Leadership Role In Brand Building

The real gap between digital leaders and laggards isn’t just in technology—it's in mindset. The 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 isn’t about who has the best tools; it’s about who knows how to wield them. The difference between average and excellent isn’t in the number of systems implemented but in the strategic intent behind them. True digital transformation isn’t just an IT initiative—it’s a company-wide movement, a reimagining of what’s possible when leadership, innovation, and agility align. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞: • 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲-𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: CIOs and CTOs leading the charge, with an inward focus on IT infrastructure. • 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Tracking efficiency and business performance without a broader view towards future capabilities. • 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬: Proceeding with digital steps without the urgency to outpace the evolving market demands. • 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Maintaining the status quo in operations, favoring predictability over agility. • 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Providing employees with collaboration tools without fostering a culture of digital innovation. • 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Concentrating on backend upgrades before considering the customer-facing aspects of the business. • 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Using data for routine business operations rather than as a cornerstone for transformation and innovation. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞: • 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐩: Transformation championed by CEOs, integrating digital priorities within the company’s vision. • 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Measuring success through the lens of innovation and digital proficiency. • 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Not merely adapting but actively advancing digital initiatives, even in challenging economic climates. • 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: A culture that embraces operational efficiency as a path to competitive advantage. • 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: Investing in employee engagement and digital literacy, recognizing that technology amplifies human potential. • 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫-𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Prioritizing the customer experience with a strategy that adapts proactively to their needs and behaviors. • 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Leveraging AI and data analytics not only to inform decisions but to foster a culture of continuous improvement. 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞: https://lnkd.in/eU_Cc3ga ******************************************* • Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends • Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

I’ve been in the room when FMCG boards reviewed the final shortlist for a CMO role. Over the last 12 months, something remarkable has happened in those rooms: the most debated profiles aren’t traditional brand marketers from legacy CPG houses, they’re growth leaders from tech. Leaders from Spotify, Uber, TikTok, Amazon, Klarna. They’re not coming in with 20 years of experience managing heritage brands across grocery channels. But they’re fluent in another language altogether: data-led storytelling, performance-driven growth loops, real-time consumer signals, and omni-channel acquisition that doesn’t require above-the-line muscle. And suddenly, for global consumer companies that have struggled to keep up with how consumers discover and engage with brands, this “outsider” language is exactly what they’re craving. -76% of consumers now expect brands to anticipate their needs and behaviors, not just respond to them. (Salesforce, State of the Connected Customer, 2023) - Personalization and real-time relevance aren’t just “digital priorities”, they’re growth levers. -And for Gen Z consumers, brand loyalty is no longer built in-store or through TV spots. It’s earned through value-driven storytelling, digital community engagement, and consistent online presence across formats. The traditional FMCG CMO was a master of category management, retail activation, and brand architecture. That role still matters. But the emerging CMO, the one most in demand today looks a little different: → They think in funnels, not channels. → They test, learn, and optimize daily. → They’re equally comfortable briefing creators for TikTok as they are building full-funnel attribution models. → They manage marketing like a product team: agile, cross-functional, data-literate. I’ve seen this play out firsthand in executive search mandates. The world of consumer goods has changed and the skill sets needed at the top are evolving too.It’s no longer just about knowing the category. So, if you’re leading a consumer brand and hiring for its future, here’s my question: Are you searching for someone who knows your brand’s history? Or someone who can build its future? Let’s talk. #FMCG #MarketingLeadership #ExecutiveSearch #DigitalTransformation #ConsumerGoods #CMO #Hiring #FutureOfMarketing

A few years ago, I believed influencer marketing was all about big follower numbers. However, 4 years in the industry completely shifted my view on what real influence means. The most impactful "influencers" might not be who you think. True influence isn't about: • Blue checkmarks • Viral posts • Millions of followers It's about: • Trust • Genuine connections • Consistent presence Who's more likely to influence your decisions? A celebrity endorsement or a recommendation from a close friend? This shift in thinking has big implications for influencer marketing: 1. Micro-influencers often have higher engagement and trust within their niche communities. 2. Employee advocacy programs can be more effective than traditional influencer campaigns. 3. Building a loyal customer base who becomes your brand advocates is invaluable. The takeaway is we're all influencers in our own circles. For brands: Consider how you can empower your customers and employees to become genuine advocates. For individuals: Recognize the influence you have. Your voice matters more than you think. How can we bring more authenticity to influencer marketing? #influencermarketing

