Brand Positioning Tactics

🌟 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐢𝐠 - 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐝𝐞! The biggest breakthroughs don’t happen by digging deeper into one area - they happen when ideas, industries, and technologies collide. Think about it: AI combined with IoT has transformed healthcare. Sustainability powered by cloud solutions is opening new markets. The magic lies at the 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - where fresh opportunities emerge. 🚀 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 1️⃣ 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Combining technologies like AI and cloud accelerates growth. 2️⃣ 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡: Partnerships across industries unlock untapped customers. 3️⃣ 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞: Cross-industry collaboration lowers costs and drives new value. At Deloitte, I’ve seen the power of collaboration. By partnering with organizations like #Celonis, #Schaeffler, #HumboldtInnovation, and #GermanEntrepreneurship, we’ve established the European non-profit AI ecosystem, #KIPark. This initiative brings together players from different industries to unlock innovation. For example, we’ve developed an ESG platform, marking a significant step toward sustainable solutions that are robust and business-relevant. 🛠️ 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 1️⃣ 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲: Who could you partner with to create something new? 2️⃣ 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬: Pair data scientists with operations or customer-facing teams. 3️⃣ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐲: Start small pilots that combine tech and business ideas. 🌍 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞 The future belongs to businesses that connect the dots others don’t see. Breadth - not just depth - is the key to growth and resilience. 💬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 What’s one unexpected partnership or idea you’ve seen recently that sparked innovation? Let’s exchange ideas. Who knows what new intersections we might uncover together? #Deloitte #AI #Innovation #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #Partnerships 𝐴𝑟𝑡𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑙. 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑂𝑓𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒. 𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑡 @𝑔𝑎𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ

The financial case for brand strategy: Why CFOs should care. Branding isn’t just about looking good.* It drives real financial impact (* if done strategically) Yet, many companies still see it as a cost rather than an asset that increases enterprise value, reduces waste, and boosts profitability. Here’s what most businesses get wrong: - They see branding as expense, not an investment. - They focus on short-term lead generation over long-term equity. - They underestimate how much a strong brand lowers acquisition costs, improves pricing, reduces churn and attracts talent. Here’s how: 01 - Brand Strategy Increases Market Value: Brands are intangible, but they drive real financial value. Today, 80–85% of the S&P 500’s market value comes from intangibles like brand equity. Corporate reputation alone is worth $16 trillion globally. Companies with strong brands deliver 2× higher shareholder returns over 20 years than the MSCI World Index. Why? A strong brand builds trust, reduces risk, and increases pricing, partnerships, and M&A leverage. 02 - A Strong Brand Lowers Marketing Costs: Weak brands must pay to be noticed, they have to keep buying attention…spending millions on ads and lead gen. Strong brands generate attention. Tesla, for example, spends $0 on traditional ads, while competitors spend $495 per vehicle sold. Tesla’s brand, combined with a touch of Elon, drives WOM, earned media, and loyalty...saving hundreds of millions in marketing costs. (And yes, I know it works both ways, for better or worse) 03 - Branding Improves Profit Margins & Pricing Power: A strong brand lets you charge premium prices and avoid price wars. Apple sells iPhones at 40%+ gross margins, while competitors struggle, even with similar hardware. Why? Customers aren’t just buying a product, they’re buying into a brand. Data shows: - Consumers pay 11% more for trusted brands. - Brand-loyal customers pay 38% more, even price-sensitive ones pay 14% more. - Without strong branding, companies must compete on price alone. 04 - Strong Brands Retain Customers Longer: Retention is one of the biggest profitability drivers. It costs 5× more to acquire a new customer than to retain one. A 5% increase in retention boosts profits by 25–95%. Brand loyalty reduces churn, increases lifetime value, and creates repeat buyers without ads spend. 05 - Resilient Brands Outperform in Crises: In downturns, weak brands suffer revenue losses and resort to discounting. Strong brands hold their value & recover faster. During 2020, while most businesses struggled, the top 100 most valuable brands grew by +5.9%. A well-built brand acts as financial insulation, stabilising revenue. The Hard Truth: A strong brand isn’t a luxury, it’s a financial strategy. If your CFO still sees branding as a cost center, send them this. Sources: McKinsey, Interbrand, BrandZ, Bain & Company, Nielsen, Kantar, Invesp, Unilever, Tesla, industry reports on brand valuation, CAC, and shareholder returns.

