John Arnold

Anyone in my network in Kansas City? I have an event for you! Br8kthru Consulting’s Sales + Partnership Director, Cory Docken, is going to be presenting “AI in Action: Transforming Marketing” at an American Marketing Association, Kansas City event on Monday, September 24. This event will cover topics like what AI is, how it evolved, and how it can be used in marketing contexts. From strategy to content and beyond, AI has so many applications in digital marketing that are just waiting to be uncovered. #AI #AMA #MarketingStrategy #ContentStrategy #DigitalMarketing

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This article from eMarketer lists 4 tactics to maintain a healthy marketing funnel in tough times. I agree with the the 4 listed, but would rephrase them as: 1) Don't "cut costs" by removing all Awareness spend. Across many clients, we've seen that upper-funnel Awareness spend drives efficiencies down funnel, even if the last-touch costs of Awareness are higher. 2) Think about how to augment your paid media strategy. The article lists SEO and product-display pages, but I'd add judiciously leveraging email as well as considering loyalty programs and customer-generated content. 3) Don't only spend on demand capture channels like Paid Search and Affiliate. Focusing on short-term metrics (often vanity metrics) can lead to overspending on lower-funnel tactics with low cost-pers and pulling forward demand without generating new demand. 4) Educate the CFO on how full-funnel marketing impacts the bottom line by quantifying marketing's effectiveness. Use metrics and KPIs that demonstrate how marketing is contributing to business metrics. I'd also add #5 holistically evaluating your campaigns and audience segments, and #6 watch out for overreliance on the internal narratives of how marketing has performed. Often clients will share that a particular campaign did well or poorly, but the data doesn't tell the same story. Before you cut budget or optimize investment, make sure you have a clear-eyed view of performance. What would you add to this list? How can CMOs and marketing leaders prepare for tough times? https://lnkd.in/e_xHaBMr #marketingstrategy #marketingoptimization #strategicmarketing

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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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I love these insights from Jim Lecinski that reinforce how CMOs can help the C-suite see marketing as a critical driver of business growth - because that's exactly what it is! My favorite line: "If you hand what looks like a bill to your CFO, they naturally think about ways to trim it." 💸 Jim and his colleagues point out that an annual marketing plan should read more like an investment proposal by focusing on outcomes instead of tasks. We know that good marketing teams are already really focused on measuring outcomes, so why not set your annual strategy and budget requests up this way too? 💡 https://lnkd.in/gnjh-uja

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What’s working for B2B CMOs when it comes to #DemandCapture? This week’s #TuesdayTips come from CMO Huddles Huddlers Heidi Bullock of Tealium, Grant Johnson of Billtrust, Hannah Grap of Sitecore, and Marca Armstrong of Sensera Systems 💫 👀 Focus on solving your buyer's problems, not just pushing your products 🗺️ Map out the buyer's journey & deliver relevant content at every stage 🔍 Think outside-in, not inside-out—be consultative 🤝 Equip your SDR team so they can get leads to the right solution

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Another martech company, Backstroke, launched in Indianapolis last month. Their platform provides AI-powered customized email messages for B2C companies. While I wish them every success, the early results are good enough to make copywriters everywhere a little nervous. I mean, if AI generates email subject lines that are more successful than those generated by humans, then what is the copywriter's role? Let's take a deep breath and look at this from a different perspective. If AI takes care of the subject lines and meta descriptions, that leaves more time for copywriters to focus on actual storytelling. And that's a good thing. Copywriters are at their best when they have time to understand what makes people tick, not when they are studying ad sets and headline data. So let's let the AI do what it does best—parse loads of data to find the most click-worthy headline. And empower copywriters to get back to the business of making human connections after someone clicks.

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Endless, unproductive meetings kill time and quality decisions. This article cuts through the noise with three key questions to ask before you hit "schedule." Is it even needed? What's the goal? Who needs to be there? #increaseproductivity #timemanagement #meetingeffectiveness

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💡 Are you making Martech decisions? If so, don’t miss out on Cella's latest ebook, "Solving the Martech Mystery: Strategies for Avoiding Buyer’s Remorse." Packed with actionable insights, this guide will help you sidestep common pitfalls and ensure your Martech investments deliver real value. Grab your copy today and stay ahead in the Martech game! https://bit.ly/4dNKQrh #Martech #Ebook #Cella #RandstadDigital

