Sumaiya Balbale

A stroll through San Diego led me to Geppetto's, where a life-sized puppet and friendly staff turned me into an unexpected customer. 🌟This IS the magic of independent retail. 🌟 With consumer spending down, small businesses need innovative strategies beyond discounting to thrive without sacrificing profitability. Curious about how #indieretailers are navigating these challenges? Check out my latest article in Total Retail. #Retail #SmallBusiness #CustomerExperience #Innovation #IndependentRetail #SMB #boutiqueowner #retailer #fashion

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new episode alert: Magnite $MGNI CEO Michael Barrett breaks down the future of independent ad tech. we talk competing with Google, why The Trade Desk won, and what actually works in M&A. Plus some great insights on leading turnarounds: https://lnkd.in/eAKc84Qi

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Adtech M&A is certainly heating up. Last week Digiday reported that Teads is exploring various sale options. This kind of news piques our Quo Vadis curiosity. So we did our best to puzzle together a fundamental valuation model. As imperfect as it may be, our model tells us that $2.2 billion is close to the magic number. Get the details and see how we get there: https://lnkd.in/ee6wEyXM Subscribe to Quo Vadis to follow this very interesting adtech valuation story! #adtech #programmatic #radicaltransparency

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We just supported our 4th Sprouts Innovation Set. Here’s what we’ve learned so far: You can definitely game the game here. Retail media is a great way to earn a permanent spot on the Sprouts shelf. There are a couple of options that work nicely. (Both are through Instacart.) Here are the most important tips: 1. Don’t wait to see how it goes, go HAM from day 1. -> Some of the smaller stores will pull you after only 3 weeks. -> The clock is ticking faster than you think. 2. Set up products on IX-One ASAP. -> You won’t show up on Instacart or Sprouts.com without them. -> Whether using retail media or not, you will need these channels. 3. Press hard on competitor search terms. -> If you’re in the innovation set, you’re probably already outside of the box. -> Target brands with similar customer demographics. 4. Leverage electronic coupons and BOGO’s. -> Figure out how many units you need to drive first. -> Leverage coupons and BOGO’s if you need to hit your goals. 5. Make sure you ask Instacart for free spend early. -> You need all the extra horsepower you can muster. -> $300 is a gimme. Do t leave it in the table. Sprouts is a powerful channel. This system works to keep it. Just don’t half-step it. ——— 🔹 We increase velocity in Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Sam's, COSTCO, and lots of other cool retailers. 🔹 We grow brands on Amazon. #cpg #cpggrowth #retailgrowth #retailvelocity #omnichannel #retail #amazonagency #retailmedia #shoppermarketing #instacart

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I noticed an increase in a different kind of advertisement this year, particularly, (and almost exclusively) from the independent businesses across retail and F&B. They weren’t promoting over-priced NYE dinners but advising their customers of their closure for NYE and NYD. When once to close on NYE would have been as acceptable as pineapple on pizza, more and more operators are now choosing to prioritise their teams’ well-being. They are giving their staff the invaluable gift of time. Time to celebrate with loved ones and begin the year with rest, not exhaustion. When once there would be a mad, profit fuelled rush to re-open several short hours later for NYD, some retailers and restaurants are now keeping their doors closed – understanding that human values are more important than squeezing every possible moment for profit. It's inspired me to take that sentiment into 2025, to make time - to prioritise the things that really matter in life. For me, that is self-reliance, social harmony and mindfulness. 2024 was a year of teaching and there were some hard lessons to learn along the way. Yet every moment of learning has brought clarity to what matters most. I hope 2025 will be the year of reward - a time to take the wisdom gained, let it guide us, and invest it in the things that truly give our lives meaning - the people we love, the values we hold dear, and the purpose we cultivate daily. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.