Love this campaign by Stella. "Worth it" ✨ Playing off a familiar scene we all know. That claustrophobic bar. Enter "Claustrobar" You're crammed shoulder to shoulder... Getting bumped left and right. Then you get your first sip. Makes it all worth it. 👀 Or does it...? We're seeing the OPPOSITE trend for B2B events. Marketers want smaller more niche events. Think dinners with 15 to 25 people. ONLY the exact ICP they want. We just did our Q1 retro at The Alliance 🧵 NEW Q1 EVENT DATA FOR YOU: Dinners under 25 people drove 3.4 times higher average pipeline per attendee than 200+ person field events Sponsor satisfaction scores were 27 points higher for private dinners vs traditional happy hours Events with personalized pre invite cadences had a 35 percent average acceptance rate among ICP targets Renewal rates on sponsor programs anchored around curated dinners hit 82 percent, compared to 58 percent for "open bar" events Thats why we're doubling down on niche events. Dinners and intimate VIP exeperiences. Why they worked so well: Step 1: ICP first targeting Every attendee list starts with sponsor aligned ICP firmographic filters: Company size, role seniority, industry fit, existing buying intent. Step 2: Personalized outreach Dedicated in house teams send direct invites framed around relevance. We track weekly acceptance rates and optimize touchpoints if we fall below 30 percent. Step 3: Pre event intel Sponsors get attendee insights two weeks before the dinner. They know which companies and titles are coming so they can plan the content PRECISELY for that audience to make it hyper relevant. Step 4: Structured conversations No loud music. No random crowds. Strategic seating charts and guided conversation topics aligned to the topics attendees and sponsors care about. This makes the experiences great for BOTH the company sponsoring and the attendees. Ends in a win win for everyone. Example for you: At our Austin dinner for a sponsor in Jan - 17 handpicked senior leaders attended - 76 percent of attendees booked follow up demos within 21 days - The sponsor sourced $3.2 million in net new pipeline which was 3.1 times their original goal TLDR Invest in more dinners ✌️ 

Gen Z and Alpha don’t want to be consumers. They want to be superfans. We’re living in the fandom economy now. That’s why retail brands need to start thinking like popstars dropping an album. People want worlds they can step into. Brands they can talk about. Moments they can be part of. Narratives they can follow. A sense of identity they can attach to. …Not just products on a shelf. So brands need to behave like they already have a super cult fanbase - even if they don’t yet. That means acting like artists launching an album: ✨ Drop hot merch ✨ Build narrative arcs ✨ Stage IRL moments ✨ Create viral clues + anticipation ✨ Make launches feel like cultural events Popstars have already written the blueprint: → Bad Bunny’s album launch was theatrical and cryptic: •⁠ Wiped Instagram grid •⁠ OOH takeovers across San Juan •⁠ Billboards with GPS coordinates •⁠ Hidden symbols + secret messages •⁠ Brought album to life in local social clubs •⁠ Pop-up appearances that shut down blocks Bad Bunny didn’t only drop his album. He launched a cultural quest fans had to solve! → Charli XCX’s album turned design into a cultural movement: • Exclusive online BRAT generator • Collabs with artists & culture pages • Partnered with H&M for their launch party • Created a recognisable lime green identity • Brat Summer took over: memes, UGC, merch • IRL stunts: BRAT wall livestream that built anticipation Charli XCX didn’t just share new music. She created a world people wanted to live inside. → Sabrina Carpenter sold the universe of ‘Short n Sweet’: •⁠ Fun pop-ups with exclusive merch • Iconic shopping cart photo → endless UGC •⁠ Served free espressos in Blank Street Coffee •⁠ Hosted listening parties at Spotify & record stores • Collaborations: SKIMS, Supergoop!, Marc Jacobs •⁠ Espresso-themed partnerships: Cash App, Absolut Vodka, Dunkin’ Donuts Sabrina didn’t market an album. She built a personal brand people *obsessed* over. Retail pushes products. But popstars think in moments. They build hype, eras, merch, stories and emotion. They give people something to believe in before they give them something to buy. And that's the strategy retail needs to adopt. Behave like culture, not commerce, and you’ll become truly unforgettable!

