Vivek Bhargava’s Post

🏝 No brand is an island, with navigating category dynamics being a key part of any business's path to growth. This week at Marketing Week, we launched Good to Grow, a new series exploring how marketers are navigating those dynamics. I kicked the series off with two features about brands in emerging categories. The first exploring how brands are communicating the role they can play in consumers' lives, and the second on how they are using product, price and place to grow. As Little Moons' Ross Farquhar told me, there's so much muscle memory attached to any category. With emerging categories, it's not just about disrupting that muscle memory to swap out one brand for another, but it can also mean building a case to consumers to introduce a new habit or occasion into their lives. It's a fascinating marketing challenge, and one explored in the two features linked below ⬇ In the coming weeks, as part of our Good to Grow series we'll be diving into other category challenges, including case studies of brands shaking up categories and those finding growth in mature high-penetration sectors. Stay tuned for more 👀

Capabilities matter! McKinsey & Company breaks down how building key #growth #capabilities in areas like #analytics, #GenerativeAI, and #creative #agility is a must for any marketing team aiming to stay competitive. By developing centers of excellence, marketing leaders can ensure scalable skills that meet changing consumer expectations and drive sustainable growth. These capabilities aren’t just a strategy—they’re a toolkit for thriving in a rapidly evolving market Really suggested reading. https://lnkd.in/eYg9mDyD

Really enjoyed chatting to Nadia Edwards-Dashti recently at the Fintech B2B Marketing Community annual conference in London recently and being part of her Forbes write up on #marketingleadership and it’s rightful place having a seat at the proverbial table. Highlights include (🔗 see comments for full article): 📈 Marketing as a Revenue Driver 🎓 Marketing as an Educator Marketing for Personalization 💲Marketing Requires Ongoing Investment 🗣️ Marketing as the Voice of Purpose 🤝 Marketing Drives the Partnership Ecosystem ❤️ Marketing to Build Trust 💡 Marketing to Excel Innovation 😵💫 Marketing Influences Perception 🏃🏼♂️ Marketing That is Agile I believe that there must be a better way to deliver financial products and services in a more resilient, risk-mitigated business model which creates lasting value for people and planet, not just short term profits at all costs for shareholders and investors. My reflections in the article focus on Marketing as the Voice of Purpose: “…we must address marketing as a “connection function” that “drives a better future.” She points out that alongside revenue considerations, there are responsibilities elsewhere, too. She notes the “purpose of marketing should be to drive human, environmental and economic value” for all, not just for profit at all costs. She calls out that marketing has great influencing power to drive the development of inclusive financial products to reach new audiences and improve financial literacy. This is seen in the inclusivity of products and how they are marketed to various audiences. When marketing “buys into purpose,” that purpose can be “seen through the whole business and right through to the customer offering.” Picking up on this theme and Marketing as an Educator, marketing in itself also has a long way to go to be educated to be a driver of resilience and sustained growth which is why Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) created a series of short courses for professionals such as (🔗 in comments to check them out) - Sustainable Marketing, Media and Creative - Business Sustainabilty Management - Sustainable Finance - High Impact Leadership - Communicating for Influence and Impact Interesting insights all round thanks to Payal Raina , Sonia Mazzotta - Morrison Rashee Pandey, Emmy Granström, Sumeet Vermani, Natasha Gay, Mia Mohamed, Liesl M., Vanessa Lovatt #Fintechmarketing #b2bmarketing #purposemarketing #sustainablemarketing

According to Harvard Business Review, the future of marketing is intergenerational. Their study also finds a bewildering degree of variability across individuals within the same generation. To close this gap, marketers should aim to emphasize common values across different age groups and build “post-generational” brands. #DigitalMarketing #DigitalMarketingAgency #YEGBusiness Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g6C9MDPU

Look To Your Blog...There You Will Find The Answer... The world is in a time of great transformation! 🚀 We are living in a fast-paced digital world with an increasingly competitive market! 💥 Right now…Thought Leaders are in the spotlight! Entrepreneurship is booming! 📈 These innovators are setting the stage and raising standards. ✔ Value creation through authenticity, ethics and social impact is at the forefront! ✔ Expectations are at an all-time high! ✔ The demand for transparency and social responsibility is rising. Sustainable Brands must level up to establish their brand as an Authority! So...how do you do this? ❓ How do you capture the attention and trust of the conscious consumer? ❓ And more importantly, how do you convert them into lifelong fans, buyers, and even better...raving brand advocates? The answer is simple...it lies in your Blog Content. 🤓 I explain why in my latest newsletter in the comments. ✏ “At Jessi Juice...We envision a world where ethical and sustainable brands thrive. When deceptive marketing disappoints and taints your tastebuds…drop the sugar and head for the honey pot! Like nature, our copy is purposeful, authentic and unadulterated, free of deceptive additives that leave a bad taste in your mouth." #ShortFormContent #LongFormContent #ContentMarketing #SEO #BloggingStrategy #HealthAndWellness #OrganicLiving #SustainableBrands #DigitalMarketing 

At bpesearch, we've collaborated with Been There Done That to create an insightful report showcasing the thoughts and opinions of leaders within the marketing industry. Each week, we'll be sharing one expert's insights. Here's a reflection from Giles Jepson, COO at Been There Done That, looking at how underdogs shape the future. In his piece, Giles shares the Hiut Denim makers and mavericks list of 2023, the list of the one hundred+ people that got them to utter the words ‘I wish I had done that, made that, invented that, thought like that, changed that’. It makes for very interesting reading! To see this, and insights from other experts, you can download the report for free, here: https://lnkd.in/e_gW_hnN #Marketing #ExpertInsights

Harvard Business Review's article "Make your marketing a force for good" is such an insightful piece about how brands can become heroes by addressing social issues. Brands have the power to make a difference, and this should be the new norm.  The key takeaway is that brands should genuinely understand the significance and severity of the social issue they want to resolve, address it correctly - without simply paying lip service, and do good for themselves while helping the community at large. It's s must-read! PS: I think it's another practical example of Adam Smith's theory about the 'invisible hand' which states that the self interest of businesses can be beneficial for society as a whole.  https://lnkd.in/dSCamGwv #marketing #brands #herobrands #digitalmarketing

Our new research initiative reports a shift in consumer concept of value, with a move towards favoring brands that deliver personal value over societal value. Read more in Stephanie Mehta's #ModernCEO in Fast Company.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my day-to-day work is collaborating directly with some of the most ambitious and brilliant brand leaders of our time. Working so closely on business-critical issues has made me realize how challenging the current reality is for today’s CMOs, from setting a growth agenda to grappling with the impact of generative AI. That’s why I was excited to sit down with Kieran Powell, EVP of Channel V Media in this Authority Magazine interview that explores some of the recurring questions CMOs face, based on my experience working with marketing leaders across various industries:   How should we calibrate the balance between product and marketing to make budget decisions? How does the strength of a brand impact marketing budget allocations? What is the most holistic way to evaluate the ROI of marketing and brand across both leading (short-term) and lagging (long-term) indicators? I’d be curious to learn how your brand strategy has helped you make important marketing decisions? And what (or who) are your go-to resources to help make these decisions? My own perspective owes a lot to the invaluable insights I've gained working alongside the inimitable Jonathan Mildenhall and Neil Barrie. https://lnkd.in/gV6c9SJP