Jean Kachika

This is just a start! What SheerLuxe did would be a normal thing in future very soon! Although they can fix this as people are concerned about the ethnicity of the AI ‘Reem’! My concern is that people and businesses don’t care if they see and feature a real person or AI! I already see a huge demand of AI avatars across all industries, especially the industries who require influencers or photoshoots of models. So a lot of industries are already facing a decline. What are your thoughts about this? #ai #artificialintelligence #ainews #sheerluxe #reem #reemai

6 years ago, I’d never managed a team. Today, I lead 5 incredible creatives—and it’s been one hell of a ride. ❌ At 21, I had zero experience managing people. I was just trying to build something on my own. ✅ Now, at 27, I’ve led a team that’s served 60+ clients across 6 countries. Together, we’ve grown in skill, trust, and resilience—proving that our team’s strength is the foundation of our success. Our core values have been our guide: ↳ Ownership – Taking responsibility, even when it’s tough. ↳ Development – Constantly learning, often the hard way. ↳ Energy – Showing up every day, even when it’s easier to give up. I’m a big advocate for potential over skill, and my team has proven that every day. We’re not just building a business—we’re building each other up. Here's to more growth! ------------- B2B Brands: Unlock market-leading growth with high-impact video. Follow to learn how.

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TIKTOK STRATEGIST : HOT TAKES 🔈 🔥 I've been strategising and onboarding huge brands to TikTok since 2019, these are my red hot takes: 🔥 Going viral is both a blessing and a curse. Yes it's exciting to see your content take off, but it can also create unrealistic expectations for the future and stifle creativity. The key is to avoid becoming bound to a single successful content formula. 🔥 Most brands want the fame of Ryanair and Duolingo on TikTok but shy away from taking the risks these brands embrace to stay ahead. True organic success requires pushing boundaries and delivering content that stands out amidst fierce competition. 🔥TikTok shop is not the strategy you want, but it’s probably the strategy you need. Many missed the opportunity to ride the brand awareness TikTok boom in 2020 / 2021 and even more will miss this open goal of more sales. 🔥 We’re no longer in the 2020 algorithm. Today, we need to think outside the box and present content that is click-worthy and adds significant value or inspiration to appear on the FYP without paid support. 🔥'Authentic' short-form content used to dominate, but now longer-form and AI-generated content are also winning. There’s room for both! 🔥 Fast, tongue-in-cheek, and reactive content often performs better overall. The rapid pace of social media means fewer approvals and quicker turnarounds can lead to better engagement. Consider how you can cut down your approval process. 🔥 It was true when TikTok launched, and it’s still true today—the first second, the first visual, and the first on-screen text generally determine the success of a short form post. 🔥 Metrics have evolved. Follows are no longer the primary goal; saves and shares are now just as powerful. People trust that the algorithm will bring them back to content they need to see. 🔥Trends are not over, but they’re certainly less successful if that's your only strategy. Don’t join the conversation—create it! 🔥 'Always-on' content isn't always the best approach for all commercial accounts. While organic success is valuable for building your community and having a presence, a balanced strategy incorporating ads, always-on content, and creator campaigns forms the Holy Trinity of TikTok. 🔥 Ads with Nano and Micro influencers with a specific niche and engaged audience can often outperform those featuring bigger creators, making them a cost-effective choice even for brands with smaller budgets. 🔥 Despite the app’s growth, many people, including those at brands, still struggle to understand TikTok fully. This is where expert guidance becomes invaluable and myself and my team are more than happy to guide! #TikTokStrategist #TikTokConsultant #TikTokAgency

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From 🍨 Vanilla to Killer 🔥 How We Transformed a Brand in One Day Got that feeling of being stuck in a branding rut? 🤮 Blah mission statements 🙄 Generic messaging 😫 And a team feeling uninspired? Recently, I held a strategy session in London for a corporate company operating globally taking them from vanilla to killer in just one day. Here's the recipe for success: 🌶 Unleashing the Spice: We unearthed their hidden potential, crafting core values that truly reflect their awesomeness. No more bland declarations – a mission statement that ignites their team and resonates with their ideal customers. 😋 Flavour Boost: We ditched the generic marketing speak and created clear, captivating messages that will grab attention and leave a lasting impression. ️ 📈 Efficiency Extraordinaire: We identified areas to streamline their marketing and operations, paving the way for exceptional service and a loyal customer base. 👯 The Secret Ingredient? Team Buy-In! The most incredible part - Their entire team is fired up. They're passionate about the company's vision, mission, and values. This kind of buy-in is the magic sauce that fuels growth, smashes goals, and creates a thriving work environment. Stop Settling for Bland! Many companies waste time and money on drawn-out agency consultations that deliver forgettable slogans and hollow values. We offer a different recipe: actionable strategies and a clear roadmap to brand domination – all in one day. Ready to ditch the vanilla and unleash your killer brand? Let's chat!

