Our Collective POV

Fixing a Sales Org Without Replacing the Whole Team

Nov 10, 2026 · Maria Groeschel · 10 min read

When a sales team misses its number two or three quarters in a row, the pressure to replace people is enormous. The board wants action. The CEO wants a new name on the org chart. And swapping out reps or a sales leader looks decisive and seems like the right thing to do. It is also often the most expensive way to learn nothing. If the real problem is a broken process or a product that no longer fits the market, new hires walk into the same wall. Six months later, after recruiting, ramp time and lost pipeline, the company is back where it started with fewer people who deeply know the customers. When I step in as an interim sales leader, my first job is not to decide who stays. It is to figure out what is actually broken and ensure what works can be replicated. Underperformance almost always comes from one of three places: process, talent or product and market fit. While financial underperformance can look the same on a board slide, they need very different approaches to solve.

The Best PR Happens Before There's a Story to Tell

Nov 5, 2026 · Adam Lawless · 4 min read

The best PR work begins before there’s an announcement to make. When communicators help shape business strategy early, they can uncover stronger stories, prepare for challenges, and connect the organization’s decisions to what matters to its audiences.

Hitting Pause on Q4 Marketing? Don't Let the Engine Go Cold

Oct 29, 2026 · Carrie McCament · 7 min read

Give Your AI Business Case an Expiration Date

Oct 27, 2026 · Jon Michel Greenwood · 5 min read

When Marketing Outgrows Its Operating Model

Oct 22, 2026 · Zoe Mol · 7 min read

Meet Fabian Geyrhalter, Brand Strategist

Oct 15, 2026 · Fabian Geyrhalter · 4 min read

Fabian Geyrhalter has spent 25 years helping brands better understand who they are. Lately, his most important work happens when two companies become one.

Workslop Is Not an AI Problem. It Is a Leadership Problem.

Sep 25, 2026 · Jon Michel Greenwood · 6 min read

I have spent more than 20 years running technology organizations, and I have never seen a tool adopted faster than generative AI.

Meet Erin Flaxman, Fractional Chief Growth Officer

Sep 21, 2026 · Erin Flaxman · 4 min read

Erin Flaxman helps agencies and marketing services firms build the commercial foundations they need to win more business. Her perspective comes from nearly thir

Why 70-80% of Your Revenue Growth Is Already Sitting in Your Client List

Sep 17, 2026 · Carrie McCament · 5 min read

Having spent decades chasing net new clients for pipeline replenishment, I recently reminded myself of a number worth sitting with: 70-80% of year-over-year rev

Why Embedded Expertise Creates Faster Results

Sep 3, 2026 · Carrie McCament · 5 min read

The numbers on this are impossible to ignore. The count of fractional executives worldwide doubled in just two years, from roughly 60,000 in 2022 to more than

Why Growing Companies Don't Need to Overbuild Their Org Chart

Aug 27, 2026 · Chameleon Collective · 6 min read

Why Growing Companies Don't Need to Overbuild Their Org Chart A founder signs a new enterprise contract on a Tuesday. By Thursday, the leadership team is alread

Marketing Already Uses Microsoft Copilot. Is Your Health System Ready?

Aug 20, 2026 · John Schneider · 14 min read

A healthcare CIO client of mine received an increasingly common mandate from his CEO last spring: begin an AI-driven digital transformation, with Microsoft Copi

Meet Valter Klug, Fractional CMO

Aug 11, 2026 · Chameleon Collective · 4 min read

Agency, Consultancy, In-House, or Embedded: An Honest Comparison

Aug 6, 2026 · Ray Smale · 5 min read

Ask a marketing leader how to get the work done, and you will usually get a tribal answer.

How AI Is Actually Changing Commercial Teams

Jul 30, 2026 · Ant Da Silva · 7 min read

The teams that will benefit most from AI are the ones that approach it with clear eyes, a grounded sense of what they are actually trying to achieve, and a genuine investment in helping their people grow into the new capabilities it requires.

Agility and the Case for a Consultative Marketing Approach

Jul 23, 2026 · Carrie McCament · 6 min read

In a market that won't hold still, execution alone doesn't cut it. What you need is an adaptive strategy tied to real business outcomes and a partner built for exactly that, not a vendor working off a brief that was already out of date the day it was signed.

Jon Michel Greenwood: The Transformation CTO Who Delivers

Jul 21, 2026 · Jon Michel Greenwood · 3 min read

Meet Jon Michel Greenwood, Chameleon Collective's transformation CTO | CPO | CDO. An award-winning tech executive with 20+ years, 18 patents, and proven interim leadership at AMS, RNL, Live Nation and MGA.

Four Chameleons, One CommerceNext: What Our Team Brought Back From NYC

Jul 9, 2026 · Adam Towvim & Ilan Tito & Farzana Nasser & Melissa Pacheco · 6 min read

Meet Julie Mantis

Jul 4, 2026 · Julie Mantis · 2 min read

Brand, campaign, and marketing operations strategist. An Original Chameleon who builds the brand, then builds the machine that keeps it true.

Nine Months In: What Surprised Me Most About Saying Yes to Chameleon Collective

Jun 17, 2026 · Carrie McCament · 4 min read

A reflection on building something new with Chameleon CollectiveSummer is easing in, and with it comes the kind of warmth that makes you stop, look up, and take stock. For me, that means reflecting on

Why Commercial Alignment Drives Growth

May 26, 2026 · Ant Da Silva · 6 min read

I have spent over twenty years working at the intersection of creativity and commerce, and if there is one truth I keep returning to, it is this: the quality of your strategy rarely determines whether

What High-Performing Cultures Have in Common

May 18, 2026 · Carrie McCament · 8 min read

I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about culture. Partly because it's always been central to the work I do, and partly because of what I experience every day inside Chameleon Collective, an organization

The Most Common Mistakes Companies Make in Business Development

Apr 30, 2026 · Ant Da Silva · 5 min read

After two decades working across some of the world’s most respected creative agencies, from London to Sydney now Amsterdam, I’ve had a front-row seat to both brilliant business development and some costly missteps. The pattern

The Agency, The In-House Team, or The Collective? Finding the Right Model for Growth

Apr 23, 2026 · Carrie McCament · 5 min read

If you are a business leader trying to scale, you have inevitably faced the classic dilemma: Do we hire an agency, bring in a consultancy, or build an in-house team?At Chameleon Collective, we partner with

Thinking Outside the Borders: Latin American CPG Brand Expansion to the U.S.

Apr 7, 2026 · Valter Klug · 3 min read

Expanding into the U.S. can unlock serious growth for Latin American CPG brands, but this market punishes copy-paste expansion plans. The brands that win do more than secure distribution. They build stronger economics, better local fit, and a more repeatable path to growth

Retail Trends 2026: The Shifts Reshaping Ecommerce

Mar 18, 2026 · Farzana Nasser · 5 min read

The ecommerce industry is entering a new phase.For more than a decade, the focus was simple: move more sales online. Today, the landscape is far more complex. Artificial intelligence, social platforms, shifting consumer expectations, and

5 Takeaways from eTail West 2026: A 30-Year Veteran’s Take on the "Era of Dynamic Utility"

Mar 12, 2026 · Gary Penn · 6 min read

This post contains affiliate links. Walking the halls of the JW Marriott Desert Springs for eTail West 2026, I found myself doing what I’ve done for three decades: filtering the signal from the noise. In thirty

How PE Firms Can Deploy AI to Boost Portfolio Value

Feb 12, 2026 · Adam Towvim · 4 min read

In nearly every PE engagement I step into, the same question comes up: “How should we be using AI correctly for real value creation?”LPs and buyers alike are pressing portfolio companies for a clear, credible

The EU-Mercosur Agreement Has Been Signed, And It Changes Everything for Latin American Companies

Feb 5, 2026 · Valter Klug · 4 min read

After 25 years of negotiations, the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur was officially signed. The numbers tell a powerful story: 718 million consumers, $22 trillion in GDP, and the elimination of

How Chameleon Collective Uses Collective OS to Power Partnership-Led Growth

Jan 29, 2026 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

Professional services firms are facing a new reality. The tactics that once fueled growth, relentless outbound, endless networking, RFP churn, are delivering less return every quarter. Buyers are harder to reach, attention is fragmented, and

Everyone Wants “Top Talent.” Few Can Explain Why.

Jan 15, 2026 · Elise Marquis · 3 min read

Over the last eighteen to twenty-four months, most organizations operated in survival mode. Hiring froze, teams were stretched thin, and leaders focused on protecting what already existed rather than building what was next. Marketing functions,

Beyond the 100-Day Plan: How to Build Long-Term Value Post-Acquisition

Nov 24, 2025 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

An Interview with Freddie Laker, Founder of Chameleon CollectivePrivate equity firms are under constant pressure to deliver fast returns, and the first 100 days after an acquisition often become a sprint toward quick wins. But

Expanding Our Global Reach: Chameleon Collective Welcomes Samba Rock

Nov 14, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 3 min read

As Chameleon Collective broadens its global reach, we’re proud to announce our newest partnership with Samba Rock, a creative consultancy recognized for shaping brand success across Latin America. This collaboration reflects our ongoing commitment to

The Marketing Multiplier: Five Questions That Can Exponentially Increase Your Valuation

Oct 30, 2025 · Alex Hultgren · 4 min read

When ownership changes hands, marketing often becomes the wild card. It is one of the first areas new investors assess, yet one of the last that many founders optimize.As a Fractional CMO, I often step

“No Fit” Into “Perfect Fit” - Precision in Executive Search

Oct 21, 2025 · 4 min read

Recently, one of our healthcare systems and a global manufacturing client spent six months meeting candidate after candidate. Every résumé looked fine, yet no one fit.We had worked with them successfully before, and we were

From Website Traffic to AI Trust: Earned Media's New Role in Brand Building

Oct 9, 2025 · Stephanie Driscoll · 3 min read

Earned media is quickly becoming one of the most powerful ways to shape how AI understands — and presents — your brand.For the past few years, everyone has been predicting that PR is a dying

The New Healthcare Growth Model: Aligning Sales and Marketing to Serve the Modern Patient

Sep 10, 2025 · 8 min read

Healthcare is at a crossroads. Year-over-year cost increases are unsustainable for all parties, with the total cost of health care continuing to rise at a pace consistently exceeding overall inflation, rising to $33,214 in 2025

The People Advantage: How to Hire for International Success

Sep 3, 2025 · 4 min read

Hiring a local team is one of the most impactful decisions a company makes when expanding internationally. It’s also one of the most overlooked drivers of long-term success. The right hires can build traction, trust,

Generative AI Consulting Services: Create Smarter, Faster, and More Creatively

Aug 21, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 4 min read

Generative AI isn’t just the future—it’s the now. From automated text generation to custom image creation, GenAI is transforming how brands communicate, innovate, and operate. But without the right guidance, it’s easy to get overwhelmed

Why Execution Drives International Expansion Success

Aug 21, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 2 min read

Many companies aim to go global. They’ve got ambition. They’ve mapped out an opportunity. Their strategy looks polished. Yet when they step into new markets, success often stalls. Progress halts. Launches fizzle. Exit plans emerge

Find a CRM Strategist Who Understands Demand Generation (Not Just Dashboards)

Aug 6, 2025 · Susan Martindill · 5 min read

The Disconnect in "Data-Driven" MarketingMarketing as a field is increasingly being touted as “data-driven.” Still, all too often, the data is relegated to a quarterly performance slide, and marketing is driven by:What sales says they

How a Fractional CMO Builds Full-Scale Impact FAST

Aug 5, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 4 min read

Speed is a competitive advantage.When sales are soft or priorities shift, companies don’t need a six-month strategy doc; they need fast, effective action. That’s where a fractional CMO or interim CMO steps in: with the

Messaging That Moves Markets

Aug 4, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 4 min read

The Overlooked Key to Successful International ExpansionYou’ve got the product. The strategy. The plan. However, if your messaging doesn’t resonate, you’ll stall before you even begin.In today’s hyper-connected, culturally nuanced, AI-driven world, global expansion isn’t

Maximize Your Business Potential with AI in CRM: A Comprehensive Guide

Jul 22, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 8 min read

AI in CRM: What Matters Now (and What Doesn’t)AI is everywhere and so are the hot takes. If you’re leading CRM, lifecycle marketing, or retention efforts, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the promises:“AI

Where Smart Tech Meets Strategy: Striking the Right Balance in Customer Communications

Jul 10, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 4 min read

Let’s be honest, customer experience (CX) used to be simpler. You built a great product, offered decent service, and customers generally stuck around. It’s a whole different game today. We’re living in a world of

Growth Engineering: The Right Way to Rebuild B2B Marketing

Jul 8, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 4 min read

B2B marketing stands at a turning point. Public companies strive to meet their earnings targets. Private equity partners expect faster growth from their investments. CEOs chase market share in saturated, fast-moving industries.At the same time,

PR’s New Power Role: Leading with Strategy, Agility, and Impact

Jul 1, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 4 min read

The communications landscape is messier than ever. Algorithms shift daily. News cycles collapse in hours. Audiences are fragmented across platforms. A single tweet can undermine months of work, while a quiet, credible story might be what

Beyond Borders, Beyond Basics: Team Enablement Strategies for Global Growth

Jun 30, 2025 · 4 min read

Expanding into international markets is an exciting opportunity, but success hinges on one critical factor: your team. Empowering and coaching your team effectively can make all the difference in navigating global complexities and achieving sustainable

AI Consultant for Small Business: Turning Big Tech Into Small Biz Wins

Jun 25, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 3 min read

For decades, enterprise budgets and massive data teams created a digital divide between big businesses and everyone else. But with the rise of accessible large language models (LLMs), that gap is closing fast. AI is

AI Integration Services: What They Are and How Consultants Drive Real Results

Jun 25, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 4 min read

Everyone’s talking about AI, but integrating it into your business? That’s where things get real. Whether you're deploying ChatGPT across internal systems, building private LLMs, or automating workflows with computer vision, success hinges on smart,

AI in the Beauty Industry: Why Indie Brands Must Move Now

Jun 25, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 4 min read

The beauty industry has always thrived on change new trends, new ingredients, new formats. But the next wave of transformation isn’t about product. It’s about how brands operate. And the change is coming fast.Artificial intelligence

AI Consulting Services: A Complete Guide for Modern Businesses

Jun 25, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 6 min read

In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, the businesses that will thrive are those that know how to implement and harness AI to drive efficiency, creativity, and competitive advantage. But here's the truth: not

Who’s Really Driving Revenue? Rethinking Commercial Leadership in a Marketing-Led World

Jun 25, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 4 min read

Not long ago, the rules were simple. Sales closed deals. Marketing made things look good. And executives didn’t question who owned revenue.That dynamic has flipped.In today’s market, brand drives pipeline, and marketing owns the full

Sharpen Your Growth Strategy and Lead with Purpose

Jun 23, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 4 min read

Discover a practical growth strategy trusted by leaders. Ditch the fluff and focus on what actually drives performance.Too many teams mistake motion for progress. This white paper breaks through the noise and delivers a real-world

Why You Can’t Fake the Intangibles: How To Assess Leadership DNA

Jun 17, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 6 min read

Hiring for Leadership DNA: What to Look for in Your Next VP of eCommerce or Head of GrowthIn a hiring landscape full of economic pressures, shifting markets, and global disruptions, such as the current tariff

Adapt, Don’t Retreat: 5 Proven Ways Investors Can Power Growth in Any Market

Jun 12, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 5 min read

When the market sends mixed signals, the average investor tightens the belt. The best ones recalibrate and advance.For private equity firms, uncertainty isn’t a threat. It’s a proving ground. The environment may change, but the

How to Hire the Right Growth Marketing Leader (Executive Search 101)

Jun 3, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 5 min read

For most companies, hiring a senior marketing leader is a leap of faith. You want a builder. Someone who can hands-on lead from day one, inspire across departments, and deliver measurable growth in quarter one.

