This episode features a dynamic discussion with Brad Bettinson, VP of Enterprise Solutions at JAM Direct, focusing on the evolution of email marketing and the role of AI in modern marketing strategies. The conversation delves into whether email is becoming obsolete akin to outdated technologies like the fax machine, or if it's adapting and thriving in a world dominated by instant communication channels.

Brad brings over 20 years of experience in email and marketing automation, offering insights into the shifting landscape of customer engagement. He emphasizes the importance of personalized, data-driven approaches in email marketing to cut through the noise of overloaded inboxes. While acknowledging the challenges posed by AI's black box nature, he highlights its potential to streamline processes and enhance relevance in customer interactions.

The episode covers emerging trends such as AI-driven personalization, send time optimization, and the integration of various channels within a cohesive omni-channel strategy. Brad stresses the significance of prioritizing customer-centricity and relevance over sheer volume, citing successful examples like Toyota's commitment to delivering value to their subscribers.

You can expect to gain valuable insights into the evolving role of email marketing, the impact of AI on marketing strategies, and practical approaches to enhancing customer engagement in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

In this episode, seasoned industry experts Kevin Krossing and Jeff Dack gather around the virtual table to dissect the ever-evolving landscape of creative agencies. Buckle up as we unravel intriguing insights, heated debates, and fresh perspectives on what lies ahead for these dynamic entities.

1. Art vs. Agency Work: The Great Debate

🎨 Artistic Boundaries: Is agency work truly an art form? We delve into the delicate balance between creativity and client briefs. When does a piece transcend mere commercial intent and become a masterpiece? Prepare for a lively exchange of ideas!

📜 The Brief Dilemma: Imagine a canvas where client requirements meet artistic expression. We explore the tension between fulfilling briefs and pushing creative boundaries. Can an agency’s work be both functional and soul-stirring?

2. Maximizing Client Budgets: The Alchemy of Value

💰 Stretching the Dollar: Kevin and Jeff spill the beans on their secret sauce for maximizing client budgets. Discover ingenious strategies that transform limited resources into impactful campaigns. Sometimes, it’s not just about doing more with less—it’s about doing better.

🔍 The Hidden Equation: Ever heard of “one plus one equals three”? Dive into the magic of synergy. A well-crafted creative product can amplify results beyond expectations. We decode the alchemy behind stretching those client dollars.

3. Navigating the Digital Frontier

🌐 Digital Disruption: The digital age has reshaped agency-client dynamics. From social media campaigns to immersive experiences, we discuss how agencies adapt to this brave new world. Buckle up for insights on data-driven creativity and the power of storytelling in pixels.

🚀 Agencies as Innovators: Beyond ads and billboards, agencies now wield tech-savvy tools. We explore AI-driven insights, virtual reality escapades, and the fusion of content and code. How do agencies stay ahead in this digital arms race?

4. The Human Element: Creatives, Clients, and Collaboration

🤝 The Dance of Collaboration: Creatives, suits, and clients—how do they tango? Our podcast unveils the delicate choreography required for successful collaborations. From brainstorming sessions to client pitches, we peek behind the curtain.

🌟 The Agency Renaissance: Amidst automation and algorithms, the human touch remains irreplaceable. We celebrate the storytellers, designers, and strategists who breathe life into brands. After all, pixels need poets too.

Join us as we unravel the Future of Agencies. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer, a curious student, or an agency aficionado, this podcast promises inspiration, laughter, and a dash of creative magic. 🎧✨

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ye7BOgwo4C0?si=GVkB6ZrfyLgPtHWb

 #AgencyInsights #CreativeAlchemy #FineTunewithCorbyFine #AdvertisingAgencies

In this episode, I welcome two respected experts in the digital advertising space, Ben Wise and Jeremy Freedman, to explore the evolving landscape of digital advertising and the future of agency structures.

We start by discussing the current definition of digital advertising, noting its evolution beyond traditional online ads to encompass various channels like billboards, audio, and even in-video game ads. Ben suggests that dropping the term "digital" from advertising could benefit the industry, as advertising increasingly permeates all aspects of modern life.

The conversation turns to the role of chief digital officers in organizations, with Ben and Jeremy advocating for a shift towards a more consumer-centric approach rather than focusing solely on digital channels. They emphasize the importance of understanding consumer behavior and meeting them where they are, regardless of the platform.

Programmatic advertising is highlighted as a solution to simplify the complexities of reaching consumers across multiple channels. Jeremy explains that programmatic technology streamlines media buying and offers a more efficient way to target audiences.

Data-driven targeting is recognized as a powerful tool in advertising, but both guests stress the importance of creative messaging. They emphasize that while data can optimize targeting, effective creative remains essential for engaging consumers and driving results.

