Introduction

Today we’ll be covering:

• What you should be looking for
• How to access crucial information about your competitors
• Why you need to check this data regularly

A little background on myself: I’m the CEO and founder of Foot Traffic. I bring 20 years of marketing experience, technology, and work in the cannabis space for about eight years now. I’m passionate about advertising and marketing.

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About Foot Traffic

We are a dispensary advertising and software company. At any given time, we work with upwards of 400+ dispensaries and delivery services throughout the United States, Canada, and beyond. Keep an eye out for us in Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and other regions where cannabis is legalized.

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Housekeeping Items

Before we get started:

• Cell phones: We love them—they’re part of our business—but they can be distracting. Please put your cell phone on your desk, do not disturb, and face it down so you can focus on the webinar.
• Familiarize yourself with Zoom: There’s a Q&A function at the bottom (next to the cloud icon). You can ask questions there, and we will answer at the end. We have moderators to assist.
• Stay tuned: We have special offers for attendees that I’ll be sharing at the end.

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Why Know Your Competition?

Knowing what your competitors are doing is crucial for running a successful business. If you want to be at the top, you need to keep an eye on your competitors so you can actively compete with them.

Dispensaries don’t operate in a vacuum, and maintaining customer loyalty is more challenging than ever. To keep customers coming back, you must differentiate yourself and offer something they can’t find elsewhere.

We’re not advocating for copying your competitors’ ideas. Instead, we’re about learning from others and improving upon their strategies—like sports teams reviewing game tapes to improve.

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How to Spy on the Competition

1. Identify Who Your Competitors Are

Run a search for dispensaries in your area to conduct market research. If your market has few dispensaries, consider widening your search. While you shouldn’t target customers from far away, knowing how others operate is valuable.

2. Monitor Products

Your product catalog is key to attracting customers. Use online menus like Duy or Jane to see what brands they carry and their prices. Not all in-store products will be online, but you’ll get a good idea.

Some dispensaries try to compete by offering more products or lower prices, which can be challenging. If you carry a smaller, targeted selection—like only organic products—you can appeal to a niche. Larger offerings and competitive pricing help if your goal is to be the go-to dispensary.

3. Follow Them on Social Media

Follow competitors from your personal account to see how they interact with potential customers, what content they share, and engagement levels. This helps you understand which platforms are effective.

4. Use RSS Feeds

Follow their blog posts with tools like Feedly, which allows you to see all their updates in one place. This can reveal their brand voice, events, and what they value in their customers.

5. Set Up Google Alerts

Create alerts for industry news and your competitors. This keeps you informed about mergers, new products, press releases, and regulatory issues. Also, set alerts for your state’s cannabis regulatory agency to stay updated on policy changes.

6. Check Their Reviews

Read reviews to gauge customer sentiment—what they like or dislike about your competitors. This feedback can guide your own improvements, such as adjusting pricing or stocking popular brands.

7. Sign Up for Loyalty Programs

Use a personal email to sign up for their loyalty programs, deals, and event notifications. This insight helps you understand how they build customer loyalty and what incentives they offer.

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Analyzing Competitors’ Operations

8. Visit Their Dispensaries

Experience their layout, music, security, staff training, product displays, and technology. Notice what makes the buying process enjoyable—like kiosks or digital menus—and consider how you can incorporate similar features.

9. Improve Your Website and SEO

Evaluate their website’s performance. Is there a live chat? Easy navigation? SEO strategies? Search traffic is a major driver of online sales. Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to analyze their keywords, backlinks, and content gaps. This helps you identify opportunities to outrank them.

10. Run Digital Ads

Create targeted ads to stay top of mind. Use geotargeted display ads to showcase your advantages—more brands, better discounts, or unique offerings. Run Google Ads targeting their brand keywords with special deals for new customers.

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Strategic Actions Based on Research

• Product Offerings: Adjust your catalog based on what competitors carry or price.
• Deals and Promotions: Use their sales as inspiration for your own, aligning with your brand.
• Store Experience: Incorporate technology or layout ideas that improve customer experience.
• SEO & Website: Optimize your site to rank higher and improve user experience.
• Advertising: Target their customers with tailored ads, emphasizing your strengths.

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Final Thoughts

Monitoring your competition helps you maintain and grow your market share. Whether you’re in a crowded market or a single dispensary area, understanding what others are doing provides a pathway to increase sales and dominance.

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Questions & Answers

Q: Can you run Google ads targeting your competitor’s brand name?
A: Yes, you can bid on competitors’ brand names. There’s no restriction, but it can be costly because you’re bidding against their authority. Be aware of the ethical considerations—your competitors might do the same, leading to a bidding war.

Q: How long does it take to outrank your competition on Google?
A: It varies. SEO depends on factors like domain authority, backlinks, reviews, and website performance. It can take at least 90 days to see significant results. Alternatively, Google Ads can produce immediate visibility—your ads can go live within about four days after approval.

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Closing

Feel free to reach out to us anytime. Thank you for spending your time with us today. We appreciate your attention.

Special Offer: You’ve qualified for a free Yeti branded by Foot Traffic! Please contact us to schedule a call. Once you provide your shipping info, we’ll send you the Yeti and possibly other swag.

Thank you again for attending. Stay safe, and have a great day!

Introduction

Media Jel connects brands and retailers with cannabis consumers through our ad network of mainstream publishers, mobile apps, games, and TV. We help cannabis companies advertise on Google, support SEO, and activate data with display advertising to support e-commerce sales.

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Guest Introduction

Guest: I’d like to introduce Dennis O’Malley. Dennis is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Caliva, one of the largest vertically integrated retailers in California that was acquired by Jay-Z’s parent company. Dennis has a breadth of experience in the cannabis industry, and I can’t wait to hear his insights today. Thank you for joining us, Dennis.

Dennis: Thanks so much for having me. Looking forward to this.

Jeremy: Likewise. Well, let’s start from the top. What does your career look like before entering the cannabis space?

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Dennis’s Background

Dennis: I almost can’t remember [Music]. All the battle scars over the last five and a half, six years on it. But before cannabis, I was really focused on technology in different parts of tech. One area that I think was a good transition into cannabis was what we founded at Ready Pulse, around 2010-2011.

We wanted to drive authentic marketing. We believed that putting models front and center in marketing didn’t make sense, and that customers were the best form of marketing. We sought out technology solutions to do just that—people trust people, not ads.

We developed technology to track social media—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram—at a time when social was still emerging. We put those photos front and center, working with over 300 websites of brands like Red Bull, GoPro, Nike, Adidas, North Face, and others. We had amazing partnerships and sat with brand marketing teams that developed authentic, inspirational marketing campaigns.

In 2016, we sold that company to ExpertVoice, which had two million trusted experts—think of lifeguards, ski patrols, store associates at Dick’s Sporting Goods—who were the most knowledgeable in their categories. This social proof and authentic marketing translated extremely well into cannabis, where social proof and trusted experts are some of the only marketing avenues available.

In cannabis, there’s no CPC button like on Instagram or Facebook, so you need to be super creative to get your message out.

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Building Caliva

Jeremy: How do you leverage this previous experience when building Caliva?

Dennis: When building anything, you always go back to the core. I came into Caliva in 2017, with a core team that had built it from 2015. We focused on developing a North Star—why do we exist? We defined it as serving the informed consumer—asking, “What am I putting into my body?”

Our brand values centered around consistency, transparency, and accessibility. Everything we did—from product development to customer service—reflected these pillars. We aimed to be the most trusted name in cannabis, building trust with our customers, many of whom, like me, care about what they put in their bodies.

This transparency and accessibility guided our campaigns, allowing customers to tell their stories, providing social proof, and training wellness consultants as trusted experts. This helped us build that trust in a competitive California market, especially in San Jose.

Jeremy: I remember following Caliva and its campaigns around accessibility in the San Francisco Bay Area—wide reach from San Francisco to Oakland, down the peninsula to San Jose. It takes a concerted effort. Kudos to Rosie Rothrock, the creative lead, who came up with most of those campaigns. Cannabis marketing is tough, but she did an amazing job creating evergreen campaigns with lasting impact.

Dennis: Absolutely. Rosie’s campaigns had legs, and they could be built upon over time. They were expensive and took time to pay off, but they created a foundation for direct response and brand awareness.

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Challenges and Learnings

Jeremy: What problems did you identify when entering the cannabis space or when you launched Caliva?

Dennis: Learning from mistakes. One that stands out was thinking I could develop an app for samples. I believed wholesale reps could sign up, provide samples, and track reviews. The idea was great, but in 2017, dispensaries didn’t allow mobile phones in stores. We were a couple of years early.

It taught me that cannabis marketing requires creativity and understanding regulations. Partnering with experienced, battle-tested partners who understand cannabis regulations is crucial.

Jeremy: That makes sense. Building trust in retail stores is challenging, especially in new markets where stores might have metal frames or look unwelcoming. I suggested doing Google 360 views of stores early on, but there was hesitancy due to security concerns. Now, with phones allowed, user-generated content is valuable. Influencers and consumers posting pictures help market cannabis stores, especially since there are limited marketing channels.

Dennis: Exactly. For example, Planet 13 in Santa Ana has great Instagram moments, and their drone videos at their Vegas store are incredible. Progress is happening.

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Vertical Integration and Market Trends

Jeremy: When Dennis joined Caliva in 2017, was the company already vertically integrated?

Dennis: Yes. We implemented vertical integration because of regulations. San Jose required all 16 license holders to be vertically integrated—having both cultivation and retail licenses. We focused on products, compliance, child-proof packaging, and being ready for regulation enforcement in 2018. During COVID, we ramped up delivery, electronic payments, and other innovations.

Jeremy: How is the San Jose market now?

Dennis: It’s evolving. The city will issue more licenses, but zoning restrictions mean new stores will be in more attractive retail areas, not industrial zones. San Jose is the 10th largest city in the U.S., with a higher population than San Francisco. Increased competition will be balanced by better retail locations and convenience for consumers.

Jeremy: Do you think San Jose did it right by limiting licenses compared to places like Santa Rosa?

Dennis: Yes. San Jose funded enforcement and compliance well, collaborating with police and local agencies. They required vertical integration and managed micro markets effectively. Competition is tough, but the legal market offers a better experience than illegal operators.