The International Expansion Guide

Jun 2, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 6 min read

Scale Beyond Limits. Your Global Playbook Starts Here.The moment you think local, your competition’s already thinking global.Our International Expansion Guide gives you the roadmap to scale smart, move fast, and win in new markets with

Break Borders, Build Empires: Scaling Through Strategic M&A

May 28, 2025 · Alex Pacia

In a world where growth is the objective and speed is the edge, international expansion is no longer just an aspiration. It's a mandate. For organizations aiming to break into new markets, Mergers and Acquisitions

From B2B to B2C: Driving International Expansion by Expanding Beyond B2B

May 22, 2025 · Alex Pacia · 9 min read

Expanding a business internationally is a complex business transformation that often requires thinking beyond the traditional B2B playbook. For private equity and venture capital firms and their portfolio companies, one strategic avenue is evolving from

Beyond Keywords: How to Build a Best-in-Class Digital Shelf Strategy on Amazon

May 21, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 6 min read

The Digital Shelf Is Your Competitive AdvantageWinning on Amazon isn’t just about showing up—it’s about standing out. And that doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when brands stop chasing rankings and start engineering their digital

Why Your Senior Marketing Roles Are Staying Empty (and How to Fix It)

May 20, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 3 min read

Let’s be honest—your open marketing leadership roles have been vacant far too long. You’ve posted, reposted, and refreshed the JD. The inbox is full of applicants, but the shortlist is still empty.You’re not alone.Across industries,

Accelerating Global Growth: How GTM and Outbound Marketing Drive Successful International Expansion

May 15, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 15 min read

According to Harvard Business Review, a staggering 70% of companies fail to achieve their international expansion targets, with most underestimating the complexities of entering foreign markets. For businesses looking to expand globally, this statistic isn't

When to Hire a Fractional CMO: The Moment You're Ready to Lead Growth, Not Chase It

May 13, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 5 min read

Let’s cut to the chase.You don’t hire a fractional CMO because your ads aren’t converting. You hire one when you’re done with guesswork and duct-tape solutions—and you’re ready to architect a real, scalable engine for

Moments That Matter: The Untapped Customer Loyalty Accelerator

May 8, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 3 min read

In this hypercompetitive marketplace, customer loyalty isn't just about rewards programs or discount codes. The true loyalty accelerators are found in those critical moments that matter – touchpoints where brands can either strengthen customer relationships

Winning Globally: How to Master Key Digital Differences Between European and US Audiences

May 8, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 4 min read

Expanding internationally offers brands enormous growth potential—but without understanding local nuances, even the strongest businesses can falter. Notable examples of US-based brands struggling in Europe include Walmart’s costly exit from Germany, Best Buy’s retreat from

Strategic B2B Market Research for International Expansion: The Role of AI Tools

May 1, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 11 min read

Go-to-Market teams are under constant pressure to find and validate new growth opportunities—fast. But when international expansion is rushed, the outcome is often predictable: missed expectations, wasted resources, and a quiet retreat from markets that

Unlock Global Growth: The Smart Path to B2C International Expansion

Apr 24, 2025 · Hammad Haris · 4 min read

You've Plateaued at Home. The Answer Might Be Abroad.You’ve nailed your domestic market—margins are healthy, revenue is consistent, and your brand is solid. But growth has slowed, and the next stage of scale is out

The Real Role of an SEM Consultant: Not Just Clicks, but Business Impact

Apr 22, 2025 · Caleb Ludwick · 5 min read

It’s time to raise the bar. A true SEM consultant doesn’t just run ads—they architect revenue systems, align strategy with business goals, and build engines that scale.The Problem with Today’s SEM ConsultantsSearch marketing has become

Crises Happen. How You Communicate Is Everything.

Apr 16, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 5 min read

What You Say Next Determines What They Remember.Whether it’s a data breach, service outage, or a PR nightmare, one thing is certain: how you communicate in a crisis can either protect your reputation or blow

The Investor's Lens on International Expansion: High Stakes, Hard Lessons

Apr 10, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 9 min read

International expansion it’s a bold move. The kind of thing that sounds great in board meetings and looks impressive in investor decks. The reality is a bit different, though: it’s also a high-stakes, high-risk, messy-as-hell

Beyond the Checkbox: Building a Paperless Experience Customers Actually Want

Mar 31, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 5 min read

We’ve spent many years helping organizations transition their customer transactional communications – like bills, policies and statements – into the digital age. These aren’t flashy marketing emails; they’re the communications customers rely on to manage

The Right Team for Global Success: How Chameleon Collective Powers International Expansion

Mar 25, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 5 min read

Expanding into international markets requires more than strategic planning—it demands impeccable and persistent execution. Many companies fail to get traction in new markets because their international expansion plan lacks the framework, teams, and mindset that

Bridging the Gap In Customer Journeys

Mar 13, 2025 · Deepjyoti Bora · 5 min read

How Customer Journey Consultants Fix the Overlooked Messaging BreakdownBy Mia Papanicolaou and Liz Stephen The Customer Experience (CX) Breakdown: What’s Missing?If there’s one thing we’ve learned from working with businesses of all sizes, it’s that companies

Private Equity-Backed Companies Might Need a Smarter Hiring Playbook

Mar 7, 2025 · Deepjyoti Bora · 3 min read

For PE-backed businesses, success hinges on more than just financial restructuring and operational improvements—it requires strategic leadership, particularly in marketing and revenue generation.Yet, finding the right marketing executive to lead growth in a PE-backed environment

Our Annual Roundup: 25+ Top Trends that will Transform Your Business in 2025

Jan 8, 2025 · Chameleon Collective · 15 min read

Expert Insights from Chameleon Collective’s Leaders Across Marketing, Sales, Brand, CX, and Commerce As we step into 2025, the pace of change is accelerating across industries. From AI-driven innovations to evolving consumer demands, the landscape

Why Middle Market Growth is Everyone’s Business — Especially PE Firms

Dec 11, 2024 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

Middle-market companies are the lifeblood of the economy. These firms, generating between $50 million and $1 billion in revenue, are the unsung heroes of innovation, job creation, and sustainable growth. While unicorn startups grab headlines

Redefining AI-Powered Marketing

Dec 2, 2024 · Jim Cuene · 6 min read

At Chameleon Collective, we’re thrilled to partner with forward-thinking leaders ready to disrupt and innovate. Our consistent recognition on the Inc. 5000 list for four years running is proof that the market craves the kind

Navigating the Economic Supercycle: How Businesses Must Evolve to Thrive

Nov 19, 2024 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

As America enters a new economic supercycle characterized by higher inflation, rapid growth, and market volatility, businesses face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Senior executives, particularly those in private equity (PE), CEOs, and business owners, must

Building Your Brand: Mastering Social Media and Influencer Strategy

Aug 30, 2024 · Kaddie Osborn · 4 min read

Elevate Your Brand Identity with Strategic Social Media and Influencer PartnershipsYour brand is more than just a logo or a tagline—it's the essence of who you are and what you stand for. It’s the most

The Game-Changing Impact of Fractional Leadership

Jul 30, 2024 · Chameleon Collective · 11 min read

Today's competitive business environment calls for agile and experienced leaders who can manage strategic initiatives without a long-term commitment. Fractional leaders meet this demand by offering their expertise and leadership on a part-time basis. But

The Strategic Advantage of Fractional & Interim CIOs

Jul 18, 2024 · Jon Michel Greenwood · 6 min read

Unlocking IT Excellence: How Chief Information Officers (CIOs) Propel Your Business ForwardAt Chameleon Collective, we understand that strategic IT leadership is a crucial catalyst for business success. As technology increasingly becomes the backbone of industries,

The Future of Market Research: Combining Human Responses, Multimodal Inputs, and AI Analysis

Jul 8, 2024 · Chameleon Collective · 8 min read

Marketers today are always seeking new tools to improve strategies and decision-making. Synthetic respondents, especially those powered by generative AI and large language models (LLMs), are among the latest trends. But how do these tools

What is a Fractional CTO and the Benefits of Having One

Jun 12, 2024 · John Schneider & Chameleon Collective · 8 min read

Understanding the Role of a Fractional Chief Technology OfficerIn today's fast-paced digital landscape, businesses face a myriad of challenges. Rapid technological advancements, market volatility, and escalating customer expectations necessitate a nimble and robust approach to

Maximizing Value & Cost Savings Through Comprehensive Technical Assessments

May 15, 2024 · Jon Michel Greenwood

Discover how technical assessments drive digital transformation and innovation in today's fast-paced business environment.In an era where technology evolves at lightning speed, staying ahead means keeping up with trends and strategically leveraging them to enhance

How Digital Marketing Ecosystems Drive Guest Counts

May 10, 2024 · Akash Pathak · 6 min read

Unlock the Power of Digital Marketing Ecosystems to Drive Guest CountsAre you ready to revolutionize your restaurant business in the digital age? Discover the secrets to driving guest counts and boosting revenue with Akash Pathak's

Transforming the Finance Industry with AI & ML

Apr 30, 2024 · Jon Michel Greenwood

In the ever-evolving finance landscape, innovation isn't just a buzzword – it's the lifeline that propels businesses forward, ensuring relevance and resilience in an era of rapid change. At the heart of this innovation lie

Generative AI Marketing Insights from an IP Attorney: Understanding the Legal Landscape

Apr 5, 2024 · Ivonne Azurdia · 3 min read

Top 5 Things You Should Know About AI and Owning Your WorkThe rise of Generative AI Marketing (artificial intelligence that creates new content) presents exciting opportunities for creative marketing but also raises crucial legal questions

Leveraging AI & Machine Learning for Digital Transformation & Innovation

Mar 27, 2024 · Freddie Laker

Discover the Future: AI & ML's Role in Shaping Business Strategy Leverage the insights of Jon Michel Greenwood, an esteemed Interim CDO, CIO, and CTO, to catapult your organization into a new era of digital

5 Key Questions to Determine if You Need a New Marketing Playbook

Feb 21, 2024 · Alex Hultgren · 5 min read

Is it time to review your marketing playbook?First, let’s be clear about what I mean. Your marketing playbook is most likely not an actual dog-eared paperback full of hand-scribbled notes that are never out of

The Etiquette of AI Meeting Assistants

Feb 13, 2024 · Adam Rich · 7 min read

At Chameleon Collective, as a totally virtual group of fractional and interim digital leaders, we live and die by video calls. Bi-weekly, a group of Chameleons get together in our AI Lounge, a discussion and

24 Trend Predictions for 2024

Jan 24, 2024 · Chameleon Collective · 10 min read

Insights from experts at Chameleon Collective Staying ahead of the curve remains paramount in the ever-evolving business and marketing landscape. As the promising year of 2024 unfolds, we asked our experts at Chameleon Collective for their

How a Fractional CMO Can Transform Your Business

Jan 12, 2024 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

Effective marketing is crucial for success in today's fast-paced and highly competitive business landscape. However, many businesses, especially smaller ones, may not have the resources or the need for a full-time Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

The Ripple Effect: How Google's Trial is Reshaping Digital Marketing Recruitment

Nov 17, 2023 · Chameleon Collective · 7 min read

A New Dawn in Digital MarketingIn the dynamic realm of digital marketing, we're witnessing a pivotal shift. The recent developments surrounding Google's trial have spotlighted the trust and investment strategies in paid search. As a

Chameleon Collective Unveiled: Pioneering Consulting for a New Era

Nov 17, 2023 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

We Blend In, So You Stand OutIn the dynamic landscape of business consulting, where accolades and luxurious offices often take the spotlight, Chameleon Collective emerges as a true powerhouse. We are not your typical consultancy.

The Uncertainly Certain Path Ahead for Customer & Employee Experience

Oct 10, 2023 · Ryan Hart · 5 min read

The Uncertainly Certain Path Ahead for Customer & Employee ExperienceCustomer and employee experience management has always been an enigma for executives and marketing professionals grounded in traditional business theories to understand and, more importantly, put

Take Control: Disregard the Fear-mongering AI Industry

Jun 26, 2023 · Uwe Hook · 4 min read

On November 30, 2022, the introduction of ChatGPT marked a significant milestone in the realm of artificial intelligence, accompanied by an unintended consequence: a surge in fear-mongering

Google Analytics 4: Don’t Miss These 5 Tips to Improve Your Data

Jun 21, 2023 · Chris Baccus

Google recently retired its juggernaut of an analytics product, Universal Analytics 3. The replacement – GA4 – has been challenging for many as the new product is radically different in its configuration and reporting. Fortunately, we are here to help.

The Power and Impact of Brand Collaborations: 12 Best-in-Class Examples

Jun 12, 2023 · Alex Hultgren · 12 min read

In the mid-2000 when I was a marketing manager at Ford Motor Company, we had a serious challenge with the age of our average buyer. As a full-line vehicle manufacturer,

Preserving the Power of Your Brand with a Brand Bible

Jun 1, 2023 · Julie Mantis · 6 min read

Your brand voice and tone refer to the way your brand communicates with your audience. Your brand voice should reflect your brand’s personality and values, while your tone should vary depending on the situation and the emotions you want to evoke. The overall goal of the brand tone and voice is to drive brand recall. Paired with your visual brand identity, the tone of your brand should drive recall during and after a communication effort.

What is the Impact of Generative AI on Marketing and Advertising?

May 17, 2023 · Uwe Hook · 6 min read

The Basics: What is generative AI?Generative AI is a powerful form of machine learning that can produce all sorts of new and exciting content, from music and art to entire virtual worlds. It can include

Chief Product Officer vs. Chief Experience Officer

May 16, 2023 · Ara Berberian · 5 min read

Trying to decide which role to fill first if your business has neither? Some newer executive titles have come into play over the past ten years, and we're here to discuss two of them: the Chief

Hyperlocal Social Media Marketing: Unlocking Your Business's Hidden Potential

May 5, 2023 · Kaddie Osborn · 5 min read

When it comes to marketing, thinking big is usually the way to go. But what if thinking small could be the key to unlocking a new world of opportunities? Enter hyperlocal social media marketing –

You’re in the Wrong Line: 3 Business Development Lessons from a Sicilian Bus Station

May 3, 2023 · Alex Hultgren · 9 min read

When I was a teenager in Ann Arbor, MI, I worked in the produce department of our local Kroger. As we were the closest grocery store to the University of Michigan’s graduate student family housing,

How Does Google Ads Generate Responsive Search Ads? Unveiling the Magic Behind the Scenes

May 2, 2023 · Kevin Flannery · 3 min read

Introduction:Are you curious about how Google Ads generates responsive search ads (RSAs)? You've come to the right place! In this blog post, we will demystify some of the magic behind Google's powerful advertising platform and

Maximizing Growth During Uncertain Economic Cycles: 5 Ways PE Firms and Portfolio Companies Can Invest in Marketing and Sales

Apr 27, 2023 · David Vanslette · 3 min read

Predicting economic downturns can be a challenging task, as it involves assessing a range of economic, political, and social factors that can influence the direction of the economy.There is no shortage of opinions on the

Free Social Media Tools Every Marketer Should Use

Apr 26, 2023 · Kaddie Osborn · 6 min read

Social media is an essential part of any marketer’s channel mix, but it can be overwhelming to manage on an ongoing basis. With the right tools, social media can be a powerful tool to drive

Adapting to iOS 14: Workarounds for Facebook Ads

Apr 17, 2023 · Erika Arevalo · 4 min read

Image SourceAnd just like that… It has been almost two years since Apple released iOS 14! And boy, have we all felt it. This switcheroo consisted of a new privacy feature that gave users more

7 Lesser-Known Reasons to Get a CRO Audit in 2023

Apr 14, 2023 · Jeff Blettner · 4 min read

In 2023, many websites and e-commerce stores are starting to see a downward trend in their conversion rates. If you are one of them, but are unsure where to start to improve them, a Conversion

Oh Ship! Presents: How Innovation Drives Success with Saneel Radia

Apr 10, 2023 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

Saneel shares advice on building a fellowship of business partners, how innovation happens, and looking at tech through an ethical lens.Image SourceSaneel Radia is the CEO and CIO of Proto, an innovation consultancy that helps

Oh Ship! Show Presents: From Engineer to Venture Capitalist with Ross Fubini

Apr 7, 2023 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

It’s never too late or too big of a jump to pursue your passions.Early technologies like Netscape made the internet accessible and more user-friendly to all. Pioneering this era by creating user-friendly technologies might be

Building Businesses In A Data & AI-Driven World with Vivek Vaidya

Apr 6, 2023 · Freddie Laker

Discover one founder’s data-driven strategies for building a powerful startup.As the world becomes more data-driven and automated (looking at you, GPT), it's more important than ever to have a strong understanding of data and AI.

