Luke Raben

To bid on brand or not to bid on brand. Here’s my take: We’ve all seen Google agencies with extremely promising results: 10X or even 20X ROAS. I literally saw a Dutch agency last week promoting their 32X ROAS through an Instagram Ad - calling the prospects to action “if they’d like those results as well”. 🤮 Some brand owners might be very eager to work with those agencies. But here’s what’s wrong with that: Google Ads already targets the bottom of funnel traffic. Even with extreme high intent, a 20X ROAS is NOT realistic, definitely not at scale. So, what these brands are doing is unnecessary spending on your brand name. Unnecessary. The people that the branded campaigns convert, were already looking for your brand. You should spend as little as possible on your brand because with a little bit of SEO, the people will find you. So look, if you use a tool like iSearchFrom, and see that your competitors are bidding on your brand (in either shopping on search), you should probably counter that with a little branded campaign (try like 10% of your budget). And ALWAYS exclude your brand name from PMAX. And ALWAYS A/B test your strategy while looking at profits. The thing is, your Google Ads results won’t be inflated this way, and you’ll probably hit a more realistic ROAS like 4X or 5X. But…! If you’d look at your MER or at your bottom line profit, these metrics will be way better, and you will ACTUALLY enable your brand to grow. – So… If you want to have inflated Google Ads results and leak profits over a longer period of time, go for that agency promising the 10-15X on your campaigns. If you want to actually grow your business, go for an agency looking at more than ROAS, honestly trying to help you grow your brand. – Now, I’m curious: what’s your take on this?

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"Political parties use borderline illegal micro-tageting techniques for their ads", wrote financial paper De Tijd the day before yesterday. While at least ironic, it raises a bigger question: Is micro-targeting evil? Read my blog post to find out 👇🏻 #politicaladvertising #europeanelections #socialads

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𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲: 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲’𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲’𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲🍫 In the world of marketing, packaging is often overlooked, but for Tony’s Chocolonely, it’s a fundamental part of their strategy. 🎯 Their bold, colorful wrappers don’t just stand out on the shelf—they tell a story. And it’s this storytelling that sets them apart in the highly competitive chocolate market. Tony’s Chocolonely wasn’t built on a product that “sells itself.” They’ve mastered every aspect of marketing, from product design to promotion. The packaging itself is more than a pretty wrapper; it’s a reflection of their commitment to ethical chocolate production. The bright colors, bold fonts, and irregular chocolate bar design symbolize their mission to fight inequality in the cocoa industry. More than just eye-catching, their packaging also reflects a deep understanding of how consumers make purchasing decisions. With about 80% of processed information coming from visual stimuli, Tony’s ensures their brand is unforgettable. 🌍 But packaging is only one part of their success. Tony’s Chocolonely has strategically placed itself in premium markets, using its price point and placement to reinforce its brand as a high-quality, ethical choice. Combined with collaborations and powerful campaigns, they’ve created a brand that’s not only loved but respected. Tony’s Chocolonely is proof that marketing isn’t just about flashy ads—it’s about creating value, and packaging plays a pivotal role in that. How many other brands can say their packaging tells a story this compelling? 👉 Follow me on my new official channel: Moondiana🌕 https://lnkd.in/dX4pV2ps #MarketingStrategy #PackagingDesign #Branding #TonyChocolonely #EthicalBranding #ValueCreation #SustainablePackaging #MarketingSuccess

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How does a brand break into a mature category? Take chocolate. Plenty of huge brands & good choices. And yet Tony's is blowing it up. @Tony's Chocolonely was founded in 2005 by three journalists from a Dutch TV show. Now it's on the shelves of seemingly every store in the US — even Walmart! How? Sooo many things: 🍊 Product: really really tasty chocolate. Like, really good. Odd sizes ("my, what big bars you have, grandma!"). Funky piece shapes to reflect the uneven sharing of profits in the industry. Oh — and ethically sourced. ("The most ethical" according to a recent report.) 🔶 Packaging: totally Wonka-esque, bright, fun, playful. The opposite of the sexy, sophisticated Swiss brands. The gold foil is *chef's kiss*. 🍊 Price: competitive, and seems to go on sale regularly. 🍊 Place: started in natural, now spreading like a TikTok trend thru all the classic outlets, just eating up shelf space. 🍊 Promotion: doing some fun, attention-getting things to simply get on peoples' radar. Punches through on shelf. Not afraid to cause a stir. Is it one thing? Hell no. But a Big B Brand is ALL the things you do. And so far they're doing all the things pretty darn well. (PS: I'm probly responsible for at least 1.7% of all their sales in the US.)

