding the products they’re interested in. This can especially be apparent when comparing retail platform search capabilities with the Google Search features customers have become accustomed to.

Google Cloud is now bringing the power of its search to retail clients, with Retail Search, which the company unveiled in a blog.

This fully managed service is easily customizable, enabling organizations to craft shopper-focused search experiences. Our site search solution builds upon decades of Google’s experience and innovation in search indexing, retrieval, and ranking. Retailers can make product discovery even easier for shoppers, while optimizing for their business goals with advanced capabilities

Retail Search gives clients the ability to offer advanced query understanding, meaning customers will have better success finding what they’re looking for even with the broadest of search terms. The service also includes semantic search, which matches product attributes with relevant products.

Customers are already seeing the benefit of Retail Search.

“With limited customer signals and no historical data, descriptive long-tail searches are some of the most challenging queries to understand,” said Neelima Sharma, senior vice president, technology, e-commerce, marketing and merchandising at Lowe’s. “We have been partnering with Google Cloud to give our customers relevant results for long-tail searches and have seen an increase in click-through and search conversion and a drop in our ‘No Results Found’ rate since we launched.”

Google Cloud customers interested in learning more can visit Discovery Solutions for Retail or contact their Google Cloud field sales representative.

At the end of January, online grocery sales declined by 1.2% finishing off at $8.4 billion in the U.S. market. Demand for ship-to-home was also down, which includes the likes of FedEx, UPS, and USPS. 

Experts suggest that the decline in these services was largely driven by the uptick in big-box retailers now offering direct-to-home delivery for shoppers, taking on logistical responsibilities themselves, instead of using third-party carriers. 

Mass demand for online shopping during the height of the pandemic helped solidify the future of the online retail industry, and today shoppers can find nearly anything and everything they need online. 

While this has created a massive opportunity for retailers, from all industries to transition their operations online, and present consumers with a more accessible channel – grocery retailers were slow to adapt, despite seeing steady growth during the pandemic era. 

With many pandemic-related concerns now in the rearview, grocery chains and mass stores are creating a more digital in-store experience, as it hopes to draw in walking customers to their brick-and-mortar locations. 

The drive to digital 

Consumers have become accustomed to the convenience of online shopping, whether it’s for home goods, clothing, or even groceries. Everything they want and need can be found online, price-matched, and shipped straight to their door. 

On top of this, shoppers can shop from any device they see fit. From computers to tablets, smartphones, and even mobile apps – it’s all accessible through a few clicks and swipes. 

The rise of smartphone adoption among consumers in recent years has meant that retailers can create a multifaceted shopping experience. Research shows that around 82% of shoppers will consult their phone before making an in-store purchase. 

With the internet so readily available, shoppers can now quickly compare prices from different retailers and stores, read reviews, or in this case, follow up on nutritional and dietary information relating to their grocery purchases. 

What’s more, is that nearly every popular and big-box retailer now offers an online option. In the past, a few niche brands and businesses had a website, with a small online store – today, the picture is completely different. 

A February report showed that around 7.8% of U.S. consumers purchase groceries online. That’s because big names such as Walmart, Amazon, Target, and Krogers, among others, all now offer online shopping and delivery services. 

Even more, these stores are making use of their delivery teams to get items from stores and warehouses to consumers, in record time. 

The competition for same-day delivery means that retailers are constantly looking at how they can deliver online purchases to shoppers quicker than their nearest contender. 

That’s because consumers want convenience. They also want to see which retailer has the best deals or online benefits. The same February report showed that 62% of shoppers cite convenience as the reason for shopping online rather than in-store. A further 52% cited that online benefits and app-only deals led them to use online platforms for their grocery shopping. 

In a similar vein, some have found that buying groceries online is often more affordable than having to go to a store. 

A Travel Daily News article found that buying groceries online in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can cost consumers less. The reason why consumers can save more money on their grocery bills is that they have more access to digital channels that allows them to compare prices, look for coupons, bundle deals, and even free at-home delivery. 