What happens when your core values are in direct opposition to your entire industry? Do you compromise, or do you double down? In 1976, this was Anita Roddick's reality. While the beauty industry thrived on lavish packaging and miracle promises, she opened a small shop in Brighton with a different vision. Her plan was simple: sell natural, ethically sourced products in modest, refillable bottles. The established players rejected her approach entirely. It wasn't glamorous and certainly didn’t fit the mould. By all conventional measures, it was a recipe for failure. But Roddick understood something profound the major corporations had missed. Consumers were growing tired of the artifice and waste. They craved authenticity. Her commitment to environmentalism and ethics wasn't another marketing tactic, but was the soul of her business. She gave people a chance to support a business that stood for more than just profit. This refusal to conform became her greatest asset. Her journey is a masterclass in strategic disruption. → Values are a competitive advantage. In a sea of sameness, a clear ethical stance acts as a beacon that attracts a loyal tribe. → Industry norms can signal opportunity. The establishment's dismissal of her methods proved a massive gap in the market existed. → Authenticity builds empires. She didn't out spend her rivals, she out cared them, building a global brand on trust and shared purpose. From one small shop, The Body Shop grew into a global phenomenon, forever changing how we think about consumerism. It's powerful proof that the most successful path is often the one you carve yourself. Which 'industry norm' do you believe is most ready to be challenged today? #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #Sustainability

Digital commerce is no longer simply another sales channel. For luxury brands, it is becoming one of the most important platforms for building lasting customer relationships. As online commerce continues to grow, the most significant shift is not where transactions occur. It is how relationships are initiated, strengthened, and sustained across an increasingly connected customer journey. For luxury brands, digital engagement now begins long before a customer enters a boutique and continues well beyond the point of purchase. Every interaction—digital or physical—shapes trust, reinforces the brand, and strengthens the customer relationship. This changes the leadership challenge. Customers experience one brand, not separate digital and physical channels. Delivering a consistent, highly personalized experience across every touchpoint is no longer simply a customer experience initiative. It is becoming a defining element of long-term brand loyalty. The strongest luxury brands will not be distinguished by their digital capabilities alone. They will be distinguished by how effectively those capabilities strengthen relationships, deepen loyalty, and create lifetime customer value.

Five Things I Learned While Helping Leaders Build Digital Authority After working with founders, consultants, senior leaders, and organizations across different industries, one assumption I had about personal branding completely changed. I used to believe great content was the biggest differentiator. Today, I think something else matters more. Content gets attention. Judgment earns trust. I've noticed five patterns that keep repeating. 1. The strongest leaders don't try to sound smarter. They help others think more clearly. Early on, I reviewed an executive's content and he asked, "Am I explaining enough?" He was. The problem wasn't information. It was clarity. The leaders people remember aren't the ones who know the most. They're the ones who make complex ideas simple. 2. Trust starts long before the first conversation. One procurement leader reached out after reading my content for several months. He didn't ask about pricing. He simply said, "I've been following how you think." That sentence changed how I view professional branding. Before people trust your expertise, they evaluate your judgment. 3. The posts creating the biggest opportunities aren't always the posts creating the biggest reach. While working with different clients, I noticed something unexpected. One profile generated higher impressions, while another generated fewer views but far more executive conversations and business opportunities. That's when I stopped measuring success through reach and started measuring it through outcomes. 4. Generic advice attracts attention. Original observations build authority. Every industry has people explaining trends. Very few explain patterns they've personally witnessed through real client work and difficult decisions. Authority begins when people say, "I hadn't thought about it that way before." 5. Reputation compounds quietly. The opportunities that changed my clients' businesses rarely started with viral posts. More often, they started with one sentence: "I've been reading your work for months." Trust doesn't appear overnight. It accumulates through consistent evidence. Looking back, the biggest lesson wasn't about LinkedIn. It was about professional influence. The leaders creating the greatest opportunities aren't trying to become more visible. They're becoming more valuable to remember. I believe this is where professional influence is heading. As AI makes information easier to generate, original judgment, lived experience, and practical observations become even more valuable. Content may become abundant. Credibility will remain scarce. My biggest takeaway: Authority isn't built when people remember your content. It's built when they remember your judgment. Looking back at your own career, what's one lesson you could only have learned by doing the work, not by reading about it? LinkedIn LinkedIn News LinkedIn News India #Leadership #PersonalBranding #FutureOfWork #Linkedin

Expansion doesn’t build brands. It reveals them Not every expansion feels right. Some look logical on paper, yet fail when they reach the market. Others may seem unexpected at first, but are quickly accepted as if they had always belonged there. The difference is not the category. It is the continuity a brand is able to maintain. A brand does not become credible in a new space simply because the product feels “close enough” to what it already does. Category proximity is often overrated. Consumers do not evaluate brands through product logic alone. They respond to what they recognize, to what feels consistent, to what already exists in their minds, as a clear and owned territory. What truly makes an expansion work is the ability to carry an existing brand asset into a new format. In some cases, that asset is sensorial. It can be a specific atmosphere, a texture, a way a product is experienced. When this is strong, new formats do not feel like a departure. They feel like another expression of the same world. In other cases, the asset is visual or behavioral. A recognizable routine, a way the product fits into daily life, a consistent aesthetic language. The object may change, but the role it plays remains familiar, which makes the transition feel natural. And sometimes, the asset is authority. A brand may be trusted for its understanding of materials, color, form or craftsmanship. That authority creates permission. It allows the brand to move across categories without needing to justify itself every time. This is what ultimately defines whether an expansion feels credible or not. A strong expansion does not introduce something completely new. It translates something that already exists. This becomes even more critical when you consider that 64% of consumers are more likely to try a new product from a brand they already trust. Trust is not built at the moment of expansion. It is transferred. If the underlying asset can travel, the expansion feels obvious, almost inevitable. If it cannot, the move starts to feel forced, disconnected, and opportunistic. That is the line where expansion stops adding value and starts diluting the brand. Featured brands: Hermès  Birkenstock  Diptyque  Dior Foreo    Le Labo #BeautyBusiness #BrandStrategy #LuxuryBranding #BeautyInsights #ConsumerBehavior