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Retail, Delivery, and Omnichannel

Jeremy: How do you see the future of retail and delivery in California?

Dennis: The delivery expectations accelerated post-COVID. It’s challenging but essential. Retailers need to focus on service, electronic payments, accurate product info, and reliable delivery. Scheduled deliveries, with a focus on service over speed, can build loyalty.

Jeremy: How long did it take to develop a true omnichannel strategy at Caliva?

Dennis: No one is ever fully satisfied, but managing inventory across multiple locations and micro markets is key. Understanding local preferences and micro-market needs is crucial. The goal is to have the right products in the right markets, backed by consistent messaging.

Jeremy: Where should businesses start when building their omnichannel strategy?

Dennis: Start with brands. They do a good job telling their story, engaging consumers via email, videos, and social media. They should provide consistent content and activate their audience through texts and updates.

For retailers, focus on the in-store experience—budtenders are the frontline. A good website with pickup options is critical. Delivery is complex but important long-term. Use tools like Google Analytics and third-party tracking to measure ROI.

Jeremy: Agreed. Mobile-first websites are essential, as over 80% of visitors are on mobile. Accessibility, quick ordering, and seamless in-store and online experiences are vital.

Dennis: Absolutely. The retail landscape is shifting. Brands are relying less on billboards and more on digital channels like programmatic ads, influencer marketing, and content-driven campaigns. Building community and redirecting traffic to retailers is the future.

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Marketing, Reviews, and In-Store Strategy

Jeremy: With economic challenges, ROI tracking is more important than ever. Investing in SEO, reviews, and local discovery platforms like Google and Weedmaps is crucial.

Dennis: Yes. For example, Caliva’s strong SEO and product info helped customers find us during consideration. Reviews, especially on Google, are king—over 93% of searches happen there. Simple tactics like QR codes for reviews and automated post-visit messages boost reputation.

Jeremy: How do you connect online experiences with in-store interactions?

Dennis: Use trusted experts—wellness consultants—to review products and provide recommendations. Social proof, reviews, and accurate product info help build trust. Training budtenders to be knowledgeable and current is essential.

Jeremy: And how about syndicating product reviews across platforms?

Dennis: That’s a future opportunity. Currently, no unified voice exists for product reviews across all channels, but it’s coming. Consumers mainly search locally, so brands need to be discoverable where they shop.

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Delivery Services and Final Thoughts

Jeremy: What about delivery services? How do you ensure a seamless customer experience?

Dennis: Delivery is a separate service requiring a unique value proposition—reliability, good service, electronic payments, and flexible options like scheduled delivery. Starting small, expanding gradually, and focusing on service quality are key.

Jeremy: Did you do scheduled deliveries or more spontaneous ones?

Dennis: We started with scheduled deliveries in 2017—narrow windows, small areas. Over time, expanded geographically and added minimum order amounts. The focus was on service, not speed. Customers appreciated reliable, friendly drivers.

Jeremy: How long did it take to achieve a true omnichannel approach?

Dennis: No one is ever fully satisfied. Managing inventory across multiple locations and micro markets is complex. Local preferences vary, so understanding micro markets and tailoring product selection is vital.

Jeremy: Where should businesses begin with their omnichannel strategy?

Dennis: Focus on content, storytelling, and consistent engagement. Build a strong digital presence—website, social media, email. For retail, optimize the in-store experience and pickup options. For delivery, ensure reliability and service quality.

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Wrap-Up

Jeremy: Thanks, Dennis. I appreciate your insights and wish you continued success.

Dennis: Thanks, Guillermo. Looking forward to the future of cannabis marketing. It keeps us on our toes!

Jeremy: Thank you, Dennis.

Daniel Tejada:
Hello guys, this is Daniel Tejada with the Straight Up Visionary podcast. Today, I have my guest, Korie Minkus, with me. We’re super duper excited to have Korie on. She’s an advocate for entrepreneurs and a growth expert for businesses.

She’s the CEO and founder of Rock Your Product, which is the number one global product business advisory and growth training company. She’s a 30-year Fortune 500 consumer products thought leader, a global brand strategist, an international speaker, and a number one best-selling author.

She’s provided clarity and results. She’s been featured in USA Today, Success Magazine, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Conde Nast, and on CNBC. Minkus has generated billions of dollars in revenue, launched hundreds of products, and scaled brands globally.

So, we’re super pumped to have her on.

Daniel:
Hey Korie, what’s going on today?

Korie Minkus:
Thank you, Daniel. It’s an honor to be here, so thanks for having me.

Daniel:
Yeah, really looking forward to our conversation today. I’d like to start, Korie, with just telling us a little bit about yourself, what you do, and all the voodoo that you do there.

Korie:
Cool, I love it. Thanks. Well, I am on this incredible journey now of 30-plus years helping consumer product brands launch and scale their products globally. That’s been my journey for many years.

I started in corporate, was there for 25 years, and left about six years ago. I was on a destination of growth—I didn’t know exactly what it was, but it was something to take all the talent I’d learned in 25 years in the traditional corporate environment, helping brands launch and scale to over a billion dollars, and really understand how to break that down to help entrepreneurs create the same opportunity.

Entrepreneurs, meaning smaller business owners—those that are pre-revenue up to about $50 million in revenue a year—because entrepreneurship is an amazingly complex and beautiful journey. It’s a journey of self-discovery and growth.

We know that in launching products to market, there is a sequence of events, best practices that can be applied. The idea is that many of these things aren’t shared openly with businesses.

My goal was to create a platform where more businesses could access the information they need to move through their growth smoothly, successfully, and as financially meaningful as possible.

That’s what I do today. Rock Your Product is my company. I’ve been doing it for six years. It started as a group training program where I spoke internationally and worked with large groups.

Over the last couple of years, due to COVID, I scaled into a very customized private practice, which I personally love. I realized after working in corporate for so many years that getting into the grind with someone’s business is very exciting and meaningful.

We can create better impact and outcomes than in large group settings. We get into the tailored needs of the business owner we’re working with. That’s what I do today. I love it.

Daniel:
And I know we’ve seen the value firsthand with some of our clients. Being able to get down and dirty with actual input versus those large group settings really makes an impact.

You move above the high-level, what I call the “fluffy stuff,” which is important, but if you attend enough seminars, you get a lot of that high-level overview. The more important part is problem-solving—addressing the actual situations that businesses are running through.

Korie:
Absolutely, I see the value there.

Daniel:
Let’s break this back a little bit. You mentioned you started on the corporate side. Did you have experience starting with smaller businesses, or did you go straight into larger brands? I’m curious how you moved into this entrepreneurial realm.

Korie:
Great question. One of the meaningful things in corporate—despite starting in larger companies—was finding opportunities where I could be very vertically exposed. That way, I could learn how corporations run from all aspects of the business.

Successful companies can’t just be successful in one area; there are many verticals within a business that support growth. I believe one of the reasons I can do what I do today is because I’ve spent so much time understanding how each discipline works together and supports growth.

A little bit of both, Daniel. The first company I worked for did about $50 million a year in revenue. From there, I worked with one of the largest Fortune 500 companies.

I always made sure that throughout my career, I worked with companies under a billion dollars—closer to half a billion to three-quarters of a billion. That size allowed me to be in the boardroom making big decisions, understanding brand strategy, and getting into the finicky details—like sitting in the CFO’s office, understanding decisions around banking, capital raises, repositioning brands to be more equitable for business.

There were many aspects of the business I was able to learn. So, I’ve worked on some brands that people wouldn’t know, but I’ve also worked on Fortune 500 or top 100 brands that we all know and love.

Daniel:
That’s awesome. I think one huge piece is getting exposure to many facets of these businesses, especially for what you’re doing now in an advisory role. It’s a big advantage, and not everyone gets that opportunity.

The bigger the company, the more specialized the roles become, sometimes creating silos. It’s harder to push that learning early in your career.

Korie:
Thanks. I’ve been fortunate enough to have that exposure, though it can be chaotic at times.

Daniel:
What finally made you go out on your own? You were very successful on the corporate side, working with big brands. What made you take that plunge?

Korie:
Great question. Why leave a comfortable corporate job? Honestly, I was at a point where I’m a consummate learner. I wanted more access to information—I didn’t know how to get it.

At some point, I felt tapped out of what I’d learned. I don’t want to sound like I knew everything, but the repetitiveness of the experience was playing a role.

Once you gain domain expertise, there’s always more to learn. Having an open mind is crucial. I knew I probably knew 99% of what exists on Amazon ads today, but there’s always more.

I was seeking to learn more. I was planning to go back and get my Executive MBA. I applied to top business schools here in Chicago, and it would have cost about $250,000. I had two teenagers at the time, was working full-time, and was married. It just didn’t seem feasible.

Why did I want to do it? I wanted intellectual stimulation and to be introduced to new concepts—whether practical or theoretical. I wanted vertical exposure in a different light than corporate.

I’d grown up in corporate learning for 25 years but never got my MBA. Business fascinates me—the decisions, the intricate frameworks, the daily choices. I thought it would give me a richer understanding.

While considering this, I was invited to speak around the world on large stages, sometimes with celebrities, in rooms with hundreds or thousands of people. It was a chance to impact on a different level.

After some reflection, I thought, “I have nothing to lose.” It was the opposite of what I’d planned, but I realized I could use my talent in a new way.

That started around 2017. I fell in love with it. It was a blast—meeting entrepreneurs eager to learn and take on new challenges. I traveled to 32 countries a year, which was exciting but also demanding.

The most complicated part was quickly changing outfits and remembering what I wore last time in each city. But it was so rewarding.

Meeting entrepreneurs who are highly intelligent and ready to grow was invigorating. The average age of entrepreneurs is around 45, meaning many have gone through corporate training or education. But there are many things they don’t know—either because they grew up in silent roles or launched service or product businesses without that acumen.

Daniel:
Exactly.

Korie:
That was a breath of fresh air. I did that for about three and a half years before COVID shut us down. We couldn’t travel anymore.

I literally flew home the day the US shut down—was in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, then Orlando for our last event. I remember sitting in first class, bumped up unexpectedly, and everyone around was asking what was going on. I said I’d just come from Singapore two weeks prior, and everything was fine. Then everything shut down.