How to Create an Effective Landing Page

Mar 22, 2023 · 6 min read

Creating a successful landing page is essential for effective marketing and sales initiatives.An excellent landing page should give users the information they need to make an informed decision about whether or not your product or

5 Tips for Launching an E-Commerce Brand in Traditional Retail Stores

Mar 9, 2023 · Anne-Michele Harrington · 5 min read

Launching e-commerce CPG brands into traditional retail stores is often an attractive strategy to accelerate growth.With nearly 90% of retail sales occurring in brick and mortar, as reported by Retail Dive, the opportunity to get

The Benefits of an Interim CMO

Mar 7, 2023 · 5 min read

Learn how an interim CMO can help to bridge the gap while looking for a permanent replacement.Executive leadership positions aren’t immune from the evolving talent market. C-level employees come and go just as the company’s

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Lessons for Going Global in the USA and Europe

Jan 23, 2023 · Freddie Laker · 10 min read

Image SourceUwe Hook, Interim CMO/CDO at Chameleon Collective, has had a robust career as a global entrepreneur. He’s served as CMO for high-profile firms like Co-op Financial Services as well as media leader for Gen-X,

How to Tap Into the Continuously Growing Digital Economy and Find the Best Talent

Jan 11, 2023 · 6 min read

The digital economy is continuously growing, and companies are scrambling to find the best talent. But what if you're not sure how to tap into that market? Or worse, what if you need help figuring

Activating Employees on Social Media

Jan 10, 2023 · Kaddie Osborn · 4 min read

Building the framework for employee participation in driving performance takes a bit of planning, but can pay off big!Asking employees to share content on social media can be an effective way to expand reach, build

Chat GPT: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and Human-Machine Communication?

Dec 6, 2022 · Uwe Hook · 3 min read

On November 30, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, shared this tweet with the world:And by December 5, more than 1 million users tested the dialogue-based AI chatbot. As OpenAI describes ChatGPT: “The dialogue format makes

Oh Ship! Presents: Jeff Brecker Shares Lessons From the Trenches in Building a Professional Services Firm

Nov 11, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

Jeff shares his most pivotal advice for avoiding failure and successfully scaling—along with an embarrassing career faux pas.Image SourceWith his prolific career as a leader in top-tier global agencies, Jeff Brecker has a lot to

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Entrepreneurs Harness Innovation, But True Invention Reshapes The World

Nov 9, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

Pablos, a prolific futurist, speaks on the types of inventions that transform the world—and his process for designing them.©ra2studio via Canva.comPablos Holman is a hardcore futurist who works at the intersection of entrepreneurship and inventing.

Oh Ship! Show Presents: How Privacy Tech Changed My Life (And How It Could Change Yours)

Nov 9, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 9 min read

Adam speaks on the implications of privacy tech developments on the future of marketing.Image SourceThere’s a whole industry evolving around privacy, sparking new startups, careers, and opportunities—and Adam Towvim, partner at Chameleon Collective and self-proclaimed

Fintech Futures: The Superapp – Some Dreams Never Die

Oct 26, 2022 · Uwe Hook

“Reach into your pocketCast a dream into the skyOne dream will always flySome dreams live forever” – M. NewburyAaah, the Superapp: a single portal to a wide range of virtual products and services, or otherwise many

ABM IS NOT MAGIC: BASICS OF ACCOUNT-BASED MARKETING

Oct 24, 2022 · 7 min read

What is Account-Based Marketing (ABM), and Should You Use It?Lately, B2B demand generation marketing seems to be abuzz with lots of talk around account-based marketing (ABM). If you’ve been successfully nailing Account-Based Marketing for years,

Chameleon Collective Ranks on Inc. 5000 List for Second Consecutive Year

Aug 16, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 2 min read

Chameleon Collective Ranks on Inc. 5000 List for Second Consecutive YearChameleon Collective is proud to announce we’ve joined the ranks on Inc. Magazine’s annual Inc. 5000 List of America's fastest-growing companies for the second year

Oh Ship! Presents: Designing Innovation with CX, Featuring Donald Chestnut of General Motors

Aug 10, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 9 min read

Learn about centering experience in design from this seasoned expert!Donald Chestnut, chief experience officer at General Motors, has a lot to say about future innovation, design, and customer experience. In his daily work, he zeros

Seizing Growth with Full-Funnel Marketing and Measurement

Aug 2, 2022 · Farzana Nasser · 10 min read

Learn how these marketing pros integrate brand and performance marketing efforts.Image SourceTraditionally, brand and performance marketing efforts have operated in their own siloes. While the performance side focused on specific metrics like clicks and ROI,

Oh Ship! Show Presents: How To Succeed As A Tech Entrepreneur

Jul 28, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

Marcel shares key lessons on building tech platforms and staying persistent throughout the journey to success.In his early years, Marcel started off as a rock ’n roller who developed a passion for concert gear and

Oh Ship! Presents: Building and Executing Marketing Strategies with Yin Woon Rani of MilkPEP

Jul 28, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 9 min read

Learn why Yin Woon Rani believes marketing success relies on “yes, and” thinking.Yin Woon Rani is CEO of MilkPEP—yes, the makers of the iconic milk ads! With her robust background as both a marketing leader

Oh Ship! Presents: Advice from Duncan Bannatyne on Shaping Your Success

Jul 19, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

Host, Freddie Laker, speaks with Duncan Bannatyne of the Bannatyne Group about succeeding as an entrepreneurDuncan Bannatyne is OBE, CEO, and chairman of the Bannatyne Group, which operates state-of-the-art health clubs in the U.K. He

Oh Ship! Presents: Using Cultural Moments to Drive Consumers to Brands with Pepsi’s Todd Kaplan

Jul 14, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 9 min read

Learn how real brand loyalty is built by connecting on cultural touchstones.Image SourceTodd Kaplan has worked with Pepsi’s enormous variety of global brands, and he has even been named one of Business Insider’s top 25

Designing Performance: A Human-Centered Approach to Innovation

Jun 30, 2022 · Chameleon Collective · 7 min read

Learn how design thinking can bring together diverse perspectives to create novel solutions.When building new digital tools—or anything else, for that matter—how can you truly understand and cater to users’ needs? The key to success

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Changing perspective can drive innovation

Jun 30, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Host Freddie Laker welcomes guest Dave Wright, Chief Innovation Officer at ServiceNow, as they discuss how changing perspective can drive innovation. In today’s me, me, me society, taking a moment to explore the world through

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Alternative approaches to business growth

Jun 3, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Host Freddie Laker welcomes guest Josh Hay, Partner at Chameleon Collective, for a fun and insightful discussion about alternative approaches to business growth and how they have created success and, at times, chaos. Join this

Experience Strategy Essentials – Generative Customer Research

Apr 25, 2022 · Ara Berberian

That stakeholder workshop you're planning or that expensive Qualtrics setup you bought isn’t going to lead to exceptional business outcomes alone.Mizaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru are the three wise monkeys or “mystic apes” from Japanese Buddhist

Tips, Tools, and Hacks for Boosting Productivity

Apr 21, 2022 · Chameleon Collective · 7 min read

These tools and tips will help you save time and be more efficient.Most people can focus for about five hours a day, meaning we need to make the best use possible of that time. Yet

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Building Exponential Organizations

Apr 15, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

Co-Founder and Chairman of OpenExO, Salim Ismail, shares how companies can apply the concept of exponential technologies to entire organizations.Exponential technology is a technology that effectively drives change at an accelerated speed. Can the concept

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Building Sustainable Businesses

Mar 31, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Host, Freddie Laker, speaks with Scott Tannen about what it means to be a truly sustainable businessWhen we speak of building sustainable companies, many people jump to thoughts of earth-friendly products and practices. They’re piqued

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Freddie is Forced to Talk About Wellness and Work Life Balance…Again

Mar 18, 2022 · Freddie Laker

Host Freddie Laker welcomes guest Brittney Kleinfelter, Performance Marketing Consultant at Chameleon Collective and Incoming PsyD Candidate. Freddie and Brittney will tackle a topic that many entrepreneurs and leaders struggle with: work-life balance. They’ll discuss

Oh Ship! Presents: The Emerging Culture of Work with Adam Rich

Mar 11, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 9 min read

Adam speaks on building trust and camaraderie in today’s workplace.Adam Rich, founder of Thrillist and principal of Adam Rich Consulting, takes a deep dive with Freddie into the new norms around work environments, feedback loops

Oh Ship! Show Presents: The Economics of Digital Content

Feb 24, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Host, Freddie Laker, discusses The Economics of Digital Content with Piano CEO, Trevor KaufmanIn 2022, it’s no secret that content is king. Bill Gates coined the phrase way back in 1996, citing that content would

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Tips For Being An Independent Consultant.

Feb 23, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Host Freddie Laker welcomes guest Tom Dehnel, SEO Consultant, and commonly referred to as “The Gordon Ramsay of SEO.” A member of Chameleon Collective, Tom is a successful independent consultant with a lot of advice

Caveats and Best Practices for Google Analytics 4

Feb 15, 2022 · Brittney Kleinfelter · 5 min read

Considerations to keep in mind with the new upgrade.Brands have been slow to adopt Google Analytics 4 since its Fall 2020 release because of a host of reported problems with the new platform. Search Engine

AI essay writing with proficient tools: what is essential to know?

Feb 10, 2022 · Uwe Hook · 5 min read

In recent years, the field of artificial intelligence has experienced remarkable advancements, transforming various aspects of our lives. One area where AI has made significant strides is essay writing, revolutionizing the way we approach academic

Oh Ship! Presents: Visionary vs. Pragmatic Leadership Styles with Lisa Kauffman

Feb 4, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

Lisa and Freddie ask each other the tough questions about their preferred styles!Lisa Kauffman, CMO of Starboard Cruise Services (part of LVMH), is bringing her retail and cruise line experience together in a single role.

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Learning from Pragmatic and Idealist Leaders

Feb 4, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Lisa Kauffman, CMO of Starboard Cruise Services – part of LVMH. They will be discussing differences, merits and challenges of pragmatic, realistic leadership and idealistic, visionary leadership. Join the discussion

Why Steve Jobs was Right about Market Research (says a Market Researcher!)

Jan 25, 2022 · Radha Badani · 6 min read

Radha Badani, Market Research Expert at Chameleon Collective, shares five tips on exploring the consumer learning journeyHere is your presumptive oxymoron of the day: I am a consumer insights expert who has made a career

5 Tips to Design a Perfect Website the First Time

Jan 21, 2022 · Freddie Laker

This advice from our very own Chameleons can help inspire and ignite your next website project.©kreatikar via Canva.comPerfection is subjective. But that doesn’t keep website designers or marketers from trying to achieve that ultimate website

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Attempting the Impossible with Pete Sena

Jan 20, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

Learn how Pete makes the impossible possible every day.©Tiero via Canva.comPete Sena is the founder and chief creative officer of Digital Surgeons, founded in 2004. He’s worked with big companies like Unilever, Lego, and even

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Attempting the Impossible

Jan 20, 2022 · Freddie Laker

On this week’s episode, host Freddie Laker welcomes guest Pete Sena, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Digital Surgeons. Freddie and Pete will be covering a host of topics including entrepreneurship, creative concepts, design thinking,

How To Create a Successful Remote Work Culture Remotely

Jan 15, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 12 min read

An increasing number of businesses have been pivoting to a virtual workforce model. Nearly half of all U.S. employees work remotely at least part of the time, and a quarter are fully remote. The vast

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Creating Understanding in Global Cultures

Jan 13, 2022 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Host Freddie Laker welcomes guest Isabelle Andrieu, Co-Founder of Translated, for a robust discussion on building understanding, trust, and teams across cultures. As our teams and partners are increasingly diverse, the best thriving companies are

The Ecommerce Marketing Landscape: What We Learned in 2021

Jan 7, 2022 · Farzana Nasser · 6 min read

Looking back at this past year, we can start planning to make 2022 the best one yet.It’s fair to say that every year brings new trends, ideas, and lessons in the growth marketing space. But

Oh Ship! Show Presents: “Is the Customer Always Right?”

Dec 17, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Jim Fosina, Founder and CEO of Amora Coffee. They will be discussing customer needs and wants, approaches to customer service for product vs service businesses, and some entrepreneurial Oh Ship!