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Media Buying + Beers + Amsterdam + New Friends = Fun times! 🍻 Last week, I had a chance to meet some of the smartest digital marketers in Europe & beyond. I attended a Foxwell Founders event in Amsterdam, where +50 members of the community gathered to discuss all things media buying, brand building and more. We also had some amazing food, beers and wine, and explored a few of the city's pubs. 😂 If you're not familiar with Foxwell Founders, it's a community of founders and marketing pros mainly focused on all things media buying, founded by Andrew Foxwell & Gracie Foxwell. I've been a part of it for almost a year and it's by far the most valuable community I'm part of. The value their courses provide is insane. Not only that, you can also access the best minds in media buying, creative, brand building and more in the community's Slack channel. Everyone is super helpful and friendly, and I've learnt A LOT from the discussions in the group. Meeting other members face-to-face was super inspiring. Lots of smart people doing very well and sharing strategies, ideas and experiences. If your brand or agency has anything to do with media buying or want to learn from the best, I 1,000% recommend you join the group – DM me and I'll intro you or reach out to them directly. Looking forward to attending the next event. Next time in the US! 🇺🇸 #marketing #agency #digitalmarketing #brand

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🌟 Friday Reflections: Tired but Inspired! 🌟 As the week comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the hard work and dedication that went into every project and campaign we tackled at NewGen. It’s been a week full of challenges, creativity, and collaboration, and as always I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve achieved. Here are a few highlights that kept me inspired this week: 🔹 Optimising our workflows: This week we onboarded a new reporting system, bringing all our efforts into one place, saving the team many hours on manual reporting, and giving them more time to focus on the important part - insights, learnings and optimisations! 🔹 Team Collaboration: The synergy and support within the NewGen team have been incredible. We’ve tackled tight deadlines, brainstormed brilliant ideas, and celebrated each win together. It’s this team spirit that makes the hard work so rewarding. 🔹 Client Success: Seeing the positive impact of our work on our clients' brands always recharges my motivation. Helping our clients achieve their goals and watching their brands thrive is what drives us forward. 🔹 Continuous Learning: Every week is an opportunity to learn and grow. Whether diving into new social media trends, analysing data for insights, or finding creative solutions, the journey of learning never stops, and I'm so thankful NewGen sets us up with an environment that facilitates this always-learning culture. As I head into the weekend, I’m feeling a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. The passion and dedication we pour into our work at NewGen make every moment worth it. Here’s to resting, recharging, and coming back even stronger next week! Wishing everyone a restful and inspiring weekend! (Picture of me with just some of my many many call notes) #FridayFeels #HardWork #TeamWork #Inspiration #NewGen #MarketingMagic #SocialMedia #LovesAPostIt

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Marketing Trivia - The Power of Psychological Insights In 2015, Dutch e-bike company Vanmoof faced a daunting challenge. Despite their best efforts, every fourth bike they shipped to the US arrived damaged. They tried all the conventional fixes – different shipping partners, sturdier packaging, even fragile labels – but nothing seemed to work. It wasn't until they shifted their perspective that they found the breakthrough they needed. Recognising that the issue went beyond mere logistics, they asked a simple yet profound question: What items do handlers treat with extra care? The answer was immediate: TVs. Capitalising on this insight, Vanmoof boldly printed images of flat-screen TVs on every bike box. The result? Overnight, shipping damages plummeted by a staggering 80%. While this ingenious solution couldn't rescue Vanmoof from bankruptcy, it serves as a powerful reminder that some problems are best tackled through psychology rather than brute force. By understanding the underlying behaviours at play, we can unlock innovative solutions that defy conventional wisdom. #Innovation #ProblemSolving #PsychologicalInsights #BusinessSuccess #ThinkOutsideTheBox