There’s plenty to get excited about when a mass store or a household brand offers online deals – and now grocery chains are noticing that they need to step up their digital game if they want to continue playing with corporate contenders such as Walmart and Amazon. 

The digital experience coming to a store near you 

Digital needs are creeping into every known industry, and as the Internet of Things (IoT), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) become more mainstream, we could soon see technological innovations reach our favorite local grocery store.

In this instance, the case may be true for a small handful of well-known grocery chains that have already started mapping the customer journey through digital and technological innovation. 

Kroger has more than 2,800 stores nationwide across 35 states and operates other grocery retail stores including Ralphs, Dillion, Smith’s City Market, Jay C, Pay Less, and Bakers, among a list of others. 

In the last couple of years, Kroger’s introduced digital product displays on shelves in some of its stores. Powered by Microsoft Azure, the digital sensors, or EDGE – Enhanced Display for Grocery Environment – can help process data generated by customer behavior, buying trends, and demand for certain products. 

EDGE is connected to IoT sensors, which can deliver real-time data to stores, allowing them to monitor which products have low inventory levels, require restocking, and for customers display discounted prices. 

Idaho-based grocery store, Albertsons, which has more than 2,500 stores, has steadily been experimenting with digital “smart” shopping carts in some of its stores. 

Albertson’s “smart” shopping carts allow customers to ring up items as they place them in the cart, eliminating the need for them to go use checkout points. 

This is similar to what we’ve seen Amazon has been trialing the last couple of years with its self-checkout stores, which the company heroically named Amazon Just Walk Out. 

Research by McKinsey found that if a grocery store can properly implement tech-enabled self-checkout, it can help improve in-store productivity by 6% to 12%. This means that grocery stores will require less in-person labor at checkout counters during operational hours. 

While it shows how technology can benefit grocery stores, not only in terms of physical in-store sales, customer experiences, and productivity, it’s still not able to compete on the same levels that eCommerce can offer consumers. 

Final thoughts 

While it’s hopeful that grocery stores will in the coming years adapt for the more digitally native consumer, it’s perhaps a race against time for some to ensure their longevity and ensure their long-term growth. 

While eCommerce and online retail remain the triumphant winner, the introduction of digital can only further enhance an already well-known practice that has helped shaped the virtual shopping reality. Yet this time round, it’s up to grocery chains and big-box names to bring digital back to where it was once considered irrelevant. 

Rob Locascio, CEO of LivePerson, predicts that the AI-driven conversational space will ultimately have as much impact and be as big an industry as ecommerce, search, or social. Locascio was interviewed by Jim Cramer on CNBC:

Ecommerce, Search, Social… and Conversational Space?

When I look at the conversational space I think it’s going to have as much impact as ecommerce or search or social. The ability to talk to a machine and have a natural conversation, it’s in the collective consciousness of people. We all believe the Alexa type situation should happen with every company. 

We do that with Delta and T-Mobile and all these big brands. What we’re looking at now is how do we take that to the world? LiveIntent is proprietary technology to look at the intent that a consumer is having with the brand. In terms of I want to buy something, we have a way to analyze that and then use machine learning algorithms to then scale those conversations. That’s what this is about. 

Healthcare Companies Defending Themselves From Amazon Via AI

In Q4 we signed a couple healthcare companies. They want to talk about defending themselves from Amazon because Amazon said they want to go into healthcare. The way they think they can do that is scaling the conversations they are having with their customers and creating a totally different experience. You go to a doctor, you have an experience with them, you capture that on a messaging platform and an AI will help you with whatever is wrong with you. You want to process a bill instead of calling and being put on hold, you do that through a conversational experience. 

They want to game change it. The only way they’re going to defend themselves is to get into the conversational space. That’s what they see and we’re the company they’re trusting to scale their operations with the conversational platform.

