Karen Babcock’s Post

When it comes to how we work with our agencies, is it time to go back to the drawing board? In a world of fragmented media and shifting consumer preferences, the traditional agency model faces unprecedented challenges. The pressure to deliver impactful campaigns is heightened, as is the focus on ROI. Are we setting ourselves up to accomplish these goals? Volta Charging joined The Room to reimagine how we work with our partners to be most successful.

Haven't started your BFCM planning? The time to start is NOW! Ready to get started? Here’s a preview of Andrew Foxwell's (https://buff.ly/3LipZ33) checklist for this BFCM: Consolidate your learnings from BFCM 2022: Creatives, copy, offers, audiences, scaling methods, etc. — this will help you plan your promotions for quarter four. Create a brief report on what worked for you so far this year: Some questions to ask yourself — Is there anything different about your account this year? What campaigns have worked best? ASC? Broad? DABA? What about messaging and creatives? Make sure you budget enough time for media buying and creative needs: Start at BFCM weekend and work backward. Keep in mind that different stakeholders are involved in this process – their timelines may need to be factored in to make sure you have your ads ready before your promo begins. … and there’s A LOT more in the checklist that you shouldn’t miss. 👉 Get the complete checklist on the Foxwell Digital blog here: https://buff.ly/3sOtece If this is your first BFCM, remember that scaling ad budgets may require you to tackle additional hurdles like increased staffing needs, more customer service, more supplies to be ordered ahead of time, etc.

Headed into the 3rd year with R&B ONLY, we've helped sell an additional 250K tickets, focusing sharply on three key levers: 1️⃣ Ad creatives 2️⃣ Landing Page 3️⃣ Strategic ad spend We've made tons of progress by running 100's of experiments, from event clips and custom edits to copy testing and special offers. Our mindset? Test everything that could possibly resonate. This rigorous experimentation isn't just about finding what works; it's about constantly moving, learning, and adapting at a pace that might be new – and yes, uncomfortable – for those not used to it. This rapid pace and willingness to experiment are fundamental to our success. For potential clients considering a partnership, it's crucial to understand that this intensity and speed are non-negotiable. We move fast, test relentlessly, and adapt continuously. If you're not ready to embrace this approach, it may not be the right fit. If your goal is to move at a pace that sets industry standards, we should talk! But be ready; we're strictly about getting results for event partners. 📈

"𝐵𝑒 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑑𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙" - Walt Whitman or Ted Lasso depending on how much TV you watch. Still haven't seen that show... Anywhoo, as the resident Marketing Director at +WeCreate Media, I get the privilege of seeing the inside of a lot of businesses, and that includes their ad accounts, marketing strategies, and agency relationships. Here's what I know to be true: Business Strategy and Paid Media are different for each client, each vertical, and each season. By approaching new relationships with curiosity and treating the current objective as an enlightening puzzle, you're far more likely to be successful rather than trying to square-peg-round-hole a pre-conceived strategy into existing day-to-day operations. In short, a bad marketer is one that falls in love with a bad idea or bad test and holds onto it as absolute truth. Luckily, that's not you, because you're smart and cool and stuff. Have a kickass day. 🤘

Amazing time at MAD//FEST. My highlights: Liquid Death, Liquid Death, Liquid Death! The sheer appreciation for their brand! "The company’s marketing can only be as bold and gutsy as its most senior person." True words Daniel Murphy Rory’s Approach: Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission : Your ability to stand before the audience and talk about both your wins and your cease-and-desist moments with equal honesty is commendable. And that hawk-tuah T-shirt- show stopper! Jon’s Honest Stories: Your candidness and the raw truth about getting fired not once, but twice was powerful: "When you get fired, it’s not about you; it’s about them." Rory Sutherland’s profound insights about the reality of marketing in the average organization: “Brands unintentionally encourage lack of accountability by segregating departments, which is the biggest act of violence against the customer." And finally and most importantly, spending valuable time with my lovely team and our agency partners: Francesca, Leonor, Freya, Scott,Tracey, Jonathan, Jonny, Adam Mad Fest, you lived up to the hype! Snippets from my talk at the event.

If You Want To Stand Out From Your Competition, Then You Need To See This AD From Old Spice... In 2010, Old Spice made marketing history with their iconic ad: "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like". With over 40 million views, it boosted product sales by a staggering 107%. Why did this ad work? One simple reason... It's unique and completely out-of-the-box, leaving a lasting impression on viewers. What else did you notice from this ad, that made it so successful? Let me know below. Best, Aaron P.S.  If you found this insight valuable, repost and share it with fellow marketers to help them grow.

New Episode 🔔 | Better Advertising with btr media Join Justin Nuckols and Nick Amos as they break down the latest features on Amazon like Boosted Posts and Vertical Videos, offering practical tips to boost your brand. Also, listen to our insights on how the team at BTR embraces learning and innovation together. Whether you're refining your advertising approach or staying updated on Amazon, this episode is for you. Tune in here 🎧: https://lnkd.in/dXx5MnB4

It’s been one of those crazy weeks that you only really get in this industry. We pitched and lost. We pitched and lost, again. Then we pitched…and won. And that made the two other losses seem insignificant. We almost forgot that we had failed. But I think the key to winning, and losing with grace, was not fearing failure. So even the pitches that weren’t successful on paper, were even more successful to the teams that grew through them. And we presented work that we would have been happy to put our name on. Work that pushed the envelope and even challenged the brief. There’s nothing I would have changed. OK there is, but there always is with any Creative Director. The really intense bit is that two of the three pitches happened on the same day we launched the new brand campaign for our biggest client. Which was also the same day I had the immense privilege of delivering the keynote address at the Vega graduation. Picture attached as proof…the one where I look like I’m delivering a sermon. It was a challenging week. I think I’ve been tested like this before and haven’t coped as well as I did this time. But as usual, I simply could not have done it on my own. Thank you to everyone who pitched in when it was easier to just punch out. #GrowthThroughCreativity #HereWeGrowGreat #Advertising 

We made it folks! The week is just about over How about we celebrate by saying one positive thing that happened to you this week. I’ll go first. We have successfully onboarded two amazing clients, won another client and send out a contract for yet another. How about you? What was one good thing that happened to you this week? #marketing #digitalmarketing #goodnews

The "Motion Offense" is a winning play that makes video ad experiences more remarkable to achieve KPIs across the entire sales funnel. Learn more about this turnkey strategy in our new playbook: How to Win with High Impact Creative, where we explore 4 key plays you can implement today to drive results throughout the funnel. Download now ➡️ https://hubs.ly/Q02l5BBH0