In the end, Ben and Jeremy assert that a balance between data-driven targeting and compelling creative is key to successful advertising campaigns. They highlight the need for continued innovation and adaptation in the ever-changing advertising landscape.

Listen in to hear the whole discussion.

Helping organizations embrace emerging technologies so that they can have a better relationship with their customers, unlock growth and build their brand is the goal of  Forum3. Co-founders Adam Brotman and Andy Sack know a thing or two about each of those goals, which is why they started the business in the first place, and the emerging technology of focus, Generative AI.

Adam is the former Chief Digital Officer at Starbucks, where he was responsible for building the brand’s Odyssey loyalty platform, Mobile App and led the company through its massive digital transformation. Andy is a seasoned tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist who recently spent 7+ years advising Satya Nadella on new product innovation and digital transformation. Together, they seek to connect the flywheels between new technology, brands and customer engagement.

As Adam and Andy discuss, organizations, brands and leaders have to get over their fear of new technologies like Generative AI, and just start experimenting. The trend line that's going on with this technology is so fast that brands need to start now with experimentation. They need to start thinking about how to incorporate it in their workflow, how to introduce it to their customer relationship strategy, if not directly to their customers, because if they don't start to experiment with it, Adam and Andy are confident they will be left behind. 

To help with this, the two started Forum3 and their initial product Hive3, a competitive AI league where top creators compete for cash prizes and rewards from leading consumer brands. They provide a platform for AI creators to showcase their talent and compete against fellow innovators.  As the two co-founders put it, "We have our own community of a couple of thousand of what we call, super prompters, providing intelligence as a service."

So listen in on how AI is going to change everything, how to best take advantage, and how to not get left behind.  Oh, did I also mention they are writing a book with Harvard Press to be released soon?  What can't they do?

Successful leaders have a number of common attributes. Some of them include having a sense of humility and humbleness, to be able to say that they don't have all the answers, that they have made mistakes, and that they are human and vulnerable. One of the most important characteristics is that they try to surround themselves with people who can teach them as well.

Cindy Wahler understands that no single human is successful all by themselves. We all require mentors and advocates. A mentor is someone that's going to help you with a certain skillset that you want to achieve, whether it's presentation skills or executive presence. On the other hand, an advocate is somebody that's willing to risk their own reputation and career to be your voice at the table. Listen in as Cindy and I discuss these and other important leadership and development topics including how everyone at one point or another faces common challenges like imposter syndrome.

Cindy is a leadership consultant with broad based experience in positioning organizations for success, within both the private and public sectors. She works with senior executives at the CEO, EVP and SVP levels developing leaders who can execute organizational strategy and drive business results. She offers a wide range of corporate leadership programs, including leadership assessment, executive coaching, succession planning, and talent management. Cindy is a regular contributor to Forbes, Huffington Post, CNN, and Chief Executive Officer and an author of a
recent book on leadership entitled 20 Effective Habits for Mastery at Work.  She can be found at https://www.cindywahler.com/.

Many of us strive to work at the intersection of really smart people, really strong technology advancement and differentiated thinking. That combination of elements ultimately leads to better results. Sean Downey, President, Americas & Global Partners at Google lives at that intersection.

As Sean explains, you have to have a really innovative culture that has tremendous amounts of psychological safety, where people feel like they can come in and contribute ideas and that they belong. Only then will they feel really comfortable pushing the envelope on how to innovate and make things better. Oh, and he never punishes failure. As Sean states, "I love a healthy dose of failure and it's something that as long as we learn something, we can fall forward on it."

Sean believes that innovative organizations strike a healthy balance between innovation and doing the common things commonly.  He states that "we're here to invent status quo." What does this mean? Well, Sean likes to innovate on the edge, and he has a cycle that starts with incubation as an idea in the form of a test, which then he proves works. Then and only then does Sean think about growing it, along with a handful of other things that were also successful. And then, he thinks about scaling it. Once scaled, it become the new common and the new starting point for the cycle to start over. 

As President of Americas & Global Partners at Google, Sean leads the company’s advertising business in North and South America. Before this role he served as the Vice President of the Google Marketing Platform for the Americas, helping Marketers, Agencies and Partners leverage data and technology to advance their Digital Marketing Maturity and buy and measure media more efficiently. Prior to joining Google in 2008, Sean was the Vice President of Buy Side Sales at DoubleClick, where he led their agency and advertiser business. Sean has also worked in various ad technology and software startups, and over the course of his career has brought various evolving advertising technologies to market such as rich media and programmatic buying and analytics.