Conversational Space Is Going To Be As Big As Search and Social

The conversational space is going to be as big as search and social. I think you’ll see one day that there will be a trillion dollar company in this space and I want it to be us. The things we’re investing in right now and setting up for will allow us to do that. That’s what’s important. The Amazon’s and the Facebook’s and Apple’s, they’re in the space. Jeff Bezos made a big bet obviously in Alexa to say this is the way it’s going to be. 

It can’t just be Amazon and Alexa. It has to be other companies getting access to that technology and that’s what we are providing. Who else is providing it? We’re one of the largest companies in the world to do this. Even though we’re not big tech, we are large enough to go ahead and go after them. We are large enough to go ahead and define a space and win it.

Niren Chaudhary, CEO of Panera, discusses how the company has focused on ecommerce and the “off-premise channel” to drive dramatic growth:

Panera’s Ecommerce Pivot Sparks Dramatic Growth

Panera is actually emerging quite strongly through the pandemic because we’ve been completely focused on what we have control over. By focusing on servicing customers through our off-premise channels, leveraging e-commerce, and then rapidly innovating we’ve seen a very smart recovery on our brand and also a stronger business model emerging from the pandemic. What’s clearly playing out is the off-premise channel is seeing dramatic growth.

To give you a sense, our delivery is growing by over 100 percent, drive-throughs are growing by over 60-70 percent, and rapid pickup is seeing strong growth. The off-premise channels are growing very strongly and in some ways compensating for the decline in business on-premise. Pre-pandemic we were probably about 60-40 in terms of off-premise versus on-premise. Now it is predominantly off-premise convenience for our customers as we’re moving in that direction.

Close to 60 percent of our sales are coming from e-commerce. Brands that are able to leverage their e-commerce strength and pivot very sharply on providing convenience and off-premise are beginning to see a smart recovery.

It’s All About Convenience, Ecommerce, and Innovation

There are three levers that we’re working on to get our business back on track: convenience, e-commerce, and then meaningful innovation. Included in that are cool foods, a coffee subscription program, and most recently the flatbread pizza launch. We’re very excited about this because it’s the launch of a new food category at Panera, one that we haven’t had before. It’s a bullseye innovation in terms of what the customer is looking for at this time. Customers are looking for a warm shareable at-home meal solution for their families. The flatbread pizza fits perfectly for that.

We’re doing it in a uniquely Panera way as you would expect. We’re leveraging the credibility of our breads. We have unique ingredients that are all clean, they’re fresh, we have double blend cheese, bold flavors of our sauces, and it’s stone-baked. Think of this as a pizza that customers love but done in a very unique Panera way. That’s why we’re so excited.

As a result, the popularity of eCommerce apps has also grown. According to the latest statistics, more than 90% of the time mobile users spend on mobile software. And almost 80% of people have an experience with online shopping. So developing an app does really make sense. This is your opportunity to increase traffic, sales, and revenue in the end. 

If you haven’t launched a mobile app for your project yet then hurry up to do it. While you doubt your rivals attract customers, sell their goods, and get insane profits. And if you have already developed mobile software for your company then take care of its promotion. Make people want to install and use your app. Try these tips to make your eCommerce mobile apps truly popular and efficient.  

Follow the Requirements of ASO

The basic principles of App Store Optimization are called to promote your application in the App Store and Google Play. By using proper keywords, adding informative descriptions, placing relevant screenshots, and so on you will allow users to find your software among thousands of other apps.  By increasing your recognition, you’ll notice a higher amount of downloads.

In general, ASO is powerful enough to guarantee the following benefits:

– increase retention rate. It demonstrates that the number of active users installing your app is much higher than the number of those customers who have uninstalled it;

– scale the loyalty of users. Paid ads also boost your mobile app traffic but organic search forms a loyal community of people truly interested in using your software for a long time;

– further app improvement. By getting feedback from your users you will be able to detect bugs and get rid of them efficiently. 