A Round-Up of the Best Tips for Remote Workforces in 2022

Dec 14, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Here’s our best advice for navigating the new normal in the coming year.Image SourcePost-pandemic, one thing is crystal-clear: We’re not going back to the old normal. Over the past year, companies have been honing their ability

Top 10 Chameleon Collective Blog Posts of 2021

Dec 10, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

ICYMI: We’ve selected the most insight-rich and inspirational blogs from 2021 to guide you into the new year.Image SourceOur Chameleons are diligent about sharing their insights on Our Collective Point of View blog. New content

Oh Ship! Show Presents: “Digital Art's Next Frontier: Home Installations”

Dec 10, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Marc Billings, Founder of Blackdove Art Gallery. They will be discussing how NFTs/digital art are making their way into homes. Listen in and join the discussion as Freddie and Marc

Oh Ship! Show Presents: NFTs and Digital Art

Dec 9, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Digital media has forever changed the way we do life, from how we buy groceries to how we grow businesses. In recent years, digital technology has also upended another surprising industry—art. Digital art, specifically non-fungible

Oh Ship! Presents: Investing in Black Business with Bonin Bough

Dec 2, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

Bonin presents innovative solutions to talent development and closing the wealth gap.Bonin Bough is Chief Growth Officer of Triller and Bonin Ventures. He has also been Chief Media and eCommerce Officer at Mondelēz International (previously

How to Create a Fruitful Mentorship From the Start

Nov 29, 2021 · Tena Crock · 6 min read

Mentorships work best when both parties have something to gain.Image SourceEarlier this year, Chameleon Collective partnered with an organization of rising business leaders to provide mentorship opportunities to its members. Without hesitation, I raised my

How to Stop the Musical Chairs Hiring Madness

Nov 8, 2021 · Elise Marquis · 6 min read

When talent is leaving faster than you can hire, what should eCommerce Executives do next?Image Source“Well, there goes another one.” In recent months, more eCommerce Executives and their HR Partners are finding themselves saying those

Chameleon Collective’s Marketing Executive Search Firm Has a Long History of Recruiting and Placing Marketing Leaders

Nov 8, 2021 · David Gitow · 6 min read

Learn why a retainer-based search firm can secure the best talent for high-level roles.Image SourceWe don’t like to boast, but we’re just stating facts here: Chameleon Collective has been experiencing one of our most successful

Oh Ship! Show Present: The 10 Most Important Ecommerce Questions Answered with Andrea Moore

Oct 28, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

Andrea and Freddie discuss their most pressing questions about the industry.Andrea is SVP of digital and ecommerce at NEST New York, as well as an adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She has

Which One Is Right For You? 7 Revenue Models For Mobile Apps

Oct 25, 2021 · Alex Hultgren · 5 min read

Revenue Models for Mobile AppsOver the last year, I’ve spent a lot of time on new app development for my clients. Specifically, how to launch, scale, and achieve sustainable profitability for a stand-alone mobile app. Before

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "Driving Growth & The Future of Cryptocurrency"

Oct 22, 2021 · Freddie Laker

Freddie is joined by Eric Eden, the Executive in Residence of Information Venture Partners, to dive into how to drive your company's growth by identifying where to focus, where the market is going, and how

Five Tips For New Independent Consultants

Oct 18, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

Tips For New Independent ConsultantsProfessionals worldwide are more frequently opting for careers outside of the traditional corporate path by exploring becoming independent consultants. While the sense of having greater control of your destiny, maximizing your

Oh Ship! Presents: The New Upper Funnel with Jae Goodman

Oct 14, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Jae shares how the marketing funnel has completely changed—and how to adapt.Jae Goodman is CEO of Observatory Agency, recognized by Fast Company in 2020 and 2021 as one of the world’s most innovative companies. He

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "Investing in the Next Generation" Roundtable

Sep 30, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Freddie Laker joins Flamingo Capital to talk about the investment boom in Miami’s tech companies.Image SourceMiami might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of a blossoming tech hub. But

How to Hire Marketing Leaders During a Talent Shortage

Sep 28, 2021 · 6 min read

Filling your marketing shoes with the right person is a surefire way to grow your brand in the midst of a crisis, and an ongoing talent shortage shouldn’t stand in your way.Source Executive search takes a

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "The Power of Design" Roundtable

Sep 23, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

In this latest episode, host Freddie Laker speaks with three branding experts on how design impacts the customer experience.Image SourceMost of us appreciate good design. It might be a small feature that makes a product

Oh Ship! Show Presents: “Lead with a Purpose” with Dave Minifie

Sep 16, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Discover the difference between mission-driven and purpose-driven organizations and why leading with a purpose delivers better results.Image SourceEvery company has a mission. Many of them have an entire page on their website dedicated to talking

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Aligning Purpose and Profit with Ian Schafer

Sep 9, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

In a recent episode, host Freddie Laker speaks with Schafer about finding a business balance between personal motivation and profitability.Image SourceThere’s nothing wrong with going into business seeing dollar signs and infinite potential. A successful

Behind the Chameleons: Johnny Cate

Aug 30, 2021 · Johnny Cate · 4 min read

The problem with being a writer writing about writing is that people will be judging the blog entry you're doing about writing and using it to evaluate your writing. This blog doesn't intend to be

Oh Ship! Show Presents: Overcoming Obstacles as a Young Leader with John Hall

Aug 26, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

Success begins with investing highly in your personal brand at any age.Image SourceJohn Hall, chief strategist of Relevance.com as well as co-founder of Calendar.com and Influence & Co., has been starting companies since he was

Chameleon Collective Is Officially One of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies in 2021

Aug 23, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 3 min read

Chameleon Collective is recognized by 2021 Inc. 5000 While established large corporate businesses strive to be on the Fortune 1000, entrepreneurs find recognition on the Inc 5000. We’re proud to announce that we’ve come in

How to Attract Customers: 5 Ways to Find Buyers for Your Products

Aug 17, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

5 Steps to Building Loyal CustomersEvery business owner’s dream is usually to expand its customer base. The more customers a business has, the more profit it’s earning and the more likely it to succeed. Yet,

Oh Ship! Ruth Hartman Speaks on Being a Great Mentor in Difficult Times

Aug 12, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

Ruth speaks on sharp career pivots and how she deals with adversity.Ruth Hartman knows a thing or two about mentoring other leaders. As former president of Lord & Taylor and chief merchant officer at Le

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "Finding Moments To Make A Difference"

Aug 12, 2021 · Brittney Kleinfelter · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Ruth Hartman, a C-Suite Executive, Board Member, & Consultant, to discuss dealing with adversity, the key to being a good mentor, and challenges in leadership.

Oh Ship! The Power of Positive Thinking in Business & Life with Tena Crock

Aug 5, 2021 · Freddie Laker

In a recent Oh Ship! episode, host Freddie Laker and guest Tena Crock share how to find positivity to overcome life’s greatest challenges.Image SourceFor some people, positivity seems to come naturally. Life always seems to

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "The Power of Positive Thinking in Business & Life"

Aug 5, 2021 · Freddie Laker

Freddie Laker is joined by Tena Crock, an Interim VP of E-Commerce/CX, to talk about finding positivity and focus to overcome some of life's greatest challenges. They focus on professional development and affairs close to

How to Improve Both Click-Through-Rates and Conversion Rates in Your Content Marketing

Aug 2, 2021 · 7 min read

A click-through rate (CTR) is a metric that demonstrates as a percentage that measures how many people clicked the ad to visit any particular website. On the other hand, a conversion rate is a metric, which

Oh Ship! Living at the Intersection of Music and Business with Will Henshall

Jul 29, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

Learn how the Londonbeat songwriter merges his dual passions!Image SourceWill Henshall, founder and CEO of Focus@Will Labs, has had a long and colorful career in the music industry. As a songwriter, performer, producer, and entrepreneur,

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "Living at the Intersection of Music and Business"

Jul 29, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Will Henshall, Founder & CEO of Focus@Will, to talk about AI technology trends, the challenges in productivity and focus in a business environment, and how music can aid that.

5 Best Resources to Drive Your Email Marketing Strategy

Jul 26, 2021 · Jonathan Nail · 7 min read

Discover our top picks for full-spectrum email marketing, from ideation to analytics.SourceMore than 4.3 billion people use email. That alone bodes well for any email marketing strategy. No other platform can compare to those figures,

Oh Ship! Presents: Stranger In A Strange Land – Tales of Living and Working Abroad

Jul 22, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Host Freddie Laker speaks with Sergio Mello about leading in foreign cultures.Image SourceThe digital nomad movement is real, but it didn’t start with the sudden shift to remote work during the pandemic. For many, living

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "Stranger In A Strange Land: Tales of Living and Working Abroad"

Jul 22, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by entrepreneur, Sergio Mello, to talk about what it's like to work in a foreign country, cultural learnings, leading in foreign cultures, incredible epiphanies, and hilarious moments that have gone wrong

The Challenges of Remote Work for Business Analysts

Jul 19, 2021 · Kevin Pound · 8 min read

Business analysts face unique challenges in a remote-only work environment.Image sourceTech-enabled remote work has grown at an exponential rate over the last two decades. But, in many ways, the global COVID-19 pandemic was the final

Oh Ship! Interplay Between Farming and Technology with Group of Humans "Rob Noble"

Jul 15, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

The CEO of Group of Humans reflects on the broad influence of farming.Image sourceRob Noble is the founder and CEO of Group of Humans, a collective of creative problem-solvers and analysts that helps organizations adapt

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "Farming Your Way To The Future"

Jul 15, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Rob Noble, Founder of Group of Humans, to look inside one internet entrepreneur's mind as he reflects on how key themes from farming have impacted his technology and marketing businesses.

Design Tips for A Marketing Email That Delivers

Jul 12, 2021 · Julie Znoy · 5 min read

Increase click-through rates and engagement with these nine best practicesIf you run a business, you can reach just about any target audience with an email. Statista projects that the worldwide number of email users, estimated

Oh Ship! Cannabis Industry Challenges & Lessons Learned with Nana & Pop’s Jeff Arbour

Jul 8, 2021 · Freddie Laker

Jeff explains the biggest cannabis industry challenges and mistakes people make in the cannabis space as well as the greatest opportunities.Jeff Arbour, a partner of Chameleon Collective, has spent his career helping businesses navigate the

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "Lessons Learned From 5 Years In the The Cannabis Industry"

Jul 8, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Jeff Arbour, Founder of Nana & Pop, to cover everything from the biggest mistakes people make, opportunities for founders, CPG trends and, funding and financing.

Your 5-Step CRM Migration Guide

Jul 6, 2021 · Jonathan Nail · 8 min read

How to select the right strategic marketing platform for your business objectives.When used to its full potential, your customer relationship management (CRM) system can revolutionize the way you connect with current and prospective clients. While

Oh Ship! A New Type of Digital Agency with Barbarian’s Steven Moy

Jul 1, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

Learn about digital agency culture, its shifting role and tactics, and how it’s quickly evolving in today’s climate of disruption.Steven Moy, CEO of Barbarian and former CEO of Isobar UK, has a lot to say

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "The Changing Face of Agencies"

Jul 1, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Steven Moy, CEO of Barbarian, to talk about the future of the business model, the agency "culture" and learning to be a CEO.

Oh Ship! Turning Obstacles into Opportunities with Beyond Barriers’ Nikki Barua

Jun 24, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

Through Beyond Barriers, Nikki is launching a novel approach to empowerment and disrupting the traditional idea of coaching, making executive-level training accessible to more women.Nikki Barua is the co-founder and CEO of Beyond Barriers, which

Oh Ship! The Meaning of Empathetic Leadership with Alexa von Tobel

Jun 17, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Alexa drives home the importance of empathic leadership and a focus on process over outcomes as indispensable qualities.Alexa von Tobel models empathy in her daily work with the companies she invests in and in her

World-Class CxO Group Develops New Approach To Assess Sales & Marketing

Jun 16, 2021 · Freddie Laker

CLEAR™ Assessment Empowers Companies to Unlock Value and Drive Business GrowthMIAMI, June 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Chameleon Collective, a hybrid consulting and interim leadership firm, announced a groundbreaking new growth tool as part of

How to Kickstart Your Startup

Jun 15, 2021 · Charles Sayers · 8 min read

It’s time to take the great business idea that took shape during the pandemic to marketImage SourceDuring the pandemic, we were all forced to confine ourselves to many things that were smaller. Smaller spaces, smaller

Today on Oh Ship! Show, Freddie Laker is joined by Brian Long, the CEO of #Attentive.

Jun 12, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Today on Oh Ship! Show, Freddie Laker is joined by Brian Long, the CEO of #Attentive, his second company after selling his prior business to Twitter. Tune in for this entrepreneur's stories, he's got a

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "The 10 Most Important Leadership Questions Answered" with Scott Monty

Jun 10, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Scott Monty, Interim Communications Executive, for an intriguing conversation about leadership.They'll share lessons and insights you won't want to miss!

The Single Most Important Reason Why Demand Generation Managers Fail

Jun 10, 2021 · Susan Martindill · 6 min read

Find out how to hire a demand generation manager even if you don’t work in the field.Image source“It’s been three months. Why hasn’t my new demand generation manager done anything?”Time and time again, I hear

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "From Burgers to Big Business: Conquering Your Fear as a Leader" with Ott…

Jun 3, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Otto Othman, Co-Founder and CEO of PINCHO, for an inspiring discussion about overcoming challenges as a leader and conquering reservations.

Behind the Chameleons: Tena Crock

Jun 2, 2021 · Tena Crock · 5 min read

In an attempt to channel my inner Sophia Petrella (Google it kids), “Picture it, it’s 2017. A young woman, not yet 40 years old, is the Vice President of ECommerce and Digital Marketing at a

Oh Ship! Choosing the Measurements You Want to Live & Work By with Michael Lebowitz

May 27, 2021 · Freddie Laker

Learn why the human elements of a business play a significant role in the metrics of success according to the CEO of Big Spaceship who focuses on progress over perfection.Michael Lebowitz is the CEO and

Oh Ship! How to Network Like a Pro with Eniac Ventures’ Nihal Mehta

May 20, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Learn how Nihal has become a successful networker—and how he leverages his social network connections while sharing his most significant secrets.Nihal Mehta has been an early angel investor in Uber, Airbnb, Attentive, AdMob, and many

Oh Ship! Presents: Making Tough Leadership Decisions with Chris Moloney

May 18, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

Here’s how Chris overcame his toughest leadership moments—and what he learned on the way.Chris Moloney has been CMO of both global brands and smaller businesses. He’s served as CMO and SVP of ecomm for Brinks

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "Making Tough Leadership Decisions in Business" with Chris Moloney

May 13, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined by Chris Moloney, Interim CMO, to talk about his experience in various leadership roles, and why making tough decisions is necessary for running a successful business.

An Opinion: Why CMust Consider the Ethics of Marketing

May 10, 2021 · Brittney Kleinfelter · 6 min read

The Ethics of MarketingGrowth marketing: what felt like an exciting, unexplored world fifteen years ago is now driven by data, algorithms, and A/B testing. In recent years, data companies, like Cambridge Analytica, for example, have

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "Digital Art – Evolving From Confusion to Obsession" with Peter Hirshberg

May 6, 2021 · Freddie Laker

Freddie is joined by Peter Hirshberg, Chairman of Grey Area, today to talk about the history, concept, and evolution of digital art, and the recent rise in popularity of NFT's.

How Digital Transformation is Impacting Recruiting

May 5, 2021 · Elise Marquis · 12 min read

The pandemic has made focusing on digital growth essential. Learn how smart companies are adapting to the rise of digital so you can get ahead of the curve. Image sourceThe pandemic has ignited digital acceleration in

8 Crucial Technology Trends Small Businesses Shouldn't Ignore

May 1, 2021 · Gabriella Araujo · 5 min read

Technology Trends For Small Businesses https://unsplash.com/photos/VHXiGXxwOQ4 Keeping up with technology trends can be tricky. More so, if there are more important aspects of your business that you need to focus on.However, you should not forgo innovation. If

Top 10 SEO Competitor Analysis Criteria

Apr 28, 2021 · 9 min read

Ten SEO Competitor Analysis Key Areas https://unsplash.com/photos/shr_Xn8S8QUIn order to understand how to develop a project and in what direction to move, periodically you need to make a full or partial analysis of competitors. At the beginning

Oh Ship! Pivoting Digital Out-of-Home Media During the Pandemic with Marci Weisler

Apr 22, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

Learn how Vengo Labs used innovative ideas to stay successful during COVID-19 and how you can apply this through tough times.Marci Weisler had her work cut out for her in the pandemic, as her company,

5 Facebook Advertising Mistakes to Avoid for E-Commerce Growth

Apr 19, 2021 · 6 min read

Getting your Facebook ads to perform better could be as simple as making a few minor fixes to avoid these Facebook advertising mistakes SourceBusinesses don’t spend their hard-earned money on Facebook advertising because it’s fun. The

Oh Ship! Show : "The Unattainable Triangle: Can I Get a Cheaper Version of You?" with Brett Colbert

Apr 16, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie and Brett talk about the three key factors when making an investment, quality, service, and price, which create an unattainable trifecta. They discuss the obstacles most companies run into with this expectation and debate

Oh Ship! Finding Friends at the Intersection of Reality and Virtual Reality with Leila Amirsadeghi

Apr 8, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Learn how virtual technologies will enhance our lives in the years to come!©max-kegfire via Getty Images ProLeila Amirsadeghi works as senior program manager of Microsoft’s Mixed Reality VR project. An innovator in the technology field

Oh Ship! Lance Porigow Speaks on Challenging the Rules of Marketing

Apr 1, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Lance shares what inspired him to break one of the industry’s most long-standing rules.Lance Porigow works as Chief Marketing Officer of the Shipyard, which focuses on leveraging creativity and data to deliver ingenious solutions for

5 Marketing Procurement Best Practices for Brands

Mar 29, 2021 · 6 min read

Marketing Procurement Best PracticesHere’s how to work with your agencies for procurement that delivers value without reducing investments.Source By definition, procurement is the act of securing goods or services required for a business to grow. We

Oh Ship! Past the Hype, Understanding the Future of VR with Pearly Chen

Mar 25, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Learn why Pearly says the future is already here—and what to expect in the next few years.Image sourcePearly Chen works at the forefront of the VR space. As VP of partnerships and business development for

8 Tips for Creating a Successful and Engaging Ecommerce Store

Mar 19, 2021 · 7 min read

Creating an Engaging Ecommerce StoreOnline marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy could be a good way to test the market for a new product. Using these platforms, you can quickly start a new online business with

Oh Ship! Albert Santalo Shares Wisdom for Non-Technical Entrepreneurs

Mar 18, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Not a coding wizard but want to start a tech-empowered business? Albert shares sage advice in this week’s episode.Albert Santalo is the founder of 8base, which makes starting a tech business easier for non-technical entrepreneurs.