Startup go-to-market goes through 3 major phases. Failure to recognize which phase you’re in will cause pain, frustration — and often, failure. 🔴 Phase 1 — Market Experimentation This phase is all about learning. But it’s not “research.” The fastest way to find a viable market is by selling. The keys to this phase are speed and volume — you’re trying to get in front of as many potential customers as you can. You’ll start with your network, but should also be creating content, cold DMing prospects, attending meetups, etc. The goal isn’t to hit $1M ARR. It’s to figure out who cares most about the problem you’re solving. Once you know that, you can focus your efforts. 💢 A word of caution: This phase is messy. You’ll face rejection. A lot. But keep going and remember, this is temporary. You’ll know you’re ready for the next phase when you have a gut feeling that you could sell a lot of your product to a specific market. 🔵 Phase 2 — Beachhead Growth This phase is about building systems. The name of the game here is “repeatability.” 👉 To create effective systems, you MUST narrow your focus. You need to solve one use case for one specific group of people. This focus is your competitive advantage for breaking into the market. Without it, you’ll feel like you’re boiling the ocean, and your GTM efforts won’t be effective. Tactically, this phase is about setting up the “plumbing” for how prospects find, evaluate, buy, and use your product. This often involves: • Building marketing and sales assets (homepages, sales decks, email campaigns, etc.) • Developing top-of-funnel content (blogs, social posts, webinars) • Setting up tools to track leads and prospects (CRM) • Creating onboarding materials The goal? Dominate this segment. This should get you to at least $1M ARR. 🟢 Phase 3 — Expansion Growth By this point, you should have a repeatable GTM program that’s generating revenue and earning you some name recognition as a rising player. Now, it’s time to reinvest that revenue and grow. You have 2 main options to consider: • Enter adjacent markets with the same use case (horizontal) • Solve new use cases for your current market (vertical) Which route you take depends on the type of business you want to build, who you want to serve, and your market’s appetite. 💢 But don’t make the classic mistake of going after multiple markets all at once. Expansion is like restarting phase 2—new segments require new systems. The smartest move? Take it one segment at a time. (Sequencing) ——— Remember: Building GTM programs is just like building a product. Mindset is key. There’s a time for learning. There’s a time for building something small (but viable). And there’s a time to scale. Know what phase you’re in, and you’ll have a much smoother time growing your startup. #startups #gotomarketstrategy #growth

After 9 years in marketing, I've finally come to a conclusion. This is the 1st marketing problem of B2B businesses: Skipping crucial steps to chase quick results. Here's what it looks like in practice: - Running outbound campaigns without a target market - Building a CRM routine without revenue objectives - Publishing content without a desired positioning - Writing a homepage without a clear messaging You understand the pattern: Doing (marketing operations) without (strategic input). It's like choosing the walls' color while your house doesn't have foundations yet. And all the marketing problems stem from this lack of clarity. - How can you focus without knowing what to achieve? - Why would prospects listen if you don't know what to say? - What will you say if you don't know who you're speaking to? Now here's the truth: Clarity doesn't come from a magic illumination. You get clarity by answering the right questions, one by one. Here are the 4 levels of B2B Marketing to help you: 1. Always start from Business Strategy Marketing must be aligned on the objectives and revenue targets of the business. Otherwise, you're building an art & craft department. 2. Turn it into a Marketing Strategy When the business objectives are clear, a great CMO will define a 'game plan' on how to achieve them. This step is the combination of strategic decisions (positioning, messaging) and planning (roadmap, budget). 3. Choose Marketing Tactics accordingly With the strategy in place, the next step is to choose actionable marketing activities. They need to make sense based on the target audience and desired positioning. 4. Run Operations to apply those tactics Here, it's not about answering questions anymore. It's about consistently executing marketing tasks and iterating based on results. You need the right skills, discipline, and clarity on what to do. *** Follow me Pierre Herubel for daily marketing tips. Join my free 5-day email marketing course (click "visit my website")