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From a push for diversity and inclusion, to creating AI employees? Is this a spectrum, progression, or just a line crossed?.. An interesting move from SheerLuxe and valid points made by Steven Bartlett. It is definitely an innovative campaign idea and bold marketing move. And I applaud the courage and creativity. But, I would argue there was limited empathy for the consumer market with this one. Much of the social media space is trying to evolve into more authenticity and realism, potentially as a reaction to the crazy developments in AI, digital editing and avatars. (An aside: I won't go into the fact this avatar is a pristinely 'perfect' example of what type of beauty sells...) So, I wonder whether this was a conscious effort to be radical, or a move 'with the times' gone sideways... In the face of a consumer market that can now speak up, and assert new standards at their fingertips (bad computer keyboard pun). Maybe it's a good deterrent: would it be a good movement if more companies started creating AI avatar employees? More creativity - yes! - but, maybe it's better to use AI where it helps and keep things real where else we can, in terms of human relatability. (That being said, it would be great to hear more thoughts in the comments.)

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I have another MASSIVE launch in the UK for you today! It's the £50 million cosmetics brand REFY... A new category for us 💋 🚀 Founded in 2020 by an entrepreneur + influencer combo. 🚀 £24.2 million in annual revenue last year and profitable. 🚀 Did I mention it was founded in 2020?!?!?!?!! This launch is one of my favourites and for an important reason. REFY processes orders so fast that they had to implement the doomed policy of "Unfortunately, we are unable to make any changes to your order." They needed self-service editing to make it possible. When a store has a policy like this, Order Editing makes it's biggest impact. Just imagine the number of returns created when customers can't fix a mistake made at checkout. Imagine all the orders that never arrived because an address couldn't be changed. How many customers never purchased again because they couldn't fix a mistake made at checkout. Never again. Because REFY now offers 30 minutes for self-service order changes. It's very cool to be working with GXO Logistics, Inc. on this one. The first of many Christopher Hamblett! And our absolute faves By Association Only - Shopify Plus Agency. Status & Gorgias fancy seeing you again 😉 our favourite (and world class) tech partners. #shopify #orderediting

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Imagine what it could be worth to you to enter talks with beauty retailers or investors who instantly get what your brand is all about I’ve seen how clarity around your beauty brand’s unique value Can propel it to its next level of growth For many of the beauty brand founders I work with Starting their brand was never about the money But there’s an ROI on the work we do to improve their brand clarity, differentiation, and presence These are my two favorite thought pieces on the topic: 📈 Forbes: How strong branding impacts customer acquisition, retention, and commands higher price points: https://bit.ly/44JObDY 📈 McKinsey & Company: How a strong brand strategy boosts creativity in marketing which correlates to brands that consistently outperform the market: https://bit.ly/44Tc1gL 📈 What’s fascinating in McKinsey & Company’s data is how strong brands hit an inflection point of outsized growth in their 10th-year Building an icon is a long-term play and getting the foundations right counts #beauty #skincare #cosmetics #beautybusiness #beautyindustry

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BLACK FRIDAY SUCKS! Ah, Black Friday. That one special day of the year when retailers desperately offload their leftovers at “bargain” prices you didn’t even know existed (or needed). It’s become the tradition - convincing you to buy stuff you don’t want with money you don’t have while your critical thinking is still in turkey coma. We could talk all day about how this retail circus has gone global, invading inboxes and spamming your sanity with ALL CAPS DEALS!!! But let’s cut to the chase: Black Friday is bonkers, and we think it sucks. So we’re doing something about it. Our Black Friday “Deal” (It’s a Doozy) For ONE DAY ONLY, Friday, November 29th, we’re flipping the script: We’re increasing Business of Software Europe ticket prices by 500% for 24 hours. Yes, FIVE TIMES the usual price. But wait, there’s a twist. You can snag your spot at 50% off this ridiculously inflated price with the code: BFSUCKS Why? Because: - We know you’re smarter than this. - We love a good joke at Black Friday’s expense. - If someone actually pays that inflated price, we’ll donate a ticket to a scholar (and probably frame the receipt). Don’t fall for fake deals. Instead, invest in something real - like learning how to build better businesses. Unless, of course, you’re saving up for an air fryer you’ll use twice. 😉 Join us at BoS Europe. It’s the one “deal” you won’t regret later. * This offer is NOT remotely exclusive to you, even though we said it was in the schtick. So there. Remember, Black Friday sucks. #BoSConference #BlackFridaySucks #SoftwareConference