Oh Ship! Show: "The Dynamic World of Internal Agency & Marketing Process Creation" with Julie Mantis

Mar 12, 2021 · Freddie Laker

Today Freddie Laker speaks with Julie Mantis about why brands are moving towards in-house teams vs agencies and how an internal agency model can support that strategy.ED

Attractive CPG Packaging Design in the Age of e-Commerce

Mar 9, 2021 · 6 min read

As more consumers are buying CPG brands online, how can your brand attract consumers with packaging design? In the recent past, many consumer packaged goods brands (CPG) and fast-moving consumer goods brands (FMCG) relied on in-store

Oh Ship! Built to Suck with Corona TV’s Joseph Jaffe

Mar 4, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Hear Joseph’s take on why corporate dynasties are destined to crumble.Joseph Jaffe is a visionary thinker and entrepreneur who hosts Corona TV and has written five books, including Built to Suck, which he wrote about

How To Have A Love Affair With Marketing Procurement

Mar 1, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 3 min read

How To Use Marketing Procurement EffectivelyAs a marketing leader who has also spent time on the agency/supplier side of the equation, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with procurement. In the early years

How To Excel as a Successful Leader in the First 90 Days

Feb 26, 2021 · Melissa Pacheco · 5 min read

Master the transition to a new leadership role with Michael Watkins’ advice. Ninety percent of leaders say the most challenging times they experience are the transitional periods, says Michael Watkins in The First 90 Days:

Disruptive Innovation Post-Pandemic: The Rise of Ecommerce

Feb 24, 2021 · Tena Crock · 8 min read

The Rise of eCommerceMost of us already knew we needed to embrace eCommerce, but the pandemic gave it a massive jumpstart. Companies that were lagging have had to get up to speed quickly or risk

Disruptive Innovation Post-Pandemic: Emerging Innovations in Retail

Feb 15, 2021 · 9 min read

Emerging Innovations in RetailAs the retail world works to recover from the pandemic’s shock, we have some new surprises in store—but this time, not bad ones. A chaotic situation has the power to shape up

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "Reinventing the Web – Yet Again" with Wrecking Ball CEO Joseph Princz

Feb 12, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Today, Freddie Laker is joined by the CEO of Wrecking Ball, Joseph Princz, to talk about "reinventing the web" in terms of digital renovation, experiential sites, simplifying engineering processes, and design.

Disruptive Innovation Post-Pandemic: Changing Consumer Behavior

Feb 10, 2021 · 7 min read

Every retailer needs to get to know a new customer base: post-pandemic shoppers. We dive into the critical shifts in consumer behavior that will affect how you do business.The initial fears of the pandemic have

Oh Ship! Knowing Your Limits with QuantuMDx Group’s Jonathan O’Halloran

Feb 4, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

Jonathan shares how self-belief led him to persevere despite the advice of others and against all odds.Image Source- ©Mikhail Mishunin via Canva.comJonathan O’Halloran is the co-founder and chief science officer of QuantuMDx, a revolutionary biotech

A Follow-Up Perspective to Into the Blue – Real Estate Edition

Jan 29, 2021

The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effect on Real EstateHow does the real estate market look during a global pandemic? Adam Palmer gives his take on our previously published white paper, Into The Blue. Read this response post

Oh Ship! A View into C-Suite Leadership with Jeffrey Hayzlett

Jan 28, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Jeffrey speaks on value-based leadership and his greatest career blunders. Jeffrey is the CEO and chairman of the C-Suite Network, which brings together people in high-level leadership positions to provide one another with support and

Navigating Apple iOS 14 Privacy Updates for Facebook Advertisers & E-commerce Brands

Jan 21, 2021

The newest Apple software update will make tracking and data collection harder. Two of the world’s tech giants are facing one another down over a controversial issue: User privacy.At the center of the issue is Apple’s

Oh Ship! Leadership Under Duress with Jonny Dodge

Jan 21, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

Stepping far outside of your comfort zone brings incredible growth, as Jonny has seen firsthand. Learn how extreme situations can give leaders a new mindset.Jonny Dodge spoke to us from Dubai, where he’s been working

Oh Ship! Show Presents: "The Changing Face of Leadership"

Jan 15, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie's joined now by Karen Lithgow as they discuss evolving tactics in leadership and how to keep up. Karen gives us insight into her personal growth and the external challenges that face leaders today.

Oh Ship! Mark Pattison Speaks on Surmounting the Seven Summits

Jan 7, 2021 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

Learn how goal-setting is helping him climb the world’s highest peaks. Image source At 59, former NFL player Mark Pattison is poised to become the oldest person to surmount the Seven Summits—the highest mountain peaks

How to Successfully Onboard Remote Employees

Jan 5, 2021 · Melissa Pacheco · 5 min read

Optimize your onboarding with these five surefire strategies.The pandemic has thrown quite a few curve balls at companies around the world. No one is immune from the need to transform existing processes in response to

How SEO and Search Ads Can Work Together

Dec 28, 2020 · 4 min read

How SEO and Search Ads Can Work TogetherA lot of marketers have this general idea that everything under Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is closely related. After all, the Organic Search results appear on the same

The Key to Selling High-Ticket Items Online

Dec 17, 2020 · 5 min read

5 ways to build trust with your customers and increase conversionThe COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses to move from selling in-person to selling online. Salespeople who depended on face-to-face interactions to build trust and rapport

Oh Ship! Show: "The New Rules For Work" with Thought Leader Jason Sosa

Dec 11, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Happening now, Freddie speaks with Jason Sosa, a thought leader in the "future of work", to discuss everything from how people should be evaluating future roles, themselves, and even the impacts of #AI on the

Getting Past the First Date: Five Steps to Long Term Consumer Value

Dec 8, 2020 · Anne-Michele Harrington · 6 min read

THE IMPORTANCE OF LONG TERM CONSUMER VALUEWhile 2020 has urged everyone to focus on social distancing, a surprising number of first dates are happening – first dates with new brands, that is. In a study

Oh Ship! Show: "Gambling as an Entrepreneur" with Sports Illustrated's Ian Ritchie

Dec 4, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker is joined now by Ian Ritchie, the Executive VP of Sports Illustrated, to discuss "gambling" as an entrepreneur in both a professional and personal manner and how those risks can lead to success.

Oh Ship! Show: Digital, Data, and Privacy in the Face of the Pandemic with Dele Atanda

Nov 20, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

We're live! Freddie is joined by CEO of metaMe INC, Dele Atanda, to talk about trends in digital, data, and privacy during the pandemic and how it brings a rising threat of “under the skin

Reimagining Financial Services – Marketing in The New Strange

Nov 20, 2020 · Uwe Hook

Chameleon Collective’s Uwe Hook shares the seven trends he believes will impact financial marketing in 2021.Source COVID-19 was a shock to the financial services industry, specifically in the increasing role of digital transformation and a shift

Oh Ship! Show – The Missed Opportunities of Digital Transformation

Nov 13, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

We're live! Freddie Laker is speaking with Jane Barratt, the Chief Advocacy Officer of MX Technologies, on what the industry missed when the real digital transformation happened.

Oh Ship! Show: The Best vs the Best Choice

Oct 30, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Today Freddie Laker speaks with Gaston Legorburu, the Founder of GlueIQ, about understanding the difference between being the best and being the best choice.

Oh Ship! Show: Learning by Doing

Oct 23, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Happening now! Freddie Laker and Bain Capital's Operating Partner, Darren Herman, discuss the philosophy of alternative ways of learning. Darren notes, "I have lived my entire career by this mantra and it’s the best way

Oh Ship! Show: A Debate Around the Ethics of Marketing

Oct 16, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

We're live! Freddie Laker speaks with Chameleon Partner, Danny Fishman, about the power and responsibility of marketing & advertising's role against societal issues and throwing events in the digital age.

3 Marketing Lessons from a Convenience Store Restroom

Oct 15, 2020 · Alex Hultgren · 7 min read

I know what you're thinking: this is another one of those inspirational posts about how someone's entire business was transformed after reading a brilliant Seth Godin quote scratched into the wall at a Shell station.Actually, no … although

Why Brands Need To Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is & Consumers Should Demand It!

Oct 14, 2020 · Danny Fishman

Every day we hear more and more about the “informed” and “activist” consumer whose purchase decision making is not just influenced by traditional marketing practices, but instead by the attitudes, beliefs, politics, and social actions

Reimagining Financial Services – Marketing in The New Strange: A Live Webinar

Oct 12, 2020 · Uwe Hook

Financial Services MarketingFinancial services marketers have experienced rapid changes in their customers’ behavior throughout the Corona crisis. Digital transformation accelerated, contactless payments, and electronic signatures are the new normal, broadband has become essential for any

Oh Ship! Show: Building Companies, Products, and Teams

Oct 9, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie is speaking with Dan LaCivita, a proven entrepreneur with a creative agency past, who's newest product startup is #Play. They'll be discussing his professional journey and how to successfully build companies from the ground

7 Copywriting Tips To Supercharge Ecommerce Conversion Rates

Oct 7, 2020 · 5 min read

Conversion rates should be your first, second, third, and fourth priority in the world of eCommerce. The biggest brands in the business dedicate enormous amounts of resources to increasing their conversion rates (due to the almost unbeatable ROI it provides). And if you want to compete, you need to optimize yours too.

Oh Ship! How to Plough Your Way Through S##t

Oct 2, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

We're live! Freddie Laker and Cindy Gallop, Founder & CEO of #MakeLoveNotPorn, discuss how to deal with challenges and obstacles given her own entrepreneurial journey. Tune in now.

7 Powerful Ways to Improve Your Current SaaS Conversion Rate

Sep 30, 2020 · 5 min read

If you are scratching your head and wonder why your competitors are getting subscriptions more than you do, it may only mean one thing. It would help if you improved your current SaaS conversion rates. Now

Oh Ship Show! The Art & Science of Business Transformation

Sep 18, 2020 · Freddie Laker

Freddie Laker is joined by a former Marketing Exec at #ESPN & #TheCocaColaCompany and startup entrepreneur, Carol Kruse, about the art & science of leading a business through transformation.

Marketing Procurement for Brands & Agencies: A Webinar

Sep 17, 2020

Using Marketing Procurement for Brands & AgenciesEffective marketing procurement can help optimize your longterm ROI but are you using it correctly? What are the best ways to leverage it and where should you focus your

Content Marketing Miracles: The Problem With Your Content Marketing

Sep 16, 2020 · Nick Worth · 5 min read

The Problem with Content Marketing Miracles The miracle of miracles is the hope they engender. The joy of Santa’s extraordinary annual global journey to each and every hearth. The inspiration when a pilot lands his

Oh Ship! Tales from a veteran CEO, Ron Boire

Sep 11, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

We're live! We've got two #interimleadership execs today, Freddie Laker and Ron Boire, talking about hot topics in #entrepreneaurship and #businesstransformation. Ron's a former senior executive at companies including Sony, Best Buy, Art Van Furniture

Oh Ship! A Conversation with Alex Roy, Self-Driving Technology Entrepreneur

Sep 3, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Hear Alex’s take on the future of self-driving technology and lessons learned in his career.Alex Roy is no stranger to adrenaline: Lightning-fast cross-country drives are a favorite hobby of his. In fact, he and Freddie

9 Surefire Ways to Develop a Successful International Ecommerce Website

Aug 31, 2020

E-commerce has transformed the world into an international marketplace. Now, buying products from across the globe is only one click away.The growth of international e-commerce has been impressive. That's why you need to consider this

Culture vs. Speed. How Shifting the balance impacts your company.

Aug 28, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Live now on Oh Ship! Freddie Laker speaks with Chip Register, the former Co-CEO of #PublicisSapient, about the "2×2 Matrix" technique: Culture vs. Speed. Tune in & find out out how the shifting balance impacts

How Important is Video Conferencing Tech?

Aug 24, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

Using Video Conferencing Tech Effectively for Business When I originally sat down to write an article about my “over the top” webcam approach it was focused on being a “how-to” article to help people create a

Oh Ship! Brad Jakeman, Co-Founder of Rethink Foods, Discusses Portfolio Careers

Aug 20, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Brad discusses the impetus behind his career change and why he’s more satisfied with his work now than ever.Brad Jakeman has had an incredible career, which includes having served as president of the Global Beverages

The Ten Best Quotes About Leadership

Aug 19, 2020 · 6 min read

Leadership is one of the hardest skills to learn out there. It requires great self-awareness, discipline, and the urge to help others grow. Multiple people throughout history have learned their own leadership lessons. Below we’ll

Oh Ship! Featuring Toby Daniels, Founder and CEO of Crowdcentric Media

Aug 17, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

Toby speaks on his career inspirations, the future of events, and what he’s learned from COVID-19.Toby Daniels works at the cutting edge of virtual conferencing, so he has some excellent insights on the future of

A Guide To European Business In The Post-Pandemic World

Aug 11, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

Backed by our data and historical trends, Chameleon Collective’s new business guide in the post-pandemic world, “Into The Blue EU,” offers a bird’ s-eye view of how our life, our work, and our relationships will

Oh Ship! Bill Goldstein, founder of of Walt Grace Vintage, discusses entrepreneurship

Aug 11, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Bill Goldstein created one of the world's most loved vintage guitar and car stores with a celebrated showroom in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami. His journey to get there was anything but conventional. Tune

Oh Ship! Veronika Sonsev Speaks of Career-Defining Challenges

Aug 11, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Sometimes our greatest failures are also our greatest successes.Veronika Sonsev is a co-founder of Chameleon Collective. She’s now at the forefront of the retail industry with her company CommerceNext, which hosts leading industry events. “My

10 Habits of Top Marketing Procurement Pros

Aug 8, 2020 · Brett McCall · 10 min read

Learn to navigate the art and science of effective marketing procurement to optimize ROI.Often, we’re asked why our Collective has an Interim Chief Procurement Officer (CPO). What does this role entail, and what value does

Oh Ship! Flight Industry Pioneer David Tait OBE Shares Lessons Learned

Jul 23, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

David shares major hurdles and growing pains from the early days of the industry.David Tait, managing partner with CONSULTAIT, has a legacy that’s hard to beat: He was one of the key players in revolutionizing

5 Common Marketing Data Analytics Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Jul 22, 2020 · Vu Pham · 6 min read

Are you using the right metrics? Do you have the right tools? Find out why you may not be getting the best results from data analytics.Data analytics is all the rage. Everywhere you turn, you

Discussing entrepreneurship and the future of work with John Winsor, Founder & CEO of Open Assembly.

