Andrei Najjar

Great and provocative read on Liquid Deaths’s success story. So many insights and examples which are relevant for FMCG challenger brands as well. Mark Ritson claims that “… if you step back and look at the original ‘four Ps’, it is almost impossible not to acknowledge that while the promotional P has its place, the product P is invariably the most important tactical consideration. Shitty marketing can surely kill a great product, but without a successful, product even the best marketing does little other than speed its own demise.” And I fully agree (see my earlier post for details) - so if you’re not yet following Mark, do it asap. It’s worth it (and entertaining). #challengerbrands #productlaunches #offlineretail

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Unlocking Business Growth: Commercializing Toys with Brian Burt In this episode of Toy Business Unboxed, we sit down with Brian Burt, Partner and Chair of the Emerging Business Group. With over 25 years of experience advising entrepreneurs and startups, Brian shares his insights on how toy creators can commercialize their products and bring them to market successfully. Drawing from his extensive background in corporate law, business development, and IP protection, Brian breaks down three key strategies for growing a toy business—from raising capital to forming strategic partnerships. Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale your business, this episode is packed with real-world advice and actionable steps.

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5  spicy 🌶, from-the-trenches topics Blue Seedling’s positioning lead Jordan Elkind will be tackling together with retail executive Kim Gallagher (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Nuuly) in our live event in two weeks: 1. The most common mistakes tech vendors make in pitching AI products 🤦‍♀️ 2. Why your product team hates your marketing team right now – and what to do about it 😡 (<-- love this one - so true!) 3. AI-washing: what it is, and how to do it right 🖌 (<-- we’ve done it and we’re not ashamed) 4. What market leadership looks like in a world where buyers don’t know what they want or need 🤷‍♂️ (<-- I’m seeing this one on a weekly basis) 5. Why everything you think you know about positioning is wrong…sort of :) 😵 Join our live webinar on 7/17: Positioning your AI venture: The definitive playbook for winning in 2024. Learn more and sign up free in the comments.

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"Lose all the indulgent cock about courage and possibilities and transparency. We aren’t saving the world. We are serving it coffee. Remember that brand positioning, whatever you call it, is what we want our customers to think when they think about us. Nothing more." Brands, know your place. #brandstrategy

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Staying Focused: Lessons from Sue’s 40-Year Journey in the Toy Industry and ASTRA’s Mission Join us on Toy Business Unboxed as we chat with Sue, a seasoned professional with over 40 years of experience in the toy and retail industry. From managing stores to leading ASTRA as its Director of Member Relations, Sue shares insights on staying focused, adapting to change, and building lasting connections. Discover how ASTRA helps specialty toy retailers thrive and learn from Sue's inspiring journey of resilience, leadership, and passion for the toy industry.

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It's January 2nd. The holiday glow is fading. Reality is setting in. Good. After two decades building brands, here's what I know: Real growth doesn't start with resolutions. It starts with this moment - when the work begins. Don't let perfect plans paralyze you. Start small: - One system improved - One decision made - One step forward The best brands aren't built on January 1st dreams. They're built on January 2nd action. What's your first step? #BrandBuilding #ActionOverPerfection #2025Goals

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Measuring brand campaigns against the same metrics as performance campaigns is like trying to measure the depth of the ocean with a ruler. 🫠 I enjoyed this article about Hasbro’s “splitsies” approach to balancing brand and performance media, because brands sometimes mistakenly conflate the two, expecting brand to yield the same immediate results as performance. Spoiler: It’s not a fair comparison. “I’m not going to throw ROAS on a brand media campaign – unless I want the CFO to say, ‘Hey, why are you running advertising at all?’ Burch joked.” Because brand marketing is about long-term influence, shaping perception, and building trust and awareness, its impact isn’t necessarily a straight line to conversion. It’s about creating a meaningful connection with your audience, which, frustratingly, doesn’t always show up in a neat, monthly report. Brand marketing is a slow cooker and requires more patience—there are a number of ways to measure its impact, but it’s not as cut and dried as the more immediate metrics of performance marketing, like clicks, conversions, and ROI. Brand ultimately helps Performance work more effectively, just like planting and carefully tending a garden can lead to a great harvest. #BrandStrategy #Marketing #Branding #LongTermGrowth #PerformanceMarketing

