Bold Marketing & Communications

Startup Marketing: AI now enables startups to create a marketing capability that will enable them to take on much larger competitors with large and costly marketing departments. But only if they employ the right strategies. Perhaps the most important of these strategies is this: don’t forget the foundation and the fundamentals. Even in the Age of AI, marketing requires a foundation on which to build operational programs and campaigns. This includes establishing marketing and sales goals. AI can help with this, but ultimately it must be tied back to the organization's business goals. Similarly, AI can help with the development of language around value propositions and desired market position, but value propositions must stem from the value a company, its products and services will deliver to the target customers, and desired market position flows from the aspirations of the organization’s leadership and their business strategy. Other fundamental components of marketing, such as an analysis of the target customers, competitive landscape and market, and even the overall marketing strategy itself, can be built using AI tools. But an experienced marketer will be needed to make sure that the proper prompts or content and context is provided, and that the output is properly evaluated with an experienced, critical eye. Check out our blog post to learn the other four strategies your startup needs to build a competition-killing marketing capability. If you need help setting up or redesigning your marketing capability for the age of AI, contact Bold Marketing & Communications co-founders Bob Finlayson or Paul Brunato for a free consultation. We can provide a range of services, from individualized recommendations to full-scale implementation support. #startupmarketing #AIandmarketing

The New Year is only days away. If you’re going to make 2025 better than 2024, you’re going to need some new marketing ideas and strategies. We can help. A successful demand generation program can dramatically increase both MQLs and SQLs. But only if done correctly. One common mistake demand generation leaders make is to fumble the headoff from marketing to sales. The result is missed opportunities and lost sales. To learn how to ensure your demand generation program is working effectively with the sales team, check out our post. In it you’ll find strategies that will take your marketing programs to the next level, driving revenue and getting results. Ready to implement new marketing ideas and strategies in 2025 that actually deliver results? Reach out to Bold Marketing & Communications strategists Bob Finlayson , Paul Brunato or Jon Maron, MBA, Maron for a free consultation. And make 2025 the best year of your career! #2025Goals #LeadGeneration #DemandGeneration #MarketingStrategies

Startup Marketing: AI now enables startups to create a marketing capability that will enable them to take on much larger competitors with large and costly marketing departments. But only if they employ the right strategies. One of these strategies should be obvious: hire for an AI mindset. Marketing practices and the tools marketers use have undergone significant changes over the past two decades. As a result, successful marketers tend to be highly flexible in their thinking. In the age of AI, flexibility of thinking and the ability to rapidly adapt to new techniques and technologies is crucial. Consequently, as you hire your marketing team, we recommend testing candidates for adaptability. There are several readily available tools for doing so. We also recommend asking candidates about their use of AI. AI tools are now readily available, so clearly you want to hire people who are familiar with and actively using AI in their work. Using such tools or managing their use is a sort of de facto test of adaptability. Check out our blog post to learn the other four strategies your startup needs to build a competition-killing marketing capability. If you need help setting up or redesigning your marketing capability for the age of AI, contact Bold co-founders Bob Finlayson or Paul Brunato for a free consultation. We can provide a range of services, from individualized recommendations to full-scale implementation support. #startupmarketing #AIandmarketing

The Successful CMO: During your first 100 days in a new CEO role, focus on fostering a culture of innovation. Embrace an agile marketing philosophy that allows for continuous experimentation, feedback and optimization. Test new content formats and customer engagement strategies at every stage of the customer journey, from initial awareness to long-term advocacy. Encourage your team to challenge conventional thinking and embrace a culture of experimentation. Failures should be seen as learning opportunities, not just setbacks. The marketing landscape is rapidly evolving, and so are customer expectations. In today’s environment, B2B buyers are increasingly self-directed. They want access to self-service options and content that empowers them to make informed decisions. Tailor your marketing touchpoints to meet these changing behaviors, and always keep an eye on the final stage of the customer journey — turning customers into brand advocates. Learn three additional strategies to help you drive impact and exceed expectations in your first 100 days by reading Bold Marketing & Communications co-founder Bob Finlayson’s article in CMSwire. For additional insights or help creating and managing successful marketing programs and campaigns, contact Bob or Bold co-founder Paul Brunato for a free consultation. #CMO #MarketingStrategy #B2BMarketing