Jul 17, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Freddie Laker discusses entrepreneurship and the future of work with John Winsor, Founder & CEO of Open Assembly. #entrepreneurship #future #futureofwork

Oh Ship! Chelsie Lee of #Shipsi Shares Lessons Learned as a First-Time CEO

Jul 9, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Chelsie Lee, co-founder and CEO of Shipsi, shares tough lessons learned on her path to success.Chelsie Lee co-founded Shipsi, which works with any retailer to provide same-day delivery natively on their website. They have a

Oh Ship! Juan Morales Speaks on Pushing Boundaries and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Jul 2, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

An unconventional leader describes the moments that shook him up and transformed him.Freddie spoke with Juan Morales, Chameleon Collective’s executive creative director, about moments of failure that helped define him as a leader. They’ve collaborated

Into The Blue – A Guide To Business In The Post-Pandemic World

Jul 1, 2020 · Freddie Laker

Backed by our own data and historical trends, Chameleon Collective’s new business guide in the post-pandemic world, “Into The Blue,” offers a bird’s-eye view of how our life, our work, and our relationships will change

Oh Ship! Show with entrepreneurs Freddie Laker and Ben Way

Jun 25, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

On this episode of Oh Ship! Show, Freddie Laker is joined by Ben Way, Founder of #TheRainmakers, Inc and original co-founder of Oh Ship! Tune in now and get ready to hear these two Englishmen

Freddie Laker is joined by Robert Scoble, noted tech journalist and author, on today's Oh Ship!

Jun 19, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Broadcasting live – Freddie Laker is joined by Robert Scoble, noted tech journalist and author, to discuss stories from the front line of innovation (and the not often discussed Oh Ship moments)!

Oh Ship! A conversation about our worst Oh Ship! moments.

Jun 14, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

This week we discussed some of our "favorite" failures and Oh Ship! moments. Ben & Freddie start to get sentimental but we left the group hugs off camera.

Oh Ship! A conversation with Isabelle Fevrier, CEO of Mansur Gavriel

May 29, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Oh Ship! A conversation with Isabelle Fevrier, a fascinating leader from the fashion world with experience from Mansur Gavriel, Ralph Lauren, DFS-LVMH, and Cartier.

How To Synchronize Multiple Calendars

May 23, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Synchronizing multiple Google or Microsoft calendars is easy with the right tool. Here’s the best one we found. If you only have one Google or Microsoft calendar to manage, consider yourself among the lucky few. Though

Social Distancing and Staying Sharp: Working from Home During Quarantine

May 21, 2020 · 5 min read

Guest Contribution by Molly Barnes, Digital Nomad Life For the last several weeks, the majority of people had to quickly pivot to adapt to stay-at-home, shelter in place, or quarantine orders. It’s a huge transition

How to Video Conference Like a Pro

May 12, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

Present yourself as polished and professional on all your video calls with these best practices. As many of us make the shift to working remotely, video conferencing is more important now than ever. With its rapid

COVID-19 Changed the Psychology of Customers and Is Rewriting Marketing Rules

May 8, 2020 · 7 min read

The world is facing the worst crisis in decades. As COVID-19 cases increasingly grow all over the globe, it is not just health and safety that must be dealt with.This pandemic also forced businesses and

Oh Ship! What’s Your Biggest Professional Regret?

May 7, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

Sean Finnegan and Freddie Laker talk about career mistakes, what they’d do differently, and what they’d never change.Sean Finnegan, a co-founder of Chameleon Collective, has also been the CEO of Omnicom Media Group’s digital division.

Transforming Employees into Strong Leaders

Apr 24, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Even with high potential, every new leader needs to be set up for success from the beginning for strong leadership. Nurturing and developing leaders from within says a lot about your company culture. It shows you

Oh Ship! Ivan Todorov Speaks of Starting Over

Apr 23, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Ivan tells us how he relaunched his company after an early failure.Ivan Todorov, a serial entrepreneur, has learned a few lessons about recovering from tough times. He got his start in the dotcom era in

10 Lessons I’ve Learned From Over a Decade of Working Remote

Apr 20, 2020 · Sean MacBeth · 10 min read

With the rapid development of SARS2 CoV 2, many people who are accustomed to doing a daily commute and going into an office are finding themselves in uncharted territory in their work routine. It is

Communicating Effectively in a Time of Crisis

Apr 15, 2020 · 6 min read

Benefits of Communicating EffectivelyAs we know, the world is involved in a global health crisis, and we are doing our individual and collective best to get through it. Companies of all sizes have been affected

What Makes a Great Leader?

Apr 7, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Though the definition of a great leader can vary depending on who you ask, there are several telltale characteristics that set a solid stage for effective leadership. Being an effective leader is challenging. When things

How to Be Productive When Working from Home with Children

Apr 6, 2020 · Michael Kruse · 6 min read

It’s not easy having to work and parent at the same time, but these tips can help you do both with grace.From one work-from-home parent to another, the struggle is real. Living the consultant life,

How To Change Your Company To Work Remotely

Mar 11, 2020 · Freddie Laker · 13 min read

With COVID-19, better known as the Coronavirus, spreading around the world, there has been an increasing number of businesses telling team members to work from home or not to travel to meet with colleagues, partners,

Where to begin with Cannabis Compliance

Feb 20, 2020 · Mike Coner · 7 min read

Cannabis Compliance: Dispensary Retail Regulations and Vaping StandardsDeveloping a compliance strategy into your Cannabis investments will future proof your business in a volatile emerging market.Starting a business in a nascent industry is hard enough as

5 Secrets Of A Great B2B Company Marketing Campaign

Jan 9, 2020 · 6 min read

The Internet is flooded with all sorts of B2C marketing guides, but the situation is not so bright when it comes to B2B marketing. After all, it is a totally different field of work where

10 Expert Predictions for the Future of Retail in 2020

Dec 20, 2019 · 8 min read

Trends Surrounding Retail in 2020Technology evolves fast, and with it comes the forward march of progress. To run a successful retail business, business owners have to stay on top of these trends – keep up

Psychological Triggers Which Boost Sales

Dec 9, 2019 · 5 min read

5 Sales Triggers through Psychology Customers are human, just like you, and, as such, they often appear to be – and are – very complex creatures, with difficult wants and needs to meet. It can

Developing The Ultimate B2B Marketing Strategy

Dec 3, 2019 · 5 min read

What is a B2B Marketing Strategy?B2B, or business-to-business, refers to when a business doesn’t sell to consumers, but rather to other businesses. This often leads to lucrative bulk sales and consistent customers, so it’s a

Brand Marketing vs Performance Marketing

Dec 2, 2019 · Farzana Nasser · 6 min read

Finding the right balanceIs brand marketing becoming a forgotten hero? Many direct-to-consumer brands in today’s climate have begun to develop an obsession with performance marketing while placing branding in the proverbial back seat. However, there

How to Increase Your Conversion Rate with Color Psychology

Nov 11, 2019 · 7 min read

The Missing Link Now that the world has gone digital, every brand is doing its best to stand out and attract more customers.Having a solid online presence is always the first step. However, the work doesn’t

How to Increase Sales with an Amazon Consulting Service

Nov 5, 2019 · 6 min read

What you need from an Amazon consultant to help your retail business succeed.Selling on Amazon is a key strategy for online retailers. The online retail giant has over 237 million active customers and accounts for

Leveraging Interim Leadership Across Your Brand Portfolio

Nov 4, 2019 · 7 min read

Consider the benefits of leveraging interim leadership to minimize disruption during critical times.A fast-growing company was concerned about its current Marketing leadership but did not want to dismiss an executive without a new hire to

Your Small Business Can Afford the Right Tech Tools When You Invest Wisely

Oct 30, 2019 · 8 min read

5 Best Ways To Invest in Tech Tools OnlineHaving the right software, devices, and other tech tools is a basic necessity for running any small business successfully. Even though you know you need these tools,

Your Chief Marketing Officer Has Quit, Now What?

Oct 29, 2019 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

How an Interim Chief Marketing Officer can Improve Your Company Although every organization relies on a wide range of skilled labor to be effective, key leaders will play an outsized role in your company’s overall success.

California Starts Suspending Non-Compliant Dispensary Licenses

Oct 27, 2019 · Mike Coner · 3 min read

Find out what mistakes the state’s non-compliant dispensary businesses made.On November 1st, almost 400 California-based cannabis businesses closed overnight.The Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) has issued 394 notices to cannabis retailers, delivery services, and distributors.

Cannabis Delivery: POS Integration and Compliance

Oct 25, 2019 · Mike Coner · 3 min read

Home delivery is the next big thing in the cannabis industry.Some states already allow it; others are considering it. Many jurisdictions aren’t even sure how to legally define the limits of home delivery and what

How to Build Trust in Business

Oct 23, 2019 · 7 min read

Ten Surefire Ways to Build Trust in Business Within Your Company's Culture“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”― Ernest Hemingway In today’s world, there are many ways for

7 Ways Scaling Ecommerce Brands Can Increase Affiliate Revenue

Oct 3, 2019 · 8 min read

Increase Affiliate RevenueThe fundamental scalability of eCommerce is one of its biggest selling points (pun partially intended). Not only can anyone with a basic business idea make it a reality through building a store in

Four Practical Tips for Finding a Good Rhythm in a Startup

Sep 24, 2019 · Miles Williams · 12 min read

Finding Your Operating CadenceThe last time you started a new job at an established company, there was no doubt a lot to learn and a lot of adjustment. But there’s one thing you could probably

Lessons from the Field: Interim Chief Digital Officer

Sep 17, 2019 · 8 min read

What is the role of a Chief Digital Officer, or CDO, in a retail organization? The role of a Chief Digital Officer is to lead digital transformation, defining and executing a strategy for a step-change in

Leveraging Interim Ecommerce Leadership for Growth

Sep 10, 2019 · Tena Crock · 8 min read

Interim Leadership for Ecommerce GrowthMany new brands are bursting onto the scene with a direct-to-consumer (DTC, d2c, b2c) first (and often only) model. Other, well-established brands, have cracked the code on d2c over a decade

What Kind of CMO Do You Need, And When?

Sep 4, 2019 · Paul Lewis & Paul Cushman · 4 min read

Chief Marketing Consultant — Is it time for one?The role of the chief marketing officer today is more complicated and diverse than ever. Marketing itself has become significantly more sophisticated and typically utilizes complex technology

Give Your Organization a Boost With Interim Leadership

Aug 28, 2019 · 5 min read

Six Ways to Jumpstart Your Organization with Interim LeadersMore organizations are hiring interim leaders for a variety of reasons. What’s interim leadership, and how can your organization benefit from this strategy? According to Harvard Business Review,

National Data Security Standards from ASTM coming for Cannabis

Aug 22, 2019 · Mike Coner · 3 min read

Security Regulations on the Cannabis IndustryHow much water are you selling customers in your cannabis?The question is not as absurd as it sounds. All cannabis flower contains some amount of moisture. How much moisture is

Ad Spend and Messaging: It’s the services, stupid

Jul 15, 2019 · Michael Bayler · 10 min read

Behind the accelerating crisis in advertising lie challenging new rules for building, growing and sustaining brandsWhile the roséflowed freely at this year’s Cannes Lions, dark and heavy clouds, that havebeen threatening on the far horizon,

How are Leading Retailers and Direct-to-Consumer Brands Investing in Digital?

Jun 17, 2019 · Farzana Nasser · 5 min read

Chameleon Collective partnered with CommerceNext & Oracle to produce an industry-leading research study. Here are the top five takeaways from this research on DTC brands investments.A CommerceNext market research survey was recently published, reporting valuable

5 Reasons Why EQ-Focused CMOs are the Future of Marketing

Jun 10, 2019 · Ryan Hart · 11 min read

The Growing Importance of Marketing with Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Why IQ is Quickly Taking a Back SeatThe World Economic Forum report predicts that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) will become one of the top ten skills

Cannabis Pioneers vs. Cannabis Innovators: Who Has the Advantage?

Jun 5, 2019 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Being the first almost never means being the best.In today’s innovation marketplace, everybody wants to be the first. Tech and non-tech companies alike are racing to raise capital for “crypto”, “blockchain,” and “AI”. Yet these

How Cannabis Business Owners Can Leverage and Monetize Retail Data

May 8, 2019 · Mike Coner · 4 min read

Why Monetize Retail Data for Your Business?New business intelligence tools and approaches are driving innovation throughout most industries in the US economy. However, it seems like the nascent yet highly profitable cannabis industry is getting

5 Strategies for Effectively Managing Your Brand Reputation on Amazon

Apr 29, 2019 · Juan-Carlos Morales · 6 min read

Excellent feedback is the key to succeeding on Amazon’s platform. Source The quality of your reviews is one of the most significant factors determining the placement of your listing on Amazon. Products with excellent reviews

Cannabis Tech Talks: Vaping & The Illicit Market – Cannabis Compliance

Apr 22, 2019 · Mike Coner

Cannabis & Tech Talks sits down with Mike Coner, President of ezGreen Compliance and Partner of Chameleon Collective, LIVE at New West Summit 5 in San Francisco.His side company, ezGreen Compliance is a point-of-sale software

NWS5 2019 | Hemp, Cannabis and the Black Market: A Discussion of QA

Apr 20, 2019 · Mike Coner · 1 min read

Hemp, Cannabis and the Black Market: A Discussion of Quality and Safety. There are enormous profits in the cannabis industry and corporations are ready to do what they do best – acquire it, scale it,

How Blockchain Enables Next-Generation Data Governance

Apr 11, 2019 · 7 min read

Blockchain technology is at the center of next-generation operating models.Data governance is dead. Although its principles are more important than ever, the operating models that today’s enterprises use have become barriers to innovation. Therefore, new

Emerging Roles in the Digital Economy

Mar 29, 2019 · 8 min read

Over the past ten years, a huge array of never-before-imagined jobs have emerged while companies navigate the digital space.Navigating all the new roles being created by the digital economy can seem daunting. But this is

The Art And Science of Building Great Brands: 6 Tips From The Trenches.

