Channel Mastery

GUEST PROFILE: John McCoy is a seasoned e-commerce and marketing leader. Currently, he’s a retail industry value engineer is SAP Hybris, a digital commerce software company. Before moving to SAP Hybris, he was the e-Commerce director of The Sports Authority (TSA). He had insider access to how a more traditional retail brand responded – effectively and less effectively – to the changing power dynamics of the new economy and to the ever-changing complexion of consumer preference.

His work for large corporations and across many industries has given McCoy unique insight into: e-commerce strategy, omni-channel strategy, digital merchandising, digital audience building and business development, social media, video marketing, lead generation, Search Engine Optimization and Marketing (SEO/SEM), and email marketing.

EPISODE PREVIEW: In part one of a special, two-part episode (see Episode #9, available INSERT DATE), Kristin and John provide an overview and analysis of how brick and mortar and e-commerce business models are finally learning to knock down the silo’s and actually align strengths to create a much stronger consumer-centric approach. 

The balance of power has shifted monumentally across all businesses today, and in this episode, power swings between the old and the new sales and distribution models, between consumers and sellers, and between brand’s internal departments, are dissected. This is where you can identify where your own organization might be flubbing instead of finessing a tight, on-brand consumer experience – listen in and learn!

Tune in on August 29th for the second half of this episode, which continues the conversation between Kristin and John. In episode 9, they dive deep on marketplaces and on how brands and retailers can adapt to this new economy, improve their agility, and – in the borrowed words of Gary Vaynerchuk, “market to the now.”

Topics covered: unifying brick and mortar with e-comm business models, adapting to the new economy, the balance of power of consumers/sellers, the balance of power among brand’s internal departments, “clienteling,” three ‘P’s’ of success, differentiation, solutions for traditional retail, leveraging data, gold customers

SELECT QUOTES:

(On where the 1/3 of TSA customers went when the company closed) “Research…and some other analytics firms showed that 80% of (of the “disappeared” Sports Authority consumer base) actually went to Amazon.”

“It's not that people just stopped buying bikes and stopped buying boxing gloves and weights equipment. They just are buying it in different channels today.”

“I see organizations from a tech perspective investing more in what we call "clienteling,” which is a tech term today. Clienteling is a matter of leveraging CRM technology, customer data, past experiences, shopping, that sort of information to build out that universal ID for that individual.”

“Technology is really an enabler, but it's not the driver.”

“It boils down to what I call the three P's: your people, your plan, and your partners.”

“What is it about your brand that they love so much? Then use that as your guiding light - your North Star, your Polaris - to help you continue to retain what was beautiful and wonderful about your brand - while still ensuring that you are doing things for the right reasons and for the right customers.”

“It is tough. But having real conversations around why those kings and queens (i.e. best/loyal consumers) shop you, and then getting to the real ‘why's’ behind it, it can drive some fascinating conversation and innovation for your organization.”

CONNECT:

 SAP Hybris: http://www.hybris.com/

Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealmccoy1/

Digital Giants Vlog: http://www.bedigitalgiants.com/

AS MENTIONED IN EPISODES 8 and 9:

 Matt Powell Channel Mastery Episode: http://www.verdestrategy.co/podcast/podcast/episode-2-matt-powell/

 Elaine Kwon Channel Mastery Episode: http://www.verdestrategy.co/podcast/6-elaine-kwon/

 CNBC Article (June 2017), “A Former Amazon Employee Has a Warning for Brands” http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/29/a-former-amazon-employee-has-a-warning-for-brands.html

 L2 Inc: https://www.l2inc.com/

 Scott Galloway, via L2: https://www.l2inc.com/speakers/scott-galloway

 Gary Vaynerchuk: https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/

 Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown, Hacking Growth: http://growthhacker.com/

Audible Version: https://www.audible.com/pd/Business/Growth-Hacker-Marketing-Audiobook/B00OQQUDDI

 Eric Ries, The Lean Startup: http://theleanstartup.com/

Brad Stone, The Everything Store: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-everything-store-brad-stone/1114319314

GUEST PROFILE: Amy Hatch is the founder and CEO of Garage Grown Gear, a marketplace, media hub and community for outdoor start ups and the people who love to support them. She’s a trained journalist turned entrepreneur, who in 2011, founded Jackson Hole Packraft and continues to serve on the board of the American Packrafting Association. Her deep involvement in the world of packrafting helped open her eyes to the innovative outdoor gear being developed in garages and basements across the country, which became the impetus for Garage Grown Gear.

