Diksha Idnani

AI in Retail: Bridging the Gap Between Ambition & Readiness for Generative AI I recently spoke with Michelle Pacynski, Ulta Beauty & Mike Dupuis, SPARC Group LLC about this topic. Before diving in, I find it helpful to ground the conversation in recent data: 1. According to a recent Forbes estimate, the AI market size is expected to reach $407 billion by 2027. 2. A global Accenture study (July) highlights that: - Companies with strong digital capabilities (data, cloud, security, etc.) are reinventing 2x as many functions with AI & are expected to drive 2x the value creation. - 50% of executives believe they can scale generative AI across their enterprise within 6-12 months, but only 13% are confident they have the right data strategies & digital capabilities to fully leverage GenAI. Why the gap? These insights set the stage for a deeper conversation. Here are some key themes we explored: 1. AI integration frameworks they've adopted: - Assist, Augment, Automate – This framework has helped categorize the 15-20 AI pilots running at any given time. It has especially reduced the pressure to automate everything right away, allowing teams to focus on assistive & augmentative use cases first. 2. Real-world AI implementation examples that required process changes & KPI definition: - Leverage GenAI from your SMS partner to create new audiences & test custom messaging. Process changes included: new workflows for both internal & external teams. KPIs: # of new customers acquired & conversion rates. - Launch a GenAI conversational experience during peak sales to manage case loads, while ensuring real humans are available for more complex queries. Process changes included: customer query routing & escalation procedures, with KPIs focused on # of cases resolved to satisfaction, incremental revenue from case resolutions etc. 3. Keeping up with the evolving world of AI: a) Follow key professors like Ethan Mollick & Stefano Puntoni b) Stay close to the VC community to learn about emerging applications & how people are thinking about the future c) Access to product engineers & innovation through involvement on Boards (e.g., Cordial) d) Attend key tech events like CES and SXSW. 4. How AI can transform retail, from customer experience to back-end operations: - Use weather data to inform inventory buying & planning, ensuring customers get the products they want in the channel they prefer. - The retailer that best uses GenAI applications to develop personalized & on-brand communication with customer segments will create the most value. c) Empower consumers to virtually try on products & learn more about them, both online & in-store. Finally, some questions to consider: - I wish consumers knew AI… - I wish regulations did… - I hope someone develops… There’s no doubt that AI is omnipresent, but achieving meaningful impact requires strong digital strategies, partnerships, and a sharp focus on data governance. #AI #Innovation #Transformation #Leadership

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Episode 45 brought insightful discussions with experienced fractional CMOs, Christine Cross and Alina Catalina Luchian. They delved into the pivotal roles and challenges faced by fractional CMOs in businesses. Here are the key takeaways: 🔹 **Role of a Fractional CMO**: - Christine and Alina highlighted their roles in bridging marketing and sales to enhance revenue, aligning marketing strategies with business objectives. 🔹 **Initial Focus Areas**: - Christine stressed the synchronization of marketing efforts across teams, while Alina emphasized solving reputation system issues for better results. 🔹 **Maximizing Value from a Fractional CMO**: - Viewing CMOs as strategic partners, integrating them into the executive team, and matching the CMO's expertise with the company's growth stage is crucial. 🔹 **Advice for New CMOs**: - New CMOs should understand their value, acknowledge team contributions, ask questions, listen actively, and support team development. 🔹 **Advice for Marketing Team Members**: - Displaying potential, adaptability, and collaboration is key for junior and mid-level marketing team members to integrate successfully with a new CMO. 🔹 **Strategic vs. Tactical Approach**: - The approach should align with business needs; strategic planning for long-term goals and tactical execution for specific projects. A wealth of wisdom shared by Christine and Alina for fractional CMOs and marketing teams to thrive in today's dynamic business landscape. #FractionalCMO #CMOInsights #MarketingStrategies #BusinessGrowth

