Nikki Lindgren

Announcing Aperiam's Latest Investment: Gigi! 🍒 Aperiam continues to make strategic bets in commerce media and CTV, the fastest-growing segments of digital advertising. With Amazon Ads being the largest commerce media channel AND the fastest-growing Streaming TV ad platform, we are excited to introduce our latest investment: Gigi. Why Gigi? 1) The product. Gigi’s unique ability to integrate a brand's first-party commerce data with Amazon's data for audience enrichment and deterministic omnichannel measurement sets it apart. This powerful combination enables brands and agencies to buy and measure Amazon Streaming TV ads more effectively. 2) The team. The founders behind Gigi consists of experienced commerce media executives - led by cofounder and CEO, Adam Epstein - who have a bold vision for the future of Streaming TV, commerce media, and data collaboration and a history of success in commerce media. Their expertise ensures that Gigi is at the forefront of innovation in this space. We believe Gigi’s capabilities and the vision of its team will drive significant advancements in how brands leverage data to enhance their advertising strategies on Amazon’s platform. Check out Gigi here: https://gigico.tv/ cc: James Borow Joe Zawadzki Danilo Tauro, PhD

140

7 Comments

Something the best ad agencies can learn from McKinsey -   McKinsey gives high-conviction advice.   Most times, it's right.   B/c they have an edge...their people and their playbook.   If a client consistently disregards their advice, they do something refreshing…   Something most consultants and agencies never do...   They fire the client.   TLDR - they prioritize reputation over revenue.   They'd rather bleed quality and have a reputation for outcomes than bank extra rev.   Chalk it up to a "third edge."   This is how we operate too.   It's not that we're never wrong…   We're learning every day, too.   But if you're not ready to move quick and learn together, we're not a fit.   B/c retainers with the wrong brand--no matter how large--aren't worth the cost.

30

11 Comments

Why did Stitch partner with Talon.One? Three main reasons... 1️⃣ In working with Braze customers, we've seen an incredible amount of pain with their existing loyalty platforms (looking at you, Punchh & CrowdTwist, Inc.). 2️⃣ The platform is 👌. The response time and the ability to customize workflows is elite. 3️⃣ The combination of Braze + Talon.One is a marketer's dream. Scale, capability and efficiency bridging marketing & loyalty together.

36

1 Comment

The forecasts you’re creating won’t scale your DTC brand to the new heights you think they will… Without the right actions to follow them up. Too often I see DTC brands  👉 Create forecasts of their desired future state,  👉 Distribute it across the management team,  👉 Then sit back and assume the numbers are just going to "happen."      A forecast is a planning tool that gives managers visibility into the ACTIONS their team must take to create the forecast.    Forecasts become reality in one of two ways  1️⃣ Luck - I don't recommend building a business upon this method  2️⃣ PEOPLE planning and executing activities that drive and create the numbers contained within the forecast.    DTC brand founders, my call to action for you is this -    The next time you create a forecast, sit down with your management team and make a list of the activities that PEOPLE in your company will take to CREATE the forecast in reality.    This simple framework will propel your brand's scale forward like never before. -- Did you find this post helpful? If so, consider resharing it and giving me Jon Blair a follow.

2

Wow, breaking news from the world of DTC / e-commerce. The FTC is implementing a new rule to ban fake reviews and deceptive testimonials in an effort to crack down on misleading advertising practices. They're going to hold companies accountable for fabricating or manipulating reviews to influence consumer behavior. It's called the "Final Rule" and it could lead to hefty fines for businesses that engage in such practices. This step is part of a broader initiative to ensure transparency and honesty in online reviews, which are increasingly influential in consumer decision-making. If the fact that consumers have become extremely well versed at sniffing out fake reviews wasn't motivation enough for brands to take product reviews seriously, this should be. Platforms like Moast will lead the charge at helping brands collect and display honest and authentic testimonials from real customers.

39

9 Comments

Amazon's non-endemic DSP is having a moment. Here are 5 reasons you'll be seeing a lot more non-marketplace brands advertising with Amazon this year: 1) The Death of the Cookie Larger, non-marketplace brands are looking for places to put their ad spend with the death of the 3rd party cookie. With Amazon's powerful 1P audience data, Amazon’s non-endemic DSP ads are an attractive option. 2) Broader Audience Reach: According to eMarketer, over 60% of all Americans over the age of 18 are Prime subscribers. Amazon has more audience data than just about any retailer out there. 3) Advanced Targeting and Personalization: Leveraging Amazon's deep data insights, advertisers can tailor their campaigns to specific audiences based on behavior, interests, and purchasing history. This level of personalization enhances ad relevance, potentially increasing engagement rates. 4) Improved Ad Performance and Attribution: The rich data available through Amazon DSP can lead to more effective ad campaigns with better ROI. Advertisers can track performance in real-time with AMC, adjusting strategies as needed to optimize results. 5) Brand Awareness and Expansion: For non-endemic brands, appearing on Amazon can significantly boost brand visibility among a wide, engaged audience. It provides an opportunity to reach potential customers who might not be encountered through traditional advertising channels. Have you noticed the shift? #DSP #NonEndemicAds #AmazonAds