It shifted everything online, which was a good pivot.

That’s what led me to my current role. I identified the extreme need—especially for business owners doing between pre-revenue and about $50 million in revenue.

I’ve impacted hundreds of clients over the last few years, and it’s rewarding to see their growth and success. That’s why I do this every day.

Create Tomorrow: The WGSN Podcast

The world is changing at a faster pace than ever before. As we begin the path to recovery after worldwide disruption, this podcast explores how the design industry can adapt to changing expectations and create a better future for your businesses and consumers.

I’m your host, Peter Marian, and you’re listening to Create Tomorrow, the WGSN podcast.

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The Retail Landscape

Retail again is in a state of flux. The pandemic has led to huge shifts in consumer behavior in 2020, and this is set to continue into 2021.

For instance, in the US alone, 11,000 stores closed, and 40 major retailers went bankrupt last year. Online spending also reached new heights, accounting for 27.3% of global retail sales, growing by a third over the course of the year.

While vaccines are being rolled out and there is hope on the horizon, recovery will come in fits and starts. The so-called K-shaped recovery means that the consumer landscape remains complicated, as many people are experiencing a reduction in their willingness and capacity to spend. As this seismic shift continues, retailers need to adapt for a future where digitally facilitated shopping trips are the norm.

Pathways to product discovery are completely disrupted, and the role of the store will change while serving an increasingly impatient and demanding consumer.

Today, I’m joined by some colleagues to discuss the future of the retail sector and how businesses will need to adapt.

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Introductions

Sydney Morgan, Pro Head of Retail and Buying on WGSN Fashion
Hi Sydney.
Hi Peter.
How are you?
I’m good, thanks. How are you?
Doing well.

Laura Sansa, Senior Strategist on WGSN Insight
Hi Laura.
Hi Peter. I’m great. And you?
I’m good, thank you.

Athena Chen, Senior Strategist on WGSN Insight
Hi Athena.
Hi Peter. I’m good. I’m currently based in Shanghai, and we’re having rainy weather today, but hopefully it’ll pick up throughout the week.
Fingers crossed.

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Expectations for 2021

Peter: To kick off, what do we expect for the retail sector in 2021? Sydney, do you want to start?

Sydney: Absolutely. I think you know, clothes for clothing’s sake is something we’re going to see the end of. Going back into shops, many of the old formats do feel a bit stale. Retailers hadn’t really taken the opportunity to pivot and shake up the floor sets to make them more relevant to what the customer was going through.

So, going into 2021, we’ll see them finally realizing that and ensuring that the product categories they put out front are highly relevant for current needs and wants. Expect more emphasis on lifestyle merchandising—bringing home goods into the mix, doing a high-low mix, especially in apparel retail, because they realize that isn’t always the main priority.

We’re seeing brands reach into home goods, do exciting collaborations, partner with direct-to-consumer and digitally native brands. The goal is to capture consumer attention with more interesting, multi-channel offers.

You mentioned that consumers’ lifestyles and perspectives have changed significantly over the past year. Laura, you do one of the most insightful pieces of research—the Shoer Forecast—which just went live. Could you speak to what consumers are feeling and expecting in 2021?

Laura: Definitely. The events of 2020 have left a big impression on consumer behavior. One key shift is expectations around fulfillment—speed of delivery, ease of returns, transparency about delivery status. Consumers want to know where their parcel is, when it will arrive, and they expect quick service.

There’s also a shift toward affordability, with consumers demanding more sustainability in packaging and delivery—how green their online orders are. Interestingly, consumers are quite contradictory: in-store, they demand safety and hygiene, want to feel secure, but also want to shop quickly and have products in stock. Online, speed and streamlining are critical, but they also want an experience—something to discover and be entertained by, recreating the in-store discovery experience online.

We see different shopper profiles—some driven by value, others by values like supporting local or minority-owned businesses. Overall, the landscape is varied, with pockets of growth across different segments.

Peter: Absolutely. We’ll explore these shopper groups further throughout the episode. Athena, let’s talk about Asia. You’ve experienced the pandemic’s impact there—things are almost back to normal. What does that mean for consumption?

Athena: In Asia, digital adoption was already high before the pandemic, thanks to robust digital infrastructure—WeChat Pay in China, Line Pay in Korea and Japan, linked closely to social media. Even as restrictions ease, consumers remain glued to online habits formed during the pandemic—seeking entertainment, connecting with brands, and shopping online.

Brands need to enhance their digital efforts to maintain relationships. Data-driven insights help understand consumer preferences—recommendations from social groups are influential. Social commerce is booming, especially with live streaming and short videos, which are transforming online merchandising.

Product discovery online is shifting from static images to dynamic video content. Retailers should leverage video to engage consumers. Laura, you’ve written about this shift from physical browsing to online exploration—through live streaming and digital experiences.

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The Store of the Future

Peter: And what about physical retail, Sydney? You’ve been on the shop floor. Has there been much change?

Sydney: Not as much as expected. Since September, we’ve discussed with our London team—London responded faster than New York. In-store, the value sector remains busy; stores are bustling, and foot traffic hasn’t declined much.

In luxury and premium stores, foot traffic has decreased significantly. But the key change is in the discovery experience. Instead of traditional experiential retail, 2021 will see a shift toward discovery—less about touch and feel, more about engaging storytelling and visual merchandising.

For example, Showfields in New York, opened in 2018, offers a maze-like experience with heavy storytelling, exposing customers to new brands—something that can’t be replicated online. Such experiential discovery will become more common.

Regarding store features, the slide in the store (if still present) has become less prominent and more sanitized—behind a “magic door” for safety.

Peter: You mentioned the impact of certain neighborhoods in New York being empty, with many stores boarded up during protests and the pandemic. Can you elaborate?

Sydney: Yes, it varies neighborhood by neighborhood. Broadway in SoHo, a bustling shopping area, has many closures. But value-focused stores—kids’ clothing, discount retailers—are still thriving, feeling very normal.

High-end stores, however, have seen less foot traffic. During protests and the pandemic, many shops were boarded up, creating a post-apocalyptic feel that affected shopper mood.

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Affordability and Shopping Shifts

You also highlighted the shift toward affordability. A report showed 44% of consumers across markets like China, US, UK, France, and Germany experienced income declines during the pandemic. Yet, some are doing better financially due to reduced travel and dining expenses. Still, many are cautious about future spending.

Laura: Exactly. People are more cautious, operating with a frugal mindset—prioritizing value for money, durability, and quality. They’re seeking cheaper alternatives or dupes—products that offer good value. Apps that compare prices or suggest alternatives are gaining popularity, especially among younger consumers.

In China, this trend is evident with major shopping festivals like Singles’ Day, now happening monthly, encouraging delayed purchases and frequent shopping events. Southeast Asia follows suit, with Alibaba and other platforms leading this wave.

In the West, consumers are delaying payments rather than purchases—using services like Afterpay, PayPal, and installment plans. This allows them to buy now and pay later, but raises concerns about credit and debt, especially among young users. Retailers should educate consumers about responsible use of these services.

Return rates are also high—over $70 billion worth of online returns in the US during the holidays—highlighting the importance of return policies in the shopping experience.

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Shopper Profiles: Mission-Based and Precise

Peter: Moving deeper into consumer profiles, Laura, can you tell us about the mission-based shopper?

Laura: Certainly. This shopper shops with purpose, seeking faster, streamlined experiences. They often research online beforehand, know what they want, and check stock availability via inventory apps or store websites.

In stores, they want quick, easy access—no long queues or confusing layouts. Stores like Walmart are redesigning layouts inspired by airports, with clear signage and app integration to guide shoppers efficiently.

Even luxury and auction houses are adapting—allowing instant purchase options for high-end items, bypassing traditional bidding or waiting for auctions. Speed and convenience are now expected across all categories.

Athena: In Asia, this precision shopping is even more pronounced. Platforms like Alibaba and JD.com use AI to forecast demand regionally, enabling brands to produce customized products via smart factories. Offline, stores are becoming social media-worthy spaces, designed for content creation and engagement—especially after the confinement of 2020.

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Ethics and Sustainability

Peter: Finally, how will ethics and sustainability influence spending in 2021? Sydney, you’ve researched this through your barometer data.

Sydney: Yes. Our data shows rising consumer concern for inclusivity, community, ethical labor, accountability, transparency, and environmental issues. In the US and UK, inclusivity and community are top concerns, with ethical labor gaining importance—highlighted by the pandemic’s exposure of garment industry vulnerabilities.

Environmental concerns are also rising, though the US lags behind the UK. Consumers want sustainable products at accessible prices—an increasing challenge for brands.

Peter: And how can large retailers demonstrate community focus?

Sydney: Collaboration is key. Partnering with local artisans, supporting slow fashion, and highlighting craftsmanship show commitment. For example, American Eagle’s boutique in the Hamptons focused on slow fashion brands, emphasizing quality and artisan support.

Athena: In Asia, brands need to work closely with e-commerce platforms and leverage AI to forecast demand precisely. Smart factories enable on-demand, customized production. Offline, stores are evolving into social spaces for content creation, driven by social media obsession.

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Short-term and Long-term Strategies

Peter: What strategies should businesses adopt short-term and long-term? Athena?

Athena: Short-term: Focus on mobile—adopt omnichannel formats, use live streaming, mini-programs, and personalized online experiences.

Long-term: Partner with data-driven platforms, utilize AI and analytics to understand consumer demands in real time, and create smarter, more personalized retail environments.

Sydney: Short-term: Store closures are inevitable; this is an opportunity to right-size and optimize physical presence. It’s necessary for a healthier future.

Long-term: Expand into new categories, innovate with new brands, and diversify beyond traditional offerings to stay relevant.

Laura: Short-term: Offer small moments of joy—giveaways, fun discovery tools, experiential e-commerce—to lift consumer spirits.

Long-term: Rethink the store’s role—design spaces that boost confidence, foster engagement, and adapt to new behaviors and preferences.

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Closing Remarks

Thanks for listening to the WGSN podcast. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on all major platforms and leave a rating or review—it helps us spread the word.

For more insights, visit WGSN to access detailed research and analysis. Subscribers can find a report summarizing key points from this episode.

