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The Top 3 Challenges Regional Marketing Models Create for Global Businesses

Global Marketing, Global Strategy
June 27, 2024/by
The Top 3 Challenges Regional Marketing Models Create for Global Businesses Starbucks recently shifted from a global to a regional marketing structure. Kieran and I believe this is the worst thing you can do to your marketing strategy, resulting in significant, long-term business consequences. Starbucks' new CEO, Brady Brewer, recently announced a shift from a global marketing approach to a regional, decentralized model. As part of the change, Brewer is eliminating the role of a global CMO and will instead have regionally divided marketing teams with regional CMOs. While this may seem like a strategic move to tailor marketing efforts to local nuances — Brewer was previously Starbucks’ CMO, after all — we believe this is the single biggest mistake a marketing leader can make. As discussed in the latest Marketing Against the Grain Podcast, we dive into the biggest challenges that regional marketing models create for global businesses. We also touch on the lessons learned by companies like Uber and HubSpot, which have tried this structural change, and steps to build your own global marketing strategy. Regional Marketing Model Challenges 1. Inefficiency and Misaligned Competition One of the core challenges of a regional marketing model is that it generates significant inefficiency and counterproductive competition. For example, when teams operate independently, they often (unknowingly) duplicate efforts, creating similar campaigns from scratch instead of optimizing and scaling successful strategies globally. This not only wastes valuable resources but also leads to inconsistent execution. Additionally, having multiple CMOs can incentivize teams to...
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How to Do an Inclusive Website and Social Media Audit to Improve Conversions

Breaking the Blueprint, Web Accessibility
June 27, 2024/by
How to Do an Inclusive Website and Social Media Audit to Improve Conversions Welcome to Creator Columns, where we bring expert HubSpot Creator voices to the Blogs that inspire and help you grow better. This piece is in collaboration with Breaking the Blueprint, a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. I’ve been an inclusive marketing strategist and consultant for the last seven years. I’m also a consumer with several identities that are part of underrepresented and underserved communities. And I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been on brand websites and social channels exploring whether or not I should buy something, only to decide "this brand isn’t for me" based upon something I saw or didn’t see. Once, I was sitting with my credit card in hand while clicking through to a brand’s Instagram account from a sponsored post, only to quickly put my card away because I didn’t see anyone in the imagery that looked like me. Unfortunately, experiences like that aren’t unique to me. Most brands don’t know how much they could improve their conversions by optimizing their website and social media to also work for consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities. Conducting a website and social media audit can highlight opportunities to deliver better experiences for all the customers you want to serve while improving your conversions. The Starting Point for An Inclusive Marketing Audit Get clear about the customers you want to...
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How An NBA Marketer Brought the Brooklyn Nets to Paris (& What Marketers Can Learn from Him)

Uncategorized
June 26, 2024/by
How An NBA Marketer Brought the Brooklyn Nets to Paris (& What Marketers Can Learn from Him) In our first edition of Masters in Marketing, a brand-new HubSpot Media newsletter designed to bring you tips from the top marketers each week, I spoke with Ron Goldenberg, VP of International Marketing & Innovation at BSE Global — who runs international marketing for the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center. Goldenberg has plenty of impressive accolades, including bringing the Brooklyn Nets to Paris and launching the #ThankYouVince campaign to honor former NBA superstar Vince Carter.  Keep reading to hear why you need to take big swings in marketing, how Goldenberg matches insights with instinct, and his fascination with global brands like Oatly.  Lesson 1: If you're not risking your career on a bold marketing move, you're not thinking big enough. Goldenberg got plenty of pushback when he pitched a Brooklyn Nets activation — in Paris, complete with an orchestral tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. and Brooklyn Nets-inspired pizzeria. One colleague even said to him, “You really think Parisians are going to show up to a Brooklyn Nets pizzeria?” (I get the hesitation — don't they live off of escargot and croissants?) He knew there could be major ramifications if the event flopped. But he believed in the concept enough to risk it all. “If I'm going to get fired for anything, it's worth for an orchestral tribute to Biggie in Paris,” Goldenberg told me last week. “When your ideas are big...
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How to Create a B2B SEO Strategy in 9 Steps

