1. Why is LinkedIn emerging as a key platform for influencer marketing, and how can brands leverage it effectively ?

In the past 12-18 months, LinkedIn has evolved into one of the hottest video platforms for influencer marketing, especially for B2B. It really started taking hold after LinkedIn – drawing from the playbooks of apps like TikTok and Instagram – rolled out a dedicated video feed that serves up bite-sized videos that people can browse through. It also modified its algorithm to prioritize creator content, introduced new creator tools and improved analytics, making it a more appealing and effective platform for influencers, agencies and brands.

It's not hard to understand its growing appeal. LinkedIn users are professionals who are highly engaged and influential. Plus, in the throes of the pandemic, they became even more active and innovative on the platform.

With LinkedIn influencer marketing on the rise, we’re now seeing specialized agencies emerge, like Creator Authority, that focus specifically on LinkedIn campaigns. This trend is only going to grow, meaning brands that don’t get in the game risk falling behind. Marketers should start experimenting now by testing influencer partnerships, short-form video and organic engagement strategies to see what resonates. By figuring out what works and what doesn’t, brands will at least have baseline data to help them future campaigns for LinkedIn.

2. What metrics are most commonly used to measure the success of influencer campaigns, and how should brands refine their approach ?

The influencer marketing industry has come a long way in just the last few years. When we started Group RFZ in 2018, influencers were measured almost entirely by traditional digital advertising metrics, such as reach, engagement and click-through rates. Now we see marketers demanding measurement better suited to the channel and researchers have been adapting. While those standard metrics still have a place, the industry is beginning to evolve and look at more goal-aligned metrics. While these aren’t as easy to come by, I believe it’s the right way forward. We should measure what truly matters and leave little doubt as to whether a campaign achieved its specific objectives.

The first step is identifying what the campaign is trying to achieve. If the focus is around awareness, brand building or shifting perceptions, sentiment analysis and a brand lift study may be warranted. If there is a distinct call to action and the focus is e-commerce sales, creating discount codes, affiliate or custom links can close the loop. If the goal is to generate sales for a  popular product available both online and off, a sales lift study may be a good fit. Better ways to measure are out there and the space continues to evolve. But if measurement isn’t an integral part of the planning process, much like influencer selection, brands and agencies won’t be able to take advantage of them.

3. How is AI transforming influencer marketing, and what limitations still exist in its application ?

AI is revolutionizing all industries, and influencer marketing is certainly not immune to its charm. Marketers are still in the navigation process, but I’ve already seen clients successfully tapping into it to find the right influencers, develop more compelling creative briefs, and refine their strategies to improve their future campaigns.

But, while AI is doing all of these wonderful things on the brand side, I don’t see influencers using it as much for content creation, and there’s a good reason for that. Creators take pride in their originality and are concerned about plagiarism risks. More importantly, AI detracts from their authenticity and, at the end of the day, that’s what they have to hang their hat on. Without authenticity, the influencer-follower relationship becomes artificial and eventually dissolves. Despite AI making influencer marketing more efficient, scalable and measurable, it won’t be an easy-button for influencers because it simply can’t replace the personal touch and human creativity.   

4. What are the long-term sustainability concerns for virtual influencers, and how can brands mitigate potential pitfalls ?

Virtual influencers – computer-generated personalities that exist solely on social media – have gotten so advanced that they can now mimic human influencers by sharing content, engaging with followers and endorsing products. They’re a dream for brands and agencies because they give them complete brand control. There’s no risk of off-message content, public influencer controversies or countless other unpredictable instances that come with real influencers. They also bring a ton of additional advantages – they can scale infinitely, be active 24/7, and engage with different audiences across multiple platforms, time zones and languages.

Despite these benefits, virtual influencers have a major flaw that makes them unsustainable: they lack the human connection, authenticity and trust that make influencer marketing so impactful. In an industry built on relationships, an AI-generated persona simply can’t replace a genuine and relatable voice.

If brands do opt to use virtual influencers, I recommend pairing them with real influencers to maintain an element of authenticity and to complement their human storytelling. This helps address another issue, which is that followers may take exception to the fact that a brand is replacing real influencers with virtual ones and potentially threatening their livelihoods. That balance of innovation and authenticity will help ensure credibility and longer-term success.

5. What innovations in influencer marketing measurement are brands and agencies eager to see in the near future ?

From a measurement perspective, brands and agencies often ask for the Holy Grail - flawless, direct attribution and clear ROI. And while most of them understand that there is no magic wand or one-size-fits-all attribution model, they keep pushing the measurement community to get as close as possible through innovation, partnerships and experimentation. That push is something researchers should embrace, not scoff at, as it will continue to drive us forward.

One thing we have been hearing a lot of lately is that clients are eager for measurement solutions that can be reliably deployed across different channels and platforms. Brands and agencies aren’t typically putting all of their eggs in one social basket anymore, so they need something that cuts across different channels and allows them to compare and contrast performance. Finally, we see a deep curiosity from many of our clients around the influencer content itself. They are taking more of a creative back seat than they are used to, and they want to know what about the content worked, what didn’t, what messages resonated and more. They want these insights not only to pinpoint which pieces were well received, but to create more effective creative briefs and guide content strategies. 

1. How is the rise of video-first content reshaping consumer engagement and shopping behaviors in the creator economy ?

Over the past five years, the rise of video-first content has transformed consumer engagement, particularly in social commerce. The inherently engaging nature of video has made it a powerful tool for guiding consumers through the purchasing journey and building trust.

Consumers increasingly place greater trust in video over static images, as it offers a more immersive and authentic representation of products, significantly influencing their buying decisions. Recognizing this shift, creators are doubling down on video content, honing their storytelling skills to meet the growing demand for dynamic, narrative-driven social-commerce experiences.

2. What are the key advantages of integrating video into social commerce platforms for both creators and brands ?

Last year on the LTK platform, we integrated a vertical video feed into the consumer experience and saw a 73% increase in engagement. This for us underscored just how impactful video can be on purchasing decisions.

