Heather Durante

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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🏪 7-Eleven Takeover Bid: Industry Impact and the Crucial FTC Hurdle 🔍 Wild news this week with reports that Couche-Tard is making a play to acquire 7-Eleven! 🚀 Although the specifics of the proposed deal are still under wraps, it’s clear that this would be a game-changer in the retail industry. Both 7-Eleven and Couche-Tard, which also owns Circle K, are titans in the convenience store sector, each commanding a formidable presence on their own. The potential merger of these giants could significantly alter the landscape of retail. 🌍 First and foremost, there are significant obstacles to overcome before this deal can move forward. For one, 7-Eleven is owned by Seven & i Holdings, a Japanese conglomerate known for its historically resistant stance on foreign takeovers, often prioritizing domestic interests over shareholder benefits. 🇯🇵 In Japan, 7-Eleven enjoys a cult-like following, like the loyalty seen towards Wawa, Inc. in Pennsylvania or Casey's in the Midwest. This makes any potential acquisition especially sensitive. 📈 Reports suggest that Couche-Tard had previously approached Seven & i Holdings with a similar proposal in 2020, only to face resistance. Even if the acquisition clears this initial hurdle, it would still need to navigate the scrutiny of the FTC. Early indications are that the FTC will closely examine this bid, much like its ongoing review of the Kroger -Albertsons Companies merger, which has been under regulatory scrutiny since 2022 with no resolution in sight. 🏛️ As we observe this high-stake bid unfold, it’s intriguing to ponder the potential outcomes if the deal goes through. 🤔 What innovative strategies might emerge from this acquisition? How could new partnerships reshape the convenience retail landscape? Given the massive footprint that this combined entity would command, it’s reasonable to speculate that companies like Uber, DoorDash, Shipt, and other logistics or micro-fulfillment players would be eager to secure partnerships with this retail powerhouse. 🚚💡 The possibilities are exciting, and the ripple effects could be significant. 💬

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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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Frustrated with ad spend that doesn’t drive clear results? Many DTC brands hit familiar roadblocks on their way to scaling up. This is the Vulcan way to help Shopify stores grow with intention: Clarity on What’s Working: A lot of brands simply don’t know how ad spend impacts the bottom line. With in-depth dashboards and reports that go beyond the usual metrics, we help you see exactly what’s driving revenue—from product page views to conversion rates. Scaling with Strategy: Growth shouldn’t be a guessing game. We take brands from that $50-100k mark and help them reach new heights with data-backed strategies. Through full-scale ad management across Google, Meta, and more, we ensure your growth is stable, sustainable, and scalable. Creative that Speaks to Your Audience: No more wasted spend on ads that have lost their impact. We’re constantly testing and iterating, keeping your ads fresh and relevant so you’re always connecting with the right audience in the right way. One Team, One Goal: When everything’s managed under one roof, it’s easier to keep your brand voice consistent and performance-driven. With Vulcan, you get a partner who understands the ins and outs of your ad spend and is committed to pushing your growth forward. If your brand is ready to get real about scaling up, let’s talk!

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Ever wonder why some products 𝗙𝗟𝗬 off shelves? It's not always the funnel. 📖 It's all about the 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 behind the product. Consumers today crave authenticity and connection. They want to know the '𝙬𝙝𝙮' behind the '𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩'. Look at folks like Mid-Day Squares, Blume, Tru Earth....the list goes on. These folks are laying it all out there, not only focusing on selling their 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧. For them, It's about selling their experiences, failures, motivations etc. So, next time you're strategizing for sales, remember - it's not just the funnel = It's the story. Make it good, make it genuine - and the $ will come.

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There's a growing polarization in marketing - brand or performance, digital or traditional, specialization or generalization. In this episode, we discuss how we can resolve these tensions and trends to succeed in the future. Guest Bio Esther Benzie - Senior Marketing Executive Formerly the VP of Brand and Advertising @ CIBC and VP Brand Operations @ P&G Board Member of the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) Listen Apple https://lnkd.in/g9kaETw4 Spotify https://lnkd.in/gRC9afNy YouTube https://lnkd.in/gYZKp9R6 TimeStamps 0:44 - Intro to Esther 4:38 - Learning marketing foundations through CPG 7:30 - How digital changed marketing departments 10:30 - The negative impact of digital on creative  12:19 - Non-Viewable Impressions 15:20 - Talent Development - Specialists vs Generalists  22:45 - The shift from brand to performance and back 30:14 - What got lost in “Performance Marketing” 32:40 - How digital advertising change content supply chains 36:28 - An awakening with performance marketing 40:25 - Strategic objectives may differ from digital performance indicators 43:55 - How digital channels like Pinterest align with brand objectives 47:15 - The evolution of marketing performance metrics 55:06 - How to find out more about Esther Post-Pod with V and Marc Other Links Kapero and Sveriges Annonsörer report on the Future of Marketing Departments https://lnkd.in/giHQkXKx