SEO Resources
June 26, 2024/by
How to Create a B2B SEO Strategy in 9 Steps If I were to name one thing that I’ve learned throughout the years as a content marketer, it’s that strategy always comes first. Otherwise, you face the risk of chaos. You either end up writing on random topics that don’t fit your intent and personas well, cannibalize your existing SEO keywords, or run out of ideas. Also, considering AI and Google’s bold modifications of their search engine, you can’t operate without a solid plan in today’s landscape. In this piece, I’ll tell you how you can create an SEO B2B strategy and share tips from B2B marketing experts. Table of Contents What is B2B SEO? How to Build a B2B SEO Strategy Tips for Creating a B2B SEO Strategy The key element of every B2B SEO strategy is selecting keywords that will attract theright target audience, and choosing the appropriate content format for them, be it a landing page, blog, case study, etc. Ultimately, it comes down to knowing your target audience, including their needs and behaviors, and creating content that addresses those needs — all the while optimizing for the search engines. B2B vs. B2C SEO If we look at the SEO ranking mechanics in Google, the same guidelines apply to B2C and B2B. It refers to things like URL structure and page loading time, regardless of whether you sell to consumers...
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A 9-Step Guide to Writing an SEO Proposal [Free Template]

Project Management
June 13, 2024/by
A 9-Step Guide to Writing an SEO Proposal Imagine you have hundreds of files in a folder labeled “Important Files.” Some of the files are named by date, some by subject, and some by author. You have to sift through all of them to find a review of the new neighborhood pizza place. Without a consistent filename or organizational structure, you’re not going to find that review anytime soon. That scenario illustrates the value of technical SEO, which I learned about while managing a project to rebuild a previous employer’s website from the ground up. The original website didn’t have a consistent formula for creating new URLs — it was like a folder full of erratically named files — which made it hard for search engines to index and rank new pages. Without an appropriate URL structure, implementing a keyword-based SEO strategy wouldn’t have done us much good. We needed a strategy that met us where we were. I share this because it demonstrates two of the most important points in this nine-step guide to drafting an SEO proposal: 1. Know your potential client’s needs, and 2. Use clear, easy-to-understand language. Table of Contents What is an SEO proposal? What to Include in an SEO Proposal The Future of SEO: Is AI Taking Over? What is an SEO proposal? When a potential client wants to level up their search engine optimization (SEO), you’ll need to draft a successful proposal to...
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On Writing a Tagline (and Pitching It, Too)

Copywriting
June 11, 2024/by
On Writing a Tagline (and Pitching It, Too) Welcome to Creator Columns, where we bring expert HubSpot Creator voices to the Blogs that inspire and help you grow better. Peggy, Lou, and Dawn are characters on Mad Men, the 60s period drama about one of Madison Avenue’s most prestigious, albeit fictional, advertising agencies. Peggy is one of the firm’s copywriters, responsible for writing (and pitching) ad copy. Lou is her boss, the creative director. Dawn, a secretary, keeps everyone organized. The trio are meeting about a new account, a watch company called Accutron. "Oh," says Peggy. She’s looking at Lou. "You didn’t pick a tagline." "Sure, I did." Lou looks at his secretary. "Dawn, what did I say?" Dawn flips through her notes. "You said, 'Just In Time To Be On Time.'" "That wasn’t one of the choices—" Peggy interjects. "I think that was a digression." "How about ‘Accutron Is Accurate,’" Lou says. "That was one of the choices, I’m positive." Peggy lowers her chin. "I like 'It’s Time For A Conversation,'" she says. She’s smiling, making eye contact. She’s selling now. "I think that one’s more finished." The director looks back at her. He’s peering over his glasses now. "And I think you’re putting me in the position of saying, I don’t care what you think." When you finish writing a tagline, it’s not done. It’s not done until someone else reads it, nods, and says, "That’s the one." Indeed, every creative person is a salesperson, too....
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How to Write a Creative Brief in 11 Simple Steps [Examples + Templates]

