Digital Marketing Advice

My fourth trip to China left me with a renewed sense of awe and insight. Each visit brings new learnings, but this time, the changes in how Chinese sellers are approaching Amazon really stood out. Here are the key takeaways: 1️⃣ From Product Sellers to Brand Builders Chinese sellers are evolving. I now see a clear divide between “product sellers” and “brand sellers”. The old-school approach of managing based on ACOS and TACOS is giving way to a new generation of sellers who prioritize growth and ROAS (Return on Ad Spend). These brand-focused sellers are building lasting businesses, not just chasing volume. 2️⃣ AI is Leveling the Playing Field Many of the challenges Chinese sellers have historically faced are now being solved through AI tools. Sellers are using AI to refine listings, enhance images, and craft product pages that truly resonate with customers. The result? A better customer experience and more polished brand presence. 3️⃣ Temu is Still a Thing, But... Temu may be popular, but the smart Chinese brands are recognizing that cheap products don’t build profitable businesses in the long run. Many sellers are realizing that the real value lies in building quality brands, not simply flooding the market with low-cost goods. It’s a big shift, and those who are making it are now focused on premium products. I met one brand that made a dramatic shift—from low-margin electronics to selling heavy, premium outdoor furniture. Talk about a 180-degree pivot! 4️⃣ Brand Building Meets Performance Marketing It’s no longer just about ACOS—brands are finally recognizing the importance of balancing brand-building with performance marketing. The best sellers understand that long-term growth comes from a combination of brand recognition and smart, data-driven performance tactics. 5️⃣ AMC is Still Underutilized—But Not for Long I’m excited to see that AMC (Amazon Marketing Cloud) is still flying under the radar for many sellers, both in China and the U.S. But that’s about to change. With recent updates, AMC for Sponsored Ads is poised to explode in 2025. Sellers who tap into this tool will have a major advantage in expanding their reach and fine-tuning their advertising strategies. Expect to see more wins from Chinese brands leveraging AMC. 6️⃣ The Next Wave of Generative AI I got a sneak peek at what I would call the next wave of tech: generative AI and chat-based systems built from the ground up. Early tests are encouraging, with brands able to scale ad spend while maintaining solid ROAS. As these systems improve, we’ll see Chinese brands using Generative AI to gain an edge in both marketing and operations. The future is smart, and it’s here. A huge thank you to Lin (Susan) Zhai, Diana Lai, and the entire team for your incredible hospitality during this trip. Thanks also to my fellow travelers Jason Cohen, Jem McIlveen, Andrew Roth, and Yong Sohn for making this trip even more memorable.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁. Most marketing teams aren’t short on ideas. They’re short on relevance. Here’s what I mean: Too often, marketers are busy running campaigns, tweaking messaging, or building funnels for problems customers never actually had. -We obsess over “awareness” when the real issue is trust. -We optimize click-through rates when customers are still confused about why they should care. -We create fancy loyalty programs when the product experience is what’s broken. The result? Beautiful strategies. Great decks. Clean dashboards. But… zero real impact. The best marketers don’t just solve problems. They find the right problems to solve—the ones that keep customers awake at night. And here’s the kicker: Most of those problems don’t show up in a campaign brief or analytics dashboard. They show up in conversations, support tickets, and the messy, unpolished feedback no one wants to read. Marketing is not about doing more. It’s about doing what matters. So the next time you’re about to launch something, ask yourself: Am I solving a problem my customer actually has—or just the one that looks good in a report? That simple filter can save months of wasted effort. LinkedIn LinkedIn for Marketing LinkedIn News