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Shopify isn't going all in with marketing the SHOP app, instead, they're going slow and figuring out the product-market fit. They don’t need to rush because they have millions of merchants directly connected to the SHOP app through Shopify integration. It would take years for anyone else to build something similar. I think this is going to be massive in a few years. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. . . . . . #Ecommerce #Shopify #SHOPApp #D2C #DigitalMarketing #StartupFounders #ShopifyMerchants #RetailInnovation #DirectToConsumer #IndianStartups #OnlineRetail

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With Kind behind us, it got me thinking about the power that events have to create community around your business. Sampling events are, of course, popular, but in Canada, they're legally problematic if you're not catering to budtenders. I'm on the lookout for any good examples of dispensaries that are successfully integrating events into their marketing. If you've seen or participated in any, or you know a Dispensary that is nailing their community building, I'd love to hear about any examples you know of. What types of events would interest you? Would you attend any yourself? Or is weed more of a personal pastime for you? #Dispensary #EventMarketing #BusinessStrategy #Branding

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Almost irritating email marketing secrets from a 2 year old… So a little while ago my son and I were outside working on our boat to get it ready for winter. Being in Ontario, and being the middle of December, it was just a matter of time until we got a ton of snow. So we went outside, since he's my little fishing buddy… and he insisted that he “helped”. Not too long into our weekend project, he started asking a ton of questions… And again. And again. And… again! The pestering didn't stop. Not until I glanced at him, and his cute little face looking back at me… With a quick smile… like he knew he was annoying me… He asked again! What was this question he kept asking? Well, if you're a parent you probably already know. It's only the most irritating word a two year can learn. WHY! Over and over… and over again. But, what's funny was the lesson this taught me… And I still use it to this day in marketing. You need to ask why. You need to always dig deeper. You need an insatiable curiously… To fully understand the inner workings of your offers, your audience… and what makes them really tick. Why they buy. Why should they buy. Why you're sending this email today. Why your offer has the perfect product market fit. Why would they not want to buy. If you're going to be a successful marketer, or business owner… You need to ask… WHY! Otherwise if you don't, the person who does… Will be the one servicing more customers, and profiting a whole bunch from it. So make sure, the next time you get ready to hit that send button… You ask why. Till tomorrow... Happy sending 👍 ✉️ 💪 #emailmarketingtips #emailcopywriting #emailmarketingstrategy

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💰 The $1.6 Billion Keurig Dr Pepper acquisition of GHOST Lifestyle in 10 straight to the point (no fluff) facts, stats and takes. Which one is the most impressive? 👇 🤔 FIRST, Massive Congrats to the whole team at GHOST! I'm honoured to be a trusted marketing partner for them 🙏 1️⃣ Origin Highlight: GHOST was the OG ‘label transparency’ pioneer. A pillar in their marcomms was and still is 'No Proprietary blends' while exposing the industry's dirty little secrets (under dosing, spiking, hiding poor quality ingredients in "blends" etc...) 2️⃣ Differentiation Highlight: They are arguably the best at licensing deals with well known confectionary brands that bring exciting flavours to market. 3️⃣ Brand Positioning Highlight: Highly focused on Lifestyle sports nutrition over Hardcore sports nutrition. 4️⃣ Big Moment Highlight: GHOST launched a joint venture with ZX ventures (Anheuser Busch) to launch the brand into energy (RTDs) in 2020. 5️⃣ Recent Performance Highlight: 4x sales over the last 3 years 📈 6️⃣ KPD Deal Highlight: KDP will buy 60% for $990m in cash - a $1.6B valuation / 3x FY24 sales. which puts FY24 sales at approx $530 Million. 7️⃣ Deal in context for comparison: 3x multiple of sales is not the best multiple, in recent years we've seen: 🥜 Nutpods - 4x 🏺 Humm Kombucha - 3.75x 🌡 Celsius currently trading around 4.4x However this is still the largest private bev M&A in recent history and dwarfs the rest in beverage:  👻GHOST - $1.6B ☕ La Colombe - $900m ⚡ Bang Energy - $362m 💪 OWYN - $280m 8️⃣ Ghost is the most scaled private & independent asset in energy outside Red Bull. 9️⃣ Ghost had very strong EBITDA margins in excess of 20% after KDP accounted for synergies/add backs. 🔟 GHOST is an outlier for a transaction of this size when it comes to TTV (time to value) 🛀 Aesop - $2.5B / 36 yrs 🚬 NJOY - $2.7B / 17 yrs ----- Over 2 B -------- 👻 GHOST - $1.6B / 8 yrs! ----- Under 1 B -------- ☕ La Colombe - $900m / 29 yrs 💪 OWYN - $280m / 8 yrs ⚡ Bang Energy - $362m / 11 yrs Massive credit: Drew F. for the all the info on this deal 🙏 Which of these stats do you think is the most impressive? Personally I think the TTV is simply incredible 👏

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9 out of 10 schools spending $50k/m on ads are inflating their cost per enrollment by this one thing. Poor web experiences. 3 of the biggest culprits are: Slow-loading sites We're impatient and so are people visiting our sites. Parents won't wait for your page to load. They'll leave and never come back. Every added second costs you potential enrollments. Overcomplicated forms Do your forms resemble a medical form? Too much information up front scares people away. Break-this up into a couple steps or remove items. Unclear call-to-action "What am I supposed to do?" Make it CLEAR what you want people to do. If people have to think, they'll just leave. How to fix this: 1. 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 2. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 3. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 If you implement one of these items, I'll bet you see a drop in your cost per enrollment. P.S What other culprits inflate the cost to acquire students?