For brands and marketers, we’ve seen video content become a central pillar to how they connect with their audience, and at this point has become essential for driving revenue and engagement.

For creators, video has become the primary method for how consumers can discover new products, learn how to best use them and see social proof. From our creator marketing trend report that we released earlier this year, we saw that video is the preferred method of content for 76% of Gen Z, 72% of Millennials and 66% of the general population.

3. What factors drive audiences to engage more with video content over static posts when it comes to influencer-led shopping ?

Audiences engage more with video content because there’s more depth and context to them, making it more of an immersive experience. Seeing products in action through storytelling and real-time interaction helps build anticipation to try a product, trust and makes consumers feel overall more confident about their purchases.

4. How are video-first platforms evolving their monetization strategies for creators, and what impact does this have on the industry ?

We can’t speak for other platforms, but at LTK, we are built by a creator, for creators. Our core mission is to empower creators by helping them build businesses around what they love most—storytelling through content, sharing their favorite products, and connecting with their communities.

Over time, we’ve evolved from an app solely focused on creators sharing products they love through pictures to a video-first, central destination for all creator content—both product-driven and lifestyle-focused, a category we call upper-funnel content.

As pioneers in the creator economy, we’ve watched it evolve, and one thing remains clear: the most sustainable way for creators to build a business through content is by consistently delivering value-driven content that resonates with their audience.

5. What are the biggest hurdles brands and creators face when shifting to a video-first social commerce strategy ?

As social platforms have shifted to video first, entertainment based algorithms have proliferated, causing a dip in the social aspect of many platforms. We found in a recent national study 74% of all adults believe social media isn’t social anymore and 50% of Gen Z and Millennials are going elsewhere online to engage with the friends, creators and brands they love.

We have had significant growth in our users because of this and to help our 40M monthly users watch more relevant creator content, we’ve added the ability to find creators near them and around the world, based on their interests.  If you live in Dallas and want to see just Dallas creators you can.  If you are traveling to New York, Miami, London, Paris, or other places in the world, you can find Creators with content there based on the users interests. 

6. How does video-first content foster stronger creator-to-audience connections compared to static content ?

Video-first content builds a stronger connection between creators and their audience because it feels more real, personal, and interactive than static posts. When people can hear a creator’s voice, see their expressions, and watch how they engage with a product or topic, it creates a sense of authenticity and trust that’s hard to achieve with just images or text.

Beyond that, video allows for real-time interaction—whether through live streams, Q&As, or behind-the-scenes moments—making audiences feel like they’re part of the conversation rather than just passive viewers. Instead of simply seeing a product recommendation, they experience it, which helps build stronger relationships and deeper loyalty.

At the end of the day, video isn’t just about content—it’s about connection. It turns passive scrolling into active engagement, making audiences feel more involved, understood, and inspired.

7. What trends will define the next phase of video-first social commerce, and how can creators and brands stay ahead ?

Last year, in partnership with Northwestern University we surveyed over 185 marketing leaders and found that 93% of brands anticipate creators taking a higher percentage of budget or an increased role in marketing strategy in 2025.

Among all brands surveyed, 41% said they are investing at least half of their digital marketing budget on creators this year—a 14% increase from last year’s study.

Our recent survey also found that brands plan to expand how they leverage creator content, taking it beyond social into other mediums, including content marketing (56%), sponsorships (44%), connected TV (43%), display advertising (43%), and affiliate marketing (31%).

This signals a shift toward more integrated, creator-led marketing campaigns, extending beyond social platforms into broader digital and traditional media.

To stay ahead of this trend, brands should focus on diversifying their creator partnerships and repurposing video content across multiple channels to maximize reach and impact. Meanwhile, creators should refine their storytelling skills, experiment with new formats, and position themselves as valuable content partners beyond just social media to capitalize on the growing demand for creator-driven marketing.

1. What surprised you most about the data showing that only 23% of brands leveraged Valentine’s Day marketing ?

I am surprised by just how few brands take advantage of the holiday. It’s a no-brainer to me that brands would lean into the holiday, any holiday, to capture sales. They do it for the Super Bowl and March Madness, even if their business is not sports-related. Why would Valentine’s Day be different? This shows how differently brands think about the holiday versus how consumers do.

2. How much revenue potential are brands leaving on the table by skipping Valentine’s Day campaigns ?

While this will be specific to brands, it’s estimated that up to one-fifth of Q1 sales might be lost by not marketing around the big day. Shoppers feel they “have permission” to splurge on unnecessary purchases around holidays, leaving brands with an opportunity to increase sales and average order values of their customers around this time.  

3. Why do you think many brands still believe Valentine’s Day isn’t relevant to them, and how can they shift that mindset ?

For many marketers, Valentine’s Day is established in their minds as a day for romance. This is how it’s always been. So, when a brand sells car parts or small consumer electronics, the products don’t scream, “I love you.” Hence, they ignore it,  

This has been changing over recent years, and while it’s still a valid romance day, it’s more centered around general love and friendship. That love can now be self-love, friendship love, familial love, and even puppy love. When marketers start thinking along these lines, they’ll find a variety of holidays open up to them.  

4. Omnisend’s data shows that Valentine’s Day spending has expanded beyond traditional romantic gifts. What are some unexpected product categories seeing growth ?

Considering what I said before, it’s no surprise the Pet category sees an increase. People love their furry friends. However, the categories that surprise me most are Autos & Vehicles and Safety & Survival. These two categories are not ones you think about when it comes to romance. To me, they scream self-love. 

Of course, you may get the occasional outdoorsman or gearhead gift, double-digit increases can only be explained by people treating themselves. Other industries that might be a combination of self-gifting and gifts for others are Games, Toys & Hobbies, and Entertainment. One thing remains clear: people shop across all categories, regardless of the season.

5. Your research indicates that brands start marketing too late. What’s the ideal timeline for launching a successful Valentine’s campaign ?