37

18 Comments

Snag grew their DTC from $0 - Over $30m+ in 3 years. Here’s how they did it: ➤ Problem-Focused Conception While out shopping, Brie realized her tights were slipping down. Growing frustrated, she asked some friends of hers if they experienced something similar. Turns out every single one of her friends had the same issue. This was natural fuel for her to look into things further. ➤ Data = Unfair Advantage Brie didn't have a background in marketing. Instead, her data-oriented mind gave her an advantage by looking at things a little differently. She ran a Google Survey of 3000 women to find out who else struggled to find a pair of tights that fit. The answer? 90% of 3000 people. Bingo. Opportunity validated. The data also showed how: → The market was commoditized → Men made most of the product purchases (Crazy right?) → Most women accepted poor fitting tights as the norm This inspired her to really look into solving this problem, and her search for suppliers began. ➤ Knew the numbers Before launch, Brie’s focus to really get a grip on her numbers really paid off. Since the sales were through DTC, she knew she needed: → 25% of revenue back into marketing → First-order profit → Small seed round to fund initial stock order Armed with the validation from the survey and some strong number-crunching, Snag launched. They cleared £300k/mo in under a year. The emphasis of being profitable from the first order was key to allow her to scale forward and further invest in marketing. ➤ Applied Zero-Party Data & Customer Service This is where Brie’s data-oriented approach really shone a light on how Snag scaled rapidly. The pandemic caused havoc for many brands, including Snag. Over 60% of the business disappeared overnight, and they went into negative. They had Facebook debt that had to be paid. Fast. Or Snag would die. That’s when Brie turned to her customers for answers. Her customers suggested a brilliant offer: 2 tights for the price of one, but the second pair gets sent in 6 months. The offer worked - Snag survived. And eventually thrived. This was a genius idea to help relate to her customers. ➤  Applied the ‘3-Piece’ DTC Law Finally, Brie understood the fundamental law of DTC. → Commitment to customer service → Great product experience → Solve a big problem Since all 3 were checked, the rest was down to semantics, unit economics, and following marketing fundamentals. ➤  Final Thoughts As a data analyst, Brie’s final words of advice were super impactful and really hit home. Yes, data is important, but it’s even more important that each data point is an actual human being, not just a number on a spreadsheet. Combining the importance of data with the understanding that each data point is a human is a brilliant formula for growth. What else would you add?

10

12 Comments

SB Single vs. Multiple Custom Image Campaigns: Surprising Results! My team recently ran a test to see how single custom image campaigns stack up against multiple-image (slideshow) campaigns for Sponsored Brands. The results were not what we expected! Conventional wisdom suggests that multiple images would tell a better story, engage shoppers more effectively, and ultimately drive better performance. But the data told a different story: single custom image campaigns consistently outperformed multiple-image campaigns. This test gave us a deeper understanding of what resonates with Amazon shoppers—and it might challenge how we think about ad creatives moving forward. 📊 If you're looking to refine your ad strategy, check this out: https://lnkd.in/g6-8naKy. To all my LinkedIn connections: if you’re running Sponsored Brands campaigns, you might want to give this strategy a closer look! Let me know your thoughts or if you’ve seen similar trends. #amazon #amazonadvertising #amazonads #itsalwaysdayone

9

1 Comment

Hot Take 🔥 Creating content with AI + VAs is not a good content strategy. It’s easily recognizable & is infinitely abundant across all social platforms. It is the ‘noise’ we all scroll past in our feeds. It’s going to start hurting brands & agencies reputations. It might be winning in the short term (because it’s cheap), but is not a long-term strategy for building brands or retaining clients. Tell me why I’m wrong in the comments, just make sure you ‘rewrite with ai’ before pressing publish.

5

3 Comments

Keeping consistent is hard. There are key decisions that drive so much of what success will end up looking like for us, but the underpinning of that success is generally some level of consistency. This is how we keep ads from going stale. This is how we leverage feedback from our product. This is how we maintain relationships . It touches every facet of work. Don't consistently test the validity of your adset? Watch the ROAS go down. Don't consistently leverage product feedback? Your iteration slows down and competitors beat you to the punch. Don't consistently maintain relationships? They won't produce fruit for you. Consistency is key. So I've not been the most consistent with this community. The best part of of being consistent is realizing that you have a starting point. Find a time and start that journey. I'll go first.

