The Backwards Hat CMO

On today's Backwards Hat CMO Pod, I cover Rivians recent introduction of 3 new models which are are primarily focused on swimming the brand into the affordable portion of the electric car market.

The question is does this signify a brand shift for Rivian and its CEO RJ Scaringe? From a brand perspective its tagline "Electric Adventure Vehicles" will most likely need to be modified as the company shifts it focus from the premium end of the market to the affordable portion of the market.

While Rivans share price has been taking a beating over the past couple months which resulted in the announcement of a 10% reduction in it's global workforce, the brand which is on target to sell 57,000 electric vehicles in 2024, is clearly making a decision to swim its brand down stream with the introduction of R2, R3 and the R3X vehicles. The R2, which will first hit a road near you in 2026 and is listed at just over $45k is now taking reservations for just $100. So for the cost of two $50 Starbucks gift cards, you can reserve a R2. Note - no release date or reservation options are available for the R3 and R3X.

#rivian #branding #marketing #rjscaringe #electriccar #strategy

Beyond Mark Cubans recent remarks on CNBC about AI, it is clear that AI is hear to stay.

At this point it's safe to say that AI is everywhere. The reality is the use of AI was EMBRACED by big companies years before the ChatGPT revolution found its way to the consumer market. For marketers across business and technology sectors, the use of AI is now like grabbing that daily cup of coffee - AI if you will is now part of a marketers daily routine.

I asked CHAT GPT - the following question? How should marketers be using AI? Here's the answer direct from the AI source: Marketers can use AI in various ways to enhance their strategies and improve results. Here are some key areas where AI can be particularly beneficial:>

Customer Insights: AI can analyze vast amounts of data to uncover valuable insights about customer behavior, preferences, and trends. This information can help marketers better understand their target audience and tailor their campaigns accordingly.>

Personalization: AI enables marketers to deliver personalized experiences to customers. By analyzing customer data, AI can help marketers create targeted campaigns, recommend products, and deliver content that resonates with individual customers.>

Content Creation: AI tools can assist marketers in creating content more efficiently. For example, AI-powered platforms can generate personalized email content, social media posts, and even articles based on specific keywords or themes.>

Optimization: AI can help marketers optimize their campaigns in real-time. AI algorithms can analyze campaign performance data and make adjustments to improve outcomes, such as adjusting ad placements, changing targeting criteria, or modifying messaging.>

Customer Service: AI-powered chatbots can provide instant, personalized customer support, helping marketers improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.>

Predictive Analytics: AI can forecast future trends and outcomes based on historical data, enabling marketers to make more informed decisions about their strategies and investments.>

Image and Video Recognition: AI can analyze images and videos to identify trends, brand logos, and consumer sentiment, helping marketers understand how their brand is perceived online.

Overall, AI can significantly enhance marketers' capabilities by providing them with valuable insights, automating repetitive tasks, and enabling more personalized and effective campaigns. #ai #automation #IntelligentAutomation #Disruption #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #socialmedia #b2b #markcuban

The most obvious statement I can make is to remind brands that their social media posts should be memorable.

At this point, every marketer and management team understands that social media posts should be memorable. Yet, if you look at the social media landscape - so many companies simply do not execute against the idea that social media posts should leave a lasting impression.

So why does this happen? The answer begins with a strategy that is not clearly defined and ends with teams not having enough time to prioritize social media.

Whether you're a startup or an established brand the fastest way to achieve success begins with being honest about your brand's product market fit - remove what we want, and replace that sentiment with what we know.  

* In the old days of marketing companies would run focus groups to gain deep insights into why consumers, liked or disliked a product or a brand - short of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on research - go back to the basics and talk to your customers and prospects on a regular basis - the answers to weather or not you have strong product lives with your customers and prospects. 

* Stay consistent with your messaging and your focus on who you are targeting, why you are targeting them, and how your product or service benefits them.

* Don’t spread yourself too thin with over verticalization, unless you have the necessary resources on-hand to truly execute against your verticalization ambitions.

On today’s Backwards Hat CMO Pod, I caught up with Lisa Helfer to discuss the impact AI is already having on PR/Comms strategies. We cover everything from AI ethics to how AI is changing how PR professionals work daily.  

Lisa is a PR/Comms expert and has worked with some of the world's largest brands: Intel, Microsoft, Amazon, Talend, Nokia, 6Sense, Privacera, and BMO Bank.

Topics covered: 

🔸AI’s Got Talent - How AI is impacting PR Professionals Day to Day lives 

🔸Redefining the impact of PR on overall marketing strategies

🔸How AI has put PR teams on an Innovation rollercoaster 

🔸The importance of personal branding in an AI-driven world 

🔸Deep dive into AI Ethics  

Learn more:

https://www.stealth.ltd/

On this week's Backwards Hat CMO Pod, I interviewed Jeff Greenfield, the Cookie Monster who discusses the upcoming cookie collapse. We dive deep into why third-party cookies are going away from browsers in Q3 of 2024.

Have you ever encountered a brand that churns out an extensive volume of high quality content, leading you to believe the company must be raking in over $100 million, only to discover it's actually a startup with just 4 individuals running its marketing team? How does such a lean team manage to produce such a substantial amount of content? Typically, the explanation lies in the adoption of an aircover marketing strategy.

So what is an aircover marketing strategy? At its core, the basic principle states that a single piece of content can easily be used or slightly modified into multiple pieces of content which then can be distributed across multiple channels.

For example - your company produces a blog which includes a customer quote, after the blog is published that single piece of content can be turned into 4 to 5 dark social posts, components will show up in a sales deck and a downloadable customer case study may be produced.  

The aircover this provides for a sales team should not be underestimated as the strategy ultimately is designed to do more with less, while building a significant amount of brand awareness and recognition for the company.  

The significance of implementing AIRCOVER in marketing organizations goes beyond a defensive stance; instead, it represents the proactive execution of an offensive playbook by your marketing team. The foundational principles of aircover marketing revolve around the meticulous planning, creation, and distribution of content across multiple channels.

The initial step involves securing a commitment from your marketing team, regardless of its size, to adopt an aircover strategy. This commitment is then followed by a planning phase that entails constructing a comprehensive backlog of potential content. Throughout this planning stage, the focus should be on crafting content that not only influences your sales organization but also fosters a stronger brand connection within your community.

Once a piece of content is produced, it should be integrated into a post-production calendar and, ultimately, delivered to the market in a timely manner. While the specific distribution of content may depend on the situation, it's crucial to recognize that a new piece of content can and should be repurposed across various marketing channels. Why limit content production to a single channel when the same piece, or a slightly modified version, can be effectively utilized across multiple channels?

#GTM #b2b #aircover #marketing

P.S. Think of an aircover marketing strategy as a commitment to planning, production and execution designed to build significant brand presence with a streamlined, yet highly efficient marketing team.  

Learn more at https://www.stealth.ltd/

Dave covers the 3 main objectives of social media. Welcome to the Backwards Hat CMO Podcast. On today's show, we dive into the 3 main objectives you should have for your social media strategy.

Did you know that 78% of people first discover brands via social media?

Plus we dive into the importance of branding for startups and emerging brands.

Learn more at https://www.stealth.ltd/