I’d begin teasing roughly three weeks before, with heavy promotions roughly two weeks before. This will put the holiday and products in peoples’ minds and capture early interest. However, we see there is still an opportunity on the day itself. Remember, since people are self-gifting, treating themselves to a little something special on the actual day seems fitting.     

6. How can ecommerce brands that missed out this year prepare early for Valentine’s Day 2026 ?

It’s simple: commit to running a dedicated Valentine’s Day campaign. Having plenty of time to plan in advance allows brands to come up with something creative for their audiences. I wouldn’t worry about starting too early either. If consumers continue to seek value, being early to the game is better than being late — good value is good value. 

7. You suggest brands should market for all holidays, even those seemingly unrelated to their industry. What are some examples of brands successfully doing this ?

Talking about furry friends, the company Rocky Mountain Dog is running a Valentine’s Day campaign. One of their emails mentions, “Valentine’s Day isn’t just for humans.” This is a perfect example of a company taking full advantage of a nontraditional pet holiday. 

8. What last-minute marketing tactics can brands use to engage shoppers and drive sales in the final days before Valentine’s Day ?

In general, use urgency in your email and SMS. You can introduce the day and play into its friendly spirit. Here are a couple of ideas. 

1. Send a “Valentine’s gift” to your customers. A simple “Here’s a gift for you” email with a special discount can help you stand out and generate sales.

2. As I mentioned, think beyond couples. Not everyone is celebrating romance, but many are treating themselves, their pets, and their friends. To widen your audience, promote self-care, Galentine’s Day, or pet-focused gifts.

3. Offer instant gift options. For those who procrastinate, gift cards, e-gifts, and same-day pickup options make last-minute purchases easy. Promoting these alternatives can capture late-stage buyers who might otherwise skip the holiday.

4. Use urgency to generate last-minute sales. Remind customers that time is running out for Valentine’s gifts, whether for partners, friends, or themselves. Limited-time offers and “last chance” messaging are strong purchase incentives.

9. Beyond email, what other marketing channels (e.g., SMS, social media) are most effective for Valentine’s Day campaigns ?

All channels work well when done well. Social media is a nice option for those who have romance-related items to promote. The bold colors and easily identifiable content are easy to spot and stand out as users scroll. 

SMS works well across all product categories and at all times, especially closer to the holiday. However, SMS can easily be used in behavior-based automation, meaning brands can automatically retarget shoppers with text messages at high-intent stages of their journeys. Brands can even combine their email and SMS automations, creating a relevant, multi-channel consumer experience.

10. How do economic factors influence holiday marketing trends, and what strategies should brands adopt to remain competitive ?

We’d be naive to think they don’t, but this can be both a detriment and an advantage. When economic factors are challenging, and I would say now they are, consumers seek value. Value can mean product quality, price, customer service, or anything else that makes them feel confident in a brand and its products. 

Brands that run sales during the holiday period can appeal to consumers’ desire to find value. They can also create product bundles that help increase the average order value while making shoppers feel like they are getting more for less. For instance, think of a brand running a three-product bundle featuring one gift for them, one for you, and one for your pet — it’s a trifecta of love.

1. What factors should companies consider when adopting technology to improve team management?

The main objective is to increase sales and marketing effectiveness.  This means that the technology should flawlessly aid the business in identifying and targeting the right teams –and individuals within teams – that are most likely to promote the firm’s products.   When adopting technology to enhance team management, companies should focus on three key areas: data accuracy, data granularity, and integration capabilities.

• Data accuracy - it’s imperative that the contact information related to the team and individuals within the team be up-to-date an accurate.  Your solution must not only provide accurate contact information for the team, but also you need to be able to track individuals within teams.  Does the technology track tracks Advisors who are on multiple teams and follows advisors who move between teams and firms. 
• Data granularity - Another challenge some firm’s face is related to data granularity or what level information is the technology providing.  Does the technology allow you to see contact information for all team members including title/roles, areas of focus, social media links, etc., and even certain information on non-advisor Team members.
• Integration capabilities - the technology’s integration capabilities is another important consideration.  Is the Team information stand-alone or is it easy for the technology to integrate with a distribution reporting solution or to send to other systems like the firm’s CRM solution or a data analytics database.  One huge benefit of a technology that has the capability of integrating the Advisor Team data – and individual members of the Teams – with a sales reporting or CRM system is that you can see the sales and assets for both Team and the individuals that make up the team.

A solution like TeamIQ, developed by SFS and AccuPoint, ensures that firms have access to comprehensive, real-time advisor team structures, which is crucial for sales and relationship management. Additionally, companies should ensure that the platform integrates with their CRM and sales reporting systems—like MARS—so that team intelligence seamlessly supports their existing workflows. Finally, ease of use and adoption by sales and marketing teams is critical. A tool may have the best data, but if teams aren’t using it effectively, it won’t drive results.

2. What are the benefits of integrating team intelligence tools with existing workflow systems?

Integrating team intelligence tools with existing systems—such as sales reporting platforms, CRMs, and business intelligence tools—creates an enterprise view of the information and a single source of truth for sales and distribution teams. In can wreak havoc with a firm if the Sales and Marketing teams don’t trust the Advisor Team data – or if there’s a discrepancy between the Advisor Team data in their CRM system versus their Reporting system and they don’t know which set of Advisor Team data to trust. With TeamIQ, firms gain deeper insight into advisor team relationships, key decision-makers, and team structures, allowing for more targeted outreach. This integration leads to:

• More precise territory management by identifying high-value teams.
• Stronger sales and marketing alignment, ensuring reps engage with the right teams, not just individual advisors.
• Enhanced client relationships by understanding the full team dynamic rather than treating advisors in isolation.
• Increased operational efficiency, reducing the time spent manually compiling team data from multiple sources.