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𝙰𝚗 𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝. Because emotion is important. Crucial even, to a brand. I work with a lot of brands in the B2B and financial sectors. Except they often don’t think like brands. More often, they act as mere service or product providers. Rational purveyors of things people need, done well, priced fairly. It all sounds fine. But how is it different to any competitor? And more importantly, how does it make people feel? And that’s the emotional part. What is the reason customers choose you more than once? How do they feel about recommending you? When you work for them do they experience reassurance? Inspiration? Excitement? Satisfaction? Delight? These are human traits. And, whether we admit it or not, every buying decision is an emotional one. We can justify it with rationale but that’s not the whole truth. Something beyond those bulletpoints gets you over the line. Emotion. I’m often reminded of the old Carling Black Label advertising, “I bet he drinks Carling Black Label” https://lnkd.in/eDHGT886. The ads always included the line, “Your best bet for a fuller flavour”. It allowed people to convince themselves they’d chosen this particular generic cooking lager for a rational reason (‘fuller flavour’). Whereas in reality, the emotion of the brand idea was the only difference between this pint and half a dozen others. If people don’t feel anything about your brand –affection, enjoyment, trust, comfort, confidence – they won’t care, nor will they have any loyalty. Humans are like that. How does this make you feel?

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Could not agree more. The most powerful marketing tool 'hidden' in plain sight. Kudos to HEMA for leaning in & listening 👂 #marketingthatmatters #marketing #brandsthatlisten

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Naming matters. A gravy train involves neither gravy nor trains. A coat of arms isn't something Lady Gaga might wear. A Dutch oven wouldn't be great for prepping a meal in The Netherlands. Performance marketing doesn't 'perform' in the financial long run, and is mostly devoid of any captivating performance in its content. In a new ad effectiveness course, Advertising Principles Explained, Orlando Wood & Paul Feldwick suggest an alternative term: 'salesmanship' (vs. showmanship for long-term, fame-focussed, brand-building) and talk about which you should prioritise for commercial success. https://lnkd.in/eqjMY3xh #marketing #advertising

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🚨 CPG and Retail brands... are you watching? 🚨 Thrilled to announce TikTok Belgium's first LiveRamp measurement public case study on sales lift with Danone's Alpro brand! Through our partnership with LiveRamp, we've measured the sales impact 📈 of TikTok campaigns by linking TikTok impressions to Carrefour sales. Full case study here in our newsroom --> https://lnkd.in/ef6xncMh Key results: TikTok drove a 7.15% sales increase 💹 for the brand, achieving an impressive Return on Ad Spend (iROAS) 💸 of €1.94, doubling the LiveRamp benchmark! Big congratz to team TikTok Belgium Vincent Pierquet, Sébastien Vandenbussche, Elliott Leclerc, Clara Denier, Karim Aribi, Briac Champenois , team LiveRamp and above all team Danone, and especially Alexandra Illiashova for being innovative and driving this case. The marketing future is bright! #TikTokAds #Futureofadvertising #CaseStudy #CPG #Retail #Marketing #MarketingInnovation

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Shortcuts to increase performance exist ⚠️ (and are ironically literally Cuts) The Cut-checklist 👇 ⛔ Cut  𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 ⛔ Cut  𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 ⛔ Cut  𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 ⛔ Cut  𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 ⛔ Cut  𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 ⛔ Cut  𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 ⛔ Cut  𝗙𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 Lowest effort - Highest impact 📈 Optimizations so easy, it hurts More revenue tips? 👉 Denie Geertzen #google #googleads