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I recently came across Unseen Footwear - A contemporary sneaker culture brand founded by David Cullen I immediately fell in love with their products and subscribed to their newsletter... That's when I noticed that their current email marketing strategy has some huge areas for improvement. So, I had my team revamp their Welcome Email and optimize it to drive more sales & more conversions.🙌🏻 Here's what we've changed: 1. Eye-Catching Header We made the header more visually appealing & made the welcome offer clear so subscribers could get their discount right away.✅ 2. Friendly brand Intro We don't want to bombard users with tons of text that they'll obviously ignore. Instead, We added a short and friendly note showing our appreciation to our subscribers. 3. Improved Structure/Layout Implemented a layout that aligns more closely with the brand's aesthetic and values, ensuring a cohesive and immersive experience for the subscriber. Customers usually skim through the entire email. So, it's important to make sure we follow a simple yet effective structure for better conversions. 4. Showing Categories We added categories in the email, making it easier to explore the different options and varieties the brand offers. This helps subscribers to find exactly what they’re looking for. 5. Showing Reviews This is all about building instant trust and credibility among customers. So, we put down the best reviews in the email which will help subscribers to make better decision. ---------------------------------------------------- So this is the Email Design for Unseen Footwear Let us know about the feedback David Cullen _____________________________________________ If you are an eCom brand owner and this excites you, then let's connect over a call and I shall show you how you can increase your revenue by 30%-40% with email marketing in less than 90 days.🔥✅ Let's Connect.🙌🏻

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I’m a little late to the party, but I feel this is important to talk about. Yesterday, I watched Grace Beverley’s interview with Bloomberg, and it truly struck a chord with me. As someone who shops at TALA, I can confirm that their products are exceptional, and are definitely made by women for women. However, what stood out even more were the startling statistics discussed in the interview: - Only 2% of venture capital funding in the UK goes to women. - The VC funding rate for women decreased from 14% to 10% last year. This is especially alarming considering the findings from the Rose Review, which stated, “£200 billion could be added to the UK economy if women raised at the same rate as men.” It’s no surprise that most, if not all, women I know have felt like the minority in their business, as a woman working within the retail space, I believe it’s crucial to bring these figures to life. We need to create a space for like-minded women in tech, retail, and e-commerce to share their struggles, but more importantly, their achievements. Let’s continue to support each other and advocate for the representation and recognition we deserve. Watch this space for more female centric events 👀 #WomenInBusiness #VentureCapital #Equality #SupportWomen

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Next in our 'Intro to TikTok Shop' series is everything you need to know about order fulfilment in the UK. Get to know - Your 3 fulfilment options - How to qualify for Fulfilment by TikTok (FBT) - FBT service costs - How to weigh up the pros and cons of each option

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Just over a week ago, I walked into the offices of Brainlabs for the last time of my contract. For the last 6 months I have been working for the client estee lauder. I worked on this account for 3 months for Brainlabs but previously I worked with Assembly Global who had the global accounts for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Having been working with brands such as Maccosmetics, Clinique, LA MER, Dr.Jart+ , Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Jo Malone London, TOM FORD BEAUTY, I may not look it but when it comes to beauty & skincare, I know a thing or two. E-Commerce retailers are usually the busiest & arguably most challenging companies you can work with. But this post is not meant to be about me confessing my love for solving the challenges of E-commerce brands. I'll save that for a future post where I will also share my thoughts on these challenges such as escalating Brand CPCs, declining YoY core product performance, how to engage or increase market share of voice with Gen Z or Millennials etc. If you are a retailer & these are relatable topics, stay tuned, I promise I'll share some posts on these topics. This post is to share how I felt leaving this particular contract with Brainlabs. I first became a contractor/freelancer in 2009. Since then you can imagine I've had a fair share of contracts. However, the emotions this time were different. Usually when I leave a contract, I am pretty confident that another one will be around the corner. This time things are different because I am not rushing to get into a new contract, nor am I seeking a full time job. I will continue working with EssenceMediacom part time while I will use the rest of my time to speak & engage with people like you. I want to create marketing solutions that tackles the very problems you are discussing daily in your weekly calls. Whether it be declining Sales, Increased marketing costs, loss of brand presence or share of voice, how to grow a start-up product or service, I'd love to hear from you. If you've created a great tech tool & require clients to test it out, whatever it be, I am open to networking, so, get in touch, let's connect!

