Catherine Walstad

Make it make sense. What is driving voters to support progressive-leaning ballot measures (think protecting abortion rights and raising the minimum wage) while voting for conservative candidates? My colleague Meisha Thigpen brings a behavioral lens to it. And the answer is kind of simple. As Meisha says, "few of us really understand how to “fix” the economy. Or Gaza. Or racism. I’d bet that even fewer people truly understand what their preferred political candidates will do about these issues". Whereas local issues are easier to understand and, importantly, easier to connect how the consequences will impact you and your life.

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Maybe measuring last click isn’t the best way. It’s actually archaic and only building growth for Big Tech, and not your company. “Our research across hundreds of brands in dozens of categories shows that it’s possible to rigorously measure and strategically target the feelings that drive customers’ behavior.” If marketing is in the business of selling something… and we know we all buy things based off a myriad of emotions… then maybe it’s time to start measuring something else. It’s not rocket science. It’s emotional science. https://lnkd.in/euwMST4u #brand #marketing #storytelling #video #controlthenarrative #emotionsells

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GREAT Content Disrupted episode with Skyword EVP, Dan Baptiste and NPR CMO, Michael Smith where they discuss that a brand’s voice isn’t just a stylistic choice—it’s a critical market differentiator. AND, overreliance on GenAI risks diluting this voice, resulting in content that, while plentiful, lacks the emotional impact and authenticity essential for audience engagement and trust. Take a listen and let me know if you agree.

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Striking this balance is challenging, but achievable-->

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For an industry built on communicating with consumers, it's remarkable how bad marketing has gotten at communicating with each other. All the layers, silos, matrices, and inter-[something]-teams that make up modern marketing organizations don't help us bridge the language barriers between our varying expertises, and the chaos has only been intensified in the hybrid working, Slackified world. We’re all in such a hurry to make our point and move on that we forget to put ourselves in the shoes of the audience. In this piece I share the simple thought process I use when communicating with clients, partners, and colleagues, which has helped me be a more effective and adaptable communicator. https://lnkd.in/eW2tPiYh

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Retail Media Monthly - Back to school with laptop brands Laptop brands went all-in on Retail Media this #BackToSchool season, generating impression levels that even outpaced Black Friday '23, surging to 366M in August. In fact, for five of the leading advertisers, Retail Media accounted for more than half of their total digital impressions for the month, with Lenovo gaining almost 98% of their impressions from Retail Media Networks. But, as hard as they try, no one can seem to take a bite out of Apple as the laptop advertiser led with 104M impressions across 3 different RMN's. Want to see more Retail Media Insights, and what RMN's topped the list to reach those back-to-school teenage techies? Check out our latest blog post: https://ow.ly/NhBk30sHjrC #BackToSchoolAdvertising #RetailMedia #RetailMediaNetworks

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near 8 decades of marketing and marketing research experience Steve and I have taught one key lesson ... marketing is all about knowing matters to people not consumers enjoy the series .. more to come

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Patrick Horbas and Eric Hansen provide some context for BBDO MW's new work for Hormel Foods' innovation, Planters Duos. I like the ads, and I love the product. See The Clios Muse article below. #snacking #foodmarketing #innovation #nuts #creative #advertising

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Question for marketers: Is there any scenario you can come up with where you would purposefully connected your brand to a garbage truck?

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New from us; making marketing's contribution clear and the benefits that flow from that. https://lnkd.in/grRYcuQe

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Currently reading Sam Walton’s memoir, "Made in America," and I loved this quote from former Walmart CEO David Glass describing Walton. These qualities have become so important to embrace over the years. Running an agency, growing with the team, and refining how we serve clients is a constant process of trial, error, and adaptation. It means showing up every day with a mindset of improvement, trying new things, and having the courage to pivot when things don’t work out. Like Sam, I’ve learned that failure and being wrong are essential parts of growth. Without that mindset, missteps or feedback could hold you back from progress—and sometimes, you’re on the edge of something great. It’s about asking: What’s the takeaway? How can we do better? This past year has had its challenges, but it’s been full of reflection and refinement. I’ve spent more time in one-on-ones with the team, gathering feedback, and figuring out how we can improve for both clients and each other. We’re experimenting, making educated guesses, and adapting from missteps and surprises. I know not everything will go as planned, but staying flexible is key. It’s equally important to instill this mindset within the team to keep morale and momentum strong. Having a vision and setting goals is important, but loving the process and enjoying the journey is what makes it all worthwhile.