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Demand gen doesn’t work in Google Ads. Or does it? When this ad type came out, we tested it extensively at Y&D. We used all available formats, tested tons of creatives, and we tested it across two dozen accounts. The result? FAIL. Similar to Display, it was an absolute waste of time and money. However, a few weeks ago, a client of ours in the gifting niche was getting ready for German Mother’s and Father’s Day, so we decided to give it another crack. The result this time? Check the screenshot. I feel like several things need to come together to make this ad type pop: - Fantastic products - Eye-catching creatives - Laser-targeted audience - Urgency/scarcity I think especially the last part was the decisive factor for the success of Demand Gen this time. I’m not going to get too excited about Demand Gen just yet, but this goes to show that you just have to continually test and question your own beliefs. Have you used Demand Gen yet? What’s your experience with it? #googleads #ecommerce #demandgen

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Think your ROI could be higher? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 7 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁 & 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗢𝗜 1. Exclude current customers & SaaS users 2. Exclude retired, unemployed, students 3. Exclude job seekers 4. Exclude opposite seniorities 5. Exclude opposite company sizes 6. Exclude Sales (ie. IT Sales) 7. Turn off Audience Expansion 𝐑𝐎𝐈 = 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 / 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 ➝ Eliminate wasted ad spend. ➝ Increase your ROI. Add these exclusions to cut impressions that may be "leaking" out non-ideal prospects. Which of these are or aren't relevant for your org? -- New podcast episode coming next week. Follow Anthony Blatner to make sure you get it.

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You want to work for a company that takes its ethical and environmental responsibilities seriously. But many companies overstate their commitment to sustainability, so how can you make an informed decision? Today is World Environment Day and our recruiters sat down to explain how, at Philips, we're trying to make healthcare better for people and the world 🌎. https://lnkd.in/gK6z3jtK #lifeatPhilips #WorldEnvironmentDay

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Genuine Creativity is Hard The CEO (Chief Chocolonely) of Tony's Chocolonely spent a year as Marketing Director at Innocent having never done a marketing role before I asked him what he learn't about Marketing in that year "Genuine creativity is hard" he said. We all know how hard it is to come up with a genuinely creative idea that often looks obvious in hindsight. But it's what we went on to say that is interesting. Not just that you need a framework for measuring long-term impact of your creative idea but that executing it through the supply chain is really important. I think this is my No.1 lesson from my years on the client side. Creative work is always in the context of how a business operates and its ability to execute. As Colleen D'Courcy the CCO of Snap said to me "it's like playing 4D chess" Spend as much time understanding HOW to execute the idea as you do coming up with the idea. For more really useful advice on how to scale up a Challenger brand check out the latest episode of Uncensored CMO Links in the comments Kerry Collinge Nicola Matthews Ben Greensmith Sadira E. Furlow Orlando Wood

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Well done Grant Hillary on this new agency venture. I know this venture is going to fly, Ai is here to stay and why not utlise it to do things better, more efficiently and cheaper too. #futuredrivenagency #humaine #Aimarketing

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Want to know what makes a stand out Fractional CMO? Someone who delivers results that matter—and I do it fast. From building strategies to optimising conversion rates, I combine curiosity, expertise, and a charming yet relentless focus on impact. But it’s not just about numbers; it’s about creating marketing that truly captures hearts and minds. ✅ I get up to speed quickly – understanding your business, customers, and challenges in days, not weeks. ✅ I’m data-driven – testing, measuring, and optimising every step of the way. ✅ I create campaigns that connect – partnering to craft creative that resonates emotionally while driving business goals. ✅ I thrive on efficiency – finding quick wins while keeping the bigger picture in sight. ✅ I balance creativity with strategy – delivering innovative ideas that align with your vision. Being fractional doesn’t mean doing less—it means delivering focused expertise where it matters most. And if I do all that as a fractional, imagine what I could do full-time 🤯 If your business needs marketing that makes a difference (and a lasting impression), let’s talk. #PinkUmbrella #FractionalCMO #Marketing ___________________________________ Hi 👋 I'm Michelle, Award-winning marketer and CMO, let’s talk if you need some serious marketing muscle! Marketing, Brand, Leadership, Strategy, Coaching and Board Advisory are all my thing, if you want to hear more make sure you follow me and double click the 🔔 on my profile!

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