fame doesn’t sell. followers don’t convert. visibility without relevance is just noise. we’ve all seen it—celebrities launch brands, the internet buzzes for a moment, and then… nothing. meanwhile, smaller creators with deep audience relationships are building brands that sell out, over and over again. the difference? relevance. the old playbook was simple: make a product. spend millions on marketing. hope people buy. that formula? it’s dead. today’s most successful brands do the opposite. they build an audience first, listen closely, and then create products people already want. this isn’t a hack. it’s not a shortcut. it’s the new foundation of brand building. when we worked with Chase Business, they could have focused on financial campaigns. instead, they leaned into what their audience actually needed—guidance on marketing, tech, and business growth. they didn’t push products. they built trust. same with rhode skin. hailey bieber didn’t just slap her name on a beauty brand—she built something her audience already wanted. $14 million in sales in six months. a 60,000-person waitlist before launch. not because of her fame. but because of her relevance. acquisition without relevance is wasted investment. visibility without connection is just noise. so before your next product launch, ask yourself: who exactly are we serving? what do they actually care about? how well do we truly understand them? because when you get this right, selling isn’t even selling. it’s just delivering what your audience has been waiting for. brands aren’t entitled to attention. they have to earn it. so, who are you really building for? because in this new world, that’s the only question that matters.

Too many leadership teams still treat digital marketing as a set of disconnected actions: a refreshed website, a burst of LinkedIn ads, maybe an email campaign when time allows. They tick boxes. But they don’t set direction. That’s because they confuse tactics with strategy. A strategy is the overarching plan that aligns digital activity with business objectives. It answers questions like: How will digital help us win the right type of clients? Where do we need visibility in the age of AI search? Which risks (compliance, reputation, migration) could undermine growth if left unchecked? Tactics, by contrast, are the specific tools: SEO, LinkedIn carousels, webinars, HubSpot nurture sequences. They’re essential, but without strategy, they’re just noise. Here’s the problem: when senior leaders conflate the two, three things happen: 1️⃣ Budgets get wasted — money poured into channels without clarity on ROI. 2️⃣ Teams get frustrated — they’re executing but not moving the needle. 3️⃣ Firms get exposed — missing compliance obligations, or losing visibility during platform changes. A proper digital strategy is not about doing more marketing. It’s about making informed marketing decisions, based on evidence, that align with the firm’s growth agenda. It’s the difference between: “Let’s post more often on LinkedIn” vs “Let’s use LinkedIn to shape our authority in professional negligence law, building trust with referral partners and clients.” Boards wouldn’t accept a financial plan built on ad hoc spending decisions. Why accept a digital approach that does the same? How does your firm draw the line between strategy and tactics?

I posted a map of OOH inventory on Friday. It showed tons (millions) of OOH inventory across the US. And I got awesome feedback. But I want to be crystal clear. Quantity is not the goal. Quality is. And a few folks reminded me of that so let's clear the air. (shout out Glenn Merone, OWNER ) By no means do I believe more inventory is better. In fact, it's the opposite. Inventory quality control needs massive improvement. That’s not meant to hurt anyone’s feelings. It’s just the reality. With that said, the first step to growing OOH is to come to grips that we have an entire crop of brilliant marketers emerging as first time participants in OOH. Step 1 is to let them know it exists, where it exists, and in what forms. It’s not enough to just say “it works.” Hence, the map. But from there, we need a rating system. A rating system can help evaluate the quality of each billboard based on various critical parameters such as visibility, location, size, illumination, obstructions, condition, reach, dwell time, and positioning. It can also help standardize the evaluation process and ensure that all inventory is evaluated equally. Here's how it works. It's a weighting system rating scale and each piece of inventory, in each category, gets a score from 1-10. Let's keep it simple. Example parameters and weights: Obstructions: Any obstructions that block the view of the billboard, such as trees, buildings, or other structures would result in a lower score Unobstructed (1) Obstructed (0) 30% Illumination: The score would be higher for an illuminated billboard (static - illuminated with focus lights, or digital) that can be seen at night or in low light conditions, and lower for a non-illuminated billboard. YES (1) NO (0) 10% Condition: This parameter measures the overall condition of the billboard, including factors such as its age, cleanliness, and maintenance. The score would be higher for a well-maintained billboard that is in good condition, and lower for a billboard that is dirty, damaged, or poorly maintained GOOD (1) BAD (0) 20% Prominence: This parameter measures the billboard's position relative to other advertising messages in the area. The score would be higher for a billboard that is located in a prominent place where it is less likely to be overlooked or ignored, and lower for a billboard that is located in a less prominent position or crowded by other advertisements. Prominent (1) Crowded (0) 10% Dwell time: Average dwell time (in minutes) per person over the week, ignoring those who live in group(s) that intersect the place or that work in the place. The score would be higher for a billboard in an area where people are likely to be stuck in traffic or waiting in line, and lower for a billboard in an area where people are likely to be moving quickly. High (> 30 min) Medium (15-30min) Low (<15 min) (1, 0.5, 0) 20% And much much more. Notice I didn't include if it's a left hand read or right hand read. More to come.