EPISODE PREVIEW: There’s no shortage of innovation in the outdoor industry, but today, it’s tougher to find. It’s now found today where we’ve been trained to find it in past seasons.

Back in 2014, Amy Hatch recognized a bunch of cutting edge gear was being produced; it just wasn’t on the ‘pipeline’ big stage (otherwise known as, the trade shows). Small, passion-driven start-up brands may have been following in the footsteps of legacy brands built in garages and sold out of hatchbacks and vans across the world. But what they are not longer following is HOW to get to consumers.

The barrier to entry for outdoor active lifestyle market innovators is GONE.

Amy is one of the key members of the wrecking crew who have broken down the barrier to entry. She built a hub in GarageGrownGear.com. In Episode 7 of the Channel Mastery podcast, you’ll get Amy’s insights on the state of innovation in the industry and how to become nimble and continually adapt to the changing needs and preferences of your target end consumers. You’ll also learn why she decided to do a crowdfunding campaign three-plus years in to her journey with GarageGrownGear.com.

Topics covered: crowdfunding for fundraising, marketing and sales, innovation, the value of embedding with, and having a two-way conversation with your absolute target end consumers.

SELECT QUOTES:

“It’s becoming really clear that if (retailers) don’t start owning some of your products, it makes it really hard for your business to be viable because it’s such a competitive marketplace.”

“Kickstarter is a beautiful platform for fundraising, (and) it’s also an amazing platform (for) marketing, and being able to tell your story and get word out.”

“Nothing (provides) more directly real feedback than running a crowdfunding campaign.”

“A big piece of advice I give to startups is pick your channels and be exceptional at them rather than being mediocre at a lot of channels.”

CONNECT:

Garage Grown Gear: https://www.garagegrowngear.com/

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garagegrown/

AS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

The Startup Intensive, through Silicon Couloir, Jackson, WY: https://www.siliconcouloir.com/startup-intensive

GUEST PROFILE: As co-founder and partner of Kwontified, and a former Amazon product and vendor manager, Elaine Kwon leverages her e-commerce, product operations and supply chain experience – plus intimate knowledge of the Amazon Marketplace – to help beauty, lifestyle and fashion brands navigate today’s evolving retail climate and achieve sales growth.

Kwontified is a data-driven e-commerce management and SaaS firm empowering established brands with the inside knowledge they need to succeed on Amazon and other digital marketplaces. Kwontified focuses solely on the luxury beauty, fashion and lifestyle segments and provides white-glove management service and a proprietary SaaS offering.

Elaine is recognized as an expert in e-commerce by leading consumer, business and retail media publications, as well as luxury and lifestyle brand managers.

EPISODE PREVIEW: For many brands, the concept of selling on Amazon is as overwhelming as the idea of being dropped in the middle of the Amazon rain forest with nothing but a dull pocketknife and some beef jerky. In this episode, Elaine Kwon – herself a former Amazon employee – is the experienced, machete-wielding guide who speaks the insider language and knows the most direct path to the destination.

Listen in to learn what to look out for, how to prepare for opening Amazon as a sales channel, and how to manage your account once your brand is sold through the website. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but Elaine’s expertise helps ease an otherwise intimidating process.

Topics covered: specialized e-commerce, Amazon sales strategies, Amazon wholesale and Amazon marketplace, controlling a customer experience over an Amazon sale, segmented sales and distribution, supply chain considerations, best practices, the value of customer reviews, Amazon as a source of convenience for consumers

SELECT QUOTES:

(On being surprised that Nike is selling via Amazon wholesale) “Selling wholesale to Amazon does relinquish autonomy over pricing. For many brands, especially within these industries, control over pricing is such a fundamental part of not only maintaining your brand equity, but cultivating it and growing it. If you are trying to grow your brand, (and enforce an) SMRP, then relinquishing even a small part of that autonomy can be dangerous.”

“That's one of the great things about (Amazon): it can have such a huge selection available to consumers. But as a brand, it means that you have to be actively managing and very aware of who else might be selling your brand.”

(On best practices, paraphrased) There are some consistent arenas that every brand on every product page should be aware of: your brand name, price control and imagery.

“Customer reviews are your best friend.”

“Use your social media. I cannot express it enough. In order to not have to compete price-wise with all the other products in your category, the best way to really build your business, not just on Amazon but anywhere online in general, is to build your own following online.”

“Once you have that [established brand] personality and you start building external buzz - whether it's through Instagram, any kind of social media, or even PR - you'd be amazed at the uptick you'll see on your platform like Amazon.”