3. What are the key challenges in implementing team intelligence solutions, and how can they be addressed?

The biggest challenges in adopting team intelligence solutions include:

1. Data Accuracy & Maintenance – Advisor Teams and the individuals within Teams can change frequently, and outdated data can lead to missed opportunities. TeamIQ solves this by leveraging AccuPoint’s continuously updated data, ensuring firms always have the most reliable team structures.
2. System Integration – Many firms rely on multiple disconnected tools, making implementation challenging. To address this, TeamIQ is designed for seamless integration with platforms like MARS, Salesforce^®,  and Advisor Track CRM, reducing friction.
3. User Adoption – If sales and marketing teams don’t use the data effectively, the impact is lost. Training and demonstrating value through real-world use cases can drive adoption. For example, showing how advisor team insights lead to better-targeted sales efforts can encourage usage.

4. How can companies measure the impact of intelligence-driven platforms on team productivity?

To measure the impact of intelligence-driven platforms like TeamIQ, companies should track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:

• Increase in sales conversion rates – Are sales teams closing more deals due to better-targeted outreach?
• Reduction in research time – How much time is saved by having accurate, structured team data readily available?
• Improved account penetration – Are reps successfully expanding relationships within advisor teams rather than treating advisors as standalone contacts?
• Pipeline growth – Are teams identifying new opportunities through enhanced visibility into advisor group structures?

By analyzing these metrics, firms can quantify the ROI of team intelligence solutions and refine their strategies accordingly.

5. How does real-time team intelligence contribute to business growth and efficiency?

Real-time team intelligence eliminates blind spots in sales and marketing efforts, allowing firms to:

• Engage the full buying team instead of just one advisor, increasing wallet share.
• Prioritize high-value relationships by identifying the most influential decision-makers.
• Reduce inefficiencies by removing the guesswork in sales outreach, ensuring reps focus on the right prospects.
• Enhance collaboration across teams, ensuring marketing, sales, and leadership are aligned on relationship strategies.

With TeamIQ, firms gain real-time, structured visibility into advisor teams, which enables more personalized and effective engagement, ultimately driving higher sales growth and operational efficiency.

6. What future trends are shaping the evolution of AI-powered team intelligence solutions?

Several trends are driving the evolution of AI-powered team intelligence:

1. Predictive Analytics & Machine Learning – AI will go beyond organizing team data to predict advisor behaviors, helping firms proactively target the most promising opportunities.
2. Deeper CRM & Sales Intelligence Integration – Solutions like TeamIQ will become embedded within CRM workflows, automatically surfacing team insights where sales teams need them most.
3. Enhanced Automation – AI-driven tools will continuously refresh advisor team structures without manual intervention, ensuring up-to-date intelligence.
4. Personalized Sales Recommendations – AI will suggest who to contact next, what messaging to use, and which teams to prioritize, optimizing sales efforts.
5. Expansion into Alternative Investment Markets – As interval funds, private funds, and other alternative investment vehicles grow, intelligence tools will adapt to serve these markets effectively.

Final Thoughts:

TeamIQ represents the next evolution in sales intelligence, offering firms a complete picture of advisor teams in real-time. By integrating with systems like MARS, Advisor Track CRM, and other sales platforms, TeamIQ empowers sales teams to engage more effectively, increase conversions, and drive revenue growth. Companies that leverage real-time, structured team intelligence will gain a significant competitive edge in an increasingly data-driven sales landscape.

1. What measures are implemented to ensure clients have control over their advertising investments across various channels?

By bringing Innovid and Flashtalking together under Mediaocean, we’ve created the leading global, independent, omnichannel ad tech platform. Advertisers will have access to a fully integrated suite of solutions, including creative personalization, ad serving, measurement, and optimization. This unified approach means they can manage and scale campaigns seamlessly across CTV, digital, social, and linear.  All data is granular and transparent, all measurement is unbiased, and advertisers are in complete control of creating a fast, efficient, powerful media supply chain as a result.

2. How does your company approach leadership restructuring following significant acquisitions to maintain operational efficiency?

The integration of Innovid and Flashtalking was designed to ensure continuity for our clients. I have taken on the role of President of the combined organization, reporting directly to Zvika Netter, CEO and founder of Innovid. This structure blends expertise from both companies while keeping us focused on a shared vision – driving innovation and delivering seamless, independent ad tech at scale that creates value for the entire advertising ecosystem.

3. In what ways does your organization address challenges associated with “walled garden” environments to provide clients with greater data transparency?

Advertisers often rely on technology owned by media sellers, which leads to walled-off access to inventory and data, less control over ad placements, and media spend optimized for publisher yield. At Innovid, independence and interoperability are core to our platform. We provide an open, scalable platform that integrates with walled-garden solutions and the open web, giving advertisers full transparency, control, and flexibility of their campaigns across CTV, digital, social, and linear. Our goal is to empower advertisers – not restrict them.

4. How do you balance the need for independent ad tech solutions while ensuring balance with major digital and social platforms?

Independence doesn’t mean isolation. Advertisers need neutral, interoperable technology that works across all platforms – not just those owned by media sellers. Our commitment to remaining unbiased allows us to collaborate and integrate with all major media platforms, ensuring frictionless campaign creation, delivery, measurement, and optimization across the ecosystem. We’re giving advertisers the flexibility to execute strategies on their own terms.  This leads to better experiences for consumers by managing frequency, understanding exposure and outcomes, and connecting the story across screens, channels and formats.

5. How does your organization ensure a seamless integration of ad serving, creative personalization, and measurement across multiple channels?

The merger of Innovid and Flashtalking brings together ad serving, creative, measurement, and optimization into a single, unified platform. By harnessing AI, automation, and a massive global dataset, we enhance end-to-end workflows, delivering more efficient, accurate, data-driven insights. This integration allows advertisers to manage campaigns across CTV, digital, social, and linear channels in one place, ensuring their messages resonate with the right audiences, in the right places, and at the right times and delivering on consumer expectations of a unified brand experience.

6. What challenges do you face in maintaining consistency when managing campaigns across digital, social, CTV, and linear channels?

One of the biggest challenges in cross-channel campaign management is ensuring consistent measurement and frequency control. Without proper management, ads can either oversaturate audiences or get lost in fragmentation. Our platform solves this by providing a holistic, real-time, and deduplicated view of campaigns, enabling advertisers to monitor reach, frequency, and outcomes across all channels. They can optimize frequency, prevent overexposure, and maximize engagement. It’s about balancing efficiency with impact to make every impression count.

