The ClickZ Digest | The Importance of Corporate Narratives to Bridge Brand and Strategy & How to Captivate Millennials and Gen Z

[Subscribe]() | [Forward]() [Logo]() Jun 06, 2024 ClickZ Digest WHAT WE ARE READING HUBSPOT [Interesting Examples of Out-of-the-Box Marketing Ideas]() This week on HubSpot.tv's Marketing Update, Mike and Karen highlighted two innovative marketing campaigns. Domino's Pizza launched a real-time marketing effort by displaying live Twitter comments from customers on a Times Square billboard, showcasing both positive and negative feedback. This campaign runs until August 23 and aims to engage customers in a novel way. Meanwhile, Jonathan Stark's social experiment involved sharing his Starbucks card online, allowing anyone to use it. Starbucks responded positively, appreciating the community engagement. These examples illustrate the potential of real-time tactics and social experiments in marketing, encouraging companies to explore creative ways to involve their communities. MARKETING DIVE [Walmart Opens Access to Off-Site Customer Journey Insights for Suppliers]() Walmart Data Ventures has launched Digital Landscapes, a self-serve insights tool within the Walmart Luminate platform, allowing suppliers to track online shopper behavior before purchases. This beta tool, available from June 5, aims to help suppliers analyze engagement trends and traffic sources, including searches on Walmart.com, the Walmart app, and social platforms. The insights could enhance marketing and sales strategies by optimizing resource allocation. Digital Landscapes is part of Walmart's efforts to leverage first-party data amid the decline of third-party cookies. Walmart's U.S. advertising business, Walmart Connect, saw significant growth, with a 26% increase in the first quarter of fiscal 2025. MARTECH [Marketing's Future is Directing Disruption]() The future of marketing is about directing disruption rather than merely adapting to it. At the Gartner Marketing Symposium, Kristina LaRocca-Cerrone emphasized that retrofitting marketing strategies in response to disruptions like AI and privacy regulations is no longer sufficient. Instead, marketers must build to co-exist with AI, engage in selective collaboration, and focus on differentiation through storytelling. AI should be seen as a team member, not just a tool. The keynote highlighted the need for intentional planning to navigate the increasing waves of convergent disruption, urging marketers to rethink their strategies for a rapidly evolving landscape. GARTNER [Gartner Marketing Survey Finds 84% of Business Leaders and Employees Agree their Company Identity Must Change Significantly to Achieve Objectives]() A Gartner survey reveals that 84% of business leaders and employees believe their company identity must change significantly to achieve objectives. Conducted in late 2023, the survey highlights the importance of aligning external audience views with company identity. Despite marketing's role in brand management, 72% of leaders feel marketing isn't crucial to business evolution. Experts at the Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo emphasized the need for corporate narratives to bridge brand and strategy. Effective narrative activation, rather than development, boosts business performance. Marketing teams should create resources to help employees align, persuade, and connect with the organizational identity. SIFTED EU [Startup to Human: A Founder's Guide to Human-to-Human Marketing]() "Startup to Human: A Founder's Guide to Human-to-Human Marketing" emphasizes the importance of a human-centric approach in today's digital marketing landscape. William Gadsby Peet of Literal Humans advocates for H2H marketing, which focuses on genuine, engaging content that speaks to people rather than at them. Social media platforms like TikTok are highlighted as valuable tools for fostering authenticity and community. Experts like Alice Chan and Jessica Ko stress the need for honest, relatable messaging and building a memorable brand personality. The guide also underscores the significance of hiring dedicated social media managers and embracing experimentation to connect meaningfully with audiences. TOP VOICES INSIGHT FROM HOTCHPOTZ [How to Captivate Millennials and Gen Z Through Marketing]() So, you’re ready to crack the code on reaching Millennial and Gen Z through marketing. Welcome to the club! Let’s face it, these generations are a tough crowd, but also the holy grail for any brand today. They’re digitally savvy, socially conscious, and have little patience for the old school tactics. But don’t sweat it. I’ve got the lowdown on how you can make your brNDING sing to these elusive groups. First things first, if you want to nail marketing to Millennial and Gen Z, you need to understand them inside and out. Millennial, born between 1981 and 1996, are all about experiences, authenticity, and values. They’re juggling careers, side hustles, and maybe a kid or two. Gen Z, on the other hand, born between 1997 and 2012, are digital natives who’ve never known a world without the internet. They value diversity, individual expression, and instant gratification. WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO THE CMO PODCAST [Gunny Scarfo and Lindsey Wehking from Nonfiction Research | Disrupting the Research Industry]() Did you know the consumer research industry has a whopping $75 billion in revenue in the US alone? Then, why in the world do we have such trouble discovering insights that can change or reframe how someone feels about a brand or a company? On this week's episode, Jim will shine some light on this massive opportunity! Jim's guests on The CMO Podcast are Gunny Scarfo and Lindsey Wehking of Nonfiction Research, a six-year-old company with this purpose: to create uncensored, emotional research studies that usher the hidden thoughts and feelings of everyday people into the rooms where decisions get made, so that organizations can better serve everyday people. [Listen Here]() MORE THAN A NEWSLETTER [Editorial]() Contact an editor to create content for your business. [Advertise with us]() [Get in touch with our Advertising Team.]() [linkedin.png]() [twitter.png]() [youtube.png]() You have currently opted in to receive ClickZ Updates. You can [update your details]() and [change subscription preferences here.]() If your no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe here.]() If you have any questions regarding the unsubscribe process please contact [gdpr@contentive.com]()