Thanks to our guests and show producers Roland Bodham and Beth Ryder. Stay well and healthy. We’ll see you next time.

Let’s Start

I spoke about the company, and listen—I don’t want to say too much, but there’s one thing that’s important: why can you believe these numbers and data more than others? Because you see so many other predictions, etc., etc. Why could we be a little bit better than the others?

Well, there’s an easy answer: there are basically three ways to do forecasts and explanations.

Way number one: ask consumers or ask stores, and they should tell you about what they’re planning, what they’re doing. That’s not a bad way.

Number two: you’re an analyst, you really know your market, and then you make certain assumptions—GDP growth, etc., etc.

What we do is totally different. We buy billions of transactions—credit card transactions, debit card transactions, bank transactions everywhere you go. For example, you go to bike24.de and buy something—that’s a transaction. We analyze these billions of transactions every day to determine how large companies’ markets are, etc. Therefore, we believe we are a little bit better than others. Of course, sorry for that.

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Where Are We Heading?

There are three major topics.

1. I want to talk about the overall global market.
2. Then, I will go into the German market a little bit because I believe some of you are closer to the German market.
3. And third, I have something I love—and as I mentioned, I love data. There’s something I call the e-commerce revenue equation, and you will see extremely detailed data for two companies. They haven’t given us the data, but just to show what you can do with transaction data.

If you have any questions, I cannot see you properly because there’s so much light, but please ask either now or later.

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The Global Market

You see these charts—they’re fine, they go up. What should you remember? And what is actually the good news?

Number one: How large is the physical e-commerce market? That’s something you should remember: $5 trillion USD. And to simplify, that’s roughly the GDP of Germany.

The good news is, contrary to Germany’s GDP, you see growth—and you see it in the future. And actually, what’s really good news—and let’s see if the pointer is working—is that the growth is increasing. That’s fantastic news because we all know, after COVID, we were all desperate. It was like, “Gosh, are we lost? Are we in an industry that’s not growing anymore? Where are we going?” Then you saw a little bit of hope, and last year, even more hope.

What I want to say—and I think this is the good news—is that 2025 is even more hopeful. And what’s the best example? If you’ve been to this exhibition or conference last year, you haven’t seen so many people. You see, really, this industry is booming again.

To put it in other numbers: here, we compare the development of GDP, consumer spending, overall retail revenue offline and online, and e-commerce. You see that 2022 and 2023 were difficult years, but again, the uptake is growing. E-commerce is becoming more relevant than all other channels combined.

That’s it for the big picture. But I don’t think so because, if you look at the bigger picture, the e-commerce market is still relatively small compared to retail overall. Categories like cars, for example—now, you might tell me, “That’s old news. No one believes anymore that the car industry will sell online.” I believe that’s wrong.

We’re going through a typical hype cycle. Two or three years ago, everyone said, “Oh, everyone will buy cars online.” Then they realized, of course, no one is selling cars online yet. But if you look at used cars, mobile phones, and brands—people buy online. Huge cars, and that will happen in the industry. The same applies to health, etc., which is digital e-commerce. More and more things are coming.

Yes, the 9% growth rate is lovely, but I believe it’s just the beginning.

Now, regarding all countries: there’s one country with the abbreviation DEU—I don’t know what it stands for, but it has a very low growth rate. Thank you. Then there’s the Netherlands, so we’re the second-worst in the line. But you really see that all other countries are growing—later I will show Mexico, Thailand, etc. You see the most growth there.

Sorry to explain the other axis: some countries have a very high online share—China or the US. There’s still more growth potential. No political statement here—just facts.

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Market Shares and Sector Breakdown

Let’s go a little deeper.

Overall, I wanted to give you a feeling for the global e-commerce market. Here, we see the shares between China, the US, and other regions.

Whenever I see this chart, I think, “Oh, the data must be wrong.” No, please—sorry, it can’t be that the Chinese e-commerce market is twice as large as the US market. They must have missed something. No, we didn’t miss anything. We check it repeatedly. It’s really true: the Chinese e-commerce market is twice as large as the US market. The US market is 50% larger than the European market. That’s how it is.

Will there be more growth in the European market? Will we outgrow them? You already know the answer, but here it is in numbers: the growth rate of different continents from 2024 to 2028. All numbers are in USD—exchange rates are roughly 1:1, so it doesn’t matter much.

You see that all regions are growing, with more growth in other areas compared to the overall market.

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Marketplaces vs Shops

Next, I want to show the typical share of marketplaces versus shops.

This slide can be misleading because it gives the impression that it’s all marketplaces. But why is it misleading? Because whenever you see “marketplaces,” they’re always counted as both first-party and third-party revenues.

For example, Zalando is also a shop, and that’s included in marketplace revenues. This has become a standard. Sometimes, we feel “Oh, marketplace, everything.” But in reality, marketplaces include shops as well. Just so you know—that’s the overall trend.

In Asia and South America, marketplaces dominate everything. In North America and Europe, it’s roughly 50/50.

Is there any development? Not much, but a little. For example, in the US, the top 10 marketplaces over three years: Amazon and Walmart will always be at the top, but in 2023, Temu and AliExpress are rising, and they already have a higher position in 2024. Even established markets are changing.

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Sector Breakdown

May I ask: is it too fast if I go through the slides? Or is the speed okay? Good, thank you. Sorry for my German accent.

Number one: the typical structure of sectors. It’s very stable: fashion, electronics, hobby and leisure, groceries, etc.

By the way, a question: do you think Germany has the same sector structure? With all your prejudices about the German market, is there one sector larger? Answer this for yourself. Because in the next three slides, we’ll see if there’s one sector that’s larger in Germany.

There’s movement in the sectors. Last year, everyone talked about Chinese expansion, so I want to show what’s happening.

When we look at the fashion market, the players’ revenue development over time shows JD, Zalando, Walmart, etc. Surprisingly, Shein has grown very quickly and is now the largest fashion online retailer.

Now, let’s look at three different countries. You’ll see that the composition differs country by country. It’s not always fashion, electronics, and hobby. For example, in Germany, hobby and leisure is the second-largest category. In the UK, it’s much smaller.

What does this mean for you? Besides knowing the structure, if you’re in one of these sectors, you can either say, “Oh, another country where I can help expand,” or, “I want to go into a market where I can learn the most.” It’s interesting to see how differently they’re organized.

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The German Market

Now, let’s focus on Germany. I think we’re doing fine in time.

Germany isn’t as aggressive as the global market, but the really good news is that growth is accelerating. We already have the bookings for January—seven days after the month ends—and it looks much better than January last year. That’s a major positive.

Next, a quick deep dive into Europe: the Netherlands and Germany are not growing as fast as other markets. Remember: Europe’s largest e-commerce market is the UK, with €5 trillion overall.

An outlier is Russia—can you believe it? Honestly, I don’t think Russia is growing that much online. Due to sanctions and the war, the growth rate is limited. But it’s not that small; the growth rate in Russia’s online sector is notable. Many things are happening there positively.

Looking at categories: fashion, hobby, groceries, etc. The largest is fashion, followed by hobby. Interestingly, groceries are very small in Germany—surprising, because companies like Lidl and Aldi are investing heavily. Grocery has the highest growth rate, which is exciting.

Now, a question: among the top 10 retailers in Germany, can you guess the first one? Of course, it’s Amazon. But can you guess if they are only foreign companies or if there are German ones?

Think about it. The answer: Amazon, then auto retailers (auto is currently shrinking), media companies, and three foreign ones. Overall, four are non-German, six are German.

Switching to marketplaces: where is the most growth? Not surprising—Timo, AliExpress. Others include Veepee in Germany. Marketplaces can be strong in one category or many.

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The E-Commerce Revenue Equation

Overall, the market is doing well. What’s next? Sorry—I got excited with the data and jumped ahead.

I want to show you the e-commerce revenue equation. It’s simple:

Revenue = (Average Order Value after returns) × (Number of transactions)

Where:

• Average Order Value after returns = total revenue divided by transactions, minus returns.
• Transactions = number of buyers × purchase frequency.

This equation helps you understand how operational policies can impact revenue.

We applied this to Zalando and About You (which is merging with another company). Here are the numbers:

• In Germany, in 2024, Zalando’s revenue is about three times that of About You.
• The key difference: the average order value looks similar, but About You has a much higher return rate.
• The active buyer base is similar, but About You’s buyers are more active.

Over time, Zalando focused on increasing net average order value, especially after 2022. About You had some issues, but managed to lower their return rate. This shows that policies can change outcomes significantly.

Next, we look at purchase frequency: how often buyers shop. It’s relatively stable but trending upward in both Zalando and About You from 2020 to 2024.

Acquiring new customers is expensive, so increasing purchase frequency is crucial.

Different markets show different behaviors. For example, in the UK and Germany, purchase frequency is higher than in newer markets.

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Final Remarks

Sorry—I got carried away with the data.

Here’s the download code if you’re interested. When you turn off the lights and have your own light, we’re in a romantic moment now.

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Q&A Section

Q: How might protectionism under Trump affect the e-commerce market?
A: Cross-border traffic from the US mainly goes to Mexico and Canada, not Europe. China’s cross-border trade is limited, mainly because most Chinese consumers buy within China. The impact of tariffs and protectionism will likely affect Europe more than the US or China.

Q: What about e-commerce in Ukraine or Moldova?
A: The reason is data availability. We need enough transaction data to project, and unfortunately, we lack sufficient data from those countries, so we left them out.

Q: Are you confident enough in your data to project for 2026–2027?
A: I was modest at the beginning, but now I am quite confident. I see data coming in for this year already. We publish long-term projections on our website—long-term growth trends are consistent. They’re not as reliable as the 2025 forecast, but they’re still useful.

Q: Insights into the health sector and online pharmacies?
A: In Germany, online pharmacies are growing steadily—around 6–8%. But what’s exciting is the boom in rapid delivery of medications, especially in countries like Brazil, where same-hour delivery is possible. This is crucial for urgent health needs—like heart medication. About 50% of online pharmacy customers are over 60, so this isn’t typical e-commerce. When you can deliver within an hour, it’s a game-changer. Online pharmacies are already growing, and with services like Uber Eats, this will further transform the health e-commerce landscape.

