Sherehan Ross, MBA

🔥 Hot take: If you are a marketing leader and keeping your brand culturally relevant with Gen-Z is important to you... and you have no clue what "I like my sootcase" means... you are NOT leading by example.

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Decision fatigue is a real thing. 😱 All day long, consumers have to make hundreds (maybe thousands?) of choices, from personal to professional, and it’s exhausting. The last thing a marketer needs is to discourage a user from engaging with your brand by making them think too hard about it. So, how can a marketer approach “reducing the cognitive load” on their audience? Review how many many options you provide a user from your website to your catalog. Think about how intuitive your grouping of choices can be. Study where your consumer gets hung up or have questions that can be remedied with some form of simplication. Now go see if you can use “reducing the cognitive load” in a conversation today! 😆 :: Want more ways to make your brand boom? Follow me & click the bell (🔔) on my profile to see new posts! 🟧 Happy marketing! 🟧 #consumerbehavior #intuitivedesign #usercentereddesign

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Companies waste billions of dollars every year bidding on their own brand keywords on Google. This is a very misguided approach. If someone knows to look for your brand by name, then they will come to your site and will search you out. However, many argue that they bid so competition does not bid on their brand name. Guess what, if your competition does that, you have a way of disputing with Google to take those down (have filed such disputes many times). Also, as research by Northeastern University professor Christo Wilson shows, the efficacy of that approach is non-existent. Check out the article in Northeastern Global News. There is also the unjustified fear by some marketers and companies that if they do not bid on their brand, their website will not show up in rankings. Ultimately, to retain its dominance, Google is dedicated to serving up the most relevant content, so focus on improving your website, both its content and the back-end. Net-net, you can save a lot of money and redirect those funds to higher ROI activities. #MarketingEffectiveness #MarketingLeadership #SEO So, revise you bidding strategy, and reinvest those dollars elesewhere. https://lnkd.in/e5XZ_e2V

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The brands driving the highest engagement from customers are doing some really cool things right now! People who are leaning into automation are freeing up time for their teams to to focus on what we do best, creating connections with other people. Three creative ideas that stood out to me: 1️⃣ Routing all refund requests to phone calls. The top brands are saving 20-30% of refund requests by chatting with the customer to understand the problem. They're helping them exchange or find the product that works best for them 2️⃣ Finding their top customers and reaching out to them for a check-in call. They chat with them about what they like best about the brand, what they would like to see more, etc. They're seeing this increase the number of orders from the customers they connect with 3️⃣ Having team members staff live chat or prioritize pre-sale questions. They're giving each team member a personal discount code and running competitions to see who can sell the most. They are showing a leaderboard and giving prizes to the top team members It's really cool to see the creativity driving impact. At the end of the day, we're best when we have the time to create connections with others

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Reimagining your marketing structure: Internal Teams vs. External Agencies—Which is right for your business? 💼 Should you rely on in-house marketing, external agencies, or both? I’ve worked with both internal teams and external agencies, and each has its unique strengths. While an in-house team brings intimate brand knowledge, external agencies often provide a level of specialization and objectivity that’s hard to match. For CEOs, the decision is about balance. Here are some questions to consider: ▶️ Is your in-house team fully equipped to stay on top of emerging trends? ▶️ Are you getting a return on investment from your agencies, or do they need tighter alignment with your goals? ▶️ Would a hybrid model allow for both expertise and flexibility? When reimagining a client’s marketing structure recently, we found that blending internal resources with specialized external support struck the perfect balance. Each company’s needs are different, and sometimes the most impactful changes come from adjusting the structure to fit the business’s unique goals. Let’s discuss the ideal setup for your marketing strategy. Tips: 1️⃣ Assess Key Capabilities Internally: Take stock of the skills within your team and identify any gaps. Use this information to determine where an agency might add value, such as specialized expertise in analytics or creative design. 2️⃣ Establish Clear Goals for Each Partner: Whether internal or external, every team should have defined KPIs and a clear understanding of their role in reaching broader company objectives. Alignment is key to a seamless collaboration. How are you balancing internal and external resources in your marketing? 🤔 #MarketingStructure #InHouseVsAgency #StrategicMarketing #BusinessGrowth #CEOInsights #MarketingStrategy #MarketingResources #HybridMarketing #CMO #CEO