1. How can brands ensure their purpose-driven marketing efforts are perceived as authentic rather than performative ?

Authenticity in purpose-led marketing comes down to one simple rule: connect words to real, measurable action.

As we wrote in our article earlier this March, brands are often perceived as opportunistic when their values aren’t backed up by meaningful initiatives. Consumers today are not just listening to what you say; they’re watching what you do.

If your brand stands for sustainability, then back it up. Earn third-party certifications. Offset your carbon impact. Switch to compostable packaging. Don’t just talk the talk—walk the walk and show the receipts.

If you’re about empowering a community—say, runners—organise a free run club. Sponsor local races. Highlight real runners in your campaigns, not just influencers in athleisure.

Here are two brands that walk the talk—and saw both trust and sales grow because of it:

1. Patagonia – Their purpose is protecting the planet. They’ve donated 1% of sales to environmental causes for decades, offer free repairs to extend product life. That level of integrity only deepened customer loyalty—and kept them growing.
   
   
2. Tony’s Chocolonely – On a mission to make chocolate 100% slave-free, Tony’s backs up its promise with traceable supply chains, fair pricing for cocoa farmers, and hard-hitting education campaigns. The result? They’ve become the market leader in the Netherlands—and they’re expanding fast globally.
   

Purpose-led marketing works—but only when purpose drives your business decisions, not just your ads. Say less, do more, and let your impact speak for you.

2. How can brands effectively communicate their values without alienating certain segments of their audience ?

Let’s start with a truth no marketer should forget: no brand can—or should—try to please everyone.

When you’re clear about what you stand for, you naturally become more meaningful to the people who share those values. That’s how you build a strong community. Trying to water down your message to avoid offending anyone usually results in saying nothing at all.

That said, communicating your values doesn’t mean being aggressive or polarising for the sake of it. It means being consistent and true to your brand’s purpose—even if that means not everyone agrees with you. The goal isn’t to divide, it’s to align with the people who care about the same things you do.

Let’s look at a few examples:

1. Veja – The French sneaker brand built its identity around ethical production, transparency, and sustainability. Their materials are sourced responsibly, and they treat workers fairly. Not everyone’s willing to pay a premium for that—but Veja doesn’t try to win everyone over. They speak directly to conscious consumers, and that focus has made them a global success.
   
   
2. Oatly – They’ve taken bold, sometimes quirky stances on dairy, climate change, and food systems. While their tone isn’t for everyone, they’ve created a loyal tribe by speaking clearly, even cheekily, about what they believe in. And they’ve sparked a bigger cultural shift in how we think about plant-based food.

The key is knowing who your message is for. Speak to them clearly. Show up for them consistently. Let the rest opt out. And accept that your brand isn’t for everyone—and that’s exactly how the most iconic brands are built.

3. What are some of the most common mistakes companies make when implementing purpose-driven marketing?

1. Saying it without doing it.
   This is the most obvious and damaging mistake. When brands make big claims without backing them up, it feels shallow. Take Shein, for example. The brand has launched a “Shein Cares” initiative and released sustainability statements, but continues to produce thousands of new items daily under questionable labor and environmental practices. Consumers are quick to spot the disconnect.
   
   
2. Overhyping tiny efforts.
   Switching to paper bags or launching a single "eco" product line doesn’t make a brand sustainable. H&M’s Conscious Collection was a classic example. It was marketed as sustainable, but investigations showed the materials weren’t always traceable or meaningfully better for the environment—and the brand continued to churn out new collections weekly. Small steps are fine, but overstating their impact damages trust.
   
   
3. Being preachy or aggressive.
   Shaming people into caring rarely works. WWF, for instance, often uses fear-based messaging that leans heavily on guilt. While the urgency of climate issues is real, there are more empathetic and inclusive ways to invite people into the cause—especially for younger audiences who respond better to empowerment than blame.

5. Treating purpose like a campaign, not a commitment.
   Purpose-led marketing isn’t something you switch on for Earth Day and forget by June. Think of brands that change their logo to a rainbow for Pride Month but don’t support LGBTQ+ causes the rest of the year, and only in certain geographies. 
6. Trying to stand for everything.
   Some companies try to jump on every trending cause—from mental health to women’s rights to climate to racial justice—all at once. The result? A blurry message that feels opportunistic. Strong brands pick one or two causes that genuinely align with their business, and they go deep. Tony’s Chocolonely, as mentioned above, focuses solely on eradicating slavery from the cocoa industry—and their consistency makes them credible.

4. What role do influencers and brand ambassadors play in amplifying purpose-driven campaigns ?

Influencers and ambassadors can be powerful allies in purpose-driven marketing—but only when they truly believe in the message.

People follow them not just for products, but for who they are. At their best, they bring reach, trust, and relatability.

But here’s the catch: they have to be the right person. Many brands partner with influencers based on follower count or engagement, not values. That’s when things backfire.

The most effective partnerships happen when:

●     The influencer is already talking about the issue (mental health, sustainability, etc.)

●     They use the product in real life (or have at least tested it properly)

●     Their audience sees the brand as a natural fit—not just an ad

A great example is Who Gives A Crap, a toilet paper brand on a mission to provide everyone in the world access to toilets and safe drinking water by 2050, donating 50% of profits to the cause.
They’ve worked with comedians, content creators, and eco-lifestyle influencers who naturally use humour to talk about awkward topics like toilets. The tone is light, honest, and consistent with the brand—pure fun, purpose-led storytelling.

Choose partners who live the values, and your message will go further.

5. How can brands measure the ROI of purpose-driven marketing beyond just financial metrics ?

Let’s be clear: financial return still matters. It’s what allows the business to grow and continue making a positive impact. Purpose and profit aren’t in conflict—when done right, they reinforce each other.

As we mentioned in our article earlier this March, purpose-driven companies can outperform competitors by up to 300%. So this is also a smart long-term strategy.

