Thanksgiving Tidings

It is often reported that Ben Franklin wanted to make the once prolific wild turkey our national bird. This is a myth that sprung from a letter he wrote to his daughter complaining about a proposed design for a national seal. In the letter he called the “Bald Eagle...a Bird of bad moral Character” in comparison to a turkey who is “a much more respectable Bird... though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage.”?

Yet the myth prevails and is revisited every Thanksgiving by unsuspecting reporters as we collectively devour 46 million of these “respectable birds.” This makes one wonder, what other myths are we unknowingly embracing? For example, is there joy to be found in an economic turkey, where tighter budgets and longer sales cycles prevail? Indeed there is, at least among Huddlers. Gobble gobble these six recent tidings of marketing joy.?

Flocking Together

Several CMOs reported their renewed delight in flocking with their teams. “Seeing more people back in the office and being face-to-face has had a positive impact on morale and our ability to collaborate,” noted one CMO. “We aren’t forcing people back but we are encouraging the team to come in Tuesday through Thursday and it’s been amazing to meet with newer employees for the very first time!” they added.???

Flying Around?

And if you can’t bring your team to the office given geographic dispersity, some CMOs are traversing the globe to reconnect with staff. “I recently spent three inspiring weeks traveling the world meeting people at our offices in Europe and Australia,” exclaimed one CMO, “We hadn't had an executive go out to Australia in three years and that was truly invigorating for all of us,” they concluded.?

Getting a Bird’s Eye View

As the economy tightens, many CMOs are grateful they have systems in place to track marketing’s impact on demand and revenue. “For me, the big win this year is that we are now able to report with some level of confidence and have visibility into what is helping the pipeline,” shared one CMO. Another noted, “the foundational programs that we've been putting in place are starting to show fruition which is making everyone feel really good!”?

Egging on Customers?

In a recession, many brands turn to current customers not just for renewals but also for upselling opportunities. One CMO noted that “we need to make sure our customers are actually consuming what they’ve bought so they get full value.” “We have customer success managers but we need customer marketing to remind people at scale what they’ve purchased and why it’s important to use it now,” they shared.?

Singing their Song

Several CMOs acknowledged an overreliance on emails to engage prospects, customers, and even their salespeople. This approach is particularly problematic with people under 35 who vastly prefer SMS, Slack, and video-laden social channels like Tik Tok. “We need to consider alternatives to email now since in a few years 60-70% of our transactions will be through Gen Zers” cautioned one CMO.?

Ruling your Roost

Regardless of what 2023 brings economically, we all have the opportunity né obligation to establish priorities and rule the roost with them. In doing so, we can manage our hours, do great things and still have time for a life outside of work. As one CMO put it, “having rules that allow me to have a good work-life balance while still being effective at the office is huge for me.”?

We hope y’all had a Thanksgiving in a nest to your liking and found some time to chillax.??