Mar 28, 2019 · Miles Williams · 11 min read

What you need for a successful brand strategy.Imagine this: The branding agency just left. After months of internal analysis, customer research and a not insignificant amount of money, the creative hotshots finally came back in

5 Ways to Better Understand Your Customers, Today

Mar 19, 2019 · Tena Crock · 7 min read

Actionable methods to connect the entire organization with your end consumer.“It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.” – Henry FordThere’s

Where AI Is Really Headed: Intelligence-as-a-Service

Mar 13, 2019 · Mark Moreno · 7 min read

Complex, risky enterprise technology integrations will soon be a thing of the past.Risk is at the heart of every capital enterprise. Someone who risks their resources investing in a potential business is ultimately accountable for

Craft Cannabis Might Be the New Craft Beer – Here’s What That Means

Mar 4, 2019 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

The craft cannabis and craft beer markets have a lot in common. Here’s everything you need to know about these similarities.SourceThe craft cannabis and craft beer industries are part of a larger field of premium

4 Ways To Build Your Prospect Email List

Feb 21, 2019 · Sean MacBeth · 5 min read

This blog is an excerpt that was originally published on WhatSayTheExperts.comEmail Isn't Dead.Email’s imminent demise has been heralded by media pundits for almost as long as I’ve been in the business–20 years now. And yet

5 Ways to Improve Your Amazon Images and Increase Sales

Feb 13, 2019 · 6 min read

Check out this guide for actionable tips you can implement today.There’s no denying that competition is fierce in the e-commerce market, and Amazon’s marketplace is no exception.Did you know that 70% of shoppers on Amazon

Psychographics: The Key to Successful Customer Targeting

Jan 16, 2019 · Radha Badani · 7 min read

Identify attitudes and motivations to find a common thread between your desired target customers using psychographics.IntroductionIt’s not easy picking a favoriteOne of the most poignant examples of a brand that focused its positioning on a

Consider These Factors When Starting Your Home-Based Business

Dec 11, 2018 · 4 min read

As evolving technology allows people like you and me to do more and more from the comfort of our own home, it’s easy to understand why the idea of starting your home-based business is growing in

Five Tips to Boost SEO For E-Commerce Websites

Dec 5, 2018 · Brittney Kleinfelter · 8 min read

Best Practice Tips for Practical and Technical Search Engine OptimizationAccording to a 2017 Wolfgang Digital study, 43% of all e-commerce traffic comes from organic Google searches. Studies year after year show that mastering SEO for

Case Study: Gap, Inc. Improves Marketing Results with a Personalized Approach

Nov 28, 2018 · Veronika Sonsev · 6 min read

A conversation with Noam Paransky, SVP of Digital at Gap Inc., about their strategy and technology Savvy marketers know that today’s consumers are picky—they no longer respond to batch-and-blast marketing campaigns directed to a broad

Oh Ship! A Conversation on Defining Success

Nov 28, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

Freddie speaks with creative director Juan Carlos-Morales on how entrepreneurs should define success. Image source How do you define success? Have you had to reframe what success means to you over time? It’s common

Cash Management Made Simple for Cannabis Dispensary Owners

Nov 26, 2018 · Mike Coner · 4 min read

Obstacles with Cash Management for CannabisManaging an all-cash business requires extra planning and security. North American marijuana sales are projected to top $20 billion by 2021. The vast majority of those payments will be made

41 Ways to Show VALUE When Cold-Emailing Prospects

Nov 13, 2018 · Sherry Ailsworth · 18 min read

This article was originally published in Medium. You’ve got a lot of competition when it comes to winning your prospect’s attention. Even if your brilliant cold email has slipped past the spam blockers and the

Retail Dispensary Compliance: What Does That Really Mean?

Nov 12, 2018 · Mike Coner · 4 min read

What is Retail Dispensary Compliance? There are over 18,000+ issued dispensary/retail licenses in the U.S. and growing. If you include retail stores that are selling hemp-related products it climbs up significantly. Compliance involves a lot of

Oh Ship! Can Entrepreneurs Really Find Work-Life Balance?

Nov 8, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

Freddie and Ben discuss whether work-life balance is an achievable goal for people with a passion for their work.Image sourceFor many entrepreneurs, work is life. They’re so passionate about what they do that they often

How to Launch a Successful Rebranding Strategy

Nov 7, 2018 · Michelle Barry · 6 min read

SourceRebranding is not for the weak. Not only does it take a tremendous amount of work and require a sizeable chunk of your budget; it’s also extremely risky.Why?Because it takes years for a brand to

Why Customer Experience is the Competitive Advantage You Didn’t Know You Needed

Nov 1, 2018 · Farzana Nasser · 7 min read

Why better customer experience is the new loyalty currency for travel and hospitalityIntroductionWith most airline companies focusing on boosting their profits, it seems that the most important factor in their success has been pushed aside:

Oh Ship! A Conversation About the Creative Process

Oct 25, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Oh Ship! A Conversation About the Creative Process This week on Oh Ship Freddie Laker is joined by special guest and expert designer, Juan Morales, to talk about how to manage the creative process with different

How to Use Rewards Programs to Improve Customer Loyalty At Your Dispensary

Oct 20, 2018 · Mike Coner · 3 min read

Improving customer loyalty is key to building a profitable cannabis brand.In many states, the first wave of cannabis novelty has faded. Selling cannabis products to people is not enough to differentiate yourself in an increasingly

Retention: It's About Developing Your Customer Experience Strategy

Oct 20, 2018 · Jonathan Nail · 8 min read

I’ve been in the e-commerce trenches since 1998, since the original dot.bomb days. I cut my teeth in the B2C acquisition, tweaking and optimizing the funnel, and have had my fair share in creating retention

4 Reasons Why An Amazon Seller Should Advertise with Amazon Marketing Services (AMS)

Oct 15, 2018 · 5 min read

More consumers are using Amazon as their one-stop shop for product searches rather than going through search engines. Statistics show that in December 2014, 34 percent of U.S consumers were using search engines to conduct

Tech Tools for Entrepreneurs That Make Financial Sense

Oct 4, 2018 · 4 min read

Life as a small business owner, consultant, or independent contractor can be a hair-raising experience. Many are skating on thin financial ice when they start out, with a very little margin for error. You never

Oh Ship! Networking as an Entrepreneur

Sep 20, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

Learn the key dos and don’ts of networking from Freddie and Ben.“You know you’re an entrepreneur when you were speed networking at nine years old,” Ben jokes. It’s an integral part of your role, and

5 Ways to Warm Up Your Cold Sales Email Outreach

Sep 18, 2018 · Sherry Ailsworth · 7 min read

Stop spamming and achieve cold email greatness with these tips.I love LinkedIn. I’m a veteran of LinkedIn, proud to be one of its first million users. I love the idea that not only is my

Oh Ship! A Conversation About Working Abroad

Sep 13, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Oh Ship! A Conversation About Working Abroad This week on Oh Ship Ben Way and Freddie Laker reflect on business etiquette while working abroad, their best advice on working internationally and Freddie's current adventures in Amsterdam. Join

Personalized Medicine: Everything The Digital Economy Has To Offer

Sep 7, 2018 · Rob Gonda · 5 min read

Medical Technology & The Digital EconomyThis article originally appeared in Forbes.When thought leaders lay out a vision of revolutionizing healthcare in the coming years, it’s usually a fusion of medicine and ground-breaking technology. This calls to

Startup to Staff-up: Getting the Balance Right

Aug 28, 2018 · 6 min read

Key considerations for effective startup staffingEvery year, less than 10% — out of an estimated 100,000 technology startups — are considered promising enough to achieve the first round of investment from private equity or venture

How to Use UTM Tracking Codes in Google Analytics

Aug 21, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

A step-by-step guide for creating and using UTM tracking codes in Google Analytics to understand your website trafficIf you’re responsible for creating and running digital marketing campaigns, you should know where most of your traffic

Your “Baby” Needs a Brand Positioning Strategy… Pronto!

Aug 13, 2018 · Radha Badani · 6 min read

A brand positioning strategy isn’t an afterthought for your startup. Here’s why you need it now.Have you ever heard founders and entrepreneurs describe their startups as their “babies?” I totally get it. They work day

6 Top Questions to Ask at Your Next Interview to Land that Dream Job

Aug 6, 2018 · Sherry Ailsworth · 6 min read

6 Top Questions to Ask During Your InterviewBe the candidate that stands out with intelligent questionsCongratulations! You’ve made it through the preliminaries, and your interview is scheduled. Now, all that remains is to ace your

Three Survival Strategies For Legacy CPG's

Jul 24, 2018 · Rob Gonda · 5 min read

Far and wide across the consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail economy, digital disruption is forcing legacy brands to radically reevaluate how they view production, distribution, and consumption in the digital age. Distribution and sales

Is Your Interview Process Holding You Back? 5 Steps to Fix It

Jul 23, 2018 · Melissa Pacheco · 7 min read

Your interview process is making a strong impression on prime candidates–for better or worse. These 5 easy steps will help you to hire only the best talent.As all hiring managers well know, it’s a tight

Oh Ship! A Conversation About Travel

Jul 11, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Oh Ship! A Conversation About Travel This week on Oh Ship Ben Way and Freddie Laker discuss travel and their personal traveling tips and favorite hacks. Plus, Freddie shares his most treasured possession while demonstrating

Oh Ship! A Conversation About Raising Money

Jul 2, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Oh Ship! A Conversation About Raising MoneyThis week on Oh Ship Ben Way and Freddie Laker discuss raising money. Growing a business is hard. It's even harder if you don't have readily accessible funds to do

6 Steps to Build an Engaged Discord Community for Your Brand

Jun 26, 2018 · 6 min read

A Discord community is the next generation of social engagement You may not have heard of it yet, but Discord is a very popular voice and text chat platform, with over 130 million registered

Clutch-Time: Creating a Sports Marketing Campaign

Jun 22, 2018 · 6 min read

One thing that all effective campaigns have in common is that they connect with their audience at one level or another. Because of the sheer nature of athletic pastimes, sports marketing campaigns can help build

Oh Ship! A Conversation About Toxic Cultures

Jun 20, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

This week on Oh Ship Ben Way and Freddie Laker discuss toxic cultures. Toxic cultures? Yes, a fantastic band name, but also a terrible environment for work, happiness, and success. Join them as they dive into

Oh Ship! A Conversation About ICOs & Fundraising

Jun 6, 2018 · Freddie Laker

This week on Oh Ship Ben Way and Freddie Laker discuss fundraising, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), and asks the hard questions like… "Are you a smile and a PowerPoint?" Watch the second episode below: To

The Big Question at eTail Connect: Should we sell on Amazon?

Jun 5, 2018 · Melissa Pacheco · 6 min read

E-tail Connect in Miami was just a few weeks after ShopTalk, but it was a very different setting. The organizers of eTail Connect carefully selected 100 executives from some of the most innovative retailers to

Oh Ship! A Conversation About Leadership

Jun 4, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

Oh Ship! is a new web series from Chameleon Collective Partners Freddie Laker and Ben Way. It's a light hearted conversation around entrepreneurship, investing and dealing with investors, running companies, innovation, any other random things

Re-Imagining The Future of Work

May 24, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

It’s no secret that change is in the air. The traditional workplace is dissolving before our very eyes, and we’re seeing the rise of a new style of worker—one who is not defined nor confined

FOUR WORLD CLASS PARTNERS JOIN C/C

May 24, 2018 · Chameleon Collective · 4 min read

Advertising-Industry Legend Ari Merkin Joins Chameleon CollectiveFernand Fernandez, Rob Gonda and Ben Way also join the Collective that is designed to disrupt the linear hierarchy of the traditional agency and consulting business modelsChameleon Collective, a

5 Leadership Strategies for C-Suite Executives

May 22, 2018 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

Innovative disruption and constant change are challenges for every business in this digital age of organizational uncertainty. From artificial intelligence to shifting algorithms, technology has irrevocably altered the foundations of the workplace. Where does this

What do Meditation and Strategy have in common?

May 22, 2018 · Radha Badani · 6 min read

Meditation and StrategyIn my last blog, I talked about the process I went through to find equilibrium and define my purpose that led me to join Chameleon Collective. The insights I uncovered through this journey

Finding Equilibrium: Work & Personal Goals

May 17, 2018 · Radha Badani

Finding Equilibrium Between Work and Personal GoalsA year ago, I started a new chapter in my professional life, making the difficult decision to leave the comfort and stability of a great job at an established company

Make Sure Your Dispensary Is Prepared for Inventory Management Challenges

May 15, 2018 · Mike Coner · 4 min read

Issues in Dispensary Inventory ManagementDispensary inventory management is a complex subject as is generally for any retail organization. However, cannabis dispensaries have to deal with a few unique complicating factors when handling inventory – and

5 Things Leading Retailers Do To Thrive In The Age of Amazon

Apr 13, 2018 · Veronika Sonsev · 6 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on MAR 29, 2018. You can access the original post here.Last week, leading retailers gathered in Las Vegas for Shoptalk, one of the world’s largest conferences for retail

GDPR vs. Marketing: Three Tips for Success

Apr 13, 2018 · Brittney Kleinfelter · 7 min read

You may have seen the term “GDPR” buzzing around your LinkedIn feed or elsewhere on the internet, and rightly so: GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) legislation is going into effect on May 25th of this

How Sephora Makes Beauty A Two-Way Conversation

Apr 12, 2018 · Veronika Sonsev · 5 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on APR 12, 2018. You can access the original post here.Luxury brands are not known for allowing consumers to dictate trends and brand initiatives. They’ve had long-standing policies of

How To Hire an e-Commerce Director & What to Avoid

Apr 11, 2018 · Melissa Pacheco

Every company is looking to improve or grow their e-commerce business and drive better results for their digital marketing. The online market is expected to grow by 8-12%+ over the next few years so it’s

Can Algorithms Replace Humans At Stitch Fix?

Mar 15, 2018 · Veronika Sonsev · 6 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on MAR 15, 2018. You can access the original post here. In the high-touch, highly subjective world of fashion, nobody thought computers would ever style customers and predict

Three Unique Ways Brandless Uses Community To Fuel Growth

Feb 28, 2018 · Veronika Sonsev · 5 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on FEB 28, 2018. You can access the original post here.What do community and packaged goods have in common? Plenty, according to Brandless, a new startup disrupting the

How Rebecca Minkoff Built A Fashion Brand Fueled By Female Empowerment

Feb 6, 2018 · Veronika Sonsev · 5 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on FEB 6, 2018. You can access the original post here.Breaking into the fashion industry isn’t a cakewalk—or catwalk. Like in many industries, incumbents have the advantage based

Retail’s Big Show #NRF2018 Wrap-Up

Jan 30, 2018 · Tena Crock · 3 min read

Image from NFR FlickrAs an eCommerce and Digital Marketing leader, mainly on the client side for 15+ years, I’m always trying to find ways to balance my curiosity around shiny cool technologies and practical innovations

Inventory Optimization: Make Metrc Easier for Dispensary Employees

Jan 29, 2018 · Mike Coner · 3 min read

Inventory Optimization TacticsOver the past year, California has begun to revoke cannabis licenses for non-compliant businesses. Several other states are preparing to follow suit in an attempt to stabilize and validate their respective cannabis industries.For cannabis

Retail Technology And Marketing Trends On The Rise For 2018

Jan 22, 2018 · Veronika Sonsev · 5 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on JAN 22, 2018. You can access the original post here.Last week the retail industry flocked to New York City for the NRF Big Show. The conference brought

How Augmented Reality Is Giving Furniture A Boost In Sales

Dec 20, 2017 · Veronika Sonsev · 5 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on DEC 20, 2017. You can access the original post here.As more and more purchases move online, new categories of products start gaining ecommerce traction. Books and music

Will AI Be The Future Of Retail?

