I cringe whenever I look at how many unopened emails live in my work inbox. I’m lucky if I open maybe ten percent of them — including anything promotional. But, of those ten percent, what convinced me to open and respond to them? Those companies did below the line (BTL) marketing right. Email marketing, direct mail, events — below the line marketing includes these and similar targeted tactics to convince and convert buyers. What goes into running a successful BTL campaign? And where do you begin? To help you start, I dug into BTL marketing: the history, its relationship with […]

When I first heard I had to write about D2C marketing, I did what many professionals do when presented with something they know nothing about — I quietly panicked and then asked ChatGPT. To my surprise, however, I learned D2C marketing isn’t as foreign to me as I thought. And it likely isn’t to you, either. Dollar Shave Club, Blue Apron, and Glossier are all well-known brands built on the business model and considered masterclasses in marketing — let alone D2C marketing. With D2C business sales predicted to reach nearly $230 billion by 2025, here’s what you need to know […]

If you’ve followed the news or opened X this fall, you’ve probably seen Polymarket. It’s that prediction market for politics (and more) that’s been all over the place lately. I’ve been following their rise for the past year from a no-name niche betting market to over $1B assets under management — with the CEO on the cover of Forbes and presidential candidates mentioning them in speeches. Throughout the rise of Polymarket, I’ve become friendly with a few members of their growth marketing team here in NYC. And the one thing I keep asking them again and again is: “HOW ARE […]

The prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) has many concerned about job security. AI writing, AI images, AI videos — while the final products are far from perfect, they raise the question of what jobs AI could eventually replace, even if we don’t want them to. But, heck, if AI can create a marketing plan for me, I say, “Welcome to the team!” A marketing plan is a foundational piece of any marketing strategy. It keeps businesses organized and focused on their goals. However, with all the details it should consider and capture, it can be extremely time-consuming and tedious to […]

If you’d asked me early in my career to define what marketing is, I would have no doubts. “Marketing is about promoting products,” I’d say. But today, it’s one of the toughest questions to answer.  The term is so broad and flexible that it’s hard to pin down. Marketing is present in all stages of the business, beginning to end. Without marketing, you can’t truly understand your audience, create a product that fits their needs, or successfully bring it to market. Marketers have the firmest finger on the pulse of your consumer persona. In this guide, I’ll show you in […]

Tackling marketing without a solid plan is like putting together a puzzle without all the pieces — I know this firsthand. Before using a marketing strategic framework, my efforts often felt scattered, with no real direction. But once I started implementing these frameworks, things started to click. Suddenly, my campaigns were more focused, organized, and way more effective. I noticed the sky looked bluer, and the flowers smelled sweeter. Well, maybe that last part isn’t true, but everything seemed to run much more smoothly. A good marketing framework doesn’t just give you clarity: it turns your entire strategy into a […]

On my fridge, I’ve got a magnet my parents gave me that says, “Hold on… Let me overthink this.” So today’s marketing master’s third lesson really hits home for me.  Jenna Kutcher is a digital marketer, podcast host, and author. As the founder of a multi-million dollar brand, she thinks marketers are overcomplicating it.  Keep reading to learn her three favorite tips for marketers looking to get ahead during a time of such intense search volatility.  Lesson 1: Don’t sleep on Pinterest. One of the most frustrating experiences for Jenna is chatting with marketing big-wigs and hearing Insta and TikTok […]

One of my favorite Super Bowl commercials is 2020’s Boston-set “smaht pahk” ad, which heralded Hyundai’s self-parking feature.  Rachel Dratch’s and Chris Evans’ exaggerated Boston accents grab your attention. John Krasinski confidently eyeing a too-narrow parking space piques your interest. If you’ve ever squeezed into a parallel parking space, lurching back and forth a few inches at a time, this ad probably awakened a burning desire for a self-pahking cah. By the time David “Big Papi” Ortiz leans out of a nearby window and watches the sedan easily slide between two poorly parked cars, you’ve gone into action and pulled […]

Welcome to HubSpot’s Expert Edge Series, where we interview top execs at major brands to explore their perspectives on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the industry. “Use AI. But not too much AI … and in the right ways.” “Optimize for SEO – but it’s changing completely and irrevocably, so also optimize for other channels.” “Speed and relevancy are top priorities. But we also need a 3-6 month content calendar which will require rallying a cross-functional team.” Sound familiar? These are just a few of the six paradoxes Jasper’s Head of Enterprise Marketing and Communications, Samyutha Reddy, recently posted […]

As the pandemic surged in 2020, people stayed home, and demand for home improvement services went through the roof. Construction companies swooped in and launched targeted marketing campaigns. One example is Brett Landscaping, which sold almost its stock of higher-priced porcelain paving products. Fast forward to 2024, people are at work. The economic outlook is grim, and interest rates and inflation are high. These factors have led to one outcome: declining interest in construction and home improvements. Our yearly business recap shows the construction industry saw decreases in customer acquisition metrics. Inbound leads are down by 3.8%, web conversions by […]