Arie Polycarpou

Most business growth problems aren’t really product problems or pricing problems. They’re communication problems. If people don’t clearly understand who you are, what you do, and why it matters, decisions slow down and opportunities slip away. This article explores why communication and presentation skills quietly shape trust, confidence, and growth — and why improving them is worth your attention. #businesscommunication #presentationskills #businessgrowth #leadershipcommunication #entrepreneurship https://lnkd.in/e8QH-Ych

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Consumer change isn’t slowing down—and neither should your research. The brands winning in 2025 aren’t the ones with more data. They’re the ones who know how to use it most effectively in real-time. In this guide, Suzy breaks down how to: 🌀 Embrace continuous iteration 🧭 Integrate emotion, context, and cultural signals ⚡ Move at the speed of your consumer Get the guide and modernize your research: https://lnkd.in/evx5aQ4V

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Personalization isn’t about channels or platforms. It’s about giving customers what they actually want. In this episode of Here’s the Deal, Daniella Harkins shares the marketer’s checklist for data activation, from unifying your data to optimizing campaigns in real time.

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Northwestern University's Medill Spiegel Research Center, dentsu, brand leaders, retailers, and platforms have contributed to a months long research paper titled "Rethinking Retail Media Measurement" that can help industry stakeholders either confirm or challenge ways of working & allocating resources in the Retail Media space. Helpful concepts for Brands to consider how to bring teams together to work more effectively. Some of the key points include: Unified measurement is a change management decision. Standardized definitions, cross-retailer comparability, and shared governance are what align marketing, sales, finance, and retail partners around growth that holds up under scrutiny. Consumers are omnichannel. Organizations are trying to get there. Shoppers move fluidly across retail sites, media, and stores, but brands still measure brand, trade, shopper, and retail media through disconnected lenses, creating multiple versions of the truth. Attribution is useful, but incomplete. It helps pace and optimize, not determine true contribution. Without MMM and incrementality layered in, organizations reward the most visible touchpoints, not the most influential ones. Authors include Jeffrey Bustos, Larry DeGaris, Dustin Cochart, MBA, Kavita Cariapa, Corey Blenkarn, Santosh Lyndon Moraes, Also contributing with quotes and/or knowledge are the brand and retailer leaders like Deepak Jose, Cara Pratt, Kiri Masters, Dean Harris, Rajeev Oduri, and Todd Hassenfelt (I am grateful to have been included in this list) Download the paper below: https://lnkd.in/gu6PAWWF

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📈 📉 The K-Shaped Consumer: Why We Can't Trust Overall Sentiment Data The latest University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index headline screams downturn, but as a brand strategist, I've learned the most important insights are often found behind the summary number. Digging into the November 2025 preliminary data reveals sentiment is mirroring our K-shaped economy, with sentiment up 11% for households with incomes over $200K, but down for all other groups. This isn't just an economic footnote; it's a critical brand strategy challenge. What this means for marketing: 1) A Mass Market Strategy Won't Work: A one-size-fits-all approach is a recipe for wasted marketing budgets. High-income consumers are feeling confident and are primed for premiumization, upsell, and new experiences. Middle to lower-end consumers are desparately looking for value, a feeling of security, and trust that they are active as savvy consumers. How do you attract those middle to lower income consumers while not positioning your brand as lacking in quality to the top? 2) Pricing Becomes Your Brand: Your pricing strategy is no longer just a finance decision, but reflects your brand's promise. Are you setting up your brand to meet the expectations of the high-end consumer? Or are you priced with a product to offer a clear, trustworthy escape valve of value for households struggling with inflation? What is your brand seeing on the ground? Are you successfully navigating the K-shaped consumer environment, or is your strategy stuck in the messy middle?

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AI is completely transforming the way brands engage with audiences... AI can analyze complex data to uncover insights and craft tailored experiences that weren’t possible before. However, the risk exists: without proper theory, rigor, and human oversight, insights can be just as misleading as they are illuminating. For marketers and researchers, the key is to find a balance: leverage AI to handle the data processing, but ensure every decision is rooted in evidence, context, and strategic thinking. This approach makes connections truly meaningful. #AIinMarketing

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🔔 Product Operations Leaders-- What tools do your teams use to calendarize moments for your cross-functional partners leading to GTM Milestones across design, development and merchandising stage gates?

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