Chris Chan

Unleash Your Brand's Story Connect, engage, and build trust with your audience through the power of storytelling. Discover how to craft compelling narratives to elevate your brand's presence. 📚✨

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This week Toronto is hosting the World Federation of Advertisers for global marketing week, bringing together many of the globe's top CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers). It's timely that EMARKETER released some insights on the role of the CMO. Good news. CEOs are seeing CMOs in a more positive light. This is framed by more dynamic & complex roles that are increasingly driving business results that matter to the CEO & CFO. The transformative role of AI is helping drive this and putting investing in skilling up the marketers on their team. Elevating the role of the CMO has been a long standing conversation at the Canadian Marketing Association & something I'm seeing firsthand on the field. It's fantastic to see some positive momentum as we use her in the age of AI. Stephan Loerke & friends from WFA - we look forward to seeing you in Toronto this week! More from EMARKETER report here: https://lnkd.in/g5di7j9g More about the WFA global marketing week in Toronto: https://lnkd.in/gxq-_KE7

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I’m excited about what the future of retail media means for our media tech clients but also for marketing leaders in general. BCG does a great job outlining why CMOs will want to increase retail media spend—and how RMNs need to step up their game to help them justify greater investment. If we are to believe analyst projections of $100 billion in U.S. retail media spend over the next 2-3 years, it seems many of the items on BCG’s RMN “to-do” list need to happen, especially: - Offering a more seamless customer experience across online and in-store to boost performance across the full consumer journey - Providing more and more data and actionable reports to enhance transparency, insight, targeting, and personalization - Deepening relationships to deliver increasingly tailored media solutions that are unique to each advertiser and its consumers - Achieving a level of sophistication that matches—or at least approaches—the performance, scale, and precision of leading digital ad platforms like Google and Meta (e.g., as Amazon has done) https://lnkd.in/gKJ53T-x

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Navigating the Fine Line: Sustainability in Business   In the corporate world, transparency in sustainability practices isn't just encouraged; it's expected. Recently, Lululemon has come under scrutiny by Canada's Competition Bureau for potentially making misleading environmental claims. This situation underscores the fine balance companies must strike between marketing and genuine environmental stewardship. As we await the outcomes, it's a crucial reminder for all brands to focus on demonstrable progress rather than perfect representations.   Our benchmarking study reveals Tencent is an example of a company that commits to transparency by openly reporting both their successes and areas needing improvement. This approach fosters authentic engagement with stakeholders, who value a clear understanding of the real challenges faced on sustainability journeys.    Learn more about how Tencent and other global leaders are redefining sustainability in commerce in our latest blog article below. This analysis provides insights into integrating sustainability with business strategies to enhance stakeholder engagement. #sustainability #sustainabilitymarketing The Next Practice https://lnkd.in/eYExmKJh

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We (Stephen Brown and I) had a nice chat with Campaign Canada on pitching new business and some of the pain points. It was a fun time to share some "war stories" (see link below 👇). https://lnkd.in/gy5CfqMb We've (at FUSE Create) had a successful run of new business this year, but that's come from a lot of learning from good pitches, bad pitches, lost pitches, terribly pitched pitches, and spending the time to figure out what we want as an agency. I share my grievances in the article, but some learnings from those grievances are: 1. We know our our non-negotiables as an agency, and stick to them (i.e. spec creative for us) 2. We make sure it leans into our strengths - do we have the right case studies? do we know the category? do we care about the product? does it match our strategic growth objectives? 3. We always do a vibe check. A discovery call / meeting with the clients we're pitching is now essential to our process. It's a two way partnership, we want to make sure it works for both of us. We know there are lots of convo's on the "power dynamics" of pitching. That said, as we've built our brand we've aligned our new business strategy to our values and tried very hard to limit our investment to the stuff we a) really care about and b) think we can win. Finally, the best part of running an indie... it's ok to sometimes (or in our case quite often) say no if it doesn't feel like it's a fit. Our current client roster always comes first. #newbusiness #pitching #advertising #rfps #marketing