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If anyone is in North County San Diego, on Thursday May 2nd, we will be hosting a tech entrepreneur and investor meet up at 5:30pm. We’ll have a couple speakers, one of which is a fin-tech start-up raising a round, followed up by a presentation on the state of the stock & crypto market. We host these events quarterly and usually get a lot of founders and investors to attend. If anyone is interested, please message me and I can send you the details. LaunchPad San Diego #startups #startupincubator #entrepreneur #investing #crypto #meetup

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ROI is making it RAIN!!! (aka incremental revenue) No Seattle jokes please;) We are working with large scale publishers in News, Sports, Entertainment, Health, Travel, and Autos verticals. High volume, high frequency. STOP READIG NOW if you are not interested or incentivized by incremental revenue. Now that we have dropped nonrevenue incented/operation types, let's talk about increasing revenue. If you are selling 100% of your supply you are in a rare, probably non-optimized group. Most publisher do not and should not fill more than 75% of supply directly. Using the bottom 25% to leverage floors higher, increasing bids/ecpm. ROI allows publishers the opportunity to efficiently monetize 100% of their supply. Accomplishing this by selling unfilled outside of the direct adstack in a secondary auction or post-bid strategy. We will deliver real time market data on supply value, allowing publishers to understand supply value and flooring. Selling and optimizing your unsold is a simple and import part of a balanced programmatic strategy. ROI is the only company that is doing this and has been doing this from the beginning of programmatic. Let's talk, let's drive incremental rev!

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The consumer news, brands, people, places, things that captured my attention last week: 1. Kiehl’s starts selling on Amazon — (from WWD) https://lnkd.in/gxA2mDWH 2. Gap raises full year forecast and Zac Posen bets on celebrities to revive the brand — (from WWD & Vogue Business Instagram) https://lnkd.in/gxA2mDWH 3. The flat lay is back — (from Glossy) https://lnkd.in/gxA2mDWH 4. DTC Briefing: Startups are pursuing a mix of credit and equity amid fractures in funding — (from Modern Retail) https://lnkd.in/gxA2mDWH 5. The fight for influencer marketing dollars heats up with a lawsuit — (from BoF) https://lnkd.in/gtWGAb6A 6. 96% of Ulta’s sales run through their loyalty program — BoF Case study on loyalty — (from BoF) https://lnkd.in/ghZ9Gx-u 7. Abercrombie’s stock surges 24% as they capitalized on “wedding weeks” — (from CNBC) https://lnkd.in/guzQKu8U 8. Golden Goose sells $500 dirty sneakers — they’re raising €100M in an IPO — (from WSJ) https://lnkd.in/gi94ff54 9. L Catterton leads $40M Series A investment for Squared Circles — (from PR Newswire) https://lnkd.in/gdJzvTij

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Ten years ago brands like Zillow and American Express nailed it as pioneers of brands launching media companies - while hundreds tried and failed. Now we're in a new era for brand publishing... What's different? 🚀 The Journey For the brands mentioned above, the strategy was a success. But many brands struggled to find their footing, leading to the shutdown of countless content initiatives. Today we’re seeing a resurgence and a true new era for brand publishing, fueled by lessons learned from past challenges. 🔍 What’s Different Now? Today, successful brand publishing has 3 important components: 1. Distribution Focus 2. Strategic ROI 3. Measured Investment. More on this in my latest article - link in first comment. #BrandPublishing #ContentMarketing #BrandJournalism #EarnedMedia Image Credits: Roman Samborskyi - Shutterstock

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🚀 "We built Unloop Connect to support the founders who are really feeling the pinch," Michael Pignatelli reveals. As I dove deep into the everyday challenges that emerging brands face on Amazon with Michael Pignatelli, CPA, MAcc, Co-Founder of Unloop Accounting, it was clear that the path to simplifying e-commerce finance is more vital than ever. Michael's insights into accounting automation and the strategic use of Unloop Connect are game-changers for any brand looking to navigate the complexities of Amazon's marketplace efficiently. Michael's dedication to making high-quality accounting accessible reflects our mission at ExpertCPG Commerce—to empower brands with the tools and strategies they need to thrive on Amazon without getting bogged down by the details. How has automating mundane tasks changed the way you manage your business? What results have you seen from integrating new technologies? 🎧📺 Listen or Watch the Full Episode here: https://ecpg.us/3Qhk2pN #CPG #ecommerce #Amazon #podcast #UnloopAccounting #businessgrowth #financialmanagement