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Closing Remarks

To conclude: remember, when you leave, think of the physical e-commerce market size—$5 trillion USD. The second key number: this market is growing at roughly 9.7%, or about 10%.

With that, I wish you a lovely coffee break.

Thank you very much.

What if I told you…

What if I told you the best performing marketing strategies right now are the exact ones most experts would warn you not to even try?

You’ve been told to follow the rules, play it safe, stick with what’s proven. But here’s the twist: some of the weirdest, most backwards-sounding marketing tactics out there are quietly crushing everything else. And yes, there’s data to back it up.

I’ve tested these strategies across thousands of campaigns, generating millions in revenue for brands like Google, Amazon, and Meta. Even skeptics were shocked by the results.

So, in this video, I’m going to share with you 10 digital marketing strategies that sound like they shouldn’t work but absolutely do. You’ll discover why ugly ads often outperform beautiful ones, how losing subscribers can actually boost your revenue, and why adding friction to your sales funnel can lead to more conversions.

These aren’t just theories—they’re research-backed marketing strategies that flip conventional wisdom on its head. And they might just become your unfair advantage.

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1. Ugly Ads Break the Pattern

Let’s start with one that’ll make every designer cry: you’d assume the more polished an ad is, the better it performs, right? Turns out, the opposite might be true.

Some of the highest converting ads on the internet look like they were made in 2004 on MS Paint by someone’s uncle who just discovered Comic Sans—no branding, no sleek visuals, just raw, attention-breaking design.

Why does this work?
Because ugly breaks the pattern. Our brains are wired to ignore what looks polished and expected. But when something feels off—like a weird image, clunky text, or bad lighting—it triggers curiosity. It makes you stop scrolling.

In marketing, stopping the scroll is half the battle. Pretty much every marketing agency has tested this repeatedly. Ugly or amateur-looking Facebook and Instagram ads often get significantly better click-through rates and lower cost per click.

Try this:
Don’t ditch your design team—just test both. Run a version of your ad that’s intentionally unpolished alongside your more professional-looking ones. Use a blurry product photo, toss in some awkward spacing, or make it look homemade.

Start small, measure results, and see what happens. You might find that ugly makes you rich.

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2. Speeding Up Purchases Creates Value

Here’s a surprising one: the people who buy from you the fastest are often your most valuable customers.

This goes against everything we’re taught about nurturing leads and building long-term trust. But the data says: the faster someone buys after first hearing about you, the more valuable they usually become.

Why?
Action takers act fast—they already know what they want. When they see that you solve their problem, boom—they’re in.

Studies from Cornell—like “Predicting Customer Lifetime Values” and others—support this.

Think of it like a restaurant line:
Some walk by, check the menu, and say “Maybe next time.” But those who see the food and walk straight in are hungry now and often become your most loyal regulars.

Try this:
Reward speed—offer a limited-time bonus early in your funnel, create urgency, give fast movers a reason to act quickly. This attracts high lifetime value buyers who don’t need much convincing.

Speed leads to loyalty.

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3. Add Friction to Boost Conversions

What if slowing someone down could actually increase conversions?

It sounds backwards, but by adding a small intentional obstacle—like a quiz, qualification step, or an extra click—you can sometimes boost results.

Why?
Effort creates ownership. This is known as the IKEA effect—people value things more when they invest effort.

A joint study from Harvard, Yale, and Duke found that people significantly overvalue things they’ve put effort into, even if the outcome is the same.

Try this:
Add a micro friction point—like a short quiz before your lead magnet or a “Who is this for?” filter before revealing your offer. That tiny barrier makes the right people lean in, and when they do, they’re more likely to convert.

A little friction can pull people closer.

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4. Losing Subscribers Can Boost Revenue

Yes, you heard that right. Losing subscribers can actually improve your bottom line.

In email marketing, bigger isn’t always better. If half your list never opens or clicks, they’re dead weight. Worse, disengaged contacts hurt your deliverability and drag your best content into spam.

Most marketers still believe “bigger is better,” but data from Litmus shows smaller, more engaged lists drive higher ROI.

Think of it like a house party:
Would you rather host 200 people who ignore you, or 20 who rave about your playlist and buy your merch?

Try this:
Regularly clean your list. Send a re-engagement email like, “Still want to hear from me? Click this. If not, no hard feelings—I’ll unsubscribe you.”

It might sound scary, but it works. When you stop chasing everyone, the right people lean in harder.

Personally, I clean my list every couple of weeks.
For beginners, unsubscribing inactive followers every 3–6 months is a good start.

Less can be more.

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5. Negative Headlines Trigger Urgency

What if using negative headlines actually grabs more attention?

Our brains are wired for survival, not smiles. We react faster to danger than to light, cheerful messages.

Studies, including one from the NIH National Library of Medicine, show that headlines with negative words outperform positive ones.

Examples:
“Never do this,” “Stop making this mistake,” “The worst way to XYZ.”

Try this:
Balance positivity with negative-focused headlines that call out problems your audience struggles with. Sometimes, showing what to avoid is more powerful than what to chase.

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6. Use Gaze Direction to Drive Clicks

Sometimes, it’s not what you say but where someone is looking.

Studies show that when a face in your ad or landing page looks toward your call-to-action (CTA), viewers are more likely to follow that gaze and click.

Eye-tracking research from Nielsen Norman Group reveals users instinctively follow gazes in images—like someone staring up at the ceiling, prompting you to look up too.

Try this:
Audit your landing pages and ads. Reposition photos so that the person is subtly looking at your button, form, or offer—no arrows or flashing animations needed.

Small eye movements can shift behavior.

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7. Odd Pricing Builds Credibility

You’ve heard of charm pricing—$9.99 instead of $10. But we can go further.

Prices like $97.14 or $24,763 feel more credible because they seem calculated, not random.

A study of 27,000 homes found that properties priced with precise figures sold for more than round numbers.

Think of it like this:
If someone says it’ll cost “about 100 bucks,” you might doubt it. But “$96.14” makes you wonder how they arrived at that number. That curiosity builds trust.

Try this:
Instead of a clean $99 or $200, test oddly specific prices like $98.74 or $2,328.

Pricing psychology runs deep.

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8. Momentum Over Logic

Sometimes, what gets people to say “yes” isn’t logic but momentum.

Start by asking for something small—easy, frictionless, a no-brainer. Once they say yes to a tiny request, they’re more likely to agree to the main offer.

Studies from Stanford show people are 50% more likely to agree to a larger request after agreeing to a small one first.

Think of it like pushing a shopping cart:
Getting it moving takes effort, but once it’s rolling, it’s easier to keep going.

Try this:
Before your main pitch, ask for a micro action—like “Click this button if you’re curious” or “Answer yes/no if you use X.” Then, follow up with your main offer.

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9. Speed Wins Over Personalization

Most marketers think personalization is the holy grail, but speed is actually more critical.

Harvard Business Review found that businesses following up within an hour are seven times more likely to qualify a lead than those waiting 24 hours—even if the message is less personalized.

Why?
Attention fades fast. When someone is curious, they’re primed. Delay too long, and the window closes.

Think of it like a first date:
Showing up late doesn’t matter how good your outfit is—they’ve already moved on.

Try this:
Set up fast, imperfect automations for lead follow-up. Even a simple, generic response is better than silence. Layer in personalization later when it matters.

I use a tool called High Level to automate this. Check the link in the description for a free 30-day trial and training.

Speed beats perfection.

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10. Smaller Call-to-Action Buttons Can Boost Clicks

Most studies show that increasing CTA button size boosts click rates—sometimes by up to 90%.

But in certain contexts, shrinking your CTA button can actually work better.

Why?
Big, bold buttons can seem pushy, especially for cautious audiences. Smaller, subtler buttons feel less aggressive—more like an invitation.

Luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior use tiny, simple buttons.

Try this:
Reduce your CTA size slightly, use calmer colors, and let your offer do the heavy lifting.

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The Bigger Shift in Marketing

Most of these strategies aren’t just clever tricks—they’re part of a bigger shift.

Once you realize that the unexpected often works better than conventional advice, you stop asking “What’s the best practice?” and start asking “What actually gets results?”

This mindset change is how you go from guessing to growing.

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Final Tip: The Power of Attention

Most marketers overlook this, but once you use it, people will start paying more attention to what you say—even before you say a word.

Why Isn’t My Landing Page Converting?

This is a huge problem with websites, and frankly, this is why marketing agencies exist. Why isn’t my landing page converting? Your website should be getting you leads and sales, and if it’s not, something is wrong.

So, in this episode, I’m going to go through six mistakes that we see all the time and what you can do about them to optimize your landing page for more conversions.

As always, the basis for what I’m going to talk about today is the five laws of marketing and the Clear Brand marketing flywheel.

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The Five Laws of Marketing Are:

• Story
• Design
• Systems
• Connection
• Visibility

These are the five laws of marketing—these things never change. Any type of marketing you do needs to engage all five laws all the time; otherwise, you’re not going to gain momentum or see the success you’re after.

We’ll also touch on the marketing flywheel. Your website is at the center, and you spin the flywheel around it to build momentum over time—by increasing traffic, generating leads, and getting sales. We repeat this process to keep the momentum going.

There’s another episode on the five laws of marketing I highly recommend you check out, and another on the Clear Brand marketing flywheel. Those will be the foundation for today’s discussion.

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Let’s dive into the six mistakes that destroy conversions on your website and what you can do about them.

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Mistake #1: Assuming You Know Everything

Why is this a mistake?
When writing a website, we often base our content largely on our own opinions. We might do some research—usually relying on Google. But, these days, Google’s first and second pages are often full of websites and blog articles that are poorly researched, written quickly, and sometimes even copied and pasted without good grammar or accuracy.

You can tell these are just surface-level searches, and the content may look well-researched but isn’t. Sometimes, even top responses are low-quality blogs. So, when you Google something, you might think, “I’ve got it,” but in reality, you’re not doing true research.

What about your own messaging?
You’re writing based on assumptions and opinions, which might not reflect what your audience actually cares about. We set out to create a landing page that converts, but if it’s based solely on assumptions, it might not resonate.