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A very special package landed on my front porch yesterday - I was honored to be named by both Pavilion & TrustRadius as Fractional Advisor of the Year at this year's GTM awards. This recognition has me reflecting on a critical decision many scaling businesses face: when to hire a full-time CMO versus bringing on a Fractional CMO. Both options offer unique advantages tailored to diverse needs. As your high-growth business scales, understanding which approach best aligns with your strategic marketing objectives and growth ambitions can make all the difference in driving sustainable success. Let's dig into each: Understanding the Distinctions: - Full-Time CMO: Is dedicated to crafting and implementing marketing strategies, leading teams, and driving growth efforts daily. They're fully immersed in company culture and have a thorough understanding of its goals and challenges. - Fractional CMO: A Fractional CMO is an outsourced, part-time marketing expert providing high-level guidance on a contract basis. This role offers flexibility, giving businesses access to marketing expertise without the commitment or cost of a full-time executive. Cost Breakdown - Full-Time CMO: The average annual salary for a full-time CMO in the U.S. ranges from $150,000 to $250,000, excluding bonuses, benefits, equity, and other compensation. - Fractional CMO: Fractional CMOs work part-time with businesses typically paying $8,000 to $30,000 per month, based on factors like expertise level and scope. Pros and Cons: - Full-Time CMO: -- Pros: Offers dedicated leadership and is integrated into the company's operations and goals, ideal for long-term planning. -- Cons: Can be challenging for smaller companies, especially with added expenses for overhead. - Fractional CMO: -- Pros: Offer a cost-effective way to bring in expert guidance without a full-time commitment, offering flexibility to adjust marketing efforts. -- Cons: May not be as integrated into company culture and have limited ability as they often work for multiple companies. When to Choose a Full-Time CMO -Long-Term Strategy Execution: For sustained marketing goals and brand-building, a full-time CMO provides continuous leadership and cohesive strategies. -In-House Integration: Companies needing a marketing leader embedded in the organization to drive cross-department collaboration may benefit from a full-time CMO. When to Choose a Fractional CMO - Budget Constraints: For startups and scaling businesses with limited budgets, a fCMO allows access to expert marketing without high costs. - Specialized Expertise: A fCMO brings targeted skills for specific initiatives, such as product launches or digital campaigns. - Scalability: As needs fluctuate, businesses can easily adjust the scope of an engagement. Ultimately, choosing between a full-time CMO and a Fractional CMO depends on your business's unique needs, resources, and growth stage. #ScalingBusiness #FractionalExecutive #BusinessStrategy #GrowthHacking #fCMO

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“Everybody is a marketer,” chimed a CMO from a $95mil health tech company, “no matter their background or expertise.” This generated a chorus of “amens” and a thoughtful discussion on leading through this challenge. This huddle of CMOs was way past lamentation. Even though it would be inconceivable for the CRO to offer financial advice to the CFO or the HR leader to drop security tips on the CISO, no such boundaries exist around Marketing. Marketing is fair game and everyone wants to play. Rather than fight this truth, many B2B CMOs are finding strength in acceptance and turning what could be a negative into an opportunity. Think of this as leadership jujitsu. It’s using an opponent's momentum to your advantage. Not that your fellow C-Suite members are opponents, it just seems that way sometimes. As one CMO shared, “Since they were going to weigh in anyway, I now involve my peers in all key marketing decisions.” “The remarkable part is that we now share responsibility in the outcomes, we all have skin in the game and it's not just on me,” this CMO added. Sorting through CEO suggestions The most problematic source of marketing ideas is your CEO. First-time CEOs often suffer from rapid-idea syndrome. Everything they read, every event they attend, every conversation they have results in “fresh” input for their CMO (and the rest of the leadership team). And, first-time CMOs rarely have the confidence or experience to handle these barrages. Chaos ensues. Veteran CMOs deploy a variety of approaches. One 3x CMO noted, “My rule is 50% of what they suggest I can ignore (bad idea and they forget it anyway), 40% are good ideas but not relevant at present so I park for later, 10% are smart ideas or passion projects that need to be acted on immediately.” “Amazingly, I have seen this ratio apply to my last 3 CEOs,” the CMO added. Training a meddlesome CEO In an ideal world, every CEO would be great at their job. They would know how to be a leader. They would understand their three fundamental roles: ⚡ Set a clear vision 🦋 Hire a team that can fulfill the vision 💸 Allocate resources to turn the vision into a reality Because it’s not an ideal world, many CEOs are micromanagers. Their insecurities drive them into the weeds and drive their direct reports crazy. These CEOs can’t help themselves. But CMOs can – by learning how to coach and lead their CEOs by example. Thus, I’m adding coaching expertise to the long list of must-have skills for CMOs. While I can’t possibly cover CEO coaching in this post, here are three suggestions from executive coach Susan Gurnik: 🐧 Build trust by listening deeply to the CEO 🐧 Help the CEO to listen deeply to you 🐧 Create a common language that fosters trust and understanding Susan joined us for an instructive Bonus Huddle and explained these points in depth. Let me know if you’d like a sneak peek of the recording. 