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How is your marketing and advertising strategy working? New Study Finds Digital Out of Home Advertising Surpasses Other Media in Driving Favorability and Action Among Consumers Three Quarters of Consumers View DOOH Ads Favorably (73%) or Have Recently Taken Action After Seeing a DOOH Ad (76%) https://lnkd.in/eV-8zHpZ How can I help your business or project with it’s Marketing and or Advertising Strategy? Please message me if your interested in booking a strategy call #marketing #advertising #digitalmarketing #consultations #smallbusiness #projects #booktoday Stitt Marketing LLC

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The most successful social media post I have ever been part of started with these words: "We hear you." The key to the success? Leading with empathy. A while back, a client of ours at Smoketown, LLC got wrapped up in a rumor that was fueled by misinformation. This rumor turned into potent controversy on social media and our client was widely accused of walking away from their core values. No part of these rumors were true, and, to be honest, they were quite absurd. A natural reaction would have been to be judgmental: how could these folks fall for such a ridiculous story? But that reaction, while natural, would have been the wrong one. In the midst of a firestorm, it is powerful to slow down, summon more empathy, and figure out the underlying reason for the drama. Once we did that, the frame changed. We read the radioactive social media comments. A pattern emerged: the brand's fans were having a hard time trusting institutions, including us. It was almost as if they were just waiting for the trust to be broken. So we tried to level with them: "We hear you." At the end of the day, no matter how value-driven and transparent a brand is, they are still a business. And to consumers, this means there is always the potential for their trust to be broken. That's why brands with a real commitment to their values, which was the case for this client, need to make empathy a core competency. From the outside, the social media post could have seemed simple, almost trite. But the reaction was exactly what we hoped: Thousands of positive engagements. More shares than any post in the company's history. Consumers appreciated being heard. With empathy, everyone won. #empathy #brandcommunication #brandvoice #marketing #brandvalues

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When I decided to leave my role as SVP of Marketing Billd back in June of 2023 to start my own CPG brand, there was ONE thing I heard very consistently from almost everyone I spoke to.... "Have you heard of SKU?" It was clockwork. I'm not kidding. If I met anyone in CPG (Founders, investors, etc.), they'd all say "You need to get in touch with the folks at SKU. Even just the connections will be helpful." 14 months later, Amia was accepted into the Fall 2024 Cohort at SKU and will be joining 7 other exciting brands and founders on a journey towards acceleration, learning, community, and opportunity. I'm thankful for all of the opportunities that I continue to get with this brand. To me, it's a testament to our mission and vision of empowering a billion people worldwide to take control of their migraines through more holistic, dietary approaches, without the need for pharmaceuticals. We have a big vision. To ensure every single grocery store worldwide has a "Trigger-Free" aisle that people with migraine can shop, just like allergen or gluten-free aisles. Don't get me wrong. This shit is hard. The opportunities that have opened up are great. And it's nice validation. But nothing is handed to me. I'm busting my ass every step of the way. Thanks to Brooke Wilson, Buff Greebe and Michelle Breyer for the opportunity! Looking forward to working with you all. About SKU: SKU was founded in 2011 by lawyer Shari Wynne Ressler and serial entrepreneur Clayton Christopher, founder of Sweet Leaf Tea and Deep Eddy Vodka, with the mission of accelerating CPGs. It has been a catalyst in establishing Austin as a CPG powerhouse. Since it was founded, more than 100 companies have completed the SKU program. SKU has gained a national reputation for excellence, with such publications as Forbes naming it one of the top CPG accelerators. Learn more at www.sku.is.

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This is why I don't listen to the arbitrary sh*t online. (We just debunked a DTC myth). We ran a giveaway for one of our Food & Beverage brand partners. (The cardinal sin of popup forms, apparently). The difference? We partnered with brands that have a very similar customer demographic. We used a Klaviyo form to capture the giveaway entries. - Collected 10,859 new subscribers (only 1,806 of them were existing subscribers). That’s 9,053 net new subs - The overall list size prior to this was around 26k - 1,345 of the new subs placed an order - 1,914 unsubscribed This list has an average open rate of 56.43% in the last 30 days. And has a click rate of 7.81% in the last 30 days. 4,069 of the 10,859 are “highly engaged” and a further 1,095 are “somewhat engaged”. The AOV of this list is $125.96. 9,083 subscribers of this list have visited the website. Ultimately, the only way to really know something is to test it for yourself. One method may not work for the majority of brands... But could absolutely smash it for yours. The core reason this worked so well was because this brand has an incredible customer retention rate off the cuff... + the brands chosen to co-participate in the giveaway were highly relevant. The secret is to do a giveaway with a winning horse. A brand where you can both add value to each others' ecosystem. And the other big secret is to test things out. Don't let others form your biases.

