Power Marketing with Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee interviews Cristy Garcia, Chief Marketing Officer at Impact.com, a global partnership management platform. She leads and supervises Impact.com’s marketing, events, public relations and communications, demand generation, branding, website, design and social media.

Kevin and Cristy discuss issues related to influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, and Impact.com’s new influencer campaign management product. Discussed topics include:

– Why today’s influencers are working in a way very similar to the way that publishers work, creating content that educates and promotes products, often using affiliate links for monetization.

– Why education is often needed to inform brands about the nuances of affiliate marketing and hybrid payment models.

– Why brands should trust their influencer partners’ instincts on audience and content, balancing brand priorities with creative control.

– How influencers are recognizing the need to diversify their platforms to avoid relying on a single channel for growth.

– How micro and nano influencers are often seen by consumers as more trustworthy than macro influencers.

– How brands – which want authentic ambassadors and influencers that match their brand — may struggle with compliance issues when giving too much creative latitude to mid-tier and nano influencers.

– How technology can help automate messaging and discovery of creators, making it easier for brands to manage their influencer marketing campaigns.

– The resurgence of long form video content, with storytelling methodology and VSLs (Video Sales Letters) being the driver.

– Why brands must constantly test new channels, given that what works now may not work in the future.

– Why B2B marketers should target multiple contacts within an account, rather than just the mythical decision maker, to increase the chances of a sale.

– How AI will impact influencer and affiliate marketing and shape its future.

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Kevin Lee interviews Richard Henne, Co-Founder of Ivory Ella, successful elephant-themed lifestyle apparel brand that’s raised over $2 million for charity. 50 percent of Ivory Ella’s profits are donated to Save The Elephants and other charitable causes. Richard is an accomplished entrepreneur and investor, with a wealth of experience in brand building and marketing. Beyond his involvement with Ivory Ella, Richard serves as Marketing Lead at game developer RoboSquad, whose game, RoboSquad Revolution, is a “hyper-active third-person shooter set in the year 2044” available for download at the RoboSquad website and through the Steam and Epic Games distribution networks.

Kevin and Richard talk about what led Richard to launch his brand, how it’s doing now, and what he plans for it next. They also chat about topics related to startups, brand-building, running an authentic non-profit organization, and the dynamics of the computer game industry. They cover many topics in our talk, including:

– Ivory Ella’s origin story, including an account of how it arrived at its partnership with Save The Elephants.

– The importance of having local “boots on the ground” in causes related to animal protection, understanding the local context, and supporting community-led initiatives to achieve meaningful impact, rather than solely focusing on direct conservation efforts.

– How the decision to make funds that were raised unrestricted was helpful in Ivory Ella’s efforts.

– The importance of understanding marketing fundamentals.

– For startups, the importance of building a strong team and having a good reputation in the industry.

– For game developers, the pros and cons of available game distribution platforms.

– The various monetization methods available in gaming, including virtual goods, advertising, sponsorships, and subscription models, and how making decisions about choosing which method to use can be weighty for the product team.

– The importance of building a game that is enjoyable and rewarding for players, rather than focusing solely on monetization practices.

– Why game designers need to balance rewarding participation with incentivizing desired behavior to create a sustainable, enjoyable experience.

– The importance of making social impact native to a brand, rather than just attempting to add it on later.

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Kevin Lee interviews Daniel Meyer, VP & Corporate Controller at Access Intelligence, a Hauppauge, NY-based information and marketing company that provides business intelligence and integrated marketing solutions. Kevin and Daniel discuss how the event industry is evolving in the post-pandemic era and talk about best practices for event planners for 2024 and beyond. Discussed topics include:

– How brands are adapting adapted to the “new normal” of events in the post-pandemic era.

– The pandemic’s impact on event planning, specifically the fact that lead times for commitments have decreased significantly (from 30-45 days to less than a month)

– The importance of having backup plans and flexibility in event programming.

– Challenges faced by event programmers with respect to selecting venues and accurately forecasting attendee numbers and event requirements.

– The importance of event programmers understanding the “fine print” of event cancellation insurance policies.

– Why anchors and sponsors are crucial for event success, given that they provide name recognition and help control the narrative.

– How the value proposition of events depends on the audience’s goals, which may include learning, networking, or transacting business.

– The benefit of independent events (vs. events organized by a single vendor), where attendees can see “the whole story” and hold industry leaders accountable.

– Why the structure and format of a given event should be tailored to the specific industry and the type of attendee, with a focus on experiential aspects and networking opportunities.

– The differences between an exhibit hall with elaborate booths and a more informal exchange area, and the importance of managing traffic and building an agenda that allows attendees to get a variety of information.

– The importance of understanding the venue’s footprint and how it impacts the event’s agenda and sponsor/exhibitor setup.

