#30 Polar CMO Anssi Mäkelä on their approach to branding and marketing
Anssi Mäkelä is the CMO of Polar, a leading global player in sports watches, fitness trackers, and heart rate monitors. We sat down with him to discuss their approach to creative and messaging, marketing tactics, and why the traditional agency model is dead. Learn more: https://generogrowth.com https://www.polar.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/anssimakela (0:00) Introduction (0:53) The traditional agency model is dead (4:03) Building in-house competency and why awards don’t matter (8:54) How they produce creatives (14:12) Polar’s messaging and how it’s changed (17:43) Speaking to different audiences (19:36) Building a competitive brand on a worldwide stage (21:33) Brand ambassadors and influencers (24:30) Leveraging their Finnish heritage (26:44) The power of narratives (31:20) Tactics for grabbing attention in a noisy world (37:10) Why buy Polar?
2 Nov 202340min
#29 Building the world's biggest baby brand with Twistshake CEO/Co-founder Camillo Eriksson
Camillo Eriksson, co-founder and CEO of Twistshake, joins us to talk about building the world's biggest baby brand. We cover topics like expanding to 70 markets, launching a dozen or so innovative products each year, and doing influencer marketing on a massive scale. Learn more: https://generogrowth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/twistshakebaby/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillo-eriksson-770480b8/ (0:00) Introduction (0:52) The baby bottle that started it all (5:14) The early days (9:33) Meaning, hard work and avoiding burnout (13:31) The process for consistently launching innovative new products (20:16) How they succeeded with influencer marketing (25:16) Twistshake’s 3 pillars for growth (28:32) The uncomplicated way to expand internationally (34:00) Focusing on profitability and doubling AOV (38:23) Company culture and focusing on what matters
27 Okt 202343min
#28 How MEDS became the fastest-growing company in Sweden with founder & CEO Björn Thorngren
Björn Thorngren is the CEO and founder of MEDS. We talk about how they became the fastest-growing company in Sweden, the strategies they used to acquire 800,000 customers and raise 50M€ in funding, what the pharmacy markets in Sweden and North Korea have in common, and much more! Learn more: https://generogrowth.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjornthorngren/ https://www.meds.se/ (0:00) Introduction (0:50) The insights that led to MEDS (3:14) The unique online pharmacy market in Sweden (6:49) How to win in a competitive market (10:07) Providing the best customer experience (16:05) The strategies MEDS used to get 800,000 active customers (21:35) Finding, acquiring, and activating the right customers (24:32) Growth and failure during the pandemic (27:44) Geopolitical risks and the pharmacy value chain (30:35) Does it always make sense to grow? (33:22) Raising 50 million euro (37:31) Biggest lessons learned
19 Okt 202340min
#27 Saeid Esmaeilzadeh - no-bullshit approach to building and investing in companies
Saeid Esmaeilzadeh is a scientist and entrepreneur who has co-founded, managed, and invested in over 30 technology companies. (0:00) Introduction (0:57) What got him into the science and chemistry (2:30) Getting started in business (4:00) Failure (6:22) Applying an empirical approach in business (7:52) Saeid's no-bullshit policy (14:16) Creating a culture of critical thinking (18:19) Investment philosophy (22:47) Incentives, deal structure and autonomy (26:57) Building vs investing in companies (30:40) Finding growth opportunities (33:11) Nordic company cultures (36:15) Preparing to sell your company (40:16) Why Saeid's not focusing on trends Learn more: https://generogrowth.com/ https://ehab.group/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/saeid-esmaeilzadeh/
13 Okt 202344min
#26 Lisa Gilbert - building a global brand at the world's biggest startup
What does it take to build a global brand from scratch at a 90,000-person startup? We discussed this and more with Lisa Gilbert, VP of Global Marketing at Kyndryl. (0:00) Introduction (0:49) Working 20+ years at IBM (3:58) Choosing career paths and knowing who you are (6:25) Joining Kyndryl and lessons learned (12:20) The power and importance of branding (15:00) Balancing brand consistency with localization (17:45) Activating employees to become brand ambassadors (21:07) Scrappy marketing strategies (25:33) Proudest moment at Kyndryl (26:42) Strategy and process for creating content (30:14) Learning new skills as a marketer Learn more: https://generogrowth.com/ https://www.kyndryl.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisagilbertcmo/
5 Okt 202335min
#25 Byron Sharp - how marketing really works
Byron Sharp is one of the global leaders in marketing research and the author of the best-selling book ‘How Brands Grow’. We discuss the myths and realities of effective marketing, covering topics like customer acquisition, the effect of advertising, and loyalty programs. (0:00) Introduction and 'How Brands Grow' (2:35) Using science to identify law-like patterns in marketing (6:06) Is it more profitable to retain customers than to acquire new ones? (11:00) Do loyalty programs actually work? (16:20) Segmentation, targeting, and the reality of buying personas (19:41) Making smart media choices (21:52) Why price promotions don't work (24:33) Does every brand need a higher purpose? (29:24) McDonald's and differentiation vs. distinctiveness (36:45) How marketing really works (45:17) Crafting the right message Learn more: https://generogrowth.com/ https://www.marketingscience.info/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/professorbyronsharp/
28 Sep 202348min
#24: Thomas Floberg, Microsoft Sweden's COO on remote work, leadership and AI
Thomas Floberg is the COO of Microsoft Sweden and a 17-year veteran at the company. We discuss the past and future of work, productivity, leadership, and artificial intelligence. (0:00) Introduction and why he joined Microsoft (1:55) Hybrid work at Microsoft (6:15) Processes and habits for making hybrid work successful (10:54) Measuring output and the productivity paradox (15:17) Leadership principles at Microsoft (17:35) Artificial Intelligence at work (22:51) How companies can start adopting AI (28:25) The impact of AI on marketing and sales (30:15) Future tech and the human element Learn more: https://generogrowth.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasfloberg
21 Sep 202334min
#23: Erik Modig - Stop making these marketing mistakes
How does marketing actually work? What is the key to great advertising and how can we avoid the most common mistakes? We discuss this and much more with Erik Modig, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and professor at Stockholm School of Economics. (0:00) Introduction (0:48) Customers don’t care care (4:02) Marketing metrics (6:44) Explain the benefit in 3-5 words (9:52) Impressions are not created equal (15:25) Small vs big brands (16:38) Effective messaging (18:57) How to create great ad campaigns (22:29) Frequency and consistency (23:40) Understanding how customers think and buy (28:57) Why more data doesn’t solve your problems (33:20) Efficiency vs effectiveness (35:33) Finding the right channels (38:23) Ad budgets and other lessons for Nordic brands Learn more: https://generogrowth.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emodig/ https://www.marketinglevels.com/
13 Sep 202343min