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Fashion brand SheerLuxe got "social media cancelled" two days ago... Here is why I think the CEO of SheerLuxe should give the team a pay rise 👇🏾 Two days ago Fashion brand SheerLuxe got "cancelled" on social media for posting that they had created an AI member of staff called "Reem" and that "Reem" was going to be joining the team! They made "Reem" an instagram page and started posting AI-generated images of what "Reem" was doing around the office! ‼️ There was a instant, passionate and aggressive backlash with the top comments reading: 🤬 "This is absolute b*ullshit. Do Better." 🤬 "WOW. So several senior leaders thought this was a good idea! Very problematic!" 🤬 "This is weird and insulting" 🤬 This is so wrong! Why was this signed off! 🤬 "This isn't it! Apologise" Eventually SheerLuxe issued a public statement apologising and they've now apparently shut "Reem" down. 💸 Here is why If I was the CEO of SheerLuxe, I would give everyone involved in this project an instant pay-rise: 1. The team at Sheerluxe that thought of this could have very easily just carried on doing their easy, conventional, safe job. But someone in that team had the guts to raise their hand and said "Let's try something different!". 2. Whoever had the guts to raise their hand and suggest running an experiment is the most valuable asset in that companies marketing team because there is no great reward in business or marketing for teams that deliver more of the same! The greatest rewards in business and life are on the other side of some form of risk. 3. The biggest risk in business (and in life) is taking no risks at all. Eventually your company or career will die a slow death by missing out on the opportunities that a changing-world and innovation creates. You HAVE TO lean into the unknown and run experiments to find the answers that offer the greatest rewards! 4. There is no way to perfectly predict how an experiment will go ahead of time - if there was it wouldn't be an "experiment" - what makes it an experiment is you do not know how it will go. Therefore, if you want to keep up with a changing world - you have to accept that some things you try aren't going to work. Sometimes people are going to scream at you to "DO BETTER"! The only way to avoid this is to conduct no experiments and follow convention - in which case - although people will like you - you'll die a death of irrelevance. Just the very fact that the SheerLuxe team tried something so unconventional that people got angry at them, is the clearest sign I've seen that their team will succeed - because they have the guts to fail. ✅ For a brand failure is feedback, feedback is knowledge and knowledge is power! 👊🏾 If you want to increase your chance of success, you have to double your rate of failure. Congratulations to the SheerLuxe team! What are your thoughts?

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What Persons, Brands, Organisations Newsletter do you love reading from? I love reading from Morning Brew, @NTBTS, @Consonance club, CareerBuddy, Emmanuel, Faith. GPHR, ACIPM Newsletter, InclusivelyRemote, @BD Insider, Tomi from Trove Trove Finance, Money Africa and of course my newsletter. I will share more as I remember. I take out time to read and analyse newsletters I subscribe too. PS: I have a dedicated email address for that purpose. As a budding email marketer, I have to be in the loop. Again, what newsletters do you love reading from?👇

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You can’t just post an advert and hope your customers find it. With more than 6 billion daily posts on Instagram you need to disrupt everyday advertising with new ideas. Who are the brands disrupting the status quo? My favourite is Sephora. Opening Stores (Again) About 20 years ago, I remember when Sephora quit the UK because their retail shops didn’t cut through the very competitive market. Now they are back. I went to the store the other day in London, and it was packed. It was like being in a new, fresh American candy store where I was left alone to try on lipsticks and discover brands not available in the UK. Feelunique was bought by Sephora back in 2021. Sephora closed Feelunique on April 3, 2024. I can still see my Feelunique past orders through the Sephora app, which I appreciate as a memory jog. My history goes back to 2012. And Sephora keeps on growing. Last year, Sephora was hailed as one of the fastest-rising retailers with a brand value of £5bn. How Do They Do It? They took advantage of the change in consumers’ shopping habits by developing a useful app. Their audience is mainly female, aged 24-36, and TikTok and YouTube are their homelands. Sephora’s mobile app was developed around 2015. In 2023, the app was downloaded 4.8 million times in the US and 1.1 million times in China. The app: Looks gorgeous: It is beautiful to look at and so simple to use, with product reviews, recommendations, and clearly marked prices (and reductions where relevant). They also ask for app feedback. Loyalty reward schemes: Challenge me to collect points with the aim of the game being to work up from Bronze through the tiers to Gold. I get to choose my own reward - a beauty gift, £5 off, a donation to charity, etc. £1 spent is 1 point - so easy to understand. Sign up to Premier Delivery: A great loyalty driver. Subscription service: Because there are some products I just can’t live without. I can’t find facial recognition on my app so I can’t try before I buy online. I use the AI-powered service on other brands’ websites, such as Chanel. Does anyone find the ‘try-on’ service useful when buying sunglasses or makeup? Or just a bit gimmicky? Sephora’s disruptive marketing strategy is on point, and I am enjoying the fact that Sephora is ripping up the rulebook and succeeding. AI 'try-on' services: useful or a bit gimmicky?