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It's not just noise - market disruption has revolutionized how consumers shop, hail a ride, buy groceries, fetch a meal and even purchasing a vehicle. I'd like to welcome into the FixedOps UX ThinkTank John Schmidt, founder/CEO of Next Level. He’s breaking ground on the mobile service movement with a proprietary platform and suite of solutions that support better efficiency and more revenue. But don’t mistake John for an automotive outsider. He’s got more than 24 years as Fixed Operations Director in high volume, high CSI stores supporting brands like Ford, BMW, Cadillac & Kia. John and I have talked shop before, but I’m excited to have him on the minicast because he’s going to share more on the mobile opportunity and why it’s unfolding right now. #recallmasters #fixedopsux #fixedops #dealership #dealerships #customerexperience #coaching #customerinsights #customerloyalty #customerreview #userexperience #employeeengagement #technicians #mechanics #autodealers #autoindustry #culture #organizationalculture #teambuilding #efficiency #innovation  

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This take on "nostalgia-washing" is so interesting. Working with emerging brands we always emphasize the importance of brand positioning and clearly identifying your "why" early on. It's hard to know how to authentically connect to a trend if you're not clear on your brand's story and point of view. Having a cool menu idea and a piece of real estate is not enough to build a brand. It can be a frustrating and time consuming exercise, but I can't think of anything more critical than solid brand positioning. Without it, you'll always be chasing what you think other people think is cool and will fall short every time... What are your thoughts? #branding #brandmarketing #brandmanagement #brandpositioning #restaurantleadership

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“Our new CEO doesn’t believe in marketing,” shared a shaken CMO from a $250mm professional services firm. This was not a whine. It was a request for help. Then other CMOs in the huddle jumped in, sharing how they’ve dealt with similar cases of ignorance. How is it possible that in 2024 a CEO could be this doltish? Three months ago when I suggested that this problem could only happen in B2B-land, a few B2C CMOs challenged me. They said, “You’d be surprised, it seems to be an epidemic.” Perhaps, but it is impossible to imagine the new CEO of P&G, PepsiCo, or Geico saying, “I don’t believe in marketing!” They’d be shown the exit faster than you can say, “Aflac.” In B2B, the cause of CEO marketing myopia is easy to diagnose. That doesn’t make it acceptable. More than 80% of B2B CEOs have NO EXPERIENCE as marketing practitioners. None. Zilch. Nada. If you’ve never uncovered the insight that led to the differentiating brand idea, never built an effective marketing plan, or never set up a demand-generating machine, you can neither appreciate the challenge nor the rewards of getting these things right. Great leaders are infinitely curious. Even if they haven’t performed a role, their curiosity fills their blind spots. Back to the situation at hand. What could our beleaguered CMO do to address their doltish CEO? Try these. Enlist Support: Surround the CEO with marketing believers. Hopefully, your CRO recognizes how your partnership drives high-quality opportunities into and through the pipeline. If not, fix that. Jointly presenting past performance and near-term plans with your CRO shows solidarity. HR can share how the lack of awareness hurts recruiting. Seek a marketing advocate on the board or with your CFO. Find Common Ground: Every CEO wants to acquire and retain customers. Start by reviewing the CEO's vision and understanding their priorities. If they say, “I want the business to grow xx%,” agree with the challenge but ask, “How do you see us getting there?” Find a non-confrontational way to say “Growth is not a strategy!” and talk about real GTM strategies.   Show Them the Money: Ideally, your new CEO will appreciate your data especially if you put it in terms they can understand. They want growth. You can break down path sources of growth including new customers, renewals, upsells, cross-sells, and partnerships. You can show them a typical new customer journey, the myriad of touchpoints, and how trust is built throughout the process.  Share Your Vision: Great businesses are almost always great brands. They build enormous trust over time. They remove the friction from both the buying process and the customer experience. They take care of their customers. They inspire employees. They are differentiated from top to bottom. The CEOs who build and run those companies are admired and even revered. Share that. Finally, prepare for the worst by growing your network and building your personal brand. Need help? LMK.  