“One of the scariest things I think I've seen is the lack of education around all the changes that are happening.”

CONNECT:

Kwontified: https://kwontified.com/

Elaine’s Bio: https://kwontified.com/our-leadership/elaine-kwon

Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainekwon/

AS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

CNBC Article (June 2017), “A Former Amazon Employee Has a Warning for Brands” http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/29/a-former-amazon-employee-has-a-warning-for-brands.html GeekWire (July 2017)

“Ex-Amazon Manager’s Startup Kwontified Aims to Help Fashion Retailers Navigate e-Commerce”     https://www.geekwire.com/2017/ex-amazon-managers-startup-kwontified-aims-help-fashion-retailers-navigate-e-commerce/

GUEST PROFILE: Richard Kestenbaum is a founding partner of Triangle Capital, a company that does mergers, and acquisitions and raises capital for companies in fashion, retail, apparel, accessories and consumer products.

Richard has been in investment banking for three decades and has deep experience advising clients in merchandising businesses in the apparel, retail and consumer sectors. He’s the author of three books on finance and computer programming, and is a former Adjunct Assistant Professor of International Business at the graduate program of the Stern School of Business at NY University.

He’s also an active contributor to Forbes.com, and covers the retail, fashion, consumer behavior and consumer products.

EPISODE PREVIEW: Here’s a quote from Richard Kestenbaum, today’s guest on the Channel Mastery podcast, which offers a great glimpse into the content you’re about to hear:

“Loyalty with a brand is not dissimilar from loyalty that people have in their relationships. It's based on people going out of their way for other people. … When a brand can create that kind of loyalty, that's when they can go around the barriers and motivate consumers to pay the full price and to continue using their product and recommend it.”

In this episode we take on topics that have been dominating the business press this summer – like Nike/Amazon and Amazon/Whole Foods – and pull the relevant lessons for our passion-driven industries.

Richard has the rare ability to present huge concepts, like how to succeed in a consumer-centric market and the value of risk-taking – in succinct and meaningful ways. Richard is exceptional at pointing out We cover a lot of ground (check out the quotes just below to get an idea of all Richard brings to this interview). This is a must-listen episode for everyone, but especially for those of you who are stuck with legacy budgets and legacy operations, and you’re seeking ways to justify and substantiate new strategic courses to a less-than receptive audience.

Topics covered: new valuations of companies, consumer-centric, sports as an identity sector, success/failure the multi-brand retail, supply chain compression, risk-taking, Amazon/Nike and dis-intermediation, D2C specialty bike retail, brand loyalty borne from positive experiences, succeeding in a consumer-centric environment

SELECT QUOTES:

“When you take companies that have been historically successful and you try and value them the way you did historically, they're not always worth that anymore because consumers have changed what they want.”

“What's so interesting about sports to me is that almost more than any other kind of product that people buy, it relates to people's identity.”

“So all of that is leading to a shorter supply chain, less inventory risk, and faster development of products from concept to consumer.”

“Of course you want to minimize the risk that you take. Minimize the human and financial investment that you make in each of the risks that you take. But not taking risk is the most risky thing of all right now.”

“Change comes from the outside and you have to think differently than just what can I do with the resources I have because sometimes the world just changes too quickly.”

“We can no longer think of channels as static. And anyway that we can reach a consumer is valid as long as our brand is presented in an appropriate way.”

“We're seeing shorter and shorter lead times for product. And we're seeing more and more local delivery or local production of product. And companies that can do that will have an advantage.”

“(Amazon and Walmart have) the greatest resources in the world, and they don't have the answer. They're just trying new things. And if such smart and resourceful people have to do it that way, what else can the rest of us do? We can't know. We just have to try new things.”

“(To succeed in today’s consumer-centric climate), I would focus on two things: customer experience and truth.”  

CONNECT:  

Richard’s blog on Forbes.com (https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/ - 403d8aa06eda)

Richard’s Bio at Triangle Capital (http://www.trianglecapitalllc.com/team/ - team-richard)

Triangle Capital (http://www.trianglecapitalllc.com/)

Richard’s SIA-focused column (Feb. 2017): “Sporting Goods Makers Will Have to Adapt to Face this Enormous Challenge

GUEST PROFILE: As a third generation owner of four outdoor stores, Mike Massey has been on the front lines of specialty retail his entire life. Massey’s Outfitters was among the first brick and mortar outdoor retailers to sell online, to sell through online marketplaces, and to integrate data exchange processes into business operations.