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Google's New Surcharge . . . . A Canadian Advertiser's Headache? So, Google just threw a curveball with this new 2.5% surcharge for Canadian advertisers, and it's causing quite a stir. Ideally, your ad budget would look like this: Set Budget → Launch Campaign → See ROI But now? Google’s essentially saying, “Hold on—add a little extra for that surcharge.” Here’s how it’s really going down: 1️⃣ Budget Shock You’ve mapped out your budget to the last dollar for the quarter, ready to roll, and suddenly—bam—your costs just jumped 2.5%. No extra value to your campaign, just a bigger bill. 😳 2️⃣ ROI Headache “It’s just 2.5%,” they say, but if your ad spend is in the six figures, that small bump adds up fast. And now? Your carefully calculated ROI doesn’t look so great. 📉 3️⃣ Who Pays? Do you take the hit or pass it on to your clients? Either way, someone’s footing the bill here—and it’s not Google. 💸 4️⃣ Strategic Shuffle Now, you’re thinking, “Do I shift ad dollars somewhere else? Focus on organic traffic? Or just eat the cost and move on?” 🤔 5️⃣ Impact on Small Businesses For smaller advertisers, that 2.5% hike could be the tipping point between staying competitive or cutting back. It’s a bitter pill to swallow. 💡 At first glance, 2.5% might seem small, but over time? It could cause a real shakeup in your marketing strategy. So, if you were a Canadian marketer, how would you handle this extra cost? Would you adapt or look for new ways to stretch your budget? #GoogleAds #CanadianAdvertisers #MarketingStrategy #AdSurcharge #Budget https://lnkd.in/eJ2sZ3Uu

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The lines between B2B and B2C growth strategies are blurring, fast. As consumer behavior evolves, I’m seeing more and more B2B companies adopt tactics traditionally associated with B2C in order to drive growth in an increasingly crowded market. There are three reasons for this: 1. Decision-makers in B2B companies consume media the same exact way as B2C buyers. And they're just as likely to be influenced by emotions and engaging content. 2. Outbound strategies like cold calling and email blasts have become saturated, especially with the adoption of new AI tools. Prospects are being bombarded with sales messages and it’s never been harder to cut through that noise. 3. Inbound marketing and brand-building tactics that traditionally resonate with B2C audiences are proving effective for B2B as well. What does this convergence look like in practice? 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: B2B businesses are starting to increasingly invest in content marketing, social media, and other inbound tactics to attract and nurture leads. By providing valuable content that addresses their target audience's pain points, they can build trust and credibility over time. 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐬: B2B buyers are increasingly researching and making their purchase decisions online. So by optimizing your own digital presence – from your website to videos to social media profiles – B2B businesses can meet prospects where they are actually spending their time. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲: Having a powerful brand that speaks to the customer and a digital presence that can asynchronously build relationships with your ICP is a playbook also becoming more important than ever for B2B. B2B businesses can differentiate themselves early in the funnel and start creating relationships with prospects that will need to be matured throughout the funnel What this really means is that B2B growth increasingly resembles that of late-stage B2C companies. There is a long funnel between the moment you invest growth dollars and the moment you see revenue. Investment channels are difficult to evaluate and do not align well with last-click tracking. All of this is taking place in a market that is becoming more competitive, where growth and sales teams must be as efficient as possible, and where every dollar counts. If this is helpful, we talk about this in more detail on the podcast this week https://buff.ly/3Vvn2ki Have you seen B2B growth strategies evolve in your industry? #B2BGrowthStrategy #B2CMarketingTactics #InboundMarketing #EmotionalBranding #DigitalMarketing

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Is your brand ready for the holidays?... It is hard to believe it is August. Kids will be heading back to school soon and before we know it, the holidays are here! This means brands need to start preparing (if they haven't done so yet) for holiday sales. This means, creative, messaging, media channels, etc. While prepping for it, here are some interesting nuggets to have in mind from the article I linked. -  Nine in 10 holiday shoppers (91%) want to see ads that offer a specific promotion, and seven in 10 (71%) appreciate ads that make it simpler to purchase the featured item (source: LG Report) - Fifty-six percent of CTV users will turn to search engines to research gifts this holiday season, with 36% saying they’ll search online after viewing streaming ads, per LG. And 34% will visit a retail website, with 42% saying they’ll go to a brand website after seeing a streaming ad. -- I suspect very similar behaviors from Linear TV viewers. - The majority of holiday shoppers will shop Black Friday (86%) and Cyber Monday (84%) deals, but 70% will take advantage of in-store Black Friday sales. Nearly half (48%) think Black Friday and Cyber Monday is when they’ll get the best deals. A comprehensive strategy that includes mutiple media outlets (TV, Paid Search, Paid Social, paired up with ongoing organic efforts) to meet the customer where they are is the key. Making sure that the top of the funnel is constantly being fed while nurturing consumers on the subsequent funnels will increase conversion rates. And just as important, a seamless top notch customer experience throughout the process will ensure consumers to come back. #d2c #holidays #advertising #ecommerce https://lnkd.in/eRbzVd75

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Some solid advice here!