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🔍👂 Do you listen to your customers? 👂🔍 Most companies would, of course, say yes to that question. But do they truly listen to the millions of voices expressing their hopes, needs, wants, and feedback on brands and experiences every day? There are some companies that work to master how to fully tap into social listening for business value creation, competitive intelligence, and understanding significant consumer truths. But there are many who haven't. The potential is vast, and there are many use cases: Understanding Future Trends and Evolving Needs: 🎯 Tap into a social media intelligence solution to continuously uncover what is happening in the market and how market and consumer trends are evolving. Use the insights gained to fuel relevant opportunities and prioritize them in line with business development goals. Understanding Brand Strength and Reputation: 🌟 Monitor how the brand is perceived by both the broader audience and your specific target audience. 📊 Track evolving concerns or crises and clarify the brand’s strengths in associations and attributes compared to key competitors. 📈 Use this information to refine brand and communication strategies and to manage consumer sentiment for PR and reputation purposes. Creating Sharper and More Relevant Content: 📝 Leverage social listening to gain clarity on the topics and themes that resonate with consumers. Utilize these insights to craft messages that will immediately resonate with your audience. Fueling Category Growth and Experience Strategy: 🌱 Social intelligence provides valuable clues for category growth plans. Pay attention to engagement and excitement levels to determine the direction the category should evolve for future growth. Where do we choose to impress the consumer the most? What touchpoints matters most and what channels do we choose? Improvements to the Product Portfolio: 🛒 Track what consumers share about your products to gain an immediate source of data to inform your organization. 💎 This is a real treasure for product and category managers who can identify product improvement needs or enhance the overall experience through better product content and communication materials. Social listening provides an absolutely vast resource to support business growth. However, be cautious not to limit its potential to just one or two use cases. Understand its multifaceted benefits and choose your tools and solutions wisely. Anything else to comment on these business opportunities by the expert social listening expertise network at BSH Home Appliances Group? 😊 Nathalie T. Veronika Platschka Marleen Kolleck Didem Yücesoy Ingrid Huth Petros Isaakidis Ariane Mertens Yuan Yuan Ngan Nguyen Sophia Katerna Dr. Rahim Malekshahi Dr. Marina Lang #consumerexperience #consumerlistening

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Your opinion matters, but not as much as the collective voice of your consumers. As we gear up for our Sellers Circus at Accelerate in Seattle, I'm reminded of a crucial lesson learned the hard way—why sidelining personal biases in favor of audience feedback isn't just a choice, but a necessity in branding. 🚀 Branding Design Insights for our Upcoming Accelerate Party! 🎉 | Seattle, September 18 Reflecting on my journey, I've learned that personal biases can often cloud our judgments. There were countless times when relying solely on my perspective led to missteps. It's a humbling realization that what we think personally often doesn't align with what our audience needs or wants. This realization sparked a pivotal change in how we approach branding decisions, especially for our major events. Just recently, our team faced a crossroads choosing between a bright vs. a faded background for our upcoming party. To move beyond our internal debates, we turned to our most reliable source of direction: our audience. We created a PickFu poll, letting our community weigh in directly on the decision. The results were eye-opening, not only showing a clear preference but also providing insights into why certain choices resonated better. This feedback is invaluable as it guides our future creatives and ensures our designs truly connect with our audience. 👀 See the poll results and how audience feedback is shaping our event's branding. For those of you grappling with branding decisions or uncertain about how to engage with consumer preferences effectively, remember, a simple poll can provide profound insights. If you're curious about crafting effective questions or leveraging polls for strategic decisions, don’t hesitate to reach out in the comments. 🔥 #Accelerate2024 #ConsumerFeedback #EventBranding #BusinessInsights Looking forward to seeing many of you in Seattle! Comment below your thoughts about your decision making process. https://lnkd.in/eyKpZBEs

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In this week's episode of In Conversation With, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ray Rosti, President of Media at Klick Health. The conversation was packed with insights for anyone in the global pharma media industry. We covered everything from Ray's career journey and advice for advancing in the industry, to the merging of creative and media teams in pharma, the impact of evolving U.S. privacy regulations, and much more. 🔗 Watch the full interview—link in the comments!

