Veena Gandhi 🔥’s Post

My POV: Gen Z didn’t break the funnel; the linear journey was already broken. Marketing theory is just now catching up to how purchases are actually made.   As a creative director deeply entrenched in the concept and execution of social full-funnel fashion campaigns, this article's insights had me positively buzzing. The funnel has been old news for a while across all generations, as the path to purchase is not linear, and the decision-making journey is more complicated than most brands map out. Some insights to consider: 📌 Non-linear discovery: Gen-Z is discovering brands through CREATORS on YouTube and TikTok at a rapidly growing pace (57%). 📌 Trust gravitation shift: No longer TRUSTING first-touch discovery executed directly by brands, 56% of Gen-Z think brands lie about their product/service. 📌 Social Commerce solidification: TikTok Shop has made the process MUCH FASTER for consumers who see a video and almost instantaneously decide to purchase in-app. That said, if you are still using old funnel tactics, it's a call to action to rethink your strategies and consider integrating creator-driven content across various marketing channels. Vogue Business's article: https://lnkd.in/eHHkAyhd

Our agencies have helped 200+ brands scale to 7 and 8 figures. These are the 5 biggest ecom facts this journey has taught me ⬇️ 1. Some brands wrongly think performance is the most important variable. Optimising for performance is important but The creatives is arguably THE MOST important variable. If you don’t have a creative machine bolted on to your brand, you will struggle. 2. Effective creative decisions are about 1 thing. Data. Working with so many industry-leading clients has given us Massive amounts of data Which we leverage to see what works and what doesn’t. Focus on core hard metrics: 1. CAC/ NCPA 2. ROAS 3. SPEND 4. LTV 5. CVR Focus on soft/ creative metrics: 1. Thumbstop Ratio 2. Hold-Rate 3. CTR 3. In 2024, every brand should be a media company. Think Red Bull, think Gymshark, think Apple. They all utilise media for edutainment. (Education+Entertainment) High-performing brands are master storytellers. A caveat here is that brand is important, but without performance, there is no brand. 4. Focus on value - everything else is a by-product When you lead with value When you use giving value as your North Star When you focus on how your product changes people Scaling your brand happens on autopilot. 5. Where DTC e-commerce is headed this year: → UGC will continue to drive conversions and leads on social platforms → High-production ads are dominating more than in past years (now that UGC is saturated) → High-production ads I predict will start rising on TikTok as the platform matures → Brands with the most engaged communities will win → ‘Founder Stories’ will be highly-performing creatives - we’ve seen brands triple in size from founders stories → TikTok commercial use is only going to grow What’s a prediction you have for the DTC space in 2024?

Which brand has the greatest chance of success? 1) The brand took 90 days to put together a brand marketing strategy. 2) Or the new player in the space that… - Spent 2 hours using Waldo.fyi to do comprehensive research… - Spent half a day of brainstorming aided by Springboards.ai to nail down their positioning based on a strong insight. - Spent 2-3 days to spin up a website and Shopify-powered e-commerce backend and integrate with Amazon to dial in their storefront and fulfillment. - Started sending influencers products to get feedback and begin forming longer-term relationships. - Launched a social profile on whatever platform makes the most sense (instead of spreading themselves out too thin) and spent an hour a day listening to their customers and broader category conversations and another 1-2 hours posting content relevant to those conversations. - Set up Helixa to do real-time listening within the category to find organic trending moments they can jump on. - Began testing multiple ad creatives and targeting groups to see what resonates and use the feedback from this minimal spending to understand what’s working. The future of branding is not 100-page brand books. The future is getting started. It’s trying more things in the real world, and seeing what sticks. The old, slow-moving brands that can’t get out of their way are in trouble. In this new era of social-centric marketing, it’s the brands that let loose, move fast, and make things that will gobble up attention and market share.

How 7- Figure DTC Brands ruins everything with ads! after auditing 100+ ad accounts, I found most of them are doing the same mistake, loosing them fortune as: - Depending Solely on Algorithm - Fail Targeting Right Audience - You don't invest strategically - Shuffling Different Services - Silly Copy with Jargons - Testing Unlimited Ads - Heavily Automations - Don't Test Offer - Ignoring Basics - Don't Optimize - Don't Iterate - Don't Scale To increase your conversion and sales. you should remain strong with marketing basics and do this before anything : +. Take time for audience research +. Focusing to solve their problems +. Understand their desires You know that your audience is humans and they want human appeal as: Marketing = Applied psychology Use storytelling, Build a brand personality and share that personality with your targeted audience. using a combination of the golden rule: Educate + Entertain + Inspire 1. Educate: Build strong brand purpose, Awareness & solution. 2. Entertain: Target and connect their emotions, give them a feeling to talk about. 3. Inspire: Give them a purpose, Inspire and motivate them with your winning product. Rules are simple, but marketing isn't. Test, Learn & implement. ---$--- I help 7 Fig DTC brand scale with strategic marketing. Do Follow Khizar Javed , Hit the 🔔 to build your brand.