– The challenge of managing the flow of traffic and ensuring that all parts of the event work in concert with one another, while also maximizing the value of attendees’ time spent on site.

– The challenges of choosing a venue for events, particularly in cities like New York where there are limited options and high demand.

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Kevin Lee interviews Alexis Zinberg, the Founder of Treow Solution, a New York-based firm that provides strategic marketing consulting services for clients across various verticals, including media, health, retail, and technology. As her LinkedIn profile explains, Alexis has “a deep expertise in designing and executing experiential and educational events, ranging from 10 person salon dinners to 50 person summits to 1500 person theater experiences and Trade Show presence.”

Kevin and Alexis discuss event marketing best practices for 2024, with Alexis providing some great insights for event organizers, prospective exhibitors, and event attendees. They cover a lot of topics in our talk, including:

– The importance of targeting the right audience at trade shows, rather than just showing up.

– The importance of aligning events with business goals for maximum ROI.

– Booth activation strategies for trade shows and in-person events.

– How marketers can determine the best mix of salespeople and people in other roles to handle meetings and provide information to prospects.

– The importance of preparation before attending events, including informing CRM, pre-promoting the show, and setting appointments with VIP-level people.

– Why marketers shouldn’t overlook the opportunity to create content at events, including selfie content, testimonials, and on-site podcasts, which can be repurposed for months to come.

– How event organizers are stressing “zero waste” and sustainability.

– The importance of aligning trade show “swag” with business goals and objectives, and ensuring it has purpose and meaning.

– The value of creating exclusive content for attendees at conferences, such as reports or panels to position clients as thought leaders.

– The resurgence of QR codes at trade shows, allowing attendees to easily access digital content without needing to use printed collateral.

– The role of virtual events in activating and engaging with audiences who cannot attend in person.

– How smart marketers are making presentations “snackable” and adaptable for repurposing, with a focus on engaging the audience and creating a connection point.

– The challenges of selecting the right person to be on stage at events.

– Why trade show exhibitors need to have a laser focus on getting details right so that target audiences aren’t disappointed.

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Kevin Lee interviews Peter Erickson, founder of Modev (conferences and special events for developers), founder of ExoLeaders.com (for executives), and founder of VOICE & AI — an organization whose conferences and events bring together developers, buyers, sellers, and manufacturers seeking to gain entry into this fast-moving segment of the AI market. (VOICE & AI’s next event will be on October 28-30, 2024 in Arlington).

Voice search is a hot field pegged to constitute a $98 billion sector by 2028. Peter and Kevin cover a lot of ground in their chat; topics include:

– The degree to which innovation in LLM-driven Voice Search will progress ahead of text-based search, given there is less risk for its monetization model.

– How LLM-powered search engines and voice search applications create a “winner take all” scenario for marketers (and what marketers can do about this).

– Why Perplexity is in a good position to innovate in Voice Search, as they have reimagined search and presented it in an organized and addictive way for users.

– The degree to which open source and proprietary technologies will coexist in the industry.

– The high costs of AI-powered voice search and the degree to which costs may moderate in the near future. (example of a network of gaming computers to perform inference tasks at pennies on the dollar compared to traditional models).

– Speculation as to whether Perplexity will be acquired this year (and by whom).

– The costs and benefits of AI systems in education, given that they may “dumb down” languages and dialects.

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Kevin Lee interviews Dennis Kelly, CEO of Postalytics, a fast-growing, Massachusetts–based company whose software automates many of the tasks associated with postal mail, as well as providing analytics and connections to popular CRMs such as Hubspot and Salesforce.

Kevin and Dennis discuss Postalytics’ origin story and the fact that technology investment in postal mail has lagged over the years, despite the fact that postal mail marketing remains a $40 billion business in the U.S. They dive into how Postalytics’ software systematizes direct mail campaign creation and delivery, how it integrates with other platforms, how the pandemic changed consumer behavior with respect to direct mail, and how new technology is improving the channel.

As Dennis notes, “there’s better technology that is being used in the printing and mailing process, the data on the back end is more accurate. It is being tied together with your purchase histories and interests that you’ve indicated across a variety of different spectrums. So you’re getting more relevant stuff, you’re not getting spray and pray kind of junk mail that you used to get it. So that has caused an increase in response rate. And then finally, very connected to the pandemic, the advent of QR codes, has made the ramp from offline to online so much more easy.”

Kevin and Dennis discuss industry categories for which direct mail remains a strong channel, including the non-profit sector, as well as the importance of adapting an “ABT” (Always Be Testing) mindset when conducing postal mail campaigns. They conclude with a brief discussion about how the USPS is deploying advanced technology to remove friction from direct mail campaigns and what Dennis is excited about for 2023 and beyond.