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Will be done right before Thanksgiving week holiday shopping kicks in, Google's announcement sounded a lot like the HCU, and more -> Google November 2024 Core Update Is Now Rolling Out - What We Know So Far via Barry Schwartz "This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search." #google #seo

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Is this the future of content creation? I created TellBrain.com to help the marketing teams at Crane Venture Partners portfolio companies to better understand the opportunities with GenAI in creating marketing content. From topic selection to published blog post (with hero image and resource links) in less than 5 minutes. #contentmarketing #aiexperiment

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Location matters. That’s the key takeaway in the LA Times’ latest piece on the venture ecosystem here in SoCal, and I couldn’t agree more. Bonfire Ventures 🔥 very own Jim Andelman weighed in, sharing how LA’s tightly-knit community of investors creates something truly unique. When Bonfire launched, our focus was on Southern California because there was (and still is) a ton of untapped potential here. We were driven by the belief that proximity allows for deeper relationships and more meaningful impact—something that has always been core to how we work with founders. As Jim shared in the article, “It’s easier to get together with [local companies] and refer them to resources that are helpful to them.” This perfectly sums up one of the best things about the venture ecosystem in LA: its spirit of collaboration. Whether it’s co-investing, sharing deal flow, or making introductions, the community here isn’t just competitive—it’s genuinely supportive. While our portfolio has expanded beyond SoCal, nearly 40% of the companies we back are still based right here. The Los Angeles Times does a great job capturing how LA’s venture ecosystem has grown while maintaining its heart. Check out the article: https://lnkd.in/gNCTUCFu. It’s a good one.

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I recently listened to Black T-Shirts Podcast with legendary Brent Smart and Adam Ferrier, interviewing Wanda Pogue, an accomplished traditional strategist who's now pioneering something called "post-creative strategy." A new model of strategy that feels like it brings a tech-product and experimentation mindset into the brand world (which is my black t-shirt). The new model: Instead of crafting one big idea (or release), you develop your brand proposition and roll out multiple pieces of creative across different demos on social media. Then, you observe what over-indexes and mine into the comments for insights. You can optimise the creative or evolve it based on the new ideas that come straight from your target audience; because the best customer ideas come when they’ve never been asked for them. What I love about this approach is how it merges speed, experimentation, and real-time market insight. It's more than just A/B testing or feedback generation—it's essentially running in-market focus groups. The insights gained from real audience interaction often outshine pre-creative testing. I’m fascinated by these innovative shifts in strategy and how they’re reshaping how we gather insights. And how else we can apply a product mindset into the brand and marketing world. Experimentation is a scary mindset in the brand context, but just the same as with product, as long as you have your fundamental strategy right, everything else could and should be an experiment. Keen to know what you think of this approach, or what you think of experimentation, is it too scary? Too expensive? Or?

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Note I sent to our users this morning, but maybe interesting for some of you to read: We are at a turning point in our sector - the digital advertising frenzy is losing steam. I say this as someone who has been there since pretty much the beginning, including working to build ad products in house at FANG. There's a growing realization that our industry's obsession with all things digital has been at the very least overhyped. Maybe it’s time we rethink how we connect with consumers in more meaningful ways once again.   Advertising veteran and luminary I look up to Rory Sutherland once pointed out that brands are sacrificing creativity in favor of digital metrics. His message was simple: marketing should focus on storytelling and building relationships, not just churning out content for the sake of engagement, reaching audiences of varying quality - if real humans at all.   The rise of ad-blocking software speaks volumes here. Nearly 30% of consumers now actively avoid digital ads, frustrated by their intrusive nature. The takeaway is clear: people don’t really want ads online. This is where out-of-home (OOH) advertising shines— it’s both unskippable and non-intrusive, meeting audiences in the real world where their attention is undivided. Screens at a desirable distance, not interrupting your group chat or daily news.   Anyway, how many digital campaigns can you actually remember that stand out in the last decade? It’s a tough question, I struggle to think of many - but when you think of out-of-home campaigns, it’s clear they have the power to create memorable moments. I just flew into Seattle and can shut my eyes and recall the Dell AI campaign I saw at the Austin airport yesterday. But I couldn't tell you the social media ads I scrolled past 5 minutes ago before writing this note. All attention is not created equal.   At AdQuick, we believe in the power of combining the precision of technology with the impact of OOH. Our platform makes it easy to plan, buy, and measure OOH campaigns while delivering results that can’t be blocked or ignored. OOH provides brands with a lasting presence, one that resonates and is memorable.   It’s time to build campaigns in places that matter.