Jaguar is teaching us an important lesson, and it's not what you think it is. When a legacy brand like Jaguar unveils a radical rebrand, it’s easy to jump to conclusions, and everyone seems to have an opinion. As a brand strategist, my role isn’t to deliver verdicts, it’s to ask the right questions. So when someone ask for my opinion about a visual rebrand I'll start asking questions about the strategy behind it. Questions that uncover deeper truths and empower clients to articulate their vision. So instead of critiquing Jaguar’s rebrand, let’s turn it into an opportunity for reflection. These are questions I would like to ask them before I share any opinion. The Strategy: - How do you honor your heritage while adapting to the future? - What’s the core of the DNA of your brand that should never change? - Who are your future customers you are evolving for? - What singular idea holds your products, identity, and customer experience together? The Logo and Visual Identity: - How do you want your visual identity to make people feel? - Does it evoke the energy and emotion your brand promises? - If someone removed your name, would they still know it’s you? - What makes your design unmistakably yours? - Are you following a trend, or setting one? - Does your visual identity help you stand out in your category, or does it blend in? The Campaign and Marketing: - What story are you telling with your campaign? - How does it connect emotionally to your audience and their aspirations? - How are you making the customer the hero of your story? - Are you borrowing from culture, or contributing to it? - How are you creating a cultural moment that’s undeniably yours? The EV Pivot: - What do you own in this new electric future? - What’s the unique value your brand brings to the EV market that no one else can? - Beyond the technology, what does the experience of owning your product feel like? - How does it elevate your customers’ lives? - How does your pivot to sustainability and innovation align with your larger brand narrative? The Big Picture: - Is your rebrand evolutionary or revolutionary? - How far are you willing to go to signal change while remaining authentic? - How does your rebrand show aspiration? - How does it make people want to be part of your world? Finally: Are you playing to fit in—or to lead? What’s your ultimate ambition, and how does Jaguar as a brand express that? As a brand strategist, I believe the most powerful insights come not from imposing opinions but from asking the right questions. Questions that make us pause, think, and uncover the truth of who we are and who we want to become. So, what questions would you ask to help them shape their next chapter? #brandstrategy

In a world where attention is fleeting and virtual fatigue is real, how can you successfully host online events? Here are 9 essentials to keep in mind: 1. Start with a Compelling Opening Your opening should grab attention, set the tone, build anticipation and give people a reason to stay. 2. Make Eye Contact Look directly into the camera to create a sense of connection. If you're using a teleprompter or script, keep it at eye level to maintain that engagement. 3. Mind Your Facial Expression People are paying close attention to your face. They can see when you’re smiling, or when you appear bored, upset, or frustrated. Be conscious of your expression. 4. Manage Your Energy Your energy drives the entire experience. If you seem disengaged or flat, your audience will tune out. 5. Build Emotional Connections Use personal stories, relatable examples, and analogies. These human elements help your message resonate on a deeper level. 6. Engage the Audience Make your audience part of the experience. Use polls, Q&A, or chat prompts to keep them actively involved. 7. Be Clear and Concise Attention spans online are shorter. Get to the point quickly, and use clear language. 8. Use Visual Aids and Multimedia Use images, short videos, graphics, and animations that support your message. However, don’t overload your slides with text. 9. Check Your Tech Setup Poor lighting, audio, camera quality, or an unstable internet connection can lead to frustration and reduced participation. Test in advance. Hope this helps. I’m Temi Badru, a professional event MC for physical, virtual, and hybrid events. I also train individuals and teams in public speaking and effective communication. #temibadru #voicesandfaces #eventhost #mc #moderator #speaker #events