Beyond direct sales, purpose-led marketing builds trust, loyalty, and emotional connection. That’s where ROI lives in the long run.

You can track that through:

●     Brand perception – Are people associating your brand with the values you stand for?

●     Advocacy – Are customers sharing your story, tagging you, recommending you to others?

●     Talent attraction – Are more people applying to work with you? Purpose doesn’t just drive sales—it attracts better people.

●     Partnerships – Are you being invited into meaningful conversations, collaborations, or campaigns with aligned organisations?

Look at Oddbox, a food-waste-fighting veg box company. Their purpose-led messaging helped them build a highly engaged community, leading to lower churn, more referrals, and high retention—all incredibly valuable.

Purpose-led marketing is what turns customers into advocates—people who don’t just buy, but believe.

6. What industries have seen the biggest impact from purpose-driven marketing initiatives ?

Purpose-led marketing has had a major impact across a wide range of industries.

Fashion and beauty were early movers. Brands like Pangaia have built strong followings by embedding sustainability and innovation into every part of their business—from recycled fabrics to supply chain transparency. They’ve shown that consumers will pay attention when the product and purpose align.

Fenty Beauty didn’t just say it was inclusive—it launched with 40+ shades and changed how the industry approached diversity. Their purpose (beauty for all) was made real through product and casting. The result? Category-defining success.

Food and beverage has also seen big shifts. Consumers are more conscious about what they eat and drink—and where it comes from. Grind turned something as ordinary as coffee pods into a stand against single-use plastic, with home-compostable pods and a refill system at the core of the product. Since launch, they’ve sold over 100 million pods, proving that sustainability, when built into the business model, can scale fast.

Across all these industries, the pattern is clear: when purpose is real, measurable, and tied to the product—it drives not just awareness, but loyalty, advocacy, and growth.

1. Reggie, you’ve been at the forefront of cloud communications evolution. What pivotal inflection points have defined your leadership and industry outlook ?

Working in the tech and communications space for nearly three decades, I’ve seen my share of industry shifts, but two, in particular, stand out. The first, of course, is just the rapid adoption and evolution of cloud computing and its impact on how we access and share information. Initially, companies embraced cloud strategies primarily to reduce costs. However, the focus has since shifted towards more strategic benefits, including enhanced innovation agility, global customer reach, business continuity, and overall risk mitigation. We now see organizations investing in multi-cloud and hybrid-cloud environments, alongside cloud-native services like serverless architectures.

The second inflection point is the remarkable growth of AI and its use across organizations, especially in customer engagement. The technology is enabling incredible efficiencies and personalization. And our recent Global Customer Engagement Report (GCER) found a sustained rise in both the comfort with, and adoption of, AI-powered interactions within businesses. Even more interesting is the increasing consumer acceptance - and expectation - of personalized experiences and customized solutions through the power of AI. 

These inflection points have reminded me just how quickly technology evolves and the importance of continued evolution and innovation both as a company and as a leader.

2. AI and automation are redefining enterprise communication. What’s the most disruptive paradigm shift you foresee, and what’s the biggest barrier to adoption ?

No doubt AI has greatly impacted the way businesses communicate today, both internally and externally with their customers. I think the biggest shift we’re seeing, in line with our recent GCER, is that users have come to expect an element of AI to be implemented across all communications channels, whether text, voice, video, or others, so that they can achieve more personalized and efficient engagement on their channel of choice. Preference for AI-supported communication varies, with a third (32%) of consumers suggesting they’ll increase chatbot usage over the next 6-12 months (up from just 23% the year prior), just over a quarter (26%) suggesting they’ll increase voice personal assistant usage over the next 6-12 months (up from 22% the year prior), and 25% suggest they’ll increase automated phone support in the next 6-12 months (up from 21% the year prior). In terms of barriers to adoption, ensuring the technology is seamlessly integrated across these channels can be a challenge and if not done correctly, can greatly impact brand perception. Our report shows that just one bad experience would drive 75% of customers to take their business elsewhere and nearly half (48%) would leave for good after one or two bad experiences.

3. Security, compliance, and innovation often operate in silos. How can enterprises architect a framework that seamlessly integrates all three without trade-offs ?

Organizations cannot successfully innovate in today’s world without considering security and compliance. A ‘cloud-smart’ approach, which involves balancing innovation with a robust governance framework, is the smartest way to balance all three priorities. This means investing in solutions that optimize cloud costs and implementing comprehensive security measures from the outset in line with rapidly evolving regulatory standards. Additionally, adopting a Zero Trust security model is important in ensuring only verified users can access information, which is especially important when it comes to AI being used to analyze behavior and make real-time access decisions. All of this is essential to staying ahead of security and cost management challenges. 

4. Customer experience is now a key differentiator. What’s the secret to building frictionless, hyper-personalized engagement at scale ?

Building frictionless, hyper-personalized engagement at scale lies in carefully integrating comprehensive data strategies with advanced technology. The first step here is to ensure transparency in how data is being used, giving customers the chance to opt-out. From there, businesses can leverage opted-in customer data to develop a deeper understanding of individual preferences and behaviors. Utilizing technologies such as AI and machine learning allows companies to analyze this data effectively, automating the personalization process while providing real-time, contextually relevant interactions.

Additionally, creating a seamless customer journey requires a robust omnichannel strategy that integrates all communication platforms into a cohesive system. By ensuring consistency and continuity across every channel, businesses can provide a unified experience that adapts to the customer’s needs at any given moment. Continuous feedback loops and customer insights are vital in iterating and refining these strategies to meet evolving customer expectations, ultimately fostering loyalty and enhancing overall satisfaction. When customers interact with an automated system, AI can perform real-time sentiment analysis, enabling the system to escalate a call and route to the appropriate live agent when necessary. When agents receive the customer, they can also access AI-generated insights, allowing them to more quickly address and resolve customer concerns, leading to increased loyalty. 

5.With hybrid and remote work now mainstream, what’s the essential tech stack for enabling seamless, high-fidelity collaboration across distributed teams ?