In 2013, Massey founded Locally (www.locally.com), an online platform that allows retailers of all sizes take advantage of changing consumer habits and to become part of the “always-on,” on-demand economy. Locally puts local retailers front and center where consumers are making their buying decisions: online. In 2017, Locally has introduced more conversion tools to help local retailers secure sales. Look for even more innovation in 2018 (discussed in the episode).

EPISODE PREVIEW: What OpenTable has done for restaurants and Expedia has done for hotels, Locally is doing for retailers. The wildest part is that this platform has found a way to connect real world stock to online consumers in a way that benefits customers, retailers and brands. Talk about win-win-win!

Multi-channel development is as critical for retailers as it is for brands. Same goes for data analysis. With consumers researching and making buying decisions online, brick-and-mortar-based stores of all sizes must have an online presence. Learn how to maximize the tools and data from this resource, called Locally, and get a glimpse of what will be possible in the near future.

Topics covered: trends in shopping preferences, calls to action, solutions for brick-and-mortar retailers, Locally.com, “the last mile” concept of conversion, utilizing and analyzing data, enabling sales reps to use data, retail mesh network, win-win digital marketing

SELECT QUOTES:

“[Our absolute] strategic goals are to develop solutions that are positive for retailers and that work for brands.”

“[Our vision was]: how do we unify the experience of going from online shopping to in-store pick up or local delivery.”

“The amount of data that we’re collecting on a daily basis is preposterous.”

“We see a future in retail that looks more like peer-to-peer and less like hub and spoke.”

CONNECT:

Massey’s Outfitters: http://www.masseysoutfitters.com/

Locally: https://www.locally.com/

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejmassey/

GUEST PROFILE: Often described as a catalyst for change and a strategist for success, and acclaimed for his no-nonsense style, Tom Asacker is the author of The Business of Belief, Opportunity Screams, A Little Less Conversation and A Clear Eye for Branding, groundbreaking books that redefine business and communication for the new age of abundance.

For the past ten years, Tom has been advising leaders that the traditional engines of growth have run out of steam. He views today’s world of complexity and change as a large-scale manifestation of many emergent events, trends and behaviors. The changes we’re living through require a new viewpoint and approach, laser focus on the right things, and a drive to make a different result happen by taking new and different actions.

Ultimately, according to Tom, “Attention is pretty much today's battlefield.” World-class companies including Procter & Gamble, UPS, and G.E. have called on Tom to shake up their people, fill them with ideas and charge them with inspiration. He is an author, speaker, consultant, entrepreneur, and he’s done his time in the chair in corporate America. He’s lectured on strategic communication, the customer experience, and marketplace trends. Ultimately, he’s an innovation guy.

EPISODE PREVIEW: This episode is JAM-PACKED with super important takeaways to be successful in business today. Seriously, it’s a must listen! In our conversation, Tom and I deep dive into two, mainstream philosophies of brand-building and sales: considering your target consumer differently and our prioritization of the all-important ‘why.’ Be prepared to change how you see the process of being remarkable to your target end consumer. This show brings to light what works today to engage the right end consumer and cater uniquely to their preferences (including their preferred channels). We also discuss the psychology of end consumer decision-making today. And, you won’t want to miss Tom’s take on the importance of redesigning the very structure of your company. You can’t achieve results in a very different business and consumer landscape, operating with the same business structure you currently have. It’s the design of a business that delivers results: nothing more, nothing less. It’s time to flip our priorities from being concerned about how to get in front of people, and instead focus on figuring out how to enhance your consumer’s identity and how to bring that to life. Listen in and let’s do this!

Topics covered: how the internet has both created opportunity and fracturing, consumer decision-making, challenging the notion that “why” is more important than “what” or “how,”the importance of identity, understanding your customer vs. understanding your brand, the hidden logic of what motivates behavior

Enter to win one of five autographed copies of Tom Asacker’s book: The Business of Belief. This book shows you the path to create true emotional connection with your target end consumer. Yes, it’s that good!

ENTER TO WIN TOM'S BOOK!

SELECT QUOTES:

“Nothing is going back to the way it was. Ever. There are major trends going on here that are changing not only the marketplace, but how the consumer's minds work, their thought process.” “You've got to know who you are and know what you stand for instead of trying to let the wind of the marketplace blow you around.” “If you're a passion brand, the question is do you know that the people out there want what you have? Do you know how to appeal to them? Do you know where they are? Do you know how to reach them? Do you know how to talk to them? Do you know how to continue to add value to them? Because if you don't do that, somebody else is going to.” “(In today’s marketplace), it’s more important to be different than it is to be better.”