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Ready to dust off your jack-o-lanterns? Liquid Death and Yeti team up on a "Casket Cooler"—a spooky, (literally) chilling addition to any holiday party. This adds to the list of bold statements released by Liquid Death this year, excited to see how the upcoming season introduces more themed collabs! #ConsumerTrends #BrandCollab #BrandStrategy

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Amazon Prime Video extends streaming deal with WNBA Did you watch the Women’s March Madness? It seems someone inside Amazon Prime Video did and believed that extending their streaming deal with the WNBA for an additional two years. The WNBA draft is in a weeks time and Amazon is counting on the fact that consumers will want to watch the WNBA now that Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and others will be drafted by WNBA teams. Prime Video and the WNBA have signed a rights renewal deal, extending their partnership to the U.S. for 21 games per season, including the WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship Game, for 2024 and '25 seasons. Prime Video partnered with WNBA for 2021 season, streaming 16 games. 2024 season, May 14-Sept. 19, will feature 40 games each, with financial terms not disclosed. The WNBA has renewed its deal amid a surge in interest in women's sports, with college stars like Caitlyn Clark and Angel Reese expected to attract new fans. WNBA chief growth officer Colie Edison expressed satisfaction with Prime Video's commitment to the WNBA, stating that the platform will continue to showcase world-class athletes during the regular season and Championship Game streaming. https://lnkd.in/g2eyzWRZ

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To anyone wishing to help the victims of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, please be wary of scammers (unfortunately, this needs to be said.) Ensure your donations go to actual people affected and not scammers, with these two options: 1) GoFundMe.org has an official 2025 Wildfire Relief Fund, which they use to provide direct relief to people in need after a wildfire. The donations allow them to send critical cash grants quickly and directly to people who need them. https://lnkd.in/grvfgyYr 2) As well, they have also compiled a centralized hub of all VERIFIED fundraisers related to the LA wildfires, with those impacted by the Pacific Palisades, Hurst, and Eaton fires in the section nearest the top. https://lnkd.in/gpDhhwgv

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Looking forward to this discussion on the future of #measurement & the incredible insights from this amazing panel! #attribution, #MMM, #MTA

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On Nov 15, 2017 - my life changed. After 4 incredible years working at 360i (my dream ad agency) and on accounts like Universal Pictures, USA Networks & Pernod Ricard (my dream clients), I was ready to hang up my Don Draper jersey, retire from the advertising world, and find a new challenge. To me, that was going to be big tech: Google, Facebook, or Amazon - original, right? After final-round interviews and an offer in hand, I was ready to accept when I received a Tinder-like email from AngelList: “You matched with Todd Saunders from AdHawk because you both indicated interest in each other.” 😉 We connected, corresponded (including me calling him “Tood” in our second email exchange…actually), and clicked. Todd pitched me on a fake role, “Franchise & Co-Op Marketing Lead,” to lead and develop the relationship with one of AdHawk’s larger customers: FloorForce. In fact, John VC Weller somehow made his way into my first interview. But sometimes life is weird, and you go down paths you’d never expect. I went from working on movies and booze to flooring. After 7 years, 6 acquisitions, and 4 FloorCons, I’m excited to share that Broadlume has been acquired by Cyncly - a global leader in end-to-end software for all home services industries. Here’s to 10 years of Broadlume and the future with Cyncly. https://lnkd.in/eWWbEB22 It’s been an incredible ride and I’m excited for the next chapter. Todd & Dan - Thank you for trusting me and going along with my crazy ideas. My life is exponentially better because the two of you are in it. Jenna - My 360i “phellow” risk-taker. Thank you coming with me and trusting my hunch. Neil - my FloorCon compadre. We dreamt up the best flooring conference from nothing and crushed it - 3x. We made real magic happen. Ed - From the sweatbox, fried pickles, and late-night Slacks, there are few I'd rather have in my corner than you. You're one of the hardest-working and most passionate people I've worked with. Sean - I'm keeping this short and sweet because I know how much you love me calling you out, but you deserve it. Thank you. Catherine - thank you for joining our crazy flooring ride and righting our ship. Courtney - we've been through a lot to get here, and it was worth every minute. Weller - Without you, this doesn't happen. No one challenged me more in all things marketing - I've loved every battle, and the work always benefited/improved. Marketing Squad (Marie, Alexandra, Heather & David) - I couldn't ask for a better, more talented, and harder-working team. Thank you for pushing me to be better every day. We pulled off miracles more than once, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. And most importantly, Jennifer Bieber - thank you for being my rock. Putting up with my crazy show season schedule, 2-month pre-FloorCon hibernation, and all the craziness along the way. Without you, I don’t make it. I love you.