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Demystifying The Disconnect Between Marketing Ops & Revenue... The third and final episode of Season 1 of Old Fashioned Marketing is here! My co-host, Andrea 🤓 Lechner-Becker, a certified Midwest marketing maven, and I talk through the disconnect between marketing operations and its consistent need to focus on efficiencies and process optimization that may or may not impact the bottom line... to actual revenue attribution. Link in comments! ⬇ #MOps #RevOps #RevenueMarketing #OldFashionedMarketing | GNW Consulting

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Listen: Comparing the same 3 datapoints against competitors has gotten a bit tired. As marketers, we talk alllll the time about the importance of niching down, yet we're all still using the same few general success metrics across industries and verticals. Fatigue has set in and even if the number is genuinely impressive, it just doesn't have the same OOMPH anymore. But we've still got to find ways to communicate: - How much money we can save you - How much time we can save you - How happy our customers are - How easy it is to win with us So we've got to find ways to do that beyond the ones that people have started to tune out or not take seriously. That's why finding new metrics & datapoints to demonstrate success MORE SPECIFICALLY can be so powerful. (Instead of simply increasing ROI by 100% vs. 200% vs. 300% and so on until the world stops spinning and there exists no more investments to return on!!!) The 37signals Rework podcast is one of the few I consistently listen to — and in a not-so-recent episode, they covered both how they hire & measure the success of hires. At the one-year point post-hire, they make a determination on whether or not they would say "HELL YEAH" to hiring this person again. If not, they posit, maybe it's best to part ways. As a marketer by trade who now works in the recruitment tech space, I loveeeeee thinking through creative ways recruiters can demonstrate their unique impact. How cool would it be to take 37signals' "HELL YEAH" index and turn it into a metric you can then use in bizdev moving forward? "X% of my hires result in a HELL YEAH a year down the line — meaning both the client and the candidate would make the same decision again if they could go back in time." What I love most about this datapoint is that it says a LOT by saying very little. It communicates: - Client satisfaction - Candidate satisfaction - The fact that you care about success DOWN THE LINE, not just about making a placement and moving on - The fact that you maintain relationships with clients & candidates in the long-term, checking in even after the quote-unquote job is done Sometimes compelling data storytelling means finding the story in tired datapoints. Sometimes it means finding a new datapoint altogether.

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Activate's 2023 State of Demand Generation report revealed that the buying process is longer than ever due to pandemic impacts, market volatility, and tech bloat. One critical insight from the report is that marketing teams are now collaborating more closely with sales, product, and executives to map out strategies that create a sense of urgency for customers. Stronger cross-company collaboration is also driving an increase in innovative tactics to prompt quicker buying decisions. What demand generation trends are you seeing this year? #MarketingStrategy #DemandGen #Sales #Collaboration #BusinessGrowth

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Poorly developed personas can have serious consequences, from misaligned messaging to wasted resources. Make sure your personas are the foundation of a strong, aligned revenue generation system. https://hubs.ly/Q02Blp-f0

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💬 The Buyer’s Journey: A Fresh Look on Navigating Today’s Marketing Landscape Just had an insightful conversation with Jeff Perkins, author of How Not to Suck at Marketing (yes, that’s the real title - available on Amazon!) and the former CEO / CMO of ParkMobile, LLC about the evolving nature of the buyer's journey. Jeff shared that, back in the day, marketing was more straightforward: You created awareness, positioned your product, and aimed for a “yes.” But things have changed. Buyers are no longer guided through the journey by a brand’s hand; they're guiding themselves, consuming content, comparing vendors, and making decisions—all often without ever talking to sales. This transformation demands a mindset shift from marketers, one that shifts from “selling” to “enabling” an informed journey. Here’s what really struck me: 1. Buyers are self-directed. Today’s buyers are nearly fully decided before they even reach out. 81% of prospects have a vendor in mind without talking to sales, according to recent studies. Marketers who aren’t creating content that influences these early, unseen stages are missing out. 2. It's time for “old-school” market research. Jeff emphasized an overlooked step: talking directly to buyers. After a deal closes, get a marketer on the phone with the customer. Ask them: How did you find us? What content mattered? This kind of feedback is pure gold, revealing touchpoints you might have underestimated. 3. Embrace self-reported insights. Adding an open field on your landing pages with “Where did you hear about us?” can unveil surprising leads. Jeff shared an example where attribution went to Google ads, but when asked, the buyer revealed they actually learned about the brand at a conference. This simple question can highlight the true influences shaping the journey. 4. Optimize with precision. Conversion rates matter. Too often, we look at aggregate MQL numbers. But diving into conversion rates by channel can reveal which platforms truly push the needle—and where to focus investments or realign resources. In today’s marketing, being effective means not just reaching your audience but understanding the journey they’re already on. It’s a challenge but also an opportunity to craft a more engaging, value-driven experience for every prospect. ➡️ Curious to hear your thoughts – How is your team handling the evolution of the buyer’s journey?