2025 will be here before you know it. What’s your marketing strategy for making next year your best year ever? If you’re not sure, we can help. A successful demand generation program can dramatically increase the inflow of qualified leads, driving a significant increase in sales. But only if done correctly. One common mistake many marketers make is failing to ensure that their customer journey map is accurately aligned with the way their customers actually buy products and services. Research from Gartner and others shows that marketers often focus most of their attention and content on the early stages of the customer journey, and then pass prospects to sales once they move into the consideration and purchase stages of their journey. But this is not what most buyers want. Check out our post to discover how to avoid this trap and to learn three strategies for creating a demand generation program that will deliver outsized results in 2025 and beyond. Ready to implement new marketing ideas and strategies in 2025 that actually deliver results? Reach out to Bold Marketing & Communications strategists Bob Finlayson , Paul Brunato or Jon Maron, MBA, for a free consultation. And make next year the best year of your career! #DemandGeneration #MarketingStrategy #CustomerJourney #LeadGeneration #B2BMarketing #2025goals

Startup Marketing: AI now enables startups to create a marketing capability that will enable them to take on much larger competitors with large and costly marketing departments. But only if they employ the right strategies. One such strategy is to design your marketing operational around functions. Today, AI tools can dramatically and cost effectively improve efficiency across a range of marketing activities, including: market and audience analytics, content creation, performance monitoring, digital and social media marketing, customer engagement, and marketing automation. But we recommend structuring operational strategies around key marketing functions rather than AI capabilities. This is because marketing functions remain relevant much longer than individual AI tools. By focusing on the functions necessary to influence buyer behavior rather than over-investing in the current capabilities of AI tools, you can more easily adapt your operations to new AI tools and capabilities as they are developed. Check out our blog post to learn the other four strategies your startup needs to build a competition-killing marketing capability. If you need help setting up or redesigning your marketing capability for the age of AI, contact Bold Marketing & Communications co-founders Bob Finlayson or Paul Brunato for a free consultation. We can provide a range of services, from individualized recommendations to full-scale implementation support. #startupmarketing #AIandmarketing

Read the latest article from Bold Marketing & Communications co-founder Bob Finlayson published today on Forbes.com. Many thanks to the Forbes Agency Council for supporting actionable expert commentary. #CMO #B2Bmarketing #marketingstrategy

Wonderful to see one of Bold Marketing & Communications' senior executives honored in this way. Congratulations Jon! Every word rings true.

The Successful CMO: A critical goal in your first 100 days as the new CMO is to establish (or reestablish) your brand’s authority. A major role of marketing is building trust. You must show prospective customers that your brand understands their challenges and has the solutions they need. Unfortunately, many companies approach this in a “hammer and nail” fashion, pushing their products without truly understanding the customer’s needs. Make it your job to flip that script. Start by identifying areas where your company has unique expertise and where this expertise aligns with your customers’ pain points. Leverage subject matter experts within your organization to create content that resonates with your audience. This is where true thought leadership comes into play — providing value through expert insights rather than self-promotion. Keep an eye on industry trends and competitors, but don’t simply mimic what others are doing. Instead, ask yourself: What conversations are missing? Where can your company offer a fresh perspective? Thought leadership content that addresses these gaps can position your brand as an industry leader, building trust and authority with potential customers. Learn three additional strategies to help you drive impact and exceed expectations in your first 100 days by reading Bold Marketing & Communications co-founder Bob Finlayson’s article in CMSwire. For additional insights or help creating and managing successful marketing programs and campaigns, contact Bob or Bold co-founder Paul Brunato for a free consultation. #CMO #MarketingStrategy #ContentMarketing

Marketers: How will you make 2025 better than 2024? One thing’s for sure. Doing the same thing in 2025 that you did this year, isn’t likely to result in better performance. Ready for some new ideas? Demand generation programs can dramatically increase the inflow of qualified leads, driving a significant increase in sales. But only if done correctly. One big mistake B2B brands often make is failing to build trust with prospects in the early stages of their customer journey. Check out our post to discover how to avoid this trap and learn three strategies for creating a demand generation program that will deliver outsized results in 2025 and beyond. And, if you’re ready to implement new ideas and new strategies that will supercharge your marketing in 2025, reach out to Bold Marketing & Communications co-founders Bob Finlayson or Paul Brunato for a free consultation. #B2BMarketing #DemandGeneration #MarketingStrategy #CustomerJourney