Keeping an underperforming employee out of a sense of kindness is a mistake; it hurts A-players and creates entitlement. True kindness involves direct, ongoing feedback ('kind candor') and, if necessary, firing them with a generous severance package.
In large organizations with flawed measurement systems, effective marketing requires the courage to challenge the status quo. The best marketers are not afraid to lose their jobs by advocating for consumer truth over internal politics and flawed legacy systems.
The UK and European marketing industries are more attached to outdated metrics, awards, and "fake reports" than the US. This creates less competition for relevance on social platforms, making it an easier market to win for practitioners who understand the mid-funnel.
Live social shopping is transitioning from a niche in China to a major force in the West. Brands that master this channel now, particularly on platforms like TikTok, will gain a significant competitive advantage similar to early adopters of social media marketing.
Treat organic social media as a free testing ground. Only allocate working media dollars to creative that has already proven its relevance by gaining organic reach. This eliminates guesswork and the need for unreliable focus groups or executive opinions.
CFOs are more receptive to data-driven, ROI-focused marketing arguments than CMOs, who are often attached to traditional, less-measurable "romance" metrics and fake data. Marketers seeking to drive change should build alliances with the finance department.
When facing C-suite resistance, don't just prove the ROI of your new idea. Instead, question the efficacy of current, approved spending. Highlight declining business results despite large budgets for traditional channels to create urgency for change.