💡 7 Proven Marketing Strategies That Make Top Brands Unstoppable! 💡 Ever wonder how industry giants like Netflix, Nike, and Amazon maintain their edge? 📈 Here are 7 innovative, high-impact marketing strategies they use to stand out—and how you can leverage them too! 🌟 1️⃣ Personalization & Customer-Centric Approach 📌 Netflix’s approach: Curated experiences for every viewer. Personalized recommendations keep customers engaged and loyal! 2️⃣ Storytelling & Emotional Connection 📌 Nike wins hearts by telling stories of resilience and triumph. This emotional connection builds a dedicated brand community. 3️⃣ Influencer & Community-Based Marketing 📌 Glossier amplifies real voices. By featuring authentic user stories, they create trust and a loyal following. 4️⃣ Experiential Marketing 📌 IKEA’s strategy? Memorable experiences like pop-up bedrooms make customers feel part of the brand journey. 5️⃣ User-Generated Content 📌 GoPro lets its users market the brand, sharing their thrilling experiences with the world. It’s organic marketing at its best! 6️⃣ Data-Driven Targeting 📌 Amazon relies on data and AI to deliver exactly what customers need, driving conversion and satisfaction. 7️⃣ Content Marketing & SEO 📌 HubSpot’s secret to massive organic traffic? High-value, educational content that attracts and retains audience attention. --- 🔍 Which strategy would you incorporate into your business? Share your thoughts below, and don’t forget to save this post for your marketing inspiration! 💼✨ #MarketingStrategy #DigitalMarketing #BusinessGrowth #CustomerExperience #ContentMarketing #AIinBusiness #LinkedInTips #BrandBuilding #Entrepreneurship

The power of empathy in marketing cannot be overstated. By offering narratives that acknowledge audience pain points while providing clear, actionable solutions, brands can cultivate a strong rapport with their consumers, leading to increased loyalty and higher conversion rates. Be sure to keep this in mind when it comes to your print and promo campaigns! #marketing #promo

Brand Hosts - A digital trend to watch out for in 2025 Brand hosts act as the human face of companies, leading live streams, webinars, and social media content while embodying the brand’s values. They make every interaction feel personal, driving loyalty and conversions. If you want to see great examples of this already in action, check out some of the below... · SEPHORA: Beauty advisors host live shopping events, offering expert advice while showcasing products. · Nike: Athlete hosts drive engagement with training sessions, product tutorials, and live Q&As. · Amazon Live: Hosts create interactive shopping experiences to promote products in real time. · Semrush: Their engaging webinars and live digital marketing sessions, led by in-house experts, position them as thought leaders in their space. However, it's 'Chris' on their TikTok channel that has really captured my imagination and heart - he is absolutely crushing it. Why This Trend Is Taking Off? · Engagement: Video content generates 1,200% more shares than text and image posts combined. Hosts amplify this by creating interactive experiences. · Live Shopping Boom: The live commerce industry is expected to grow to £194 billion globally by 2027, up from £53 billion in 2023. · Building Trust: Studies reveal 58% of consumers trust a brand more when it’s represented by real, relatable people. What This Means for Businesses? Integrating brand hosts into your strategy can strengthen relationships, boost engagement, and drive sales. Whether through live tutorials, product launches, or Q&A sessions, brand hosts make your audience feel connected to your story. The influencer market is really going to be turned on its head in the next few years and displays another example of how customer trends crave that human touch point that Ai can never replace. #DigitalTrends2025 #BrandStrategy #ContentMarketing #CustomerEngagement

Advertising Makes The World Go Round 🌎 Advertising isn't just a powerful tool for businesses; it's a transformative force that molds our perceptions, choices, and even values. It does not not just shape our buying habits but our very culture. From ancient market shouts to today's sophisticated digital platforms, advertising has evolved significantly, influencing economic growth, creating millions of jobs, and driving consumer spending. Each innovation in advertising, from the first print ad to the advent of social media to the use of AI, hasn't just changed the marketing game; it's reshaped society itself. Campaigns like Nike’s "Just Do It" have not only boosted sales but have become cultural icons, influencing everything from fashion to our humor and even the lexicon. Advances in technology, like AI and big data analytics, have revolutionized advertising, enabling more personalized and engaging ads but also raising ethical questions about privacy and data use. Yet, as we navigate these challenges, the core of effective advertising remains: understanding and resonating with the audience, leveraging psychological principles ethically to influence consumer behavior positively. The impact of advertising extends far beyond driving sales; it's a pivotal force in shaping our world, from economic trends to cultural norms and technological advancements. As we reflect on the advertisements that have touched our lives, it's clear the potential for advertising to drive positive change is immense. It mirrors societal values and aspirations while also influencing and reshaping them. What are your views on the impact of advertising in shaping our world? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Thanks to Gillian DeRario for inspiring this blog post. #advertising #marketing #culture

I have seen this mistake fail 100’s of DTC brands. And the same mistake failed my first DTC brand too. I started by perfecting the product and focusing on production. While doing all of this, I kept the marketing at last. I thought I needed to perfect my product and then start marketing. But actually, it needs to be done the other way around. If I had to start a brand in 2024, here's what I'd do: 1- Pick a niche in which I can create interesting content.  2- Build an online presence and a multichannel audience.  3- Make lead magnets to move that audience down my funnel. 4- Create an email list of active and engaged audiences.  5- Interact with the audience to find out their pain points. 6- Launch a product that offers solutions to their problems. It doesn't matter how much time it takes. Whether it's 6 months or 1 year, Don't launch your product randomly. Reverse the traditional process to achieve roaring success.   ↳ Start with marketing  ↳ Move to the launch ↳ Take the feedback ↳ Analyze and adapt quickly.   

Indeed, not every brand has the privilege and responsibility to reach billions of lives and change them for the better. However, it's fascinating to see big-name brands like IKEA utilizing the AIDA model effectively online and in-store to guide consumers through each stage of the buying journey. The AIDA model is a classic framework for marketing success! 🔹 Attention: Grab attention with compelling content & targeted ads. 🔹 Interests: Provide valuable information and highlight unique benefits. 🔹 Desire: Build a strong desire & emotional connection. 🔹 Action: Encourage action with clear CTAs & incentives. Every startup brand needs to be deliberate about this strategy that guides consumers from awareness to action. Are you familiar with the AIDA model, or would you like to learn more? Let's discuss. #MarketingStrategy #AIDAModel #BrandBuilding #Brandmanagement #Brandingguru #Branddesign