You don't need to consistently look for big, humongous changes in your organization. According to Tanbir Grover, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at Pet Valu, thinking about and focusing on the edges is critical as most things in your business are usually working quite well. The challenge is in getting alignment and support to work on making those things better. The trick according to Tanbir, is to figure out who you can ally with and gain alignment on a common vision to take things forward, and gain investment in making the good even better. Listen in as Tanbir and I discuss this as well as how Pet Valu has been transitioning itself into a digitally enabled, neighborhood partner in the health and wellbeing for pets of all kind. Oh, and learn that the movement of focusing on overall "wellness" isn't just for humans any longer!

Tanbir Grover is the Chief Marketing and Digital Officer of the Pet Valu, having responsibility of the Company’s omni-channel marketing, e-commerce and marketing analytics, including the Company’s loyalty program. Prior to joining Pet Valu, Mr. Grover served as Vice President, Digital at the Co-operators Group Limited from January 2020 to November 2020. Prior to that, he held a number of different roles at Lowe’s Canada from 2011 to 2020 where he most recently served as Vice President of e-commerce and Omnichannel. Mr. Grover also held senior digital and marketing positions at the Hudson’s Bay Company and Sears Canada. He is also a graduate of the Not for Profit Directors Education Program at the Institute of Corporate Directors at the University of Toronto.

It takes a strong leader to be vulnerable and ask their teams, "can we do it this way?" and if it doesn't work, admit that it's okay. It takes an even stronger leader to speak with all new hires as they come on board, empowering and encouraging them to be reckless. Imagine starting a new job and having you leader tell you to use your first 90 days to try and do things your way, and to break and change things as you see opportunity, without fear of repercussion.  That's the kind of leader that Shilpa Arora is, and DoorDash is benefitting from her leadership. As Shilpa states, "I think that's where a lot of the energy comes from, and that's where a lot of the will to do something different and think about something from a fresh perspective comes from, and it leads to better debates, better discussions, and better outcomes".

Shilpa Arora is the General Manager of DoorDash Canada, responsible for overseeing overall business strategy, operations and growth. With an international career spanning almost two decades and several industries, Shilpa has held leadership roles across financial advisory, mergers & acquisitions, corporate strategy and innovation as well as digital transformation. Before joining DoorDash, Shilpa led CIBC’s personal banking and client connectivity strategy and operations. Most recently, she was Senior Director of Transformation at CIBC, responsible for the bank’s digital enablement and business optimization initiatives. Shilpa is a trained architect, holds an MBA from Indian School of Business and is a certified business valuator (CBV). As a female leader in technology, Shilpa is an avid advocate for diversity and inclusion and
intersectional representation in the workplace and is passionate about mentoring emerging women leaders and mentors newcomers and early-career women.

As marketing teams change their focus from successful campaign launches to measuring outcomes in an agile operating model, there is a fundamental shift requiring significant trust from the rest of the organization taking place. As Meghan Nameth describes, it is probably the biggest leap of faith that an organization can take, as most people, especially in senior executive positions, are used to seeing everything before it happens. In an agile, outcomes based world, things are very different.

Listen in as Meghan and I discuss many of the issues and opportunities facing marketing teams and CMOs today including the effectiveness of creative, placement and message, the effectiveness of AI models versus simple triggers, and how complacency is the enemy of progress. Meghan gives some incredible examples and her established opinions on these and other topics.

Meghan Nameth is the former and most recent SVP of Marketing for Loblaw Companies, having led the marketing organization to grow and strengthen some of Canada's most iconic brands from Shoppers Drug Mart, Presidents Choice, No Name, Loblaws, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Maxi and more...  

Meghan joined Loblaw in 2021 from Hudson’s Bay Company, where she was CMO and prior to HBC she held several executive positions in brand management, digital marketing, data & analytics and product innovation for PwC, TD Bank & TD Insurance, Mars Canada, and P&G. 

Michael Roberts, CMO of MetLife, believes in outcomes, so much so that in the organizations he has had a chance to lead as a senior marketing executive, he has changed team structures and operating models to focus on outcomes based marketing.  One of his key principles, is that if you can't find a pattern of things NOT working, then it means that things are completely out control. So how do you find ways to consistently make things better, whether they were already broken or perhaps even doing quite well?  Listen in as Michael shares a few personal tips from his incredibly successful career.

Michael is a senior operating executive and business leader with 18 years of experience serving financial institutions/professional services companies, leading teams of up to 150 people and product P&Ls of $1B+. Currently he is the CMO of MetLife running global brand and marketing for the organization. An operationally-focused business partner, his expertise spans strategic partnerships & M&A activities; strategy development; marketing, product management & technology; organizational re-structuring and process improvement. His exceptional communication, leadership, collaboration and relationship building skills inform all his work, as does his ability to identify/remove complexity in order to standardize/simplify.