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Something I often do, but rarely post about, is ghostwriting/investigating for CPG brands Certain contract manufacturers seem to find pleasure in taking advantage of brands they think don't know any better Little do those contract manufacturers know, there's someone like me ready and waiting to unleash hellfire and fury upon them when they say things like: "Those black specks are normal" "We can use expired ingredients as long as they were staged in our ERP system before the expiration date" "You actually don't need any testing if your revenue <$5MM/yr" "We only let established brands audit us" "You're not getting your money back even though we ruined your $25k+ batch" I've personally helped small brands recover multiple six figures in refunds tied to manufacturing shenanigans If you're ever in a jam, feel free to reach out and I'll do what I can to help you It's hard enough to win in CPG without manufacturers playing games with your brand (and finances) #quality #compliance #cpg

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#AI, #NLP, listening and #EarlyRadar were big themes this afternoon at Kroger's 84.51˚office where five local startups talked up the future to twenty or so national brands. Nichefire showcased breakthrough work forecasting actionable trends and the next "secret sauce" (literally) for marketers while NativeAI highlighted the power of #NPL to unlock more value from feedback loops. InfoTrust saves brand builders a ton of money and time through next-gen data analytics and Narratize is accelerating time to market with #GenerativeAI for impactful scientific, technical, and medical content. From my end, representing BrandRank.AI , I noted that "search and discovery as we know it are being disrupted" and that brands MUST get in front of the "Prompted Moment of Truth" shopper journey. I also added a little "Gamification" to the mix, asking the audience to guess the brand behind AI-generated visual metaphors (e.g. Kroger is an increasingly green and healthy "Busy Bee," Walmart is an industrious beaver) -- this to stress the urgent importance for brand builders. "Thinking and acting like algorithms." Thanks John Stieger for organizing this session (and your indefatigable support of local startups...for 5+ years I might add). Mark Wood of Cintrifuse thx for your support of the event as well and great to see you. 🔥 Judy Zitnik thanks for the partnership, deck collaboration, and always spot-on feedback/suggestions. 🔥Michael Howard 🔥Khalil El-Amin Catherine O'Shea Sarah Sanders Katie Trauth Taylor, PhD #CincyAIWeek Hank Hudepohl Kelly Cohen Summer Crenshaw Bill Hildebolt

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In the world of branded food, a critical gap often overlooked is the deep understanding of core consumers and brand identity. Too many early-stage food companies see packaging as just a container, missing its true power. Your packaging isn't just a wrapper—it's your brand's billboard. It tells your story, defines your values, and sets you apart in a crowded market. Brand identity is essential for distinguishing a brand and maintaining customer loyalty, especially in the franchising sector, where it is key in driving value. A lack of alignment on this can easily make or break a deal. During my conversation with the 1851 Franchise on successful mergers and acquisitions in franchising, I emphasized other critical factors such as a strong back office, well-defined standard operating procedures, robust field support, and a cooperative partnership with the franchisor. At Greenwich Capital Group LLC, we observe firsthand how effective implementation of these elements can influence outcomes in the M&A market. To read the full article, click here: https://lnkd.in/gByQbPGd

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Traditionally, brands aimed to get as many impressions as possible. But in the micro-moment landscape, precision trumps reach. A successful micro-moment doesn’t just stop at one interaction—it’s an entry point into the broader customer journey. Here’s how brands are turning single micro-moments into long-term loyalty https://lnkd.in/e6_YsE-p