🤝 China: The misunderstood market Nobody can disagree China is full of opportunities with its vast market, but success isn’t easy. Challenges like cultural differences, complex regulations, and guanxi (business relationships) can make it tough for new entrants. I spent over a decade in China’s tech sector, pre-installating apps like Google Yahoo and Facebook on exported smartphones and collaborating with Tencent and Alibaba on mobile traffic monetization projects. My experience taught me that business here is about people, not just transactions. Many foreign companies fail because they don’t adapt to China’s unique business culture. The missing piece? A partner to navigating and succeeding in this complex market. 🌍 Enter Nexus Alliance— born from years of experience in the market. 💬 Lessons Learned: ↣ Guanxi isn’t a shortcut—it’s a long-term process of relationship building. Without this understanding, you’ll miss out on valuable opportunities. ↣ Cultural understanding isn’t optional—it’s essential. Without it, your business will struggle to grow and establish meaningful connections. ↣ Success in China isn’t just about making deals—it’s about building trust and cultivating rapport. 👉 Actionable Advice for Leaders: ↣ Prioritize relationships over transactions. In new markets, who you know can be as important as what you’re selling. ↣ Listen between the lines. Often, how something is said is just as important as the words themselves. ↣ Seek out mentorship. Find experienced mentors who can guide you through the complexities of doing business in China. Every business I’ve helped forge has reinforced this: business is about people—understanding them, building trust, and collaborating for success. 🚨 If this resonates with you, let’s connect. ✉️If you found this valuable, share it with others who could benefit. Thank you New In Asia and Leica Kartika for featuring me in their news.

Is a cheap deal a good deal? A cheap deal doesn't always mean a good deal. It's important to evaluate the case to ensure a purchase truly aligns with your marketing needs and expectations. When considering whether a cheap deal is a good deal for buying Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising, several factors should be taken into account to ensure the investment is worthwhile: -Audience Reach: Evaluate the demographics and volume of the audience that the location reaches. A well-targeted OOH ad can deliver better returns, even if it's more expensive. -Location: OOH effectiveness is largely determined by location. An expensive site in a high-traffic area with your target audience exposure is likely a better investment than a low-cost option in a less desirable location. -Reduced Share of Voice (SOV): With multiple advertisers rotating through the same digital display, each ad gets less screen time, reducing its SOV and the likelihood of catching viewers' attention. -Duration of Exposure: Consider how long your ad will be displayed. Short-term placements might not provide enough exposure for brand recognition or campaign effectiveness, particularly if they're in less frequented areas. -Quality of the Medium: Assess the quality of the billboard or advertising medium. Poor-quality displays can reflect badly on your brand and diminish the impact of your message. -HSE and Maintenance: While the flaws of an inadequate structure might not be visible to the naked eye, they can pose significant hazards. Also ensure there are no legal restrictions with the advertising space that could hinder your campaign. -Overall Strategy: Consider how this OOH deal fits into your broader marketing strategy. An inexpensive option that doesn't align with your goals is not a good investment, regardless of the price. It's crucial to avoid the pitfall of choosing a deal purely because it's inexpensive. Poor location, low visibility, poor quality & uncontrolled number of clients on an OOH billboard with your brand’s audience can negate or deny any potential savings. #OOH #outdooradvertising #media #Outofhome