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"Sell the hole, not the drill" encapsulates a profound marketing philosophy that transcends mere product features. It's a reminder that the true essence of your business lies not in the tangible items you sell but in the intangible value you provide to your customers. At Craft, we understand the importance of articulating this deeper value proposition. Our mission is to help you uncover the core purpose driving your business and translate it into compelling messaging and branding that resonates with your audience. Together, let's shift the conversation from transactions to transformations. Let's show your customers not just what you sell, but why it matters. Read the whole article here https://lnkd.in/gj2_SCEq to explore more.  #craftmarketingandbranding #businessgrowth #businessmarketing #businessbranding #businessowners

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Granular data becomes a huge lever at scale. As you scale your brand you need to lean on it more - for example, not every product produces the same outcome for your brand. This is obvious on a first order basis (AOV), but also needs to be reviewed on a 6-12 month window (LTV). We seen customers who buy certain products spend an average of 30% more over 12 months. Example: Those who bought a Product A first spent £90 over 1 year. vs Those who bought a Product B first spent £120 over 1 year. Data like this allows you to set per-product target CPAs (as well as overall targets) E.g. You can afford to spend £5 more to acquire a 'Product B Customer’ (As they’ll spend £30 more over their first year) These 1-5% improvements are huge when you’re playing with 7+ figures.

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Your customer support is your secret weapon. Most brands treat customer service as an afterthought, but it’s a powerful retention tool when done right: - Respond quickly. - Be proactive with solutions. - Turn negative experiences into opportunities to build loyalty. Customer service isn’t just about fixing problems—it’s about creating brand advocates. How do you turn customer support into a competitive advantage? #CustomerExperience #CustomerSupport #BrandLoyalty #RetentionMarketing #CX

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As a brand owner, you know you are in deep trouble if your target consumers no longer want to buy your product or approve of how you run the company. Continuing with the same leadership team, the same product and the same comms is not the solution. Sadly, politicians seem to ignore it when they find themselves in similar circumstances. They double down on comms instead of listening and then fixing the problem. And yet, what they are responsible for is so much more important than any brand.

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Here’s a recent timeline of the types of CMO darlings. Which one are you? 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟖-𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟐: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟 🤫 After the economic crash, companies were in dire straits and marketing was one of the teams most impacted by layoffs. So execs wanted CMOs who could still get things done even on shoe-string budgets and tiny staffs. And definitely don’t ask for more money because it’s simply not there. Unless you’re in engineering. 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟐-𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟕: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟 ✍️ The rise of content marketing and emotional brand commercials. Execs wanted CMOs who could translate their cold, boring, tech into heart wrenching, engaging narratives. This is when many companies started claiming to change the world with their widgets. It was all about backgrounds in brand. And it wouldn’t hurt if you were great at building internal company culture too! 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟖-𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 📈 Especially on the startup world, money was flowing to companies who could prove their ability to grow at all costs. Execs wanted to hire CMOs who could make that hockey stick happen for their revenue. They needed aggressive growth hackers, savvy digital marketers, and performance-minded demand generators. Having a background in analytics > brand. 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑-𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑟 (𝑎𝑘𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑒 𝐺𝑜𝑎𝑡) 🧙‍♂️🐐 As the economy slowed and companies in every sector took a hit on their P&L, execs looked to CMOs who promised to buck the trends and still drive growth but at lower costs. Profitability is the name, making money without spending it is the game! Most CMOs who understood the impossibility of the ask were either fired for not promising the impossible; or, used the time to clean up the inefficiencies left by The Grower. And ultimately, they still faced the question “why aren’t you growing the business by 50%+ YoY despite an across-the-board economic pull back?” 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐷𝑜𝑡 𝐴𝐼 🤖 I’m looking into my crystal ball🔮 what’s next? As consumers begin reopening their wallets, they’re doing so with much more critical eyes. While they used to be swayed by The Storyteller’s emotional taglines, then The Grower’s compelling discounts, now they want to know that the product they are buying is the best fit for their specific needs AND budget. They won’t be bamboozled. Plus the market is crowded with choices so they want to know what the differentiation is. We are going to see the rise of the PMM oriented CMO. But that’s not all! We are also in the midst of the AI evolution. And CEOs will want to know that their marketing execs are leveraging all the cost savings and scaling greatness that AI unlocks. So in many ways the next gen CMO will need to be the Termintator version of all their predecessors, combined! #cmo #careeradvice #marketing

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Marketing needs change fast. A Fractional CMO adapts with you, plugging in exactly where they’re needed. Launching a campaign?  Growing the team?  Shifting the brand?  You get expert strategy on-demand, no need to hire a whole department.  It’s smart marketing—custom fit for your business.