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Kevin Lee interviews Sheila Steinmark, CEO/CMO of MOGXP, a Plano, Texas-based agency that helps brands create memorable experiential marketing events.

Sheila and Kevin begin their conversation by addressing the concept of “brand purpose” and why it’s important for brands to make sure any events cause marketing events they organize are aligned with the particular promise represented by the brand.

They then move on to the topic of “greenwashing” and why it’s critical for brands engaged in corporate philanthropy to avoid it, and address the fact that when consumers become aware that a brand is engaged in charitable giving, this awareness can function as a “tie-breaker.”

Kevin and Sheila trade notes on mistakes often made when brands engage in these sponsorships. As Sheila notes, one critical mistake that’s often made is under-resourcing the social media teams responsible for conducting the events themselves.

Another mistake is to rely too much on “hybrid” (real + virtual) events. As Sheila observes, “consumers don’t want hybrid. If you are there, it waters down the experience when you have to interact with people who are online, and the people online never get the experience that people who were there are getting. So I think there will be more segregation in those types of events where everybody’s pushing for hybrid… I think it’s okay to do a live event, and then do a virtual event that is similar to it so that you offer it to other people. But it really waters down the virtual event by having people live.”

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Kevin Lee interviews Linda, CEO/Strategist at the Millennium Agency who also manages entities active in marketing in both the cannabis and beauty verticals. They discuss Linda’s experience marketing in the cannabis industry, which until very recently was so tightly regulated that marketing within it was very difficult, and get her take on some pressing B2B marketing issues, including how B2B marketing has evolved pre- and post-pandemic. They chat about the pent-up demand for in-person marketing events, and talk about the continuing relevance of direct mail. They explore the question of why too many B2B firms fail to properly score their leads and also fail to consider that major corporate decisions are often made these days not by a single individual, but by committees.

They discuss the importance of context when crafting B2B messaging for multiple channels. As Linda observes, it’s crucial to “change hats” when crafting creative so that one can put oneself in the intended audience’s shoes. They chat about the difficulties that B2B marketing firms face when their prospects grow fearful of a recessionary macroenvironment, and then tackle the issue of why it’s important for marketers to continue to devote at least some reasonable percentage of their budgets to experimental R&D projects.

Wearing her agency hat, Linda stresses the importance of maintaining good relationships with clients, even when economic storms are gathering. “If you don’t hang on to and solidify those current relationships, it will become even more challenging because, if… the whole sales cycle is getting delayed because of one reason or another, and then the strategies are not quite on par, you have a challenge. And then on top of that, you’re looking at potential economic uncertainties. So then you have to realize it’s time to really think about who we have for clients. Ho do we keep them happy? And how do we retain them during the ups and downs of the economy?”

The interview closes with a brief discussion of the relevance of AI to marketing in general and B2B marketing in particular.

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Kevin Lee interviews Fei Wang, founder of Source Medium. Fei shares Source Medium’s origin story, the role his company plays in helping omnichannel marketing make better data-driven decisions, and the typical pain points experienced by brands when they attempt to scale.

Kevin and Fei discuss GA4 and the difficulties that many marketers have experienced adapting to Google’s decision to deprecate Universal Analytics. As Fei observes, “it took years for essentially most of the Internet to adapt to how GA Universal was set up and actually learn how those things work. Right now, very few people feel like they have a good grasp on how (GA4) actually works. So that obviously leads to a lot of misconfiguration, which leads to the data being even more inaccurate than before.”

Fei and Kevin discuss GA4’s use of sampling, which many ecommerce merchants may not be aware of, the fact that analytics platforms often produce data discrepancies, and the broader attribution issues that can crop up when merchants attempt to reconcile data from multiple sources or are simply overloaded by this data. Then they trade anecdotes about the bad things that can happen when merchants make strategic decisions based on bad data.

Kevin and Fei talk in depth about Amazon — a marketplace that some DTC merchants have embraced while others continue to fear. As Fei notes, “I think it’s important to have a presence on Amazon, because if someone sees you on YouTube or TikTok or even on TV or via streaming, there is a nontrivial chance that they’re going to go either directly to the website, but more likely than not, they’ll be going to do a Google brand search or Amazon search. Amazon is a starting destination in terms of discovery. So if you’re not there, your competitor could be capturing that potential intent.” At the same time, merchants may need to employ specific strategies to avoid sales cannibalization. As Fei notes, one technique might be to limit the number of SKUs available on Amazon or make the deal on Amazon slightly less attractive than what’s available on one’s site.

Fei believes that many brands are overlooking real opportunity by avoiding Amazon. He notes that “Amazon advertising is actually the fastest sort of marketing spend growth among our customer base. And within that, Amazon-branded advertising is the fastest growing sub vertical… people are using Amazon as a brand awareness channel already.”

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