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I've been working through Bain & Company's Insurgent Brands list - a compilation of the fastest growing FMCG companies in the US; and an ongoing theme is hyper-masculine propositions. (While masculine stuff is great, it's certainly... interesting how there seems to be a bit of sprinkling of gender panic / crisis of masculinity in the mix there, at a time of a scarily widening gender divide) To whit... Veteran-founded beans when you want a macchiato but would like it heavily miliitary-coded: https://lnkd.in/dCpDcW3y Flushable dude wipes, for when you want to embrace personal hygiene but, you know, in a chill way https://dudewipes.com/ And hard seltzers for dads, for when you want a refreshing, health conscious beverage at the barbeque but without the (direct quote) "skinny can bullsh*t." https://happydad.com/

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📣Precise TV’s 2024 media consumption trend report among US Gen Z teens is now available! As a mom to 2 teens who love their screens and are constantly asking for products they see on YouTube, TikTok and other media platforms, this report will be super helpful to advertisers who want to reach this VERY picky audience. The 2024 Precise Advertiser Report; Teens & Youth (PARTY)  reveals: 🏆 YouTube remains the #1 platform among teens 🎵 79% of teens use YouTube to listen to music 📲 Teens' favorite apps include YouTube, YouTube Shorts & TikTok 🎮 More than 60% of teens like to play video or app games Download for free here: https://lnkd.in/e__Uz25z #GenZ #Report #YouTube #teens

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Big shout out to our partners at Google, especially Tom Stern, Chris Marino, and Rodrigo De Moraes for hosting Bill Nance, Jason Pfaff, and I for an excellent Brandformance LA event in the architecturally-gorgeous Spruce Goose hanger. 🛩 Here were my takeaways: 💡 1. Blurring the Lines Between Brand and Performance The old silos between brand media and performance media are disappearing. Consumers don’t see "brand ads" vs. "performance ads"—they see your story. As Google's Aprajita Jain put it: “Every touchpoint is a chance to express who you are.” It’s time to adopt a unified, performance-driven branding mindset that aligns both creative and financial objectives. And with 70% of campaign success being attributed to creative- it's critical to invest in video. 🤖 2. AI-Driven Creative: 2025 and Beyond By 2025, Google plans to use AI to auto-generate video ads for advertisers based on identified themes and audience insights. This signals a big shift towards personalized creative at scale. Exciting times ahead as we watch this tech evolve, with huge potential for more tailored, adaptive content that resonates with users across formats. 🎥 3. YouTube's Unique Consumer Reach YouTube’s audience is vast: 237M unique monthly US viewers, with 40% of Shorts users not active on IG Reels or TikTok. The platform’s multi-format approach (Shorts, long-form, TV screens) offers a rare chance to meet consumers wherever they are. For marketers, this is a call to rethink video strategy, emphasizing a fluid mix of content that captures attention across formats. 🔍 4. Rethink Measurement and Avoid “Short-Termitis” The challenge for many CMOs is aligning brand investment with CFO expectations. The advice from Google: prioritize long-term value and interconnected measurement strategies. Incrementality is key—don’t just look at immediate ROI; focus on sustainable growth and business outcomes. The key to bridging the gap between marketing and finance? Incrementality testing. By focusing on brand incrementality, you’re not just proving short-term lifts—you’re speaking the language of the CFO, showcasing the long-term value of your brand investments. This is about creating a shared narrative where marketing efforts are seen as strategic growth drivers, not just line items. Also: Google’s new Meridian Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) solution is showing strong potential in Alpha. 🌐 5. Community-Centric and Experimental Content Shorts is becoming a hub for creative experimentation, with 70 billion daily views globally. Instead of repurposing content, brands should lean into new ideas and test what resonates with emerging communities. It’s a playground for capturing authentic engagement, especially as younger demographics flock to the format. 🚀 6. AI as a Strategic Multiplier In a dynamic, high-energy session on applied AI, Google’s Gopi Kallayil emphasized Google's goal to be "your most strategic partner," (not just media partner) through AI. Level Agency YouTube

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