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Gen Z & Millennials Crave Authentic, Eye-Catching Out-of-Home Ads! Younger Canadians are reshaping the advertising landscape. These digital natives find OOH ads highly effective, with 51% saying OOH helps them discover new products and services faster. Although many Gen Z consumers skip online ads (63% use ad blockers), 55% view OOH ads positively. Gen Z is selective when engaging with ads, and OOH’s seamless integration into the environment makes these ads an enjoyable part of everyday life. What I find most interesting about Gen Z consumers is that they respond best to funny, eye-catching ads and value authenticity. Check out this ad for Cheestrings that capitalizes on humour, and happens to be one of my favourite ads of all time. Ready to speak to Gen Z and Millennials? Let’s talk about your next OOH campaign! 🚀 #OOH #DOOH #GenZ #Millennials #Advertising #Insight #Research #Marketing #AudienceInsights #ConsumerTrends #FunnyAds #EyeCatching COMMB OAAA DPAA Vistar Media https://lnkd.in/gFQQwUN3

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For the "go woke, go broke" crowd that permeates through many brands across North America and beyond... ...I'm happy to say that you're wrong. A whopping *75%* of consumers globally say that "diversity and inclusion – or a lack thereof – influence their purchase decisions." This comes from Kantar’s 2024 Brand Inclusion Index - a survey of more than 23,000 people in 18 countries. Valeria Piaggio, Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Kantar, expands on this: "It’s a myth that inclusion marketing is about marketing to minorities. Inclusion marketing is expansive marketing. One of the fundamental ways to grow your brand is to predispose more people to it. Yet when brands exclude consumers – whether that’s because people don’t feel welcomed when shopping in store or their advertising doesn’t reflect diverse communities – it’s an easy miss. Millennials and Gen Z prioritise diversity and inclusion even more than other groups, and as these populations grow in size and buying power these issues will carry more weight. Brands will be rewarded if they stand by their values – especially in the face of vocal communities which stoke the culture wars by pitting minority groups against one another.” So in the wake of so many brands cutting back on their #DEI staff and spend, treating inclusion like a checkbox that can be layered in whenever convenient, or just deprioritizing #DEI to pre-2020-like conditions, this is your wake-up call. It's time to get back on track. Your customers want it. Many are even demanding it. What are you waiting for? #JEDI #EDI #DEI #DEIA #InclusiveMarketing #InclusiveCommunications #InclusiveBranding #InclusiveAdvertising #InclusiveResearch #InclusionMatters #InclusiveWorkplace #InclusiveCulture

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Most ecoms overutilize Meta & neglect Google hardcore—a huge mistake. Here’s the 3-part, modern playbook top brands run: This isn’t anecdotal… - Based on aggressive ad testing - Across both Meta & Google - For 10+ high-growth brands - All between $5M-$75M in rev Here it is: 1. TOFU PMAX (Prospecting) - Non-brand, new customers only - Single asset group * Later: Test separate PMAX - For high margin products, cats, etc. * Large accounts: Test Demand Gen (needs time) - To feed PMAX high intent, cold traffic - Requires great video; arbitrage from Meta - Test all types: statics, videos, & feed - Run Lookalikes (only campaign that has) 2. MOFU Standard Shopping - For manual bidding - So can control “branded ad” cost - 2nd PMAX gatekeeper to funnel off brand terms * Later: Harvest keywords - To test Generic PPC * Large accounts: Test Display Remarketing - E.g., YouTube - Audience = visitors (non-purchased) 3. BOFU Exact Match Brand PPC - Target Impression Share (95%+) - Should have massive ROAS - 1st PMAX gatekeeper to funnel off brand terms Stop sleeping on Google. Diversify and get all your eggs out of Meta’s basket 👊

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💡 A fascinating pattern emerges when you look at Q5 differently: what most see as a post-holiday 'black hole' is actually a strategic goldmine. Here's what's catching my attention: while 70% of consumers plan to shop after Christmas, too many brands go dark. The real opportunity lies in this invisible quarter when others step back. The smartest brands aren't just seeing Q5 as leftover holiday energy. They're using it as a slingshot into 2025, especially in health/wellness and fintech where CPMs stay consistent. Think of your audience like a sponge - Q5 is perfect for filling it with brand storytelling and educational content, then strategically wringing it out when the moment's right. 🧽 What's your Q5 strategy looking like? #ReadySet #retargeting #Q5 #brandstorytelling