Dec 15, 2017 · Veronika Sonsev · 5 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on DEC 15, 2017. You can access the original post here.2017 has been a landmark year for the retail industry. With over 6,700 planned stores closures announced, this year

How Jet Is Stocking Walmart With Innovation

Nov 16, 2017 · Veronika Sonsev · 5 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on NOV 16, 2017. You can access the original post here.Working at AOL in the late 1990s, I watched countless innovative companies crumble after being acquired. Trailblazers like

You Can Win On Amazon With Three Simple Strategies

Nov 6, 2017 · Veronika Sonsev · 5 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on NOV 6, 2017. You can access the original post here.It’s no secret that Amazon is disproportionately capturing more and more online customers compared to any of its

3 Simple Security Tips to Protect Your Online Identity

Oct 24, 2017 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

We all know the importance of secure passwords and protecting your online identity, but many of us don’t fully understand the necessary precautions to take in order to prevent a hack. As a seasoned engineer,

5 Operational Keys to Building a Digital House for Success

Oct 18, 2017 · Valerie Paliwal Milovic · 5 min read

Digital operations aren’t sexy. It's a lot like the plumbing in your house. If not done right from the start, it gets messy. What are digital operations? They are the processes, procedures, structure and teams along with

How Online Brands Are Winning In The Offline World

Oct 12, 2017 · Veronika Sonsev · 5 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on OCT 12, 2017. You can access the original post here.With 6,300 stores shutting down this year, shopping appears to have moved from traditional brick-and-mortar retail to digital channels

Why Keds Is Consumer Obsessed And You Should Be Too

Oct 6, 2017 · Veronika Sonsev · 3 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on SEP 28, 2017. You can access the original post here.Marketing isn't always about the newest omnichannel tools and cutting customer acquisition costs. For Keds, the iconic casual

The Lifestyle of a Digital Nomad

Sep 27, 2017 · 6 min read

What If You Went On A Permanent Vacation? After spending 3 incredible weeks in Asia, I’ve just returned to “reality” in NYC. Reluctantly, I said goodbye to reading by the pool, copious amounts of exotic food,

How To Manage Your Ecommerce Business Like A Video Game

Sep 12, 2017 · Veronika Sonsev · 5 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on SEP 12, 2017. You can access the original post here.What do Farmville and face creams have in common from a marketing perspective? Plenty, according to Dermstore President,

The Secrets To Profitably Acquiring Customers On Facebook

Aug 10, 2017 · Veronika Sonsev · 7 min read

This post was originally posted on Forbes.com on AUG 1, 2017. You can access the original post here.Advertising on social is an ever-evolving area of customer acquisition. It’s increasingly challenging to acquire customers in a

8 Things You Need To Know From The ICO Conference Call

Aug 8, 2017 · Lola Beltran Villamizar · 6 min read

Chameleon partner, Lou Kerner, featured a blog on Hackernoon's website covering the key takeways from the ICO conference call.On July 27, in partnership with Geektime, we held an hour long conference call with three crypto currency/ICO

The Most Important Advice You Need When Interviewing

Jul 5, 2017 · Melissa Pacheco · 4 min read

In today’s blogosphere littered with self-help articles and how-to guides, finding the right piece of interviewing advice can be both exhausting and elusive. So what’s the single most important piece of interview advice that I

How am I supposed to be my own mentor? 3 ways to be a great self-mentor.

Feb 21, 2017 · Melissa Pacheco · 5 min read

[vc_row p_top="25px" p_bottom="25px"][vc_column][vc_column_text]Trust your gut. While using your gut as a mentor can be a great plan, it’s certainly easier said than done. For the longest time, I was hearing and reading that I needed

5 Life Hacks that Will Save You 10 Hours a Week

Feb 21, 2017 · Veronika Sonsev · 6 min read

Life hacks share by Veronika Sonsev in her most recent article publish on inc.com by Springboard Enterprises Are there really ever enough hours in the day to get everything done? As a busy executive, it's important to focus

Have you had trouble finding your mentor? Me too!

Dec 28, 2016 · Melissa Pacheco · 4 min read

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Mentors are making a comeback. Especially in the high turnover, high competition world of tech, finding that one guide who will teach you everything you need to know to be a titan of industry is

Strategic Offsites: 5 Steps to Success

Dec 16, 2016 · Melissa Pacheco · 7 min read

According to Sun Tsu, the ancient Chinese military strategist, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” These words were just as relevant then as they

The Future of Retail Got Together in NYC

Oct 25, 2016 · Rebecca Churilla · 1 min read

On October 19th, we hosted a Future of Retail Dinner at the fabulous penthouse loft of Laurel Touby and Jon Fine. The main item on the agenda was “where is retail going and how do

How to Win Friends and Influence Conversations

Oct 7, 2016 · Melissa Pacheco · 6 min read

Are you always finding it's about "who you know?" Whether starting a new business or trying to commercialize an existing product, it's true that few things are as important as making and keeping the right

5 Innovations Transforming Biotech

Dec 21, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

Biotech is an area of technology that affects all of us in some way or other. It’s an area that I’ve grown increasingly interested in over the last couple of years as its innovations feel

A thoughtful blockquote post on life

Jul 2, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

It's our challenges and obstacles that give us layers of depth and make us interesting. Are they fun when they happen? No. But they are what make us unique. And that's what I know for

11 Virtual Reality (VR) Glasses Compared

Jun 16, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 12 min read

Virtual reality glasses and head mounted displays have jumped out of the realms of sci fi and into reality in recent times. They are not ubiquitous, or even part of the mainstream yet, but they

Five Best Innovations of April 2015

May 6, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 7 min read

April was a great month for innovation, ranging from exciting announcements from Tesla, Yahoo, and Microsoft to bleeding edge innovation from a group of British scientists.Tesla’s Home BatteryTesla have now widened their product range beyond

5 Innovations Breaking the Boundaries of Digital

Apr 16, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 8 min read

For the last thirty years, since the birth of the Internet, both the physical and digital worlds have continued to evolve, with innovation after innovation. For most of that time, they have been two separate

The 5 Best Innovations at SXSW 2015

Mar 20, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

After attending SXSW nine times I’ve seen all manner of innovations, from the meaningless to the profound, there. I’ve launched a startup at SXSW in 2013 and even had my work recognized at the Interactive

The Six Most Awesome Innovations At MWC 2015

Mar 5, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 9 min read

It’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) time again, which for anyone who doesn’t know is the world’s largest trade exhibition for those in the mobile industry. It’s where the manufacturers get to show off what’s new

5 Most Innovative Black-Led Tech Companies

Feb 27, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

In acknowledgement of Black Tech Week, which celebrates African American innovators during the last week of Black History Month, we’re focusing this week’s article on five innovative black-led technology companies.I happen to work at a black-led

5 Recent Innovations You Might Have Missed

Feb 10, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 10 min read

The world is changing rapidly. There are always new ideas, new techniques, new ways to look at old problems, new problems to be solved. There is no shortage of truly innovative technologies to be found

5 Best Innovations of January 2015

Jan 26, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 9 min read

It’s fun to get back into the swing of things with Take Me To Your Leader. Our post covering the Best of CES 2015 covered everything from intelligent miniaturized robots that teach kids to program,

5 Best Innovations from CES 2015

Jan 22, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 9 min read

CES has been and gone for another year. For the few people who have never heard of it, like those hiding in the hills near Hobbiton in New Zealand, CES stands for the Consumer Electronics

What is Take Me To Your Leader?

Jan 3, 2015 · Freddie Laker · 2 min read

Back to the Future with Take Me to Your Leader Our Blog was once called Take Me To Your Leader. Some people have asked my why it was called Take Me To Your Leader? I’m

The Entrepreneurial Son With Everything To Prove

Mar 2, 2014 · Freddie Laker · 10 min read

This profile piece on Pando touched on some very personal subjects I hadn't thought about in a long time. If you want some insights on my background I encourage you to read it. It was

How a ‘Rolling Stone' Article Propelled One Entrepreneur's Career

Sep 30, 2013 · Freddie Laker

At CES 2012 in Las Vegas, amid a mass force-feeding of smart TVs, Freddie Laker had an epiphany: This smart TV thing is going to happen. Laker says the penetration of smart TVs reminds him

Smart TV security: When TV watches you

Aug 27, 2013 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

If you’ve ever watched a television show aimed at children, you’ll notice that the characters often break the fourth wall to interact with their pint-sized audiences. The actors will pause after they ask a question in anticipation of a tiny voice shouting the answer on the other side of the screen. Children come to believe that the characters on TV can see and hear them just as clearly as they can see Big Bird and Sid the Science Kid.

Why The Video Industry Should Be Leveraging Temporal Metadata

Jul 21, 2013 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

Temporal metadata isn’t currently being leveraged by the video industry — but it should be. No single development would be more important to the evolution of video, both online and offline, than evolving from today’s

The Digital Equivalent Of A Pint Of Ice Cream

Jul 19, 2013 · Freddie Laker · 3 min read

Tablet adoption is growing rapidly. The last quarter of 2012 saw tablet shipments surpass those of desktop PCs and notebooks for the first time, according to Mary Meeker’s recent Internet Trends report. A full fifth of

Smart TV Is Just Around the Living Room Corner

May 22, 2013 · Freddie Laker · 3 min read

With over 400 million people predicted to have Smart TVs by 2016, there is an impending “appification” of the TV that presents an enormous opportunity for brands, content creators and media companies. But chances are, few

How to Get Over The Uncanny Valley and Accept Avatars

May 12, 2013 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

In August 2012 I left my job to build a new company and spend time an inordinate amount of time with digital avatars, including humans, robots, anime characters, and even pets. Over the course of

What Will Make Consumers Care About Smart TVs?

Feb 10, 2013 · Freddie Laker · 5 min read

The biggest problem facing Smart TVs is that their far smaller cousins, the Smartphone, have set the bar in consumer expectations. So here is what we have to do to actually make consumers care about

The War For Your Living Room — Microsoft’s (Secret) Strategy

Nov 11, 2012 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

The battle for your living room is heating up. And the software giant Microsoft is doubling down on its efforts to own your heart, mind, eyes, and ears in the living room. And from what

Why The iPhone 5 Will Be Wider, Not Taller

Sep 11, 2012 · Freddie Laker · 3 min read

The iPhone 5 rumor mill is in overdrive, but the focus of the speculation is misplaced. Looking ahead to the more connected Apple device ecosystem, I actually think that the iPhone 5 will be wider

Five Challenges For Tomorrow's Global Marketing Leaders

Sep 7, 2012 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

This article is by Freddie Laker, VP of global marketing strategy, and Hilding Anderson, research and insights director, both at SapientNitro.CMOs are struggling to adapt to a world that has fundamentally changed over the course

China: Will It Re-define Our Digital Landscape? (SXSW Presentation)

Mar 27, 2012 · Freddie Laker · 1 min read

If you're interested in China and how the digital and social media landscape will evolve globally in the next 15 years then you'll find this interesting.I wanted to share the presentation I gave at SXSW

Google+ US-geek-male skewed Infographic

Sep 20, 2011 · Rob Gonda · 1 min read

Google+ now finally open to the public "might" make me change my perception. Google+ (plus) launched early July on an invite only basis, which seems to have heavily skewed towards a geeky male US-based audience.

The Future of Mobile Payments [Infographic]

Jul 12, 2011 · Rob Gonda · 1 min read

As smartphone vendors and mobile operators shift their strategies to incorporate wireless payment technologies into mobile phones, consumers will soon be able to drop their wallet and carry every piece of important payment information on

Cannes Review > AOL Seminar

Jul 8, 2011 · Rob Gonda · 3 min read

Monday, 20 June. Review for The Re-Calibration of Form and Function Online by AOL, presented by Tim Armstrong, CEO – AOL, and Arianna Huffington – Co-founder, Editor-in-Chief – The Huffington Post.Huffington Post: Adrianna opened up,

Cannes Review > Beyond the Horizon

Jul 7, 2011 · Rob Gonda · 7 min read

Monday, 20 June. Review for Beyond the Horizon by PHD, presented by Mark Holden, Global Strategy and Planning Director.Intro: The session was consistent with the overall 2011 theme of marketing technology – the role of

The Internet Every Sixty Seconds

Jun 28, 2011 · Freddie Laker · 2 min read

A couple fun and digestible bits of digital content were shared with me today. Infographics and well edited videos seem to be used increasingly as a great form of self promotion but at the end

Google to Unveil Cloud Music Service

May 10, 2011 · Rob Gonda · 2 min read

Google Inc. is preparing to unveil today a new online music service similar to a service recently launched by Amazon.com Inc., according to people familiar with the matter, a move that escalates the battle to

The Future Rise of Smartphones In India

May 10, 2011 · Freddie Laker · 3 min read

If the typical Indian business owner thinks the much talked about smartphone revolution does not concern their business then they should think again. Given the rapid growth of the smartphone market, it is only a

Value of marketing bookmarklet?

Mar 2, 2011 · Rob Gonda · 3 min read

The Digital Buzz blog posted today a new campaign by M&M called M&M’s Internet Invasion Game. The game was "developed" by BBDO Denmark, and there are tons of learnings we could get out of this.1. The M&M's

Flawed Agency Compensation Creates Flawed Work

Oct 29, 2010 · Freddie Laker · 3 min read

Creative directors are not the key to delivering amazing creative ideas. We hold them up in high regard for their creative brilliance and original thinking but they are not the white knight sent in to

Re-imagining Marketing After Achieving “Internet of Things”

Oct 24, 2010 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

If you’re not aware, the term Internet of Things refers to the interconnection of everyday objects (large and small) via an array of sensors and radio tags that would allow for a vastly “smarter” world

MAD MEN: The Best of the Worst – Advertising From the 50s and 60s

Sep 13, 2010 · Freddie Laker

We recently compiled lists of the best and worst ads from 2012. It's instructive to see just how much better modern advertising is compared to "modern" advertising from 40 years ago. So we flipped through the pages of "The

Eight Rules for Digital Marketers in China

Sep 2, 2010 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

In an increasingly global world, it's not unreasonable to believe that some tactics used in developed markets will be successful in China. But it's also important to recognize that new trends or even new uses

Social Media 2012: 11 Trends You Should Watch

Apr 7, 2010 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

It's easy to get caught up in today's trends or even focus on the next six months. Some of 2009's biggest trends included an increased emphasis on real-time search and information distribution, while distribution of

Emerging Experiences and Trends in 2010

Mar 17, 2010 · Rob Gonda · 6 min read

I spoke to Omar L. Gallaga from austin360 blog right before my SXSW panel about emerging trends, including mobile, augmented reality, and social media, and he posted this interview on their blog; wanted to share a

What Does it Take to Make a Successful iPhone application?

Dec 12, 2009 · Rob Gonda · 3 min read

What does it take to make a successful iPhone application? Before answering what does it take to make a successful iPhone application we have to define what mak

Thank God For The Recession: 5 Trends That Will Reshape Marketing

Aug 26, 2009 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

I'm sure I'm not the first one to tell you: We're in a recession.The doom has advertisers hanging signs along the lines of "Will Work For Food" on their agency walls, and marketers continue to

Creating Sustainable Conversations Is the Key To Social Media Success

Jul 22, 2009 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

Every once and a while I will engage in a conversation with someone — whether in the office, on the road, at Cannes, at the local eatery, you name it — and they will say

Why the Cannes Lions Are Important

Jun 15, 2009 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

Bob Garfield wrote a passionate article today about why he thinks Cannes is dead. Although I agree with Bob that many of the ads that have been celebrated at Cannes don’t represent the future of

Inexpensive Doesn’t Have To Mean Less Intelligent

Apr 29, 2009 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

The past year, although troubling and difficult for many people, has been a fascinating period in advertising. It has caused fundamental shifts in the balance of power between traditional and digital shops and, more important,

A CMO's Checklist for Driving Change

Mar 30, 2009 · Freddie Laker · 6 min read

This is TMTYL's first guest blog post by Adam Needles. You'll see us doing this more frequently as we find more and more people that we think bring some very interesting opinions to the table.

Free Social Media Monitoring Tools

Mar 24, 2009 · Rob Gonda · 5 min read

Part 1 / 2 of free social media monitoring and measurement: list of tools to be used in techniques described on Part 2 / 2 – Free Social Media Monitoring Techniques — interactive marketing blog

Skittles.com – A Smart Low Cost Web Strategy – What's Next?

Mar 3, 2009 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

Quite a bit of buzz has popped up around the new Skittles.com over the weekend and today. If you haven't seen the site, it's based on leveraging different social-media sites linked together by a

It's About The Ripple, Not The Splash

Mar 2, 2009 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

The Super Bowl, the highest-profile TV event in the U.S. and one where the ads are as much a spectacle as the game itself, creates an immediate splash, letting loose an enormous amount of chatter

Office Dares: 33 Ways to Succeed

Nov 25, 2008 · Freddie Laker · 4 min read

In this tough economic climate it's important to strive to be your best at your job. There are layoffs all around and we must all aim to please both our clients and our company superiors.