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Blending thought leadership with storytelling is an effective strategy for brands to gain traction and spread awareness. Dig into this article from Brandingmag that provides insightful tips for creating synergy between the two! https://buff.ly/4e8KlJd #PR #publicrelations #digitalmarketing #socialmedia #communicationspro #womeninmedia #mediarelations #PRagency #dowhatyoulove #lovewhatyoudo #WilsonPR

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In today’s competitive job markets, standing out as an employer goes beyond offering a competitive salary. While we can all agree that pay is important, many candidates are now prioritizing flexibility, work-life balance, and meaningful benefits over cash alone. A strong employer value proposition — one that highlights company culture, values, and personal growth opportunities — can make all the difference. For example, offering a streamlined hiring process is seen as another way businesses can win the war for talent. Although this article from the UK focuses on Marketing organizations, the takeaways can apply to employers large and small, B2B and B2C. We see opportunities for Heart & Soul to help clients elevate their EVPs as a new way to leverage our marketing skills in 2025. #EmployerBranding #TalentStrategy #Hiring2025

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Better Brand Plan Tip #6: Strategy is making choices & setting priorities I often meet with clients who have written a fair strategic plan full of ideas. But they are struggling to get traction and deliver the promised results. Not because the opportunities weren't real and the strategies/tactics weren't right. It is because they are trying to do too much and don't have the right prioritisation and resource allocation in place. The small pebbles are sucking up time and resources that should be put behind the big rocks. It's a great reminder that while we can go through the process of writing strategic brand plans, we can't forget the core fundamentals underlying the discipline of strategy development. Strategy is Making Choices. → Which market opportunities should we pursue (or threats should we tackle)? → Which strategies and tactics will we prioritise and take action on? → What level of investment will we make behind each? → And most importantly, how will we measure success? Making choices is the most critical part of the planning process, but it is also the most challenging part. Make the right choice, and you'll deliver the results. Make the wrong choice, and you may waste a lot of time and money. I am a huge fan of Roger Martin's Where to Play How to Win framework when making strategic choices. The principles of identifying the potential growth opportunities and threats in the market (Where to Play) and choosing which ones you will pursue based on your business and brand's ability to succeed (How to Win). We choose to pursue the opportunities or threats that we have the best chance of winning because we have the right capabilities to do so, and any existing barriers can be broken down as part of the plan we are writing. This is Tip #6 of 10 I am sharing as part of my Better Brand Planning email series. Each week for 10 weeks, I share my top tips and processes I use with my clients to help them write better brand plans. Plans that uncover growth opportunities, make informed choices and set clear direction for their brands and business. If you'd like to join this series, you can sign up here https://ow.ly/pQZt50SLS0c #marketing #brand #strategy #brandplanning #strategicplanning

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Ever felt like your buyer personas are just not cutting it? They're supposed to be the backbone of your marketing strategy, yet something seems off. Here's a deep dive into why that might be happening and how to fix it. Lack of Detail: Your personas might be too superficial. Are you focusing solely on demographic information? Remember, understanding psychographics is equally crucial. What motivates your buyers? What are their pain points? Static Profiles: Markets evolve, and so do customer preferences. If your buyer personas are set in stone, you're likely missing out on new trends and changing behaviors. Revisit and revise regularly. Ignoring Feedback: Are you incorporating customer feedback into your personas? Direct insights from your audience can highlight discrepancies in your current personas and offer opportunities for refinement. Overcomplication: Sometimes, in our quest to cover all bases, we create too many personas. This can dilute focus and complicate strategy. Aim for a balance between detail and manageability. Misalignment with Content: Your content strategy must align with your personas. Are you creating content that truly resonates with them, or are you missing the mark? In a twist, consider this: Maybe the problem isn't with the personas themselves but with how we perceive their role. Instead of viewing them as static targets, think of them as dynamic, evolving guides. Your marketing strategy should not just aim to fit these personas but also to grow and adapt with them. Let's not forget, the essence of effective marketing lies in understanding and connecting with your audience on a deeper level. Perhaps it's time to shift our focus from crafting perfect buyer personas to fostering genuine relationships with our audience. #BuyerPersonas #MarketingStrategy #AudienceEngagement #ContentMarketing #DigitalMarketing

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