Project Management
June 11, 2024/by
How to Write a Creative Brief in 11 Simple Steps The first step in any successful project is drawing up a game plan with a clear objective. It's one of the reasons marketers love creative briefs. A creative brief acts as a roadmap that takes a project from ideation to completion. It ensures the scope, timeline, key stakeholders, and purpose of the project are communicated clearly. The creative brief is the single source of truth for everyone working on a project. If questions come up or tasks become unclear, the creative brief will steer things in the right direction. The Purpose of a Creative Brief Whether you’re a consultant pitching a creative brief to a client, or a project manager presenting a brief to your team, start by speaking with the project stakeholders. These discussions will help you understand the company's mission, project goals, and challenges your team faces. Then, you’ll have enough information to write a compelling brief that focuses on what’s really important to your company or client. The idea of a creative brief sounds simple, but it can be hard to wrap a lot of important details into just a few pages. Therefore, a creative brief is typically comprised of eight sections that can fit on one to two pages. How a Creative Brief Works Creative briefs are pretty standard documents within just about every marketing, advertising, or design team. For smaller projects that live in-house (like designs, templates, marketing assets, etc.) the...
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Rule the Streets: How to Create a Billboard Advertising Strategy That Grabs Attention

Billboard Advertising
June 9, 2024/by
Rule the Streets: How to Create a Billboard Advertising Strategy That Grabs Attention Whether commuting by car, bus, or train, I find myself watching the world — and billboard ads — go by. Billboard advertising has come a long way, from signs painted on barn roofs to sleek, powerful advertisements and multimedia sensations. Billboard advertising isn’t your typical inbound marketing strategy. It relies on the customer coming to the ad instead of sending it to the customer. However, I find it’s a powerful way to build brand awareness, support other marketing channels like blogging, online lead offers, and SEO, and reach new audiences. I'll share everything I know about billboard advertising in this article, including my secret weapon for low-cost billboard advertising, to help you maximize your out-of-home (OOH) marketing efforts. Table of Contents What is Billboard Advertising? Types of Billboard Advertising Does Billboard Advertising Work? Billboard Advertising Statistics Billboard Advertising Cost Billboard Advertising ROI Billboard Design Tips and Examples Billboard locations are based on traffic — how many people will see the billboard — and are usually located beside busy roads, at offramps, near train stations, and in cities where many people pass by them daily. Billboards are examples of out-of-home (OOH) advertising, similar to bus shelters, wallscapes, and posters. Overall, billboards tend to have more views (impressions) than other marketing methods due to high-traffic locations, making billboard advertising great for brand awareness. Types of...
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Get Past the ATS With These Resume Templates [+ Tips]

Job Search
June 6, 2024/by
Get Past the ATS With These Resume Templates I can honestly say that, so far in my career, I’ve never witnessed such a high competition for marketing roles on LinkedIn, both full-time and freelance, as now. And I’ve seen countless comments and got tens of email replies from hiring managers, saying that they’re overwhelmed as they’ve received over a hundred applications. No wonder that to make sense of it all and spot relevant candidates, companies are looking for ways to streamline the recruitment process. For them, applicant tracking systems are a blessing. However, for some inexperienced candidates, they can feel like a nightmare. Luckily, getting past these automatic resume filtering systems is certainly attainable if you know how they screen CVs. Let’s take a look. Table of Contents What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)? ATS Friendly Resume Templates Testing It Out Tips for Creating an ATS-Friendly Resume What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)? Human resource departments receive hundreds of resumes. To make their lives a little easier, they use computer software called ATS. These solutions help recruiters process large volumes of CVs and pick the most suitable candidates. Applicant tracking systems come in handy in the initial screening phase and eliminate resumes that aren’t a good fit for the position. One of the most important things that candidates should know about the ATS is that it lets employers filter resumes based on keywords. That’s why it’s vital to...
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