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Demand gen has never been more in-demand! Recent survey results from PECXO.com suggest demand gen staff are most desired across GTM resources. We're seeing this on the search front as well with a number of recent inquiries for VP Marketing/Demand Gen searches. Shoot me a message if you have a need or are interested in learning more about the findings. #privateequity #demandgen #marketing

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The need to crafting an integrated marketing approach may sound straightforward, but executing it can be challenging especially in larger organization. In many circumstances, companies prioritize short-term gains over long-term sustainability. Having navigated diverse corporate landscapes, I've learned that developing a robust integrated marketing strategy demands meticulous planning, collaborative partnerships across departments, and a shift in mindset from individual channel victories to overarching marketing ROI. A recent article featuring J.M. Smuckers' CMO, Gail Hollander, resonated deeply with me. She spearheaded initiatives to revitalize iconic brands like Jif and Meow Mix. Hollander emphasized the importance of integrated teams devoid of silos, where every facet, be it media, data, or social, seamlessly intertwines. This holistic approach fosters synergy, ensuring that the business thrives today while safeguarding brand vitality for tomorrow. #integratedmarketing #CPGmarketing #brandmarketing

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You aren’t selling against your competition. You aren’t marketing against your competition. B2B revenue teams are battling against the status quo. In tougher economic times, when layoff announcements are filling up the LI feed, buyers are significantly less likely to take risks, and new vendors (even with great value props) are risks. Finding the buyers want isn’t enough in 2024, winning the deal requires finding the quantifiable WHY! #b2bmarketing #GTM

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In recent years, the demand for partnership leaders has surged, as evidenced by the numerous job postings on platforms like LinkedIn. However, I suggest that many organizations may be rushing into this strategic hiring decision without fully considering the timing and necessity of such an investment. While a dedicated partnership leader can undoubtedly play a pivotal role in driving collaborative initiatives and strategic alliances, the question arises: is it truly the right time for your organization to make this long-term commitment? Often, companies feel compelled to follow industry trends or adopt roles simply because they believe they should, rather than critically examining the underlying rationale behind such a hire and what they are expecting to achieve from that hire. In many cases, organizations might find greater value in engaging a Fractional Chief Partnering Officer (CPO), a model that parallels the rationale of hiring a Fractional CFO. By enlisting a fractional professional, companies can instill strategic direction, streamline their partnership strategies, and establish a solid foundation before committing to a permanent hire. My experiences with organizations like PARTNERNOMICS and ExecHQ have reinforced this perspective; these collaborations often come with a roadmap for success, ensuring businesses are well-prepared to onboard full-time executives once a temporary engagement concludes. This approach not only allows for a clearer understanding of partnership dynamics but also enables companies to position their eventual hires for optimal success, reducing the risks associated with premature strategic investments and fostering an environment in which partnerships can truly thrive. If you're an executive local to the Kansas City area and responsible for revenue generation and considering partnerships as one of your GTM strategies, or have an underperforming program, you don't want to miss this informational networking event hosted by PARTNERNOMICS.

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8/10 Marketers become bored and tired of their marketing LONG before their intended consumer does. 👋 On one hand, this is understandable since they work in their company day after day (and in many cases day and night). They are exposed to their marketing a lot more than the average customer target. So, it may not be surprising that after a period of time. -Internal pressure is applied for something ‘new’, -An update or change of the current marketing efforts, -Pressure applied from management and sales: “What are the marketing team doing? That current campaign has been running for at least six months.” Of course, marketing companies are always happy to oblige, as it means more work that leads to more revenue which keeps everyone happy. 👋 On the other hand, much research discusses how many impressions are required to gain a cut-through in today’s busy, media-overdosed society. If we assume that it takes a minimum of 15 impressions to gain registration, then it stands to reason that it may take a long time to achieve this. In reality (and depending on budget) this may take more time to achieve than suits many an impatient Client. 👍 Our advice to you is; once you have a campaign that delivers on strategy then stick to it, almost ad-nauseum, because your staff and management will tire of it long before your target customers do! ✅ Our strong point of view is that familiarity of message builds consistency and marketing consistency breeds customers. → If you're not 100% happy with your marketing, let's see how we can help you! → Book a 30-minute complimentary Brand Clarity call with me → https://vist.ly/3anj9 #brandstrategy #branding #marketing #marketingagency #brandquest

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