The solution:
We need to launch fast and learn from customer data through A/B testing. You can’t learn anything if you don’t launch something first. For example, we recently worked with a client with a very unique message—hard to create messaging for. We launch a website, track conversions, behavior, and run A/B tests on different messages, colors, and layouts.

Example:
We tested different colors for a product launch. Purple was the base color, but ads testing showed that orange outperformed purple significantly—by about 24% in conversions. This demonstrates the importance of testing rather than relying on opinions or “best practices.”

Key takeaway:
Don’t assume you know everything. Test one thing at a time, track conversions, and be willing to adapt based on data. Heat maps and scroll depth are helpful, but ultimately, conversions are what matter most—money pays the bills.

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Mistake #2: Poor Design

Why is this a mistake?
Trust is a key component of conversions. Research shows that 38% of people leave your website if they don’t like your design, and around 50% base their trust on your design.

Many marketing agencies claim, “Good content will outperform good design,” but I ask, why choose one over the other? Both are important. Good design builds trust, which influences buying decisions.

What if you’re not a designer?
Most people overestimate their design skills. Unless you have data or feedback from unbiased sources, assume your design isn’t optimal. Find a professional designer with good reviews, and validate designs through A/B testing.

Example:
We tested different colors for a client’s branding. Green unexpectedly outperformed other colors, leading to a 24% increase in conversions—just by changing one color in the design. We didn’t assume; we tested.

Key takeaway:
Your opinions about design matter less than data. Validate your design choices with testing to ensure they build trust and increase sales.

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Mistake #3: Not Giving Customers Courage (Story & Trust)

Why is this important?
In marketing, storytelling is the first law of marketing. The customer is the hero; you are the guide. The guide provides the hero with a plan and, crucially, courage to act.

How do guides give courage?
Through stories, scenes, and testimonials. For example, in Thor: Ragnarok, Odin tells Thor, “Are you the god of hammers?”—a moment that gives Thor confidence. Similarly, in Black Panther, T’Challa’s father shares wisdom that gives him courage.

In marketing:
Testimonials serve as social proof—showing others who have taken the step and succeeded. They build trust and give potential customers the confidence to act.

Example:
A testimonial might say, “I was hesitant, but after trying this, I achieved great results.” This reassures prospects that taking action is safe and worthwhile.

Key takeaway:
Share stories and testimonials that demonstrate others’ success to give your audience the courage to buy.

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Mistake #4: Unclear Story & Connection

The structure:
Your website’s headline and hero section must connect with your audience’s motivation and problem. Use three acts in storytelling:

• Act 1: The Setup
  Live in your customer’s world. They have a motivation (what they want) and a problem (what’s preventing them).
  Example: Someone with pain wants relief but is frustrated by inflammation.
• Act 2: The Transition
  The hero leaves their world and enters yours. This is where your solution comes in.
  Example: They learn about your product as a natural alternative.

How to connect:
Use headlines that reflect their language.
Example: “Tired of Pain? Discover Natural Relief.”
Think about what they say at home or to friends—words like “I wish I wasn’t in pain” or “I can’t do this anymore.”

Example:
For a pain relief product, focus on their experience, not just the solution. “Are you tired of constant pain?” connects directly with their feelings.

Key takeaway:
Your story must resonate with their world and language. Clarify your message so they see themselves in your story.

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Mistake #5: Not Connecting with Your Target Audience

The misconception:
Many think targeting their audience involves questions like “What do they drink in the morning?” or “What hobbies do they have?”

The truth:
Your target audience is defined by their problem and motivation, not superficial demographics. If they have a problem you solve or a motivation to buy, they are your target.

Examples:

• Selling a natural pain remedy? Your audience is people experiencing pain or inflammation.
• Selling coffee? Focus on coffee drinkers.

How to find them:

• Use organic search to identify what they search for related to their problem/motivation.
• For ads, narrow down by age, income, or location to fit your budget, but remember, the core is their problem and motivation.

Tools:

• SEMrush
• Google Keyword Planner
• Ubersuggest

Help identify high-volume, low-competition keywords.

Example:
If selling a natural alternative to ibuprofen, target people searching for “natural pain relief” or “reduce inflammation naturally.”

Key takeaway:
Focus on their problem and motivation—not just demographics—to find your true target audience.

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Mistake #6: Not Optimizing for SEO

Why is this critical?
Beyond targeting intent, your content must be optimized for search engines. Google favors content that:

• Is high quality and engaging
• Gets shared and linked to
• Keeps visitors on the page
• How to optimize:
• Write incredible, helpful content that solves their problem.
• Use clear headings that match their search queries.
• Include images—preferably custom or original—to boost ranking.
• Use keywords that reflect their problem/motivation, verified with tools like SEMrush or Google Keyword Planner.

Additional tips:

• Focus on low competition, high search volume keywords.
• Balance keyword difficulty with search volume for best results.

Example:
For a natural pain relief product, keywords like “natural ways to reduce inflammation” or “home remedies for pain” are effective.

Key takeaway:
Create content that Google recognizes as valuable and relevant, encouraging higher rankings and more organic traffic.

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Final Summary

These are the six mistakes that destroy your landing page conversions:

1. Assuming you know everything — test everything with data.
2. Poor design — build trust through validated design choices.
3. Not giving customers courage — use storytelling and testimonials.
4. Unclear story — connect with their world and language.
5. Not targeting the right audience — focus on their problem and motivation.
6. Not optimizing for SEO — create high-quality, keyword-rich content.

By addressing these, you can build a high-conversion landing page.

We’re talking about A/B testing for marketing.

This is a topic that we have a lot of conversations about with our clients because we value it highly. I think everyone should be A/B testing their marketing assets all the time—to learn, improve, and get more conversions. This is one of the best ways to consistently increase your conversions, which means increasing your leads and sales.

Today, I’m going to go through what it is and how to do it in a practical way that you’ll be able to follow along with if you’re interested.

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Why A/B Testing Matters

So, before we jump into what it is, let’s talk about why it matters.

As I’ve worked with many clients over the years, I’ve noticed a common thread. We start off in the messaging portion of the project. If we don’t, it’s like viewing marketing as building a bridge—a bridge between you and your customers. You wouldn’t just pick up a hammer and start hammering away without a plan.

So, we want to start by creating a blueprint: planning out the bridge between you and your customers. Part of that is the message we’re going to be using, and part of it is the design.

One of the objectives of marketing is to build and reinforce memories, and you do that by being consistent. If you don’t know what it is that you’re talking about in your marketing, you won’t be consistent. Therefore, you won’t build or reinforce memories.

The same applies to design: if you haven’t settled on certain design elements—colors, fonts, etc.—each time someone sees an ad or a post from you, if the design is different, you’re not building or reinforcing memories.

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The Challenge of Certainty

As we’re in the starting phase of a project, creating the blueprint with a client, I see the same pattern happen repeatedly. Clients want to be certain, the team wants to be certain, and it’s basically impossible on the front end.

In fact, I’ve seen that even the most confident marketers often get things wrong. That’s the fear we all have—what if I get this wrong? What if it’s the wrong color? The wrong font? The wrong message? What if we’re telling the story in the wrong way? Or if just one piece is wrong? How much money are we going to lose?

That’s a big, important question. What we do is acknowledge that these are opinions, and that’s okay. When we’re sitting in a room having a conversation, these are opinions—not data. Opinions are good and can be added to our data set, but they are not the complete picture.

If we’re after leads and sales, we need to track and ensure that our decisions are actually leading to those results. Opinions are a starting place, but we must validate them with data—customer behavior.

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Opinions vs. Customer Behavior

Are these designs or messages actually getting the results we want? Because at the end of the day, we pay our bills with revenue. If an opinion turns out to be unvalidated by customer behavior, I need to know. I need to find out what moves our customers forward in their journey. If I’m wrong, that’s okay—I just need to know. We, as a company, need to be right. No individual needs to be right.

In fact, if you’re watching this thinking you need to be right, let’s pump the brakes. It’s not true.

If you’re more committed to your own opinions and the delusion that you’re right than to data, customer behavior, leads, and sales, you’re paying a high price—literally, lower revenue. So, we want to avoid that.

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Enter A/B Testing

This is where A/B testing comes in. Assuming we’re getting something a little bit wrong, I’ll share some stories of different results and how we can determine which one wins through A/B testing, and even assign a dollar amount to that.

The big question when it comes to A/B testing is: What is your opinion worth to you? Is it worth a million dollars? Ten thousand dollars? Because A/B testing is about putting that to the test and increasing revenue—but it also means you might be wrong. Just know that going in.

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What is A/B Testing?

It’s where we take two variants—sometimes more, but usually two—of something: an asset, a design, a color, a message, or other elements. We put them against each other in a way that allows us to measure specific outcomes. The goal is to see which variant gets us to the outcome we want.

For example: We might test button colors—does green or orange get more clicks? That’s the variant, and the outcome is which gets clicked more.

We want to set up the test so that both variants are seen equally, ensuring accurate data. We track the outcomes to see which one wins and delivers the results we’re after.

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How to Run a Good A/B Test

When building an A/B test, we need to ensure we’re testing things we can control.

Going back to science class—say biology—first, you create a hypothesis, then test it. I disagree: a hypothesis is a bias. If you say, “Orange will win,” that’s a hypothesis based on your expectation.

But in A/B testing, we don’t need a hypothesis. Instead, we ask a question: Which color will get more clicks? That’s the real purpose—finding out what actually works.

We test things we can control: Make sure the button is a precise color, and measure the outcome clearly—clicks, conversions, etc.

Avoid testing vague questions like, “Will people like orange or green?” because that’s unmeasurable. Instead, measure actual behaviors—clicks, conversions, scroll depth, etc.

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Measuring Results

You need enough data—patience is key. A good rule of thumb at ClearBrand is about 100 conversions of the specific outcome you’re tracking. It’s not about how many people see the test, but about the number of behaviors (like clicks or purchases).

Once you reach around 100 conversions, you can assess statistical significance. Tools will help with this—no need to do complex math yourself. They’ll tell you if the results are statistically significant and which variant wins.

If you get 100 conversions with close numbers—say, 49 on variant A and 51 on variant B— that means there’s no clear winner. You can let it run longer or test something different.

The tools will show you the percentage difference and statistical significance, so you can make an informed decision.