CONNECT:

Tom’s website: https://tomasacker.com/

Books: https://tomasacker.com/books/

Newsletter: https://tomasacker.com/subscribe/

TedxCambridge: https://youtu.be/W0jTZ-GP0N4

The original Dollar Shave Club Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI

www.thebusinessofbelief.com

GUEST PROFILE: Seventeen years ago, just about halfway into his career in sporting goods retail, Matt Powell started to do research. It’s evolved over the years and Matt is now a vice president and sports industry analyst at data powerhouse, NPD. Matt has served as a buyer, merchandiser, operator, journalist, and now, researcher and data provider in the sporting goods space. If you have any question about the sporting goods and outdoor active lifestyle markets, he’s your guy. In fact, many, many brand leaders use Matt as a go-to, and he’s often quoted as industry expert in major business publications. You may know him from his blog Sneakernomics or his frequent contributions to Forbes.

EPISODE PREVIEW: In this episode, Matt brings his A-Game. He’s developed an innate ability to see business trends in our markets, before they even take hold, which is why he’s here with us today. Tune in and listen to Matt to offer his take on the current lookout for business in our markets and also, from the broader landscape. What Matt discusses in this episode will affect your business, if you listen and implement.

Topics covered: retail trends, protecting relationships when you sell online, strategic transparency, the importance of data analysis, differentiation, key insights on millennial buying habits and assumptions, learning from thriving industries (specifically: beauty)

SELECT QUOTES: “We really haven’t even begun to feel the real brunt of most of the rationalization that’s going to happen (in 2017).” “The internet has become an integral part of the retail purchase, and to me it’s critical that every brand and retailer have a presence online in some way.” “If I’m advising a brand about building their own physical stores, I would advise them to make them about community and less about commerce.”

CONNECT: Follow Matt Powell on LinkedIn, the NPD blog and website.

For those attending ORSM 2017, in Salt Lake City, meet Matt in person, with Julia Day, at the NPD breakfast on July 27, 2017 at the Marriott City Creek.

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Channel Mastery Podcast! This podcast has been in the works for about a year, and I can’t even express how excited I am to FINALLY launch this podcast, which is designed to serve YOU!

The Channel Mastery podcast exists to help you understand, learn and implement what’s working today for successful MULTI-CHANNEL businesses.

A multi-channel business model is a platform comprised of multiple end consumer points of entry. A consumer engages with these points of entry to have a brand experience and ultimately, join up with or purchase from the brand. Channels are not static. They are not swim lanes. They’re living and breathing conduits for your consumers to discover, engage with and buy from your brand through experiences.

This is the gap jump – on one side is the traditional wholesale business model, where along with publications, retailers were pretty much the exclusive point of entry responsible for conveying our brand experience to end consumers.

The other side is the platform – where there are multiple preferred points of entry for just the RIGHT end consumer.

The Channel Mastery podcast is dedicated to guiding company leaders how to be exceptional in providing a brand experience across multiple points of entry, or channels, online, offline and inline.

Okay, I’ll go into more about what’s in store for you in a sec, but before I do, I should introduce myself:

My name is Kristin Carpenter-Ogden and I started my 25+ year career in the passion industries of the outdoor active lifestyle markets as a journalist. For the past 16 years, I’ve served as the founder and CEO of Verde Brand Communications, a leading, full service, brand communications agency in outdoor lifestyle markets. You can learn more about Verde’s award-winning communications strategies and results by visiting www.verdepr.com.

Since founding Verde, I’ve worked with more than 200 brands across the active outdoor lifestyle industries as the founder and CEO of Verde Brand Communications. Some of those brands include: 

Under Armour Outdoor
KEEN Footwear
Confluence Outdoor
Gore-Tex
GE
ATHLETA
prAna
K2 Sports
GU Energy Systems
IMPLUS
SCARPA North America
Petzl America

I’m also the founder/principle of Verde Strategy, which was launched in January of this year (2017). You might be wondering why we would launch a new arm to Verde in Verde Strategy. I’ll keep it simple. ….

Verde Brand Communications is strongly differentiated by our strategic approach and the consultation we provide to all facets of company. That’s probably because I love to offer strategic consulting, and to create results that bring growth and expansion to our client family. In fact, this passion permeates all we do at Verde.

Communications, marketing and brand positioning are the founding areas of focus for Verde’s strategic approach. And today, these areas of focus are informing or leading decisions and actions taken for growth across all facets of a company. The reason? Branding, marketing and communications owns and shepherds the relationship with the end consumer.