Marketing is all about staying curious and adaptable, and the temporary TikTok ban gave me a chance to explore something new: Xiao Hong Shu (Little Red Book). Over the past week, I’ve been experimenting with different types of content and bilingual posts (English & Chinese) to better understand this platform’s dynamics. 📊 Just 7 Days: • 10,000+ views (+32,296%) • 808 interactions (+40,300%) • 550 profile visits (+27,400%), showing strong interest in my content and profile. I’m not an influencer, nor do I focus solely on social media. My goal here was to step into a new space, test ideas, and learn from the process—just as I’ve done throughout my career leading marketing strategies across the entire funnel. This experience builds on my broader expertise as a full-stack marketing leader. I’ve led U.S. brands into APAC markets—particularly China—through go-to-market strategies that span e-commerce platforms like Tmall and Taobao, influencer campaigns on WeChat (Weixin) and Weibo, and integrated marketing initiatives. My focus has always been on driving measurable results across the customer journey while adapting to new challenges. 📌 Key Takeaways: 1. Adaptability is critical for navigating new platforms effectively. 2. Localized, bilingual content fosters meaningful engagement with diverse audiences. 3. Experimentation is essential to uncovering actionable insights for long-term success. I’m grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow—it’s reminded me how much I enjoy diving into new platforms to uncover what works. As I look ahead to my next executive marketing opportunity, I’m excited to bring this hands-on approach and global perspective to lead innovative campaigns that resonate across markets and drive business growth at scale. To my network: Have you explored any emerging platforms recently? What insights have you gained? Let’s connect and share ideas! #DigitalMarketing #XiaoHongShu #GoToMarket #GlobalMarketing #InfluencerCampaigns #BilingualContent #ExecutiveLeadership

42% of social media users trust Reddit's recommendations more than influencer posts and ads. This begs the question: Are you focusing your marketing budget in the wrong places? People are increasingly seeking authentic conversations rather than polished promotional content. They value genuine back-and-forth discussions that address real questions and concerns. It's not something you could get 20 years ago from a celebrity-laden TV commercial... And you won't get that back-and-forth from an influencer sizzle reel, either. Here's what makes Reddit particularly powerful: - One in four recommendation posts triggers product consideration of previously unknown brands - People rely on Reddit's discussion format to build purchasing confidence - For every 1,000 ad impressions on Reddit, brands see approximately two new organic posts, each generating around 3,500 views - Community-driven content helps overcome consumer frustration with irrelevant search results This gives marketers a strategic opportunity to rethink resource allocation. As expensive influencer partnerships or traditional ad placements slowly lose power in buying decisions... We're finding new ways to participate authentically in relevant community conversations. Should you COMPLETELY abandon existing channels? No. They still have their place. But if your approach doesn't ALSO include these high-trust environments, you are getting left behind. The most successful brands are those that: 1. Monitor relevant subreddits for product mentions and questions 2. Contribute helpful insights beyond simple promotion 3. Address concerns transparently rather than with marketing speak 4. Create value through expertise rather than sales pitches Authentic community engagement has and always will be the most powerful force in marketing. ---- My time spent in digital marketing ALMOST predates the internet itself... and I've spent the last three decades trying to stay one-step ahead of the curve. Subscribe to my Digital Marketing Mix newsletter for insights on content strategy, SEO developments, and everything else. Link in comments.

Marketing isn't just big-budget campaigns. It's content → community → problem solving, And the small details that excite people enough to tell others. This is exactly why the most successful brands aren't just outspending competitors - they're outcaring them. Look at what's working in 2025: → Content that solves real problems (not just promotes) → Communities that create belonging (not just customers) → Small details that trigger word-of-mouth (not just impressions) The brands winning right now understand that marketing at its core is about creating moments worth sharing. And the beautiful part? These strategies work with any budget. Some of the most viral campaigns of the past year cost less than $1,000 to execute. It's about understanding what actually motivates people to share: 1. Solutions to real pain points 2. Genuine connection with others 3. Surprising moments that break patterns Do you agree?