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We live in a world where things are changing at a more rapid pace than ever before. Consumers are faced with more choices than ever, and it's a big challenge to stay ahead of the curve in gaining consumer attention, much less in getting consumers to act. The best resource you have in understanding consumer behavior is your consumers. There are tools and processes for getting to know your consumers on a deeper level and connecting with them in meaningful ways. Here are some insights from my team at The Ward Group that you might find valuable. #consumerbehavior #mediabuying #mediaplanning #advertising #consumerresearch #mediastewards #paidmedia

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I find this analysis fascinating as it speaks to our constant "evolution" of our basic needs. Thanks GroupM for providing some thought provoking ideas. "It found the Gen Z generation is driven much more than the classic food, clothing and shelter mindset of older populations, including the following shifts: From Physiological to Accuracy: Gen Zers are passionate and want to support companies that align with their values and provide them accurate, trusted services and information. This is the new, most basic need. From Safety to Safe Spaces: Gen Z will prioritize digital spaces that promote user safety. They view the internet as a harsh place. 64% do not trust everything they see online. So they gravitate to online safe spaces, particularly for marginalized groups. From Love to Fandom: A single person can be a part of an endless number of communities that impact their identities, influencing their purchase intent. In fact, Gen Z is 38x more likely to purchase products that borrow outside IP and 80% have made purchases via creator-led livestreams. Brands need to work with creators to co-build online communities and connect directly with consumers. Building Self-esteem Through Forums: Gen Z’s sense of self is a blend between online and offline identities. In commerce, brands can meet this need by providing products and experiences that enhance a consumers’ confidence within a certain group, even if it isn’t hyper-specific to them individually. From Self Actualization to Hybrid Advocacy: Think of “actualized” consumers as brand ambassadors. Gen Z’ers are not only advocates among friends and family, but they can be the same for brands, embedding it or its product into their identity, and even using it as a springboard for creation." How can streaming meet these new "needs" I'd love to hear from all my media-peeps out there. Let me know your thoughts. #evolvingmediaspace #meetingmedianeeds

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Successful CEOs surround themselves with experts to advise. Analytics, impressions, CTRs - what matters? All these new numbers now in marketing don’t make sense. It’s like learning to read a balance sheet. 😩 With our help, CEOs and CMOs can now look at a dashboard, have the correct metrics, and know what #marketing success is. Let’s do this.

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What does it mean to Midwest Prompt? Listen to Creativity Squared Episode 54 with Cathy McPhillips to find out! Cathy is the Chief Growth Officer at the Marketing AI Institute where she leads efforts to make artificial intelligence accessible to businesses of all sizes. I’m a big fan of the Marketing AI Institute and its robust educational content and events, including its signature MAICON conference, which will take place this September 10-12 in Cleveland, Ohio. I’m honored to speak on stage there alongside other A.I. marketing experts like Cathy, Sandy Carter, and Wil Reynolds. Today, you’ll hear how A.I. is changing the trajectory of the marketing industry and how the Marketing AI Institute helps marketers understand, pilot, and scale artificial intelligence. The conversation includes A.I.’s role in content creation and the ethical and legal considerations surrounding A.I.-generated content. A.I. isn’t going anywhere and Cathy encourages marketers to embrace it, stressing the continued importance of human expertise alongside A.I. tools. We also discuss the delicate balance between A.I. efficiency and human creativity in marketing and reflect on how creativity is evolving in the age of A.I. Get ready for a conversation that demystifies A.I. in marketing and provides practical insights for marketers at all levels, especially when we geek out about A.I. tools and prompts with tips you can use today. Check out our full conversation: https://lnkd.in/griQtFuc #CreativitySquared Paul Roetzer Tracy Lewis Mike Kaput Noah Sharp #MAICON #MAICON24 #GenAI #Marketing #contentmarketing #AIMarketing #GenerativeAI #ArtificialIntelligenceTechnology #DigitalMarketing #DigitalCreativity #PromptTips #ChatGPT #LLMs #ResponsibleAI

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The only true way to reduce ratings 'bounce' is by increasing the sample size, and that is not part of these proposed changes.

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Shout out Jack Myers: A new study from The Myers Report reveals the top priorities for #creativity and #innovation in #advertising, uncovering subtle yet impactful differences across agency roles and #brand #marketers. #streaming #ctv #avod #content #ott #culturalwink

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It was great collaborating on this piece for PRNEWS with my MikeWorldWide colleague Clayton Durant on how executives and corporate teams vastly underutilize data to inform their LinkedIn strategies, leaving opportunity on the table to optimize content approach and drive ROI. To get the most out of their strategies, teams should fully leverage the extensive range of data available and: ✅ Build a data lake ✅ Collect data consistently following each publication ✅ Leverage AI for streamlined data analysis Once data is collected and analyzed, our next step is integrating those actionable insights into strategic plans, helping to build the most optimized presence for our clients. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/edAsvxXa

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More than just media.

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