And successful multi-channel business are 100% focused on serving their target end consumers.

The design of your entire businesses must evolve to successfully serve consumers across multiple channels.

Businesses need help with this.

Marketing, operations, sales and product have traditionally been silo-ed in our founding markets. Today, these leaders MUST work together consistently and nimbly.

And as we all know, we’re living through an unprecedented retail correction that is affecting every single business in existence. We’re all remodeling, let’s face it.

I’ve had to remodel my own company and continue to do so. I’m right there with you in my own business – plus I’ve gained a lot of unique experience working with the hundreds of brands I have over the past 16+ years at Verde.

Verde Strategy was born to serve businesses navigating this change.

Our areas of focus over the front and back of the house, because both must be tightly aligned for success today. Verde Strategy designs strategies and deploys best-in-class consultants to create and implement solutions for multi-channel businesses. You can learn more about us at verdestrategy.co.

And this podcast was born as part of our mission to serve.

After 16 years with Verde, I’ve learned that business leaders in passion industries like to work with who they know and trust. I mean, who doesn’t rely on their network of “Friendlies” aka other company leaders, to chat about what’s working for them?

Well, Channel Mastery will offer some of that. But more important, you’re going to learn from seasoned and successful leaders from outside of our industries.

I promise to bring in NEW insights and learnings with a market-fluent spin and a strong emphasis to IMPLEMENT quickly.

Channel Mastery will give you what you need – resources, data, analysis, insights and approaches — to get faster and better at building a new plane while flying the one you’re currently piloting.

Everything I’ve done in business, just like you, was inspired by and born from a real need. I recognized through Verde’s services and relationships that businesses need help knowing what to watch, how to evaluate it and how to implement. As one of our founding guests says, it’s about the WHAT, the SO WHAT and the WHAT NOW? That’s courtesy of Matt Powell, sports industry analyst for NPD, episode 4.

I love being an entrepreneur, business operator and multi-channel strategy consultant.

Let’s see, what else. …

I’m Jared Ogden’s wife and mother to Tobin and Isabella and Coco is our dog.

I also love playing in and protecting the outdoors and I’m a staunch proponent of the Outdoor Recreation Economy.

Back to the main focus for this short introduction show:

Who is the Channel Mastery podcast for?

All leaders of passion-driven businesses, like:

• Marketing
• sales
• operations
• product design and development

It’s also for entrepreneurs wearing all of those hats.

Successful multi-channel businesses don’t design strategies and implement in silo-s. They come together to make a channel experience the absolute best it can be. The channel is our point of convergence – our chance to work together to create growth from the many, many opportunities that today’s era of business.

This podcast will give you the what’s working best today to be discovered by, connect and engage with and ultimately convert your target end consumer in their preferred channels.

The most successful multi-channel businesses place their target end consumer smack in the middle of all data analysis, strategic planning and creative ideation. They design and build experiences for this distinct consumer across their preferred channels. Leadership of these companies work together to evolve through continual review and analysis of end-consumer and market data. They’re not afraid to try new things and to fail if they have to, in order to progress.

The Channel Mastery podcast audience is:

• Facing incredible pressure to evolve as you are concurrently seeing a stagnation or drop in revenue from your company’s existing channels

• Very creative and yes, even open to taking risks and failing

• Feeling confined by their company’s legacy structure, process and systems. Our listeners are feeling stymied because:
  • Their working with teams that were designed and built to move a traditional business forward
  • Their company is guilty of “setting and forgetting” when it sets a process that works – but those processes are no longer supporting evolution
  • They feel like it takes a long time to make change happen within your organization
  • They often hear things like “but this is how we’ve always done things” – from people you work with
  • They’re fighting for budget to try new things and feeling resistance, which is not that abnormal
  • But more so, they’re feeling restricted by the budgeting process you’ve inherited
  • Or, they’re trying to growing a team and want to invest in the right org chart to ensure you can never have silo-ed thinking or approaches
  • And they’re painfully aware that things are changing incredibly fast and for the LOVE OF GOD they just want to know what works for successful multi-channel businesses
  • And yes, they also want to understand your larger e-tail partners more so
  • Need to keep a pulse on the changes in distribution
  • And want to drill down into key target consumers like women and Millennials

Does this sound like you?

All of these topics are addressed on this podcast, but through the lens of successfully operating a MULTI-CHANNEL, consumer-centric business.

Okay, are you ready for some wins? Let’s get after this!

KCO