24

5 Comments

Hi LinkedIn friends, it’s Andy, author of Make Each Click Count and host of the Make Each Click Count Podcast. 📣 Google’s anti-trust lawsuits are heating up, and the outcomes could bring significant changes to digital advertising. For those of us running campaigns, it’s essential to stay ahead of the curve. In my latest video, I share insights into: ✔ The lawsuits’ focus on Google’s dominance in ad tech and search. ✔ Possible outcomes like platform separation or increased competition. ✔ Practical strategies to future-proof your advertising, like diversifying across platforms and leveraging first-party data. If Google’s ad tech evolves, so must we! Let’s adapt, prepare, and succeed in any landscape. 🎥 Watch the full video here:https://lnkd.in/gdm3V4FD 📩 Have questions about your advertising strategy? Let’s chat in the comments or connect directly. #DigitalAdvertising #EcommerceMarketing #MakeEachClickCount

7

1 Comment

So much of the marketing advice on LinkedIn is about short-term conversions. People are telling you to focus on tactics for that quick sell and "fast revenue". I don't blame you, its hard to do anything else when you have shareholders breathing down your neck for that fast revenue. But-what are you giving up in return? Recurring revenue and long-term profitability. Like Sam's experience, we find when we focus on LTV, the companies we work with become more profitable in the long term. Why? Because they offer an exceptional user experience, its less spend, and overall generates more profit. I find this to be true in both the B2B, B2C, and DTC space (yes, with over 22 years of experience, we've worked in all three spaces and yes, what works in DTC can translate to B2B when you focus on the customer experience).

3

Something's missing with Retail Media Networks 🚀 RMNs are reshaping the marketing landscape, and ad spend is forecasted to reach $82 billion by 2028. But there's a massively hidden opportunity being overlooked: Organic content could actually be the game-changer for #RMNs. 🎯 Balance is key: Mix paid ads with compelling, community-driven content. 🌐 Engagement Over Ads: Foster real connections, not just transactions. 🔍 Visibility: Authentic content cuts through the noise, enhancing visibility. 💡 Innovation: Use organic content to test, learn, and innovate in real-time. 💰 Yes, paid media brings them in; engaging content keeps them there. One thing I'll be watching: Who will best leverage RMNs not just as ad platforms, but as vibrant communities. This isn't just a gap; it's our next big leap forward.

9

6 Comments

While Google by default seems to play favorites with certain items on your product feeds (many times seemingly un-logically) 🤔🎯, there is a proven way to make products start showing for your company once you institute it for your account. ✅✨ See how to get Google to promote the missing items on your shopping campaign not currently showing for your company right now. 🚀📈 Full Video on Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gjzP45SF Keywords: pmax not promoting all of my items, how to get certain items to show on google shopping, why isn’t google showing all my items on google shopping, how to get google to show all my items on google shopping, why is google only choosing to promote certain items vs. others via my PMAX campaign? #PMAXCampaign #GoogleShopping #ItemPromotionStrategies #MaximizeProductVisibility #GoogleAdsOptimization

2

📌 Pinterest is having a webinar next week to dive deep on their Performance+ suite of products. You'll be able to hear directly from two Lead Product Marketing Managers as well as a Senior Industry Lead (s/o Jared my old colleague!) What you can expect: • Discover how the suite of Performance+ products can help automate campaigns. • Learn how to create a campaign using Performance+ to drive lower funnel performance. • Follow step-by-step demonstrations on how to analyze and optimize campaign performance. • Receive our free “How to Get Started with Performance+ Guide.” Link to register in the comments 📌 #pinterest #marketing #dtc #ecommerce #performancemarketing

18

2 Comments

How do you *really* know if podcast ads are bringing in net new customers? Sure, pixel attribution can capture 70% more podcast-attributed conversions.... But how many of those are truly incremental? Well, Podscale® partnered with Podscribe to find out... "For the large brands we work with, understanding the net-new impact of podcast ads has always been a challenge—especially when they’re spending big on other channels, too." - Natalie Kovac, CEO Podscale® Using Podscribe’s “always-on” incrementality testing, Podscale® was able to finally measure which podcast ad conversions were incremental. Meaning... They wouldn’t have converted without hearing the podcast ad. The Findings? INSANE!  ➡ 58% of conversions driven by podcast ads were incremental, meaning these customers were genuinely net new.  ➡ Up to 2.56x Incremental ROAS, securing over two and a half times return for every dollar spent on ads from net-new customers. ➡ Podcast ads drove a massive +$3.9 million in incremental revenue for some of the fastest-growing DTC brands. Want to see the full story? Check out the case study to learn how Podscale® and Podscribe made it happen → https://lnkd.in/g8_cp4v4 #podcastadvertising #incrementality #dtc #podscribe

23

Have you heard of "performance branding"? It's still a provocative concept. I bet most people in advertising remain skeptical of it. The core tenet is the outcomes you can measure in brand-building campaigns are as actionable for campaign improvement as the outcomes (e.g. clicks, downloads, conversions) you can measure in direct-response campaigns.  This is a big claim, given the massive success of the DR machines (think of trillion-dollar companies in search and social) that for years have auto-optimized “performance” campaigns toward their outcomes. Conversely, performance branding argues against passive branding – run some ads, hope for the best, see what happens post-campaign. Most brand-building campaigns still practice passive branding. Yet Upwave is a believer; a supporter of this revolution in marketing. And we’re not just dreaming: We’ve seen our advertising clients & media clients successfully implement performance branding. Intrigued?  Excited?  Still skeptical? Come here more on our next Masters of Brand Measurement panel series tomorrow (Tuesday May 7) with thought leaders from LG Ad Solutions, GumGum, and Wondery! https://lnkd.in/gX43pHCG

26

4 Comments