{"id":5833,"date":"2025-12-10T13:38:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T13:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/10\/2025s-lingering-questions\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T13:38:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T13:38:28","slug":"2025s-lingering-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/10\/2025s-lingering-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"2025’s Lingering Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lingering Questions is one of my favorite parts of the Masters in Marketing newsletter, because it\u2019s an opportunity for marketers to talk directly to one another.<\/p>\n

This year, a few clear themes emerged: yes, AI can help you be a better and more efficient marketer, but human connection is more important than ever<\/strong>; authenticity, even if it means you\u2019re a bit unpolished, is preferable to perfection; and consumers across all industries are hungry for community<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve rounded up all the questions marketers asked each other in the last 12 months:<\/p>\n

April Sunshine Hawkins<\/strong>, Marketing and communications leader<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cWhat warm memory comes to mind when you hear these three words: creative, curious, courageous?\u201d<\/p>\n

Irina Novoselsky<\/strong>, CEO of Hootsuite<\/strong><\/h3>\n

“I’ve spent the last year focused on building meaningful relationships on LinkedIn \u2014 sharing personal and professional experiences to create genuine connections. Each of these words have shaped this journey: staying curious about what my audience cares about and wants to learn from me, experimenting with creative ways to share my experience and engage with others, and embracing the courage it took to get started and be vulnerable.<\/p>\n

“As the CEO of a social company, I recognize the transformative power of social media. It drives pipeline, builds connections, and ensures your voice shapes conversations that are happening with or without you. But what’s even more powerful is the impact the relationships built through social can have outside of the digital world.<\/p>\n

“A memory that stands out is the first \u2018IRL\u2019 dinner I had with a marketing leader I connected with on LinkedIn, after months of engaging with each other\u2018s content. What started as a digital connection has since grown into a genuine friendship (and many double dates with our husbands!) \u2014 and it\u2019s all thanks to social.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo any marketers reading this that may be hesitant to get started, let this be your sign: Make the leap into posting. You don’t know what new friendships you may be missing out on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/em>Gen Z is turning this CEO\u2019s business model upside down<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Novoselsky asked<\/strong>, \u201cHow do you approach your personal brand on social media? Has social created meaningful opportunities or opened doors for you professionally and personally?\u201d<\/p>\n

Preston Rutherford<\/strong>, Co-founder of Chubbies<\/strong><\/h3>\n

“I approach the personal brand piece by trying to be exactly how I am in person. I don’t know how to do anything else.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd yes, it has opened infinite doors, not least of which is the opportunity to talk with [Masters in Marketing]!\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/em>Chubbies\u2019 co-founder warns: Don\u2019t get hooked on the performance marketing drug<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Rutherford asked<\/strong>, \u201cWhat is your favorite movie that you’re embarrassed for anyone to know about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Anna Engel and Nathaniel Gaynor<\/strong>, Director of brand, content and culture; Sr. marketing manager, brand partnerships at McDonald’s<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Gaynor: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga<\/em><\/p>\n

Engel: The Princess Diaries<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more: <\/em>Beyond the Golden Arches: How two McDonald\u2019s marketers win Gen Z<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Engel and Gaynor asked<\/strong>, \u201cWhat brand do you think is taking bold risks to connect with Gen Z today?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeff Wirth<\/strong>, Co-founder of the Interactive PlayLab<\/strong><\/h3>\n

“Party At Anna\u2018s is a company pushing boundaries by creating interactive and immersive experiences that resonate with Gen Z\u2019s love for storytelling and social engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir projects take bold risks by incorporating real-time audience participation, unconventional venues, and dynamic, unpredictable narratives. By embracing themes of identity, community, and collective storytelling, they craft highly shareable and deeply personal experiences that redefine what theatre can be for a new generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/em>Consultant behind Meow Wolf, Blue Man Group shares lessons on joy, playing, and branded experiences<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Wirth asked<\/strong>, \u201cWhat is a blind spot in the marketing world that, if addressed, would make people’s lives better?\u201d<\/p>\n

Eric Munn<\/strong>, Director of marketing at Chicago Transit Authority<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cA major blind spot in the marketing world is forgetting that most people aren’t as aware of your brand as you are. Many brands use messaging that already assumes people know who you are or what you offer. Make sure you’re clear about what your product or service is going to do to help people. Witty and eye-catching is fun, but the conversion is in solving people’s problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"make<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/em>Marketing like a Castaway<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Munn asked<\/strong>, \u201cWhat’s a career you’ve always wanted to get into but never have?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer Waters<\/strong>, Co-founder of 7 Figure Dojo and executive sensei at Seigler’s Karate Center<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cHonestly, I always wanted to do what I’m doing today! No other careers I would want to have!\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/em>Be a knockout in small and local business marketing<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Waters asked<\/strong>, \u201cWhat’s one marketing mechanism that will generate the most revenue quickly for a startup?\u201d<\/p>\n

Erin Quinn<\/strong>, The Original Pickle Shot<\/strong><\/h3>\n

“I know it\u2018s annoying to say \u2019it depends,’ but my recommendation for quick revenue growth would likely vary depending on the startup.<\/p>\n

“For example, paid social is likely to be a cost-efficient and impactful choice for a budget-friendly DTC skincare brand targeted towards Gen Z. (There’s a reason that paid social is the first and only paid media that many brands invest in!)<\/p>\n

“Promo codes, rebates, and couponing can be an important add-on to said campaign, as these tactics provide an extra incentive for conversion and you can use redemption as a KPI.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter the business model, my most important ‘do this before anything else’ recommendation would be to spend time on your consumer target, positioning, and brand identity development so that you are targeting the right people in the right place with the right messaging and creative. It won’t drive revenue in the short term, but it will save you money and drive revenue in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/em>How this small startup outperformed a stalling industry<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Quinn asked<\/strong>, \u201cWhat’s the most memorable advertisement (commercial, print ad, OOH, anything!) you can remember seeing, and why do you think it has stuck with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex Lieberman<\/strong>, Co-founder, Morning Brew<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cThe OG Dollar Shave Club \u2018Our Blades Are F*cking Great\u2019 commercial.<\/p>\n

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