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Podcast alert 🎤 I met Matt Mueller during an interview with RETHINK Retail a few months ago and we discussed the importance of balancing brand equity growth with performance, specifically for heritage brands like Hanky Panky In this podcast, we dug deeper into it and the importance for many brands, and even more in intimates, to focus on how we make our customers feel. Products, experiences, brand mission, sustainability, and any marketing campaign should reflect this focus. For women, it is not only about how you show up to the world but how you feel each and everyday! ✨ #podcast #brandequity #loyalty #celebrateyourheritage #values

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Why Do Retail Partnerships Matter Now More Than Ever? When Gimme Beauty expanded its shelf space at Target, it wasn’t just about more skus + visibility, it was about unlocking potential for the brand. But that extra shelf space became the foundation for something bigger: Gimme Gives Back. Through this initiative, we received over 2,300 teacher nominations from our community and donated $25,000+ to support educators nationwide. Though this is just the start, as Gimme Gives Back will launch an additional mini-series season in 2025 to continue the good (Yay Jeff Durham!). Here’s the truth: retail partnerships are about more than just sales and volume for a brand. They’re about trust. When a brand lands on the shelves of a powerhouse like Target, it sends a signal to consumers, this brand is legit, it’s worth paying attention to, they are doing something right here... That trust translates to increased credibility, increased likelihood of conversion and, ultimately, long-term loyalty. In fact, a Harvard Business Review study shows that brands carried by trusted retailers gain an average of 25% more consumer trust within the first year. This fact rings true with what I’ve seen in my own work: When you push retail-focused marketing campaigns for brands, they don’t just boost visibility, they infuse your brand with equity you simply can’t buy from a Meta ad... Beyond trust, retailers also offer unique opportunities for storytelling whether that’s on the shelf or online. Gimme Gives Back, Season 1’s launch in support of our increased partnership with Target amplified the campaign’s reach and impact, turning shelf space into a springboard for meaningful change. Sure, community-focused retail campaigns *can normally* drive up social engagement, but we saw an 81% increase in views MoM on Gimme’s x Targets social content, proving that when brands and retailers collaborate with purpose, everyone wins. 🤝 ✨ Without further ado, here's Episode 1/5 of our newest mini-series below introducing our top winning teacher, Bailee Pennington!

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Is Health & Wellness a Confusing Category for Consumers? Here’s My Take. In the ever-evolving landscape of consumer products, health and wellness as a category remains problematic. The issue? These categories are not interchangeable, nor are they in sync when it comes to consumer priorities. The result is confusion—and brands are left chasing trends rather than forging their own identity. So what’s the solution? Brands need to pick a lane and stick to it. Following outdated buyer/retailer categories, where buyers only handled certain categories, is no longer relevant. The market has evolved, but have we? Let’s talk fragrance. Another category that needs a fresh perspective. Fragrance is still often positioned as part of wellness, yet traditional fragrances are rooted in beauty, not wellness, and likely always will be. It’s time we start treating them as such and stop blurring the lines for consumers. At ADORAtherapy, we’ve always believed in the power of aromatherapy to heal and elevate wellness—but not all fragrances are designed for that. It’s about time we differentiate. #HealthAndWellness #FragranceIndustry #ConsumerConfusion #BrandStrategy #ProductDevelopment #Aromatherapy #WellnessJourney #FragranceInnovation #beauty #beautytrends #healthandwellness

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🙇‍♂️ You know you have a HERO product when... 👨‍🔬 The Surgeon General addresses the increasing stress and mental health challenges facing parents, noting that, as many parents would agree, raising children is tough. 📅 Today, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory, emphasizing that parenting has become increasingly difficult in recent times. He highlighted that the mental health toll associated with parenting is now a serious public health concern for the nation. 😦 At La-Z-Boy Incorporated, we fight for your right as a working parent to sit down, relax, and put your feet up! 😴 #NationalWorkingParentsDay #LongLiveTheLazy #LZBInsights

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As consumers aged 55-and-up live longer and livelier (average life expectancies are rising), we're seeing more and more brands innovating into their wants and needs, investing in everything from dermatological beauty to semaglutide-friendly meals. Seeing this macro trend continue to gain steam, we're bringing back our Roundtable, Redefining 55+ Consumers, where we dive deep into the influential (and long overlooked) group: https://okt.to/t4b6n2 #55Plus #GenX #Boomers #ConsumerStrategy #ConsumerTrends

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