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Has your H1 B2B advertising performance dwindled down in the last month? Here’s what I’m seeing. For parents, summer is already here. Kids are home but work continues. The majority of families that take vacations do so in the summer months. Decision makers are not concerned about onboarding new software. Unless that software will yield a greater return than a 5.6% ABV than that beer they’re drinking right now. ^my attempt at a joke. Also a lot of companies start their fiscal year in H2. This could be why the demand for software sales has slowed down. A great place to check is Google Trends. A free tool where you can see the search demand for your headterms in the last month or year. If search demand has decreased, so has demand for your product. #b2bmarketing

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Your business, your career, parenting, relationships, all the things of life will present challenges. They are right in front of you. You think you actually see them. I mean, you do see the obvious thing. The business isn’t bringing in enough money, your client won't pay you, your boss doesn’t see you, your kid doesn’t listen to you. We’re all wired to just react to those things. But what if you intentionally changed your perspective? Turn the problem upside down. Get closer to it or further away. Go somewhere you haven’t been.  Move your feet. Pick up your head. Look within instead of ahead. For whatever challenge is in front of you: Challenge yourself to do something with it that you haven’t done before. How else might you solve it? How can it be an opportunity, or even a gift, instead of a problem? Here’s a quick, 3-step framework...and a vacation recommendation. https://lnkd.in/geAFJA-c #motivationmonday #blog #mindsetcoach #transformation #change

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Canada’s e-commerce scene is stronger than you think—and creative is still the #1 challenge holding brands back. Here’s what I learned at #EcomNorth that every DTC brand needs to know. 1. Canada’s E-commerce Resilience Canada is a lot more resilient than most people think. While the US often dominates the e-commerce conversation, I'm incredibly bullish on Canadian brands. It's exciting to see so many Canadians stepping into the DTC space and investing in their growth. The energy and commitment at this conference were inspiring. 2. Creative is Still a Major Hurdle Creative continues to be a massive challenge for brands. Everyone knows it’s crucial for paid social growth, but many still struggle with how to generate creative at scale that delivers ROI. James Zhao at No Growth (www.nogrowth.ca) gave an incredible presentation on their approach to creative, and tailors their services to lead with video creative while offering media buying as a secondary service. It’s a smart edge for scaling in 2024 and beyond. 3. Aaron Spivak is a beast Aaron was the first speaker, and he set the tone. His story of coming from nothing, failing repeatedly, and eventually achieving his goals was truly inspiring. What stood out was his mindset: "If someone else can do it, I can do it too." That level of confidence is exactly what brand owners need to generate ideas and push their creative boundaries. Brands are lucky he didn’t pick another category to dominate lol Thanks for putting on a great event! Looking forward to seeing everyone next year.

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If you want your company to grow, you’ve got to design it for growth. Last week, we took our team at Candybox Marketing out to a Jays game in Toronto and surprised them with Candybox-branded Stanley mugs. But here’s the kicker: we’ve set aside 40 more Candybox Stanleys for the next 40 team members who will join us. Some might see this as an unnecessary cost, but we see it as essential planning. Finance, Operations, Shareholders, and even some owners might have different opinions on expenses and efficiency. But if you want to build a fast-growing company, you’ve got to invest in your team and plan for expansion like it’s a sure thing. My experience has taught me that hiring top talent quickly is crucial. Cutting corners or undervaluing your team only holds you back. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, invest in your team and prioritize growth. And yes, get them a Stanley, and stop being a cheapskate.

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I've heard a lot of varying opinions, but I see value in fractional experts —especially in today’s climate of layoffs. With lower budgets, bringing in a fractional CMO, CFO, or other specialist can be a good way to access high-level expertise without the overhead of a full-time role. But for these roles to make a real impact, they need time, access and alignment. Without enough hours to immerse themselves in the business or access to the right people and data, even the most skilled experts may struggle to deliver the results you're hoping for. Have you had success with fractional roles? What made the difference? XWP #FractionalExperts #WordPress #EnterpriseCMS #DigitalPublishing

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Canadian digital marketers do it better. And the reason why isn't what you think. It's because of regulation. Since 2014, we've been subject to CASL Canadian Anti Spam Legislation The jist? We cannot send commercial messages / emails to anyone not expressing explicit or implicit consent. There are hefty fines and an enforcement network. We also cannot upload huge contact lists to our online ad accounts. Meanwhile in the States? It's been a free for all. What does all this mean? Canadian professional services digital marketers have a decade head start. When you're ready to build a true demand generation engine? Give a Canadian a call. ✌️

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Come check out Bookkeep - Smarter Ecommerce Accounting Automation. We’re building something special for CFOs and accounting teams. Read all about what makes us unique and different!

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I always love the videos from Jason Staats, CPA, and even more when they're about Canopy! Check out this amazing summary of Canopy's Insights feature.

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