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🚨You’re living in an uninformed bubble if you’re not benchmarking your marketing performance. TL;DR: 1. Growth is good, but context is key 2. Benchmark against industry standards 3. Understand what good performance looks like The Insights: 1. >>Growth Context<< When I worked at Aritzia, we saw a +20-25% growth in our department. But, we asked ourselves: “How much did the industry grow?” 2. >>Benchmarking<< If the industry is growing by +50% and we’re at +20%, we might be trailing behind. Benchmarking helps us understand our standing in the broader market. 3. >>Understanding Performance<< Clients often ask, “Are we doing well? How many views should we be getting?” It’s about understanding what good performance looks like in your industry. The Impact: 1. Growth is important, but context gives it meaning. 2. Benchmarking ensures you’re not just growing but growing at a competitive rate. 3. Knowing your industry standards helps set realistic goals and measure success accurately. How are you benchmarking your marketing performance? 👇 #MarketingInsight #DigitalMarketing #CompetitorAnalysis

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Looks like Retail Media is the hottest segment in advertising 🌟 🌍 Global ad spend is set to top $1 trillion for the 1st time in 2024 (+10.5% YoY). 📈 Retail Media is booming with a 21.3% growth, outpacing social media’s 14.2% and search’s 12.1%. 🚀 Early adopters overseases are thriving: Walmart Connect saw a 30% YoY growth, Coles360 grew by 20.5%. It’s clear we’re entering a new phase of growth and innovation in the industry. Exciting times ahead!

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For CMOs that want to increase personal, business, and societal impact! Built on the findings of the 2024 IRG Impact Study, the IRG100 Leadership Program focuses on increasing CMO impact by partnering with the Board, CEO and C-Suite peers to better understand, engage, and create value for all business stakeholders—what we call Humanized Growth. This program, running from January to June of 2025, offers CMOs new insights, a Humanized Growth framework, real-world examples, and practical playbooks for building more stakeholder value. IRG100 program strategies were developed with the Oxford Said Business School and industry organizations representing the Board, and the CEO, CFO, CHRO, CSO, and CIO functions. Nominate yourself or someone else here: https://lnkd.in/eKaavhkr We will review all applications with our partners, before we grant a seat. #CMO #Marketing #leadership #humanizedgrowth #IRG

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Last August, Kleenex blew this place. The popular tissue brand disappeared from Canadian shelves. Yet Canadians like me will keep asking for a “Kleenex” while grabbing for Scotties, Royale, or whatever other tissue is around. Think about that. The brand that’s been synonymous with facial tissue in Canada since the 1920s... gone. It joins other fascinating examples of brands that became the category name: • Taking “un Kodak” (a photo, in French) • Xeroxing a document • Googling something • Getting on the Escalator (originally a brand name) • Sipping from your Thermos • Doing up your Zipper (originally a B.F. Goodrich trademark) For product makers, it‘s a sobering reminder: Even category dominance – to that absolute pinnacle where your brand name becomes the generic term – doesn't guarantee continued prosperity. Markets change. Consumer preferences evolve. Distribution challenges arise. The biggest irony? Your brand could live on in language long after your product has been squeezed out of the market. Link to full story in comments. 👇 What did I miss? What other generic terms started as brand names? #ProductStrategy #Marketing #BrandEvolution #Innovation

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PayPal launching Ad business, leveraging data on millions and millions of shoppers. PayPal, is venturing into the advertising world by leveraging the vast trove of data it has on its millions of customers. The company has hired Mark Grether, who head of Uber's advertising unit, to lead its newly-created PayPal Ads division. The Top 5 Things to Know: 1️⃣ PayPal plans to build an ad sales business around the purchase and spending data it collects from its millions of users, including those on the Venmo app. 2️⃣ The company has already introduced Advanced Offers, an AI-powered ad product that helps merchants target PayPal users with personalized promotions and discounts. 3️⃣ PayPal aims to sell ads not just to its own customers but also to non-endemic advertisers, allowing them to target consumers based on their spending patterns and purchasing behavior. 4️⃣ With data from over 400 million customers and 6.5 billion payments processed in Q1 2024, PayPal believes it can offer advertisers a detailed picture of their target audience. 5️⃣ The move follows a trend of financial companies like JPMorgan Chase building ad networks to monetize their customer data, as they seek new revenue streams beyond their core businesses. PayPal's foray into advertising comes as the company looks to boost growth and find new revenue sources after a post-pandemic slump. By taking advantage of its valuable customer data, PayPal hopes to ride the recent advertising wave. Link to full article from The Wall Street Journal in comments.

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