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Here's this week's column, about layoffs, format changes, and how the listeners are the last to know, which sucks if you're trying to build loyalty and engagement: https://lnkd.in/eJbnKga4

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What’s wrong with Nike is that they’ve been running a mid-2000s to 2014 playbook. It reminds me of so many early internet advertisers who spent millions on last cookie attribution. Unfortunately, that game is still alive and well into the billions. In Nike’s case (and so many others), they are all in on performance advertising. Direct-response display. Google search to the (p)max. Then they have “brand”, and there is no connection between them. Approaching advertising like this means chasing metrics that aren’t real. Here’s an example. Imagine Nike sponsors a bunch of athletes at the Summer Olympics and they’re all wearing a uniquely branded yellow shoe. Then they run some inspiring tv spots to tap into the emotion of the games. My son sees all of this and thinks the shoes are sick and searches for them on Google, and gets directed to buy them on Nike.com. If you’re just focused on the last touch, you’ll buy more Google search and ignore the brand spots and athlete sponsorships. “Sponsor less athletes. Buy less TV.  Buy more Google.” Of course, that’s insane. That is essentially what so many brands are doing with their marketing today. Nike is not alone. They don’t understand there’s not a top of funnel and a lower funnel, really. The two are connected. If you’re just doing lower funnel, you’re largely getting the people you’d get anyway. It’s a question of attribution versus contribution. If you spend more money on channels that are geared for attribution, you’re just “attributing” credit for sales that you were already going to get or are being driven by channels/tactics that are responsible for creating that demand. Unfortunately, Nike optimized out of those channels/tactics that were actually creating demand like they did in the 2012 Olympics because they chased the fools gold of Google’s attribution game. The best time to change direction was yesterday. The second best time to change direction is today.

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Back in 1997, The New York Times highlighted a “Roundtable in Multimedia” attended by senior media executives. They lamented that apart from a few exceptions like pornography websites and Amazon, no one had cracked the code for a viable 'interactive' media business model. Fast forward to 2024, and Fable has launched Showrunner, a revolutionary platform known as the “Netflix of AI" , which allows users to create their own TV shows with just a few prompts. 📺✨ The way we create and consume content has evolved dramatically. But what does "interactive media" really mean today? We break it down, exploring how it intersects with massive shifts in technology, culture, and new media. And how with a growing "Swipe before Type" generation, there is now an ingrained expectation of interactivity in all digital experiences. We dive into the future of interactive media and gaming and see where we're headed next! Link in comments. #InteractiveMedia #Gaming #AI #TechRevolution #ContentCreation #NewMedia

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Not to be outdone by AI search engines like Perplexity, Google is once again revolutionizing the search game. Elizabeth Reid, Google's Head of Search, announces full-page card-based results, video search with Google Lens for interactive questioning, and the rollout of ads in AI Overviews in the US in the blog post below. In other news, Cloudflare recently introduced AI Audit, which promises content creators insight into and control over AI model access to their websites. Tools like this will aid SEO enthusiasts in grasping optimization in an AI-centric search landscape. https://lnkd.in/gHiDqWt4 #Digital #Marketing #Search #AI

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