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. For some FMCG brands, no price cuts, no problem. The brands growing 3-5X faster than competitors have stopped competing on price entirely. This is the framework of how top CPGs win online. The data is clear; 1️⃣ Digital-first brands like L'Oréal, Nestlé and Procter & Gamble are achieving 3–5X higher unit growth 2️⃣ Their edge: Value communication, optimized digital shelf, and content that converts 3️⃣ They’re using pack strategy and personalization, not blanket discounts, to drive volume ++ 𝟰 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗣𝗚 𝗖𝗠𝗢𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝟮 ++ 1. I strongly recommend, stop leading with "20% off" and start with "Here's why this matters to your life." This way you can master value communication over price communication. - Create content that educates, inspires, and justifies your price point - Use storytelling that connects product benefits to real consumer moments - Build trust through transparent ingredient stories and sustainability narratives 2. Your Amazon listing is your new Times Square storefront. Is your digital shelf better then your flagship store by the way? - Invest in premium product imagery and A+ content - Use data-driven SEO to dominate category searches - Leverage customer reviews as social proof, not just feedback 3. Create value through innovation, not desperation. And it happens faster when you deploy strategic assortment & smart pack architecture. - Develop premium formats and limited editions that command higher prices - Use pack sizes strategically to hit different price points without discounting - Test subscription models and bundles that increase customer lifetime value 4. Use technology to deliver the right message to the right consumer. Is there anybody left not leveraging AI for personalization at scale? I didn't think so. :) - Implement dynamic pricing based on demand signals, not competitor panic - Create personalized product recommendations across all digital touchpoints - Use predictive analytics to anticipate consumer needs before they discount-shop 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: Brands that compete on value creation, not price destruction, are the ones dominating market share growth. If you’re still defaulting to promotions, this is your wake-up call. 𝗧𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 ecommert® 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟰,𝟲𝟬𝟬+ 𝗖𝗣𝗚, 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘁 : 𝗖𝗣𝗚 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿👇 About ecommert We partner with CPG businesses and leading technology companies of all sizes to accelerate growth through AI-driven digital commerce solutions. #CPG #FMCG #ecommerce #AI #retailmedia PepsiCo Mondelēz International Mars The HEINEKEN Company Colgate-Palmolive Reckitt Henkel Kenvue Unilever adidas Nike The Coca-Cola Company

SEO Content vs Content EXPERIENCES - Why writing content will NOT be enough. With all the AI-driven content being pushed into the market, the kind of content that will stand out is going to be content that allows users to participate rather than just consume it. You will need to involve the user in the content and make them experience it. This can help your users gain information like never before. We experimented with this thesis with one of our clients. (Quick context about the client: They were (potentially) hit by HCU, and many of their blogs were not performing at all. This meant we couldn't just publish a regular blog and expect it to rank.) The team decided to create an interactive quiz element on this blog. This allowed the users to consume content AND participate in it. And check out the rankings of this blog (refer screenshot attached). From nothing to first page in a matter of days. Mind you, this was a site hit by HCU and we were competing against multiple DR 90+ sites plus a .gov website too. (Huge shoutout to Shivani Dhiman for coming up with this idea and Nishaanth Kumar for executing it.) This is not a one-off case, you can see this trend everywhere. Chess(.)com also does this really well. They have a sub folder /openings with all the chess openings and their explanation. And they have interactive chess boards for each opening to help you learn these moves by playing them. Result? 225K monthly traffic JUST from these pages. Storylane revolutionised demo-led SEO with highly interactive demos. They are CRUSHING it with a 20X jump in traffic in a year. And you know the best part? Your favourite SEO tool would flag these demo pages as thin content, but they are crushing it despite this. Why though? Why do these content experiences work? This works because you give value to users in a way they have never experienced. Information gain need not happen only via new information; it can happen with existing information packaged differently. So it won't be enough if you just create "SEO content" (hate that term) moving forward. Because everybody and their grandmother is doing the same. Besides, with this kind of vanilla content, your biggest competitor will be Google, which has AI overviews. So to counter your competitors and Google, you must think beyond content writing - you need to think of experiences. Because content might be king, but content experiences build the empire.