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On Sunday, Tobe Nnadozie taught about the power of partnership, and it really got me reflecting. I think many of us have felt at times that we’ve tried reaching out to people but didn’t get the help we needed, which led us to think we’re better off doing things alone. Trust me, I’ve been there—and I’ve learned that it doesn’t help. We need people in our lives to help answer tough questions and give us a perspective beyond what we’re currently seeing. But here’s the catch: finding the right partnerships is what makes the difference. It's not just about having people around; it’s about aligning with those who add value. They provide support, help us navigate difficult questions, and offer fresh perspectives. Here are a few takeaways from the message: Partnerships are important and valuable, but don’t enter one with a liability mindset. Both sides need to contribute. Don’t expect your partner to know it all. That’s why it’s a partnership—both bring something to the table. You must have value to connect with value. If you don’t bring anything to the table, no one will invite you to sit at it. Surround yourself with the right people, and ensure your partner is someone who shares your vision and works towards it. At the end of the day, the right partnerships elevate us and push us towards our goals. Take a moment to reflect on your current partnerships. Are you aligned with the right people? Are you adding value in return? Start building connections that will elevate you and your goals. #Partnership #Growth #Support #Vision Image description:A group of five people collaborating around a table with laptops, symbolizing teamwork and brainstorming, with a large lightbulb above them representing a shared idea.

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In the UK, 74% of domestic wealth is held by the over 50s. And in the next two decades, our working population will shrink by 25%, whilst at the same time the population over 60 will grow to over 40%. It's similar in developed economies across the world. Brands that exclude this age group risk acute revenue loss. Keen to stay ahead of this megatrend? Listen to this week's episode of Sustainable Futures to hear Jonathan Hall talk with Andy Simpson, commercial director of 55/Redefined, a specialist consultancy that helps businesses attract, engage and grow with over 50s. Listen to the podcast episode here: https://lnkd.in/ewwStbDz Curious to learn how equipped your brand is to tackle this demographic shift? Kantar’s new Brand Inclusion Index can reveal how the aging population view your brand compared to other age groups, click here to learn more: https://lnkd.in/eqSiGBr3

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As a founder, have you ever received beauty UGC where half the assets were unusable? And thought – I can’t believe we paid for this! Shoots and hiring models can get extremely expensive for indie beauty brands Making the cost-effectiveness of user-generated-content a lifesaver But as the demand for creator content has gone up The barrier to entry for content creators has come down And this shift has brought its own set of challenges In my latest article, I outline 5 key considerations That can help make beauty UGC experiences less painful Click here to read more: https://buff.ly/3QjiqeW #beauty #skincare #cosmetics #beautybusiness #beautyindustry

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✨ Exciting News ✨ Today, I had the opportunity to present my Marketing plan to the Managing Director, Kieran Dixon, at Smarta Energy. I am incredibly excited to share that the feedback was overwhelmingly positive! Of course, some areas need refining, but that's the greatest part of working in such a collaborative team. The feedback I received has given me something to work with, and I now know how to improve it. Plus, I've already added some more creative ideas thanks to input from team members. Crafting this plan has involved a lot of research, strategic thinking, and creative innovation, as well as getting my head around the energy sector. The positive reception from our Managing Director reinforces that the hard work and dedication were worth it. 👊 Now, it's time to refine the plan and implement it! Keep an eye on the Smarta Energy page to see what that plan involves. 👀 Thank you to the Smarta Energy team for the consistent support, encouragement and feedback! #Marketing #MarketingStrategy #Growth #Innovation #DigitalMarketing #TheSmartaWay

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