In today’s hybrid and remote work environment, a thoughtfully designed tech stack is crucial for maintaining seamless collaboration. Implementing a unified communications platform helps integrate various communication channels into a single, accessible interface. For real-time collaboration, video conferencing with advanced features like screen sharing and recording capabilities is essential, alongside instant messaging platforms that facilitate quick exchanges and provide presence indicators. Our GCER found that 77% of consumers use video chat and call platforms and 91% use some kind of messaging platform, so this technology is helpful both internally and externally when communicating with both colleagues and customers. 

6. AI-powered automation is streamlining workflows, but no one wants to engage with a bot that feels transactional. How do companies strike the right balance between efficiency and authenticity ?

AI-powered automation is reshaping customer service, but striking the right balance between efficiency and authenticity remains critical. Our GCER reveals that after a negative experience, 75% of customers are likely to take their business elsewhere, and 48% need only one or two poor interactions before leaving for good. This underscores why AI-powered communication must be precise while maintaining human touchpoints. AI chatbots are evolving as essential customer service components, not to replace human agents but to enhance their capabilities. We see AI managing an increasing share of routine tasks, freeing human agents to focus on complex scenarios requiring empathy, creativity, and nuanced problem-solving. Industries like retail and finance already utilize AI for personalized support, a trend rapidly increasing with advances in generative AI and large language models. The optimal approach combines AI's efficiency with human emotional intelligence. Rather than positioning AI against humans, successful companies view AI as a tool that empowers staff to deliver exceptional, authentic customer experiences while handling higher volume interactions efficiently.

7.  Delivering seamless omnichannel experiences is the gold standard, yet many companies still struggle with fragmentation. Where do most go wrong, and how can they fix it?

Many companies struggle with delivering seamless omnichannel experiences due to a lack of integration across multiple customer touchpoints, resulting in a fragmented customer journey. This usually stems from disparate systems and data silos that prevent a whole view of the customer. Companies frequently fail to align their communication channels, focusing on individual channel optimization rather than a holistic strategy.  

To address these issues, businesses can prioritize integrating communication channels and systems by adopting an integrated, single platform approach to their communications solutions. As providers, we need to simplify multi channel availability. At Vonage, we’ve taken the one platform approach. We want it to be less about the solution and more about the capabilities - one intelligent platform that does it all.

A single-platform approach eliminates silos, improves efficiency, and enhances the overall user experience. By incorporating AI-driven automation, virtual agents, and intelligent call routing, a fully integrated UC and CC solution - for example - empowers businesses to optimize customer interactions while reducing operational complexity and costs.

8. If you had to place a bet on one emerging technology that will be the next big disruptor in cloud communication, what would it be and why ?

The rapid evolution of AI in the contact center continues and we’ll continue to see AI take more of a front seat in how agents work, augmenting the human touch with more authentic and autonomous AI-powered actions. 

Agentic AI and Knowledge-based AI - these emerging technologies operate autonomously, enabling end-to-end problem-solving teams and workflows. Designed to work like a human employee, Agentic AI will enhance CX with virtual agents that have the ability to make decisions, learn, and act autonomously - but the ability to switch to a live agent when needed will be critical. Finding that balance between technology and the human touch is still going to be very important.

1. How does AI consulting help companies bridge the gap between AI potential and practical implementation ?

One of the key challenges with AI technology, different from other new technologies, is that it doesn't have an innate purpose. Similar to how electricity is only useful when powering equipment, artificial intelligence must be paired with specific tools or tactics in order to be useful.

That's where a consultant can prove invaluable.

An AI consultant not only understands how to use AI in a variety of ways, they understand business processes, teams, and policies, and can help business leaders identify bottlenecks, deficiencies, and inefficiencies. Those are the challenges in a business that must be addressed, and adept consultants will then recommend specific applications of AI, whether generative AI or specific AI-powered tools, which can solve those challenges.

Once solutions have been identified that align with business goals, AI consulting then goes further and helps with implementation which, more often than not, consists of essential team training. It is only through AI literacy that businesses are able to truly implement AI and achieve real ROI from their efforts.

2. How do AI consulting and training services help companies create a culture of AI-driven innovation ?

The beauty of AI technology is that, once someone fully grasps what's possible and begins to apply AI solutions to their work, it's like a dam is opened within their mind and they'll see more and more opportunities. Whether that's helping with routine tasks like drafting emails or generating stock images, or more advanced workflows and automation.

The problem with many businesses today is that, while there may be several individuals in the organization learning about AI, they're doing it on their own, in silos. They aren't receiving training - in fact, just 34% of early career professionals reported receiving training in a recent survey - and they aren't actively participating in the sharing of knowledge internally. This results in inconsistent application and advancement of AI solutions, with the majority of employees being left behind. This not only impacts them negatively individually, it also represents a tremendous loss of opportunity for the business.

However, when adequate training and AI consulting are brought to the fore, not only does every employee within the organization benefit from directed learning about AI and familiarity with AI's potential, it creates an exponential effect of AI-driven innovation. As each individual learns and applies and innovates within their own circle of influence, and those innovations are shared with the rest of the organization through meetings or internal communication channels, it spurs ideas in others, invites improvements, and fosters collaboration.

For instance, when I shared with my team my process for building out new podcast interviews, the step-by-step set of custom instructions I had programmed my AI assistant to walk through, even though no one else is podcasting they learned how to build custom instructions and that it was possible to create a collaborative workflow with an AI.

3. What role does AI play in decision-making and business strategy, and how can employees adapt to this shift ?

AI itself can become an invaluable consultant and assistant, particularly for decision-making and business strategy, once someone has initial training and familiarity with core concepts like prompt engineering. Imagine having access to a paid consultant 24/7, there to answer any question and brainstorm any topic, and one who is entirely familiar with you, your business, your industry, your audience, and even your personal goals and challenges.