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Summary of the Basics

• Decide what you’re measuring (the variant).
• Decide what outcome you’re tracking (behavior).
• Wait until you have enough data for confidence.

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How to Construct Variants

There are two main approaches:

1. Test many things at once.
2. Test one thing at a time.

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1. Testing Many Things

A data scientist might advise against this because it’s hard to identify what caused the winner. For example, if you run two ads with different images, copy, colors, and call-to-actions, and one wins, you won’t know which element caused it.

However, at ClearBrand, we often do this when launching a new site. Before launching, we gather data from the current site—ideally at least 50 days of data. Then, we launch the new site and compare the pre-launch data to post-launch data.

This is effectively an A/B test of the entire site. It’s faster because we’re making multiple changes at once, but it’s also a big leap forward.

Once the new site is live and data stabilizes, we test one thing at a time to understand what truly works.

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2. Testing One Thing at a Time

Once we have a new baseline—say, after doubling conversions—we refine further. We test one element—like button color—by splitting traffic equally (50/50 for two colors, 33/33/33 for three).

We let the test run until a clear winner emerges with statistical significance. This approach helps us understand cause-and-effect relationships.

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Testing Ideas vs. Testing Specific Elements

For example, with running shoes, you might test the headline:

• “Run faster and win more races” vs.
• “The lightest running shoes on the planet.”
• Or test one word change:
• “Lightest shoes” vs. “Brightest shoes.”

The key is to keep tests focused—one idea at a time.

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How to Know if Multiple Changes Are Responsible

If you change both button color and text, and one wins, you won’t know which change caused it.

To isolate effects, test one element at a time—small, specific changes.

If you want to test multiple elements, do so sequentially rather than simultaneously, to maintain clarity.

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Additional Tips

• Always measure customer behavior—clicks, conversions, purchases.
• Use tools like Google Optimize (free) for website testing—requires some development knowledge.
• For low traffic, consider running ads, surveys, or sales calls to gather data faster.
• Heat maps can provide insights but shouldn’t replace direct testing or customer feedback.
• For branding or naming, crowdsourcing via survey sites can be effective.

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In Summary

• A/B testing helps you move from opinions to data.
• Test one thing at a time for clarity.
• Gather enough data—about 100 conversions—to ensure confidence.
• Use tools to simplify analysis.
• When traffic is low, supplement with ads, surveys, or direct outreach.

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Final Recap

• We want to A/B test because our opinions are almost always wrong.
• We aim to validate with customer data.
• Set up variants and measure specific outcomes.
• It’s okay to test multiple things initially, but then refine to one element at a time.
• Constantly learn and improve to increase leads and sales.

There are many tools out there—Google Optimize is a good free option if you have some web development experience. If traffic is low, get in front of people via ads, surveys, or calls to gather customer insights.

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Thanks for listening to the Clear Brand Academy podcast, where we take the mystery out of marketing and help you get more leads and sales with a clear brand and proven tactics.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

Alexander: When Digital Reach first started, our website was not impressive. Like, we have a great website now, but we didn’t have a great website then. It didn’t matter if somebody was being referred to us—if we had a friend who said, “Andrew and the Digital Reach team are great, you can trust them,” they’d go to our website and see, “Huh.” You know, it’s not super encouraging, but it’s not going to kill the deal.

But if you’re trying to advertise, trying to get organic traffic, sending emails to people—that traffic is not showing up with a pre-existing source of trust. You have to build trust with them first. So, having a crappy website or web experience—yeah, it hurts the trust.

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Alexander: Welcome to the ClearBrand Marketing Podcast, where we take the mystery out of marketing and help you get more leads and sales with a clear brand and proven marketing tactics. I’m your host, Alexander.

Today, I’m talking to Andrew Seidman. He’s the co-founder and CEO of Digital Reach, where he has spent more than 10 years designing full-funnel go-to-market motions for enterprises and funded startups—things we’re going to hear a lot about today. He’s a former high-stakes professional poker player and, as such, is no stranger to process orientation, risk management, and time-sensitive decision-making. Welcome, Andrew.

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Andrew: Thank you very much, Alexander. It’s good to be here. Glad to have you.

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Alexander: We’re going to get into some things today that I get a lot of questions about, but a lot of folks don’t really have the answers. So, I’m excited to hear from you and pick your brain on some of these topics.

First, this is go-to-market. So, for folks who might be bootstrapping their own thing and not doing anything with funding or developing a big launch, walk me through: who do you typically work with, and what is go-to-market? When does someone need that?

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Andrew: Yeah. So, we started Digital Reach over 10, almost 12 years ago. We began as a paid media company, then iterated from that. We realized success with paid media depended on other things—like having a great website, good landing pages, appealing content, a resonant brand message, and data that didn’t drop leads or let conversations lapse. All these elements are interdependent.

Today, we focus on full go-to-market strategies, which we break into four pillars: branding, content, digital experience (like your website), RevOps (data and reporting), and pipeline-generating activities—like advertising, SEO, email marketing, social media, and so forth.

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Alexander: So, what is a go-to-market, exactly? And when does a company reach out for help with that?

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Andrew: It depends on the organization. We tend to work with well-funded startups—raised $50 million or more—or enterprises with global operations.

For startups, often their efforts are chaotic, with no central plan, leading to conflicts—like sales and marketing messaging not aligning, or data systems built by someone who left, causing crises.

For enterprises, it’s more strategic: they might have a vision for where they want to be in one or two years, and we help craft a forward-looking plan.

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Alexander: And what about product-market fit? How do you determine if a company has it before diving in?

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Andrew: Virtually every company with customers has some product-market fit. We often start with a product-market fit analysis—looking at existing customer data: what they buy, who they are, and which customers are happiest and most likely to refer others.

For example, if 80% of your best customers buy Product X, and those customers are in a specific industry or segment, that’s a strong indicator. It helps focus your marketing efforts more effectively.

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Alexander: So, data plays a big role here. Knowing where the money is coming from, parsing your data, and reverse-engineering niches—does that tie into product-market fit?

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Andrew: Absolutely. Data is often underrated. I come from a marketing operations background, so I value automation systems like HubSpot, Salesforce, and others. Good data hygiene allows AI tools to analyze and find insights—like which products sell best, customer satisfaction, industries, etc.

For example, feeding organized data into AI can reveal hidden patterns, helping you identify your most profitable segments and refine your messaging.

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Alexander: What are the baseline elements everyone should be tracking?

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Andrew: In B2B, at minimum, you need to track leads—who’s interested, their contact info, and their company details. You also want to track account info—like company size, industry, revenue, funding—and the history of opportunities or deals.

Knowing who was involved in the buying process helps model future deals. Core objects are leads, contacts, accounts, and opportunities. Additional data might include product usage, engagement, or other relevant info depending on your business.

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Alexander: And what about traffic sources? How much do you care where the lead came from?

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Andrew: A ton. Attribution is tricky, especially in B2B with long sales cycles and multiple touchpoints. Last-touch attribution often oversimplifies things—people might see your brand in social media, hear about you from a friend, get an email, then Google you. The last touch isn’t the whole story.

A better approach is multi-touch attribution—tracking all interactions. Some agencies use a simple but effective method: a required form field asking, “How did you hear about us?” Even if someone found you via Google, they might say, “I heard you on Alexander’s podcast,” which helps you attribute the lead more accurately.

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Alexander: That makes sense. And even if the metrics are imperfect, having some data is better than none, especially for internal validation.

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Andrew: Exactly. For internal reporting, showing ROI from brand or content marketing is harder, but still valuable.

For example, if you spend $100 on Google Ads and get $115 back, that’s clear. But brand awareness efforts are more long-term and harder to directly attribute. Still, having a presence early in the buyer’s journey is crucial.

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Alexander: Let’s shift gears to AI. How is AI changing marketing functions?

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Andrew: It’s not fully there yet, but the potential is huge. About a year ago, I saw a lot of hype but believed much of it was smoke. Now, AI can do more—like connecting systems, automating data updates, and making marketing more effective.

For example, imagine a recorded Zoom call where AI detects that I moved from San Francisco to Denver, updates your CRM automatically, and notes the reason. Later, if I plan a trip to Denver, AI can help you find contacts or target ads in that location without manual effort.

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Alexander: That’s powerful. So, AI acts as a glue—stopping data loss, updating systems, and automating actions.

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Andrew: Exactly. It can handle high-context tasks—like understanding your core value proposition or buyer personas—and execute based on that.

For instance, if your brand message changes, AI can automatically update your website, landing pages, and emails. As AI gets smarter, it will handle more complex, high-context tasks that currently require human input.

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Alexander: And the automation of updates is a game-changer. It’s like having a second brain managing your data and content.

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Andrew: Yes. For example, imagine tying all your brand messaging documents to your digital experience and ads. If you decide to target a new account segment, AI could update your website, landing pages, and email templates automatically, saving massive time and effort.

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Alexander: That’s incredible. It’s like the future of integrated systems working seamlessly.

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Andrew: Totally. The more AI advances, the more it will handle complex, high-context decisions—though some aspects, like defining core values, will still need human input for now.

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Alexander: Great insights. Now, let’s talk about pipeline management. This is often what clients need most.

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Andrew: Absolutely. The pipeline is where everyone wants to be. First, we assess their go-to-market motion—are they driving high-quality leads of similar value? Are they account-based or lead-based?

For example, some clients only sell to specific accounts—they won’t even talk to leads outside their target list.

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Alexander: And from a digital media perspective, what channels do you recommend?

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Andrew: Channels include paid media, email, organic search, organic social, content syndication, programmatic advertising, word-of-mouth, field marketing, and events. These are manageable options.

Paid and email are fast—spending money on ads or email can generate responses immediately. Organic search is powerful long-term but slow—taking six months to a year to see results. Organic social and targeted outreach, like LinkedIn connection requests, also work well if done thoughtfully.

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Alexander: How do you target those emails? Do you use job titles, technographics, or other data?

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Andrew: Data is key. For example, to target RevOps leaders, I’d use technographics—like BuiltWith—to identify companies using certain tools. Then, filter by company size, funding, or revenue.

I’d upload that list into my CRM and LinkedIn, then craft tailored messages—like a guide for RevOps. The goal is to make the message relevant and resonate with their specific circumstances.