Take Advantage of Email Marketing

Newsletters and promotional emails aren’t dead in marketing meaning, as you may think. No matter new and original advertising tools, email marketing is still known as one of the most efficient and low-cost tools to reach desired goals. By sending regular emails and newsletters you are able to share with subscribers new information about your sales, promote special offers, gift them with personal discounts, and so on.

Many companies use email marketing to announce the launch of their apps. You can propose users download the app and get special benefits, for instance, a coupon or early access to a new collection of your products. 

Use a Landing Page

A customized landing page is a great mobile eCommerce platform to promote your shopping offers. It helps in brand recognition so potential buyers can find out more about your company. In addition, powerful CTA elements will intrigue users and motivate them to try your software for a better shopping experience. 

All you need is to create a one-page website with a detailed description of your app’s features and advantages. Don’t forget to add downloading links so the visitors of your landing page can easily reach your software. 

Promote Your Apps on Social Media

Depending on the type of your business, you may be interested in investing more funds in SMM marketing. It means you need to grow the number of subscribers and share with them viral content. Such an approach is powerful because an average user spends approximately 2 hours and 27 minutes on social media every day. 

If you have a successful account on social media platforms you should definitely promote your app. There are many ideas on how to encourage your subscribers to do it. For instance, you can explain the beneficial eCommerce app features and customers’ benefits. Launch a relevant hashtag and let people share their opinions about your offer. Thanks to using the power of your social media accounts, you can make your app popular too.

Launch Referral Marketing

Have your friends ever shared with you any link, product, or app? This is an example of referral marketing. It means the recommendation of something to other people for a bonus. Person A only needs to have a unique affiliate link or code to share it with user B. After user B installs your app, user A will receive a reward. 

As you can see, the mechanism of referral marketing is very simple. No need to invest funds in software ads – your users will be your ambassadors for free. As a result, you can reach your planned goals: increase the number of app installs, save money on advertising campaigns, scale your loyal community, etc. 

Try to Work with Influencers 

Influencer marketing isn’t a new thing. You can contact social media personalities with great bases of subscribers for cooperation. Such influencers may advertise your mobile eCommerce app without noticeable signs of traditional advertisement. That’s the point of native marketing: by working with influencers you’ll make your ads look like friendly recommendations. 

As a result, online buyers will be much more excited to purchase your products using your mobile software. Once the social media personality shares a recommendation with them, they may rely on it and give your offer a chance. 

Develop Your Business with a Mobile App

A mobile app is a key to massive sales nowadays. It allows you to reach new target audiences, motivate your loyal customers to make orders, improve conversation rate, increase brand recognition, build better relationships with customers and, finally, reach your business goals. 

It seems you can generate mobile app sales. It’s possible that your app isn’t good enough to bring you desired results. Then you must improve it to make its features and interface user-friendly. But if your software is great but traffic and sales leave much to be desired then rely on the listed above tips. Make a step forward in your eCommerce success now and your business will demonstrate better results soon.

LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, giving it access to the same ChatGPT-based tech its parent company is using to power the next generation of its Bing search engine. The networking platform is looking for innovative ways to deploy the tech, including allowing users to tap into AI to write better profiles.

The company made the announcement as part of a broader initiative to use AI in various classes:

To empower members with the latest AI skills, starting today we’re unlocking more than 100 LinkedIn Learning courses – and coming soon we’ll roll out twenty new generative AI courses. From the basics to advanced applications of AI, these courses will help members gain a competitive edge in today’s rapidly-changing market.

But that’s not all. We’re also starting to roll-out new AI-powered features, leveraging advanced OpenAI GPT models, as we continue to look for ways to create more value for our members and customers.

• To help make the process easier and more effective, we’re testing a new tool for LinkedIn Premium subscribers that provides personalized writing suggestions to your About and headline sections.
• We’re testing a new AI-powered job description tool that will make it faster and easier to write job descriptions.

The new features should be a boon for anyone who’s struggled with writer’s block about their current job or a job they’re trying to find candidates for.