All it takes is an understanding of how AI works, how to customize a particular large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Gemini, and what information to provide it. Once done, the user has an AI assistant... kinda like a work buddy... who knows all about you and your role and what you're trying to accomplish. Which means that you can jump into a new chat and rather than trying to craft the perfect prompt that has all the context and AI might need, you can just get right to the core of what you want to talk about.

I turn to my AI Chief of Staff multiple times a day with questions ranging from simple email responses or social posts, all the way up to long term business strategy and advice - something that's critical for solopreneurs, but also anyone in any role where they lack a mentor or confidant. Just as organization-wide AI literacy can help propel an entire business, empowering everyone in your organization to have an AI strategist at their beck and call can be transformative. To help, I created a free set of instructions and prompt that anyone can use to build their own AI Work Buddy, with an optional course and community they can leverage if needed.

4. How can small and mid-sized businesses leverage AI without significant infrastructure investment ?

SMB owners should focus on all of the ways that their entire teams can leverage the LLMs before pursuing implementing new AI-powered tools and solutions. In fact, every organization that is already paying for Google Workspace has access to Gemini Advanced and should make sure every employee in the organization is trained on how to use Gemini and how to take advantage of the AI that's already integrated into so many of their other apps, like Gmail, Google Drive, and so on.

With Gemini, teams can take advantage of Deep Research to have the AI scan and summarize dozens and dozens of websites to research whatever topics are of interest. This is terrific for content creation of course, but also think about how such an application can power competitive research, market research, product research, and general business strategies. They can also use NotebookLM to create a repository of company documents and information that can then be easily summarized and questioned without having to read through hundreds of pages of PDFs, and without concern for hallucinations. And teams can share prompts and ideas for Gems (Gemini's custom instructions) which anyone can use to automate and improve whatever processes they're working on.

Businesses who aren't already paying for Google can, of course, invest in ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude for low monthly fees, even for entire teams, giving everyone access to incredible AI capabilities.

Those are the major "closed" and premium LLMs. There are also "open" LLMs like Llama which businesses can consider, so long as there's at least one individual in the organization familiar enough with open source AI to understand how to install, configure, and make available such a company-wide solution. This approach is ideal for organizations that want to leverage AI for conversations and use-cases that might require access to sensitive or private information, such as custom records or financial data, which should never be shared with an LLM like ChatGPT.

If an SMB never implemented another AI solution, and even if the existing LLMs stopped improving and iterating, company-wide adoption of "basic" AI like ChatGPT or Gemini would still advance the company's efficiency and capability tremendously.

5. How can businesses ensure ethical and responsible AI use while scaling their AI initiatives ? 

When it comes to ethical and responsible AI usage, there are several factors to keep in mind, and how applicable each of these are depends on the business and use-case. 

a. Transparency - While we're in the midst of this AI Revolution, there are still qualms and concerns in some sectors and scenarios about the use of AI, so instances where AI is being used to generate information or take actions that are externally focused should be 100% transparent about their use of AI. This can include marketing, sales, customer support, services, and more.

b. Bias - Because AI models were trained on existing data and information that existed on the internet, there exists tremendous bias. This is most commonly seen in content where women and minorities are dramatically underrepresented and therefore must be accounted for. Beyond that, businesses need to be aware of the potential for bias in data and not rely on AI-powered conclusions without first considering how those conclusions were reached and whether they were unduly influenced. A basic example might be if you were to provide your AI with a month's worth of website traffic and ask for an analysis on your audience, without telling the AI that you paid for a Meta ad for 7 days that drove an unusual amount of traffic from EMEA. The AI would come to the incorrect conclusion that your business is growing in that region.

c. Copyright - Today's laws do not protect the copyright of AI-generated content of any kind, though they're moving in that direction. Which means if you use AI to create an ebook for your business, or on behalf of a client, that work may not be protected. Businesses must be mindful of this and ensure that if a piece needs to be protected by copyright law, it cannot be wholly created by AI.

Most importantly, it is imperative that business owners adopt a policy of company-wide AI literacy and provide adequate training. Not only can this help ensure responsible AI use by all, it also helps ensure that every individual in the organization is afforded the opportunity to upskill with AI and protect their career.

6. How does AI training empower employees to work more efficiently rather than fear automation ? 

That is the underlying concern today, isn't it? That AI will take my job or your job. And while there has been a lot of hype and debate on both sides of that argument in recent years, the truth is simple: some jobs and tasks will no longer need to be done by humans. Some roles and careers will be replaced by AI, whether that's AI-powered systems or AI-equipped employees who simply perform the same tasks faster or better than non-AI using employees once did.

The World Economic Forum predicted that by 2030, 92 million jobs would be displaced by AI, and that 170 million new jobs would be created. Governments and Big Tech were happy to see more than 78 million new jobs could be created, but that still means 92 million people need to upskill or reskill.

Just as with every past Industrial Revolution, this AI Revolution will result in some jobs simply no longer being needed, but the good news is, AI as a technology and skill is one that anyone can adopt and learn. Because Generative AI is conversational, one doesn't have to have a PhD to leverage it. Far from it, in fact.

With a basic level of AI literacy, any employee can use AI and discover ways that it can make them more efficient in their role and more productive for their companies. They can also then envision tasks they were doing which AI can do today, and other or even new tasks they're now freed up to focus on. Because, let's be honest... we all have tasks or aspects of our job which are boring, mundane, and repetitive. Why not figure out how to hand most or all of those tasks over to an AI system to handle while we then have more time in our day to think strategically or re-focus on the more creative and interesting aspects of our job?

Rather than being overwhelmed with countless mindless tickets, let AI automate the most repetitive customer support queries and give your staff more time to spend with high level customers and complex problems.

Rather than wasting time emailing status updates and meeting notes, let AI handle that while your team focuses on actually moving projects forward and doing the necessary work.

Rather than mindlessly clicking back and forth through countless websites trying to find answers to an obscure question, just ask AI for the answer and source, then move on with your day.

AI can be incredibly empowering and enlightening for every member of every organization. The first step is to educate each employee on what AI can do and what it represents to them, and their role. That's why AI literacy and training should be a top priority for every business today.