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Alexander: And on LinkedIn, do you use InMail or connection requests?

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Andrew: Both. We use a sequential retargeting approach: first, target broad audiences with ads; then, retarget those who engaged with more specific content; finally, reach out directly via connection requests or InMail. The key is relevance—delivering the right message at the right stage.

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Alexander: And trust plays a big role here. How do you build trust?

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Andrew: Trust is the ultimate currency. Early on, giving away valuable insights demonstrates expertise. Social proof—like endorsements from respected contacts—also helps.

As prospects move down the funnel, their experience with your product or service matters: exceptional onboarding, attentive salespeople, exceeding expectations—all build trust and turn customers into advocates.

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Alexander: Any memorable stories about building trust?

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Andrew: Yes. Zappos is a great example. They’re famous for exceptional customer service. Once, I lost a shoe, and they responded immediately—offering to send a new pair, even though it was my fault. That level of care built immense trust.

When a company consistently exceeds expectations, trust becomes part of their brand identity.

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Alexander: That’s a powerful story. It shows trust isn’t just about messaging but about delivering an experience.

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Andrew: Exactly. Your brand isn’t just your function—it’s how you make people feel.

Nike, for example, sells athletic shoes, but their brand is about inspiring greatness. Zappos sells shoes, but their brand is about extraordinary customer service. Building trust through experience is what differentiates brands.

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Alexander: And in a competitive landscape, that trust can justify higher prices.

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Andrew: Yes. If your brand promises quality and reliability, customers will pay more for that assurance.

Think of car brands—luxury brands like Lexus or BMW. They’re not just selling a function; they’re selling an experience and trust.

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Alexander: Great point. So, to wrap up, is there anything missing from this pipeline conversation?

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Andrew: Tons of details, but the core is that it’s an interconnected system. You can’t just put all your money into one channel and expect results. It’s about balancing paid, organic, brand, and content efforts—building a system that works together.

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Alexander: Love it. If someone’s interested in working with you, how do they find you?

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Andrew: Go to digitalreachagency.com. You can also find me on LinkedIn. We offer an introductory program called the Roadmap. It’s an immersion into the four pillars—branding, content, digital experience, RevOps, and pipeline.

We evaluate where you are, give you a letter grade, and provide a detailed go-to-market plan—how long it will take, costs, priorities. From there, you can implement in-house or bring us in to help build and scale.

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Alexander: Perfect. Thanks, Andrew. This has been a great conversation.

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Andrew: Thanks for having me.

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Alexander: Thanks for listening to the ClearBrand Marketing Podcast. If you need help with your website or marketing, visit clearbrand.com to learn more about how we can help you write, design, or implement a better website and marketing strategy.

This is what marketing agencies and gurus are basically doing.

They did this for one client or five clients, whatever it is, so they say, “You need to do that too.” But there’s a problem with that approach:

Your offer is different.
Even if you’re a lawyer and you find a marketing campaign that worked for lawyers, your offer might be a little different. Some guru out there might think their strategy works for everyone, but it doesn’t.

This is why I believe questions are actually the right way to start your marketing strategy. Understanding a foundation of how marketing functions allows you to build from there. That’s what we’re going to do in this video.

I’ve done a previous video on the Four Laws of Marketing. What we’re basically doing is taking that and building it into your strategy. Think of it like physics versus engineering:

• Physics is what you need to understand to build a bridge.
• Engineering is how you build that bridge.

If I say, “This is how you build a bridge,” and it’s the only way, and it works best for everyone—that’s not true. Bridges come in many forms: archways, supported from above, short, long, etc. We have to abide by the laws of physics first, then apply engineering concepts. From that, we can construct a bridge that carries the load for its purpose.

Marketing is like building a bridge between you and your customers.
We’ll go through the four laws, put them together in terms of physics and engineering, and call that the Marketing Mansion. You’ll learn how to apply these laws to build a bridge between you and your customers. There are key questions to determine which activities and channels are most effective for you. And at the end, we’ll go through testing for leaks—making sure you’re not wasting your entire budget on strategies that don’t work.

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The Foundation of the Marketing Mansion

Let’s start at the bottom. Imagine drawing this out on a napkin. On screen, you’re seeing stairs—like the Greek Parthenon—this is the foundation of your marketing. All of your marketing is built on building memories.

Why?
Because at any given time, of all the potential customers, 95% or more are not ready to buy today. If you’re not building memories, you’re wasting 95% of your budget.

Example:
There was an ad from Miller Light about 10 years ago. They tried to model it after successful ads from Bud Light. The problem? They modeled it too well. In surveys, many people thought the Miller Light ads were for Bud Light. Miller spent money building memories for Bud Light instead of their own brand.

How do we make sure you’re building memories for your brand?
There are two ways. (And we have a checklist in the show notes to help you walk through this process.)

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Building Memories: The First Pillar

1. A Clear Story
Your story is your messaging—your ethos, your feel. For example, Red Bull’s story is “Red Bull gives you wings.” Their advertising shows cartoons where Red Bull gives you wings, in various scenarios. Your story doesn’t need to be literal, but it must be consistent, engaging, and emotionally resonant.

2. Distinctive Design
This continues the ethos visually. Red Bull’s cartoons are distinctive. Your design includes your logo, colors, fonts, and characters (like Geico’s Gecko). The combination of story and design makes your brand recognizable and memorable.

Example:

• Geico’s Gecko, with its humorous feel.
• State Farm’s red, All State’s blue, Liberty Mutual’s yellow. Each has staked its claim with a unique look and feel.

The goal:
Be different and distinct from competitors in look, feel, and messaging.

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The Pillars of Activity

Now, imagine the mansion’s four pillars, each sitting on blocks.

• The left two pillars are on one block: Maximize Availability.
• The right two pillars are on another: Reach the Market.

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Pillar 1: Maximize Availability

Key Question:
Where do people look for what I sell?

Tip:
Think in terms of your category, not just your current location. For example, if you sell ice cream, people might go to Walmart, Target, natural grocers, or local stores. They might also search on Google, visit conferences, or talk to coaches.

Next step:

• Brainstorm where people look for your product or service.
• Prioritize impact and feasibility—what’s possible now, and what will make the biggest difference?

Example:

For Google searches, the first page is often dominated by lists and directories.
Your strategy might be to get listed on those directories first, then rank for specific keywords like “SEO for lawyers” or “marketing agencies near me.”

Apple’s example:
When launching the iPhone, Apple didn’t just rely on their brand. They partnered with carriers like AT&T, sold at Best Buy, and other outlets—making it easy for customers to find their product.

Summary:

• Be easy to find where your customers are looking.
• Prioritize impact and feasibility.
• Think long-term about how to get on the right shelves, in the right stores, or on the right platforms.

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Pillar 2: Easy to Buy

Main principle:
Remove friction. Make it easy for people to buy from you.

Questions to ask:

• Is it easy to schedule a call or purchase?
• Do you have availability on your calendar?
• Is your website modern, trustworthy, and clear?
• Is your pricing transparent and competitive?

Example:
If you’re twice as expensive as competitors, why should someone buy from you?
Are your features and value clearly communicated?

Remember:

• Even if you’re more expensive, you can justify it if your messaging is clear.
• Make the buying process frictionless.

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Moving to the Right Side: Reach the Market

Key question:
How do I get noticed by people who might buy?

Sub-questions:

Who might buy?
Where are these people now?
How do I get noticed?

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1. Who Might Buy?

Tip:
Define your target audience broadly.

Example:
Harley-Davidson’s target is “biker gang tattoos, beards, leather jackets,” but only 3.5% of their revenue comes from that niche. Most Harley owners are regular people who like Harley but aren’t part of the “biker” stereotype.

Avoid overly narrow avatars:

• Don’t focus only on “Elon Musk wannabes.”
• You can’t target “wanting to be Elon Musk” directly via ads.
• Instead, target problems or needs.

General rule:
People buy because they have a problem you solve. Look at your past customers—diverse groups often buy the same product.

Example:
Jewelry ads target men buying engagement rings.
Location, income level, and life events matter but don’t overcomplicate.

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2. Where Are These People Now?

Question:
Where do your potential customers spend time?

Platforms:

• Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, streaming platforms, conferences, partnerships, etc.
• Think broadly—your audience might be on multiple channels.

Example:

• For ice cream, they’re at grocery stores, stadiums, or movie theaters.
• For lawyers, they might be at legal conferences or talking to a business coach.

Sub-question:
What will get them to notice and pause?

• What will make them stop scrolling, watch, or visit your booth?
• Use creative hooks, humor, or valuable offers.

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3. How Do You Get Noticed?

Focus:
Create ads or content that get attention.

• What makes someone pause?
• What makes them laugh or feel compelled to share?

Example:
A speaker at a conference invites attendees to visit his booth with a free offer.
Visuals, headlines, or offers that stand out.

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The Two Main Strategies for Reach the Market:

1. Reach all users continuously

• Advertising works by reaching and nudging.
• Not just tracking clicks, but building awareness over time.
• When you run Facebook or Google ads, your brand stays top of mind, priming future purchases.

2. All users

• This is more complex.
• People move in and out of the market.
• Repetition helps build memories, so when they’re ready, they think of you.

Example:
Someone sees your ad once a week; over time, they remember you.
Even if they don’t buy immediately, they’re primed for future.

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Testing and Validating: The Roof of the Mansion

Why test?
Because we’re often wrong, and we don’t know it. Build into your strategy a process to test and validate.

How?

• Start small to minimize risk.
• Once validated, go big.

Start small:

• For example, run Facebook ads with $100 or $1,000 depending on your size.
• Jim Collins’ Great by Choice emphasizes starting small to stay safe.

Go big:

• After testing, increase your budget to scale successful channels.
• For example, if $1,000/month works, double it to $2,000/month.
• Important:
• Don’t skip either step.
• Test small, validate, then scale.

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Final Summary

• Foundation: Build memories with a clear story and distinctive design.
• Pillars: Maximize availability, reach the market, and test/validate.
• Roof: Continuously test and validate to avoid costly mistakes.

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If you found this helpful, let me know in the comments. If you have questions or want other videos, tell me there. And don’t forget: you can go through this process with our Marketing Mansion Checklist in the show notes.

See you next time!