Steve Gross

When you've worked in marketing for as long as I have, you learn two things about trust: 1. It's hard to get 2. It's easy to lose When a promise is made, including the promise to stay technologically relevant, you're taking a risk. If you execute, you MIGHT garner trust; but if you fail, you WILL lose it. We need to understand our customers' wants, promise within our means, and deliver beyond their expectations. Relevance is your currency, trust is your bank.

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Walmart just pulled an Amazon. If you search on Walmart .com today, the first thing you’ll see isn’t what’s best. It’s what’s sponsored. Retail media just took another big leap into your search bar. And you can almost hear every brand whisper the same thing: “Wait… how much will this cost me?” Here’s what’s really happening 👇 🛒 Walmart Connect is now putting paid ads “front and center” in search results. 💰 Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Products can now claim that golden top spot. 📈 Ad revenue for Walmart’s retail media arm jumped 31% last quarter, so this was coming. The result? Organic listings are sliding lower, CPCs are rising, and defending your own brand terms just became non-negotiable. What smart sellers will do next: 🎯 Split campaigns by intent. Separate branded from generic so you can defend and attack strategically. 💡 Refresh creatives for Sponsored Brands. Your headline is now a billboard at the top of the shelf. 📊 Watch TACOS, not just ROAS. You’ll win visibility, but efficiency will only hold if your product pages convert. 🧩 Fix your retail readiness before you raise bids. Titles, images, reviews, availability. Every click costs more now. This is Walmart quietly turning into a performance media platform that looks like a store. And honestly, it’s kind of brilliant. Because when ads become the storefront, every click becomes a shelf. #RetailMedia #MarketplaceStrategy #Walmart #Ecommerce #Advertising

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CMOs Are More Focused On Growing Revenue Than Brand Awareness https://lnkd.in/g8jyVmuY Chief marketing officers are increasingly prioritizing direct revenue outcomes over traditional brand awareness efforts, influenced by economic pressures, performance measurement demands, and AI‑enabled tracking. This shift reflects a need for more measurable impact on business performance, with revenue growth becoming a leading strategic metric for modern marketing leaders. #CMOInsights #RevenueGrowth #MarketingStrategy #BrandVsPerformance #BusinessImpact #DataDrivenMarketing

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If you know Mark McGready you've seen the headline, will read the first paragraph and say "yes, that is Mark." He has a unique style. And regarding AI, Mark shared his thoughts as well as his observations from the Applied AI for Distributors conference. One observation related to the number of service providers in attendance. Many start-ups / early-stage companies and a few industry stalwarts but the overall conclusion is that there are many companies with purpose-built solutions. Now, which ones will succeed, and which ones will flame out due to concept, funding, or lack of adoption ... they have a game in Vegas for that. But, if the issue relates to process and / or analysis, someone has an AI solution for it. Take a read and share your thoughts. If you are a distributor, is your company doing something with AI (either as something customized, or has engaged one of the various solution providers, or perhaps is heavily into one of the AI-powered subscription services to support sales, marketing or research.) Coincidentally, John Gunderson and I have had a number of conversations with start-ups / early-stage companies lately. We're putting together a list of "filtering" questions we think distributors should consider. It will be ready around August 1 (due to travel). If you want a copy, ask in the comments, DM us or email us.

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Most brands focus on what consumers are buying. The better question today is why culture is shaping what they buy. I recently joined David Wellisch on the Cultural Fluency Makers podcast from Collage Group to talk about how brands can stay relevant as consumer expectations rapidly evolve. As a marketer — and a parent — I think a lot about how today’s consumers (and the next generation) are redefining what they want from food. Snacks aren’t just treats anymore. They’re fuel for busy lives, active kids, and families trying to make better choices every day. In the conversation we explored: • Why cultural fluency is becoming a critical capability for modern brands • How Gen Z and Gen Alpha are reshaping the future of food • The balance between nutrition, functionality, and real-life convenience • What it takes to keep a brand both relevant and trusted Really appreciated the thoughtful conversation and the opportunity to discuss where the industry is heading. #Marketing #CPG #BrandBuilding #ConsumerInsights #Leadership

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Expert Julian Chadwick explains when and how Marketing Mix Models are relevant to individual team members. Additionally, he describes what can be done to make them relevant. #marketingmix #modelling Zenda https://lnkd.in/dAQ8mYzf

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