The latest Edelman Brand Trust report confirms something I've been thinking about for a while. Trust and relevance have become two of the biggest drivers of revenue growth but I feel the report stops one level too soon. Most of the conversation is still happening at the brand level. In B2B, that's half the story. When someone signs a 6 or 7 figure contract, they're not buying software or a service. They're making a decision they'll have to defend. If it fails, their credibility is on the line as much as the vendor's. Trust in B2B is rarely transferred from a logo to a person or through a contract. It's transferred from one person to another. This is why I believe many employee advocacy programs today are solving yesterday's problem. They're designed to distribute brand content vs elevate expert voices. The Edelman research suggests buyers want something different. They want perspectives from people who understand their world. People whose experience helps them make better decisions. To do that, employees need the confidence and skills to show up. For CMOs, this changes the conversation. Employee influence isn't another marketing campaign scheduled in quarterly cycles measuring volume based metrics e.g. engagements and clicks. Sales, product, customer success, HR and executives all shape the trust buyers and candidates experience. If trust has become a commercial growth asset, employee influence must become a company-wide capability. That's the conclusion I took from Edelman's research. Not that trust has become more important (we all know that) but that in B2B, growth increasingly depends on making your trusted people impossible to ignore.

Your digital brand strategy is likely obsolete. Consumers no longer wait for you to define your brand. They experience it, shape it, and share it in real time. The old top-down brand monologue is dead. What lives now is a multi-voice, always-on dialogue. If your brand isn’t actively part of that conversation, you’re not just behind ... you’re invisible. The brands that succeed in this environment do five things exceptionally well: 1. They build mobile-first websites that convert. 2. They invest in SEO and paid search to be found when it matters. 3. They create content that builds trust, not just clicks. 4. They use social and email to build community, not just push promotions. 5. And they measure relentlessly because if you’re not tracking share of voice, sentiment, and real engagement, you’re flying blind. This isn’t about more digital noise. It’s about intentionality. A cohesive digital ecosystem. Authentic connection. Insights that lead to action. Digitally native brands like Glossier, Warby Parker, and Allbirds don’t just “do digital.” They are digital. They turn data into an unfair advantage, obsess over experience, and scale loyalty by design. That’s the standard now. Be always on. Be strategic. Be human. Because the question isn’t whether your brand is online. It’s whether it’s alive there. Art+Science Analytics Institute | University of Notre Dame | University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | University of Chicago | D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University | ELVTR | Grow with Google - Data Analytics #Analytics #DataStorytelling

The Beauty Power Index 2025: Who’s Winning Attention, Influence, Cultural Relevance The Traackr Top Beauty Brands of 2025 ranking is more than a leaderboard. A precise snapshot of where consumer attention, creator influence and brand authority intersect in today’s beauty ecosystem. At the top, L'Oréal Paris leads with unmatched scale and consistency, reinforcing how global legacy brands can still dominate in a creator-first economy. Close behind, Kylie Cosmetics, Rare Beauty, rhode skin and r.e.m. beauty by Ariana Grande confirm that founder-led brands are no longer challengers, they are category leaders. What’s striking across the ranking is the strength of brands built for social-native discovery. Huda Beauty, E.L.F. BEAUTY, Maybelline, MAC Cosmetics and Nyx Cosmetics continue to outperform by pairing mass accessibility with influencer fluency and rapid cultural responsiveness. Artistry-driven brands also command real equity. MAKEUP BY MARIO translates professional authority into measurable influence, while prestige houses like Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, Parfums Christian Dior, Ysl Beauty, Armani Beauty US, NARS Cosmetics and Benefit Cosmetics prove that luxury today is powered by visibility, not distance. Skincare’s impact is equally clear. rhode skin, CeraVe, MediCube, Neutrogena, LANEIGE and Kosas highlight how efficacy, routines and creator-led education now drive relevance as much as shade ranges or hero SKUs. Perhaps the most important signal: price tiers are collapsing in the attention economy. Mass brands like e.l.f., Maybelline and L’Oréal Paris now compete directly with prestige and luxury players - often on the same platforms, through the same creators and within the same cultural moments. This ranking reinforces a defining truth for 2025: - Influence is earned, not bought - Product launches are content strategies - Creators are strategic partners, not channels From Fenty Beauty to Seed Beauty/ColourPop, from Rare Beauty to Rhode Skin, the brands winning today are those building ecosystems, not campaigns. The beauty industry isn’t slowing down,but professionalizing influence at scale.