The Fast Traack by Traackr: Recent Episodes
Traackr
Elevate your influencer marketing strategy with The Fast Traack- the show where marketing change agents discuss transforming their marketing practice for the future.
Not all creators are creative…
This was a key takeaway from our conversation with Iris Coker, Director of Global Influencer Relations and Social Content Strategy at Kate Spade, and celebrity nail artist and content creator, Betina Goldstein (@betinagoldstein).
On this episode of the Fast Traack, Iris and Betina discuss the importance that creativity and originality play in brand and creator partnerships — especially as the creator economy continues to evolve.
During the conversation, Iris and Betina also share
- Their journey of breaking into the creator economy
- The biggest myths for both marketers and creators
- How AI will start to play a major role in creators' jobs
Interested in attending one of Traackr's IMPACT events?
Sign up for IMPACT London on Sept 10th here: https://www.traackr.com/2024-influencer-marketing-impact-event-london
Sign up for IMPACT LA on Oct 1st here: https://www.traackr.com/2024-influencer-marketing-impact-event-la
Keep up to date with all of Traackr's events here: https://www.traackr.com/traackr-events
This is a special edition of the Fast Traack Podcast featuring a live recording from this year’s SXSW panel discussion, “Socially Responsible Influencer Marketing: Is It Possible?”
You’ll hear from Firdaous El Honsali, Vice-President, Dove Masterbrand Global & North America, Sarah Shaker, Head of Brand Engagement, Maybelline NY, and Claire McCormack, Senior Editor at Beauty Independent, who share insights on how to move the industry towards a model of “marketing for good.”
During the conversation, you’ll learn
- How brands can effectively and authentically bring brand purpose into their marketing strategy
- How to work with creators to amplify your key message
- How to measure the success of your social initiatives and brand growth
Empathic, flexible, and analytical.
These are the characteristics that have fueled Roberta Cammisa’s robust career in influencer marketing.
Over 10 years, Roberta has worked with various luxury beauty and fashion brands like Ray-Ban, Net-a-Porter, and Charlotte Tilbury. Now as the Head of PR for EMEA at UGG, Roberta embarks on a challenge that many marketers face – how to keep your brand relevant in this fast-paced digital world.
In this podcast episode, you'll hear Roberta’s advice on how to build focused, relevant and impactful influencer programs. More importantly, you’ll hear how the skills that Roberta picked up during her influencer marketing career have set her up to keep UGG and its Classic Boot iconic.
During the conversation, Roberta also shares
- Why all marketers should embody a chameleon
- How to set attainable goals for your influencer program
- Her favorite metric for measuring influencer marketing success across different markets
- Why she’s excited for the next generation - Gen Alpha
Keep up with Roberta by connecting with her on LinkedIn.
Know another Rockstar in influencer marketing? Let's get them on the show!Email us at ft@traackr.com.
Curious, agile, and creative.
These are the characteristics that helped Elena Suarez build an influencer marketing program from ground zero for Pierre Fabre USA.
Rewind to 2019, Elena took on her biggest challenge to date. With no pre-existing internal PR department or influencer program, Elena developed and executed an influencer marketing strategy for Pierre Fabre USA’s extensive portfolio of prestigious brands including Eau Thermale Avène, Klorane, René Furterer and Glytone.
In this podcast episode, you'll hear how the skills that Elena picked up during her influencer marketing career helped her overcome big challenges — like pivoting strategies during the pandemic and convincing her CMO that Derm's dancing on TikTok would actually work.
During the conversation, Elena also shares
- The biggest myths in influencer marketing
- The importance of trusting your creativity
- The power of building influencer relationships (and why you shouldn’t underestimate it!)
- The significance of ownable moments
- The number one way to convince your executive team that your influencer program is worth it
Keep up with Elena by connecting with her on LinkedIn & Instagram.
Know another Rockstar in influencer marketing? Let's get them on the show!Email us at ft@traackr.com.
In this episode, Pierre-Loic sits down with Tiffani Carter, VP of Integrated Marketing at Thrive Causemetics, to discuss Tiffani’s transition to her new role (from Shiseido to Thrive Causemetics), the collapse of the marketing funnel, and the essential role influencers now play in driving conversion.
During the conversation, Tiffani shares the following,
- The value in fostering a strong brand community
- The need for data to make decisions
- The collapse of the marketing funnel - and what that means moving forward.
- The correlation between eCommerce and influencer marketing (hint: has to do with creators!)
- How to scale without breaking the magic of the brand
Tell us what you thought of this episode by emailing us at ft@traackr.com.
In this episode, Pierre-Loic sits down with Chira Schaad, VP of Content and Services at L’Oréal, to discuss how L’Oréal is approaching social commerce and what new platforms the company is testing. Chira will lay out the definition of social commerce at L’Oréal and explain the nuances of creators (hint: not every creator should sell for your brand).
During the conversation, Chira shares:
- How L’Oréal tests and leans into solutions that make sense (i.e. L’Oréal’s Pinterest Pilot)
- How brands can help creators by being authentic
- The future of the customer experience of buying beauty products
Tell us what you thought of this episode by emailing us at ft@traackr.com.
This conversation was too juicy, so we had to split it into two parts! In this episode (part 1), Pierre-Loic sits down with Amy Oelkers and Dustin Goot to discuss how TikTok differs from other social platforms and how your brand should approach creators on TikTok.
During the conversation, Dustin and Amy share
- How TikTok makes creators feel safe
- How creators and brands need to be brave on the platform
- How to approach creators with your brand’s story and values
Tell us what you thought of this episode by emailing us at ft@traackr.com.
This conversation was too juicy, so we had to split it into two parts! In this episode (part 2), Pierre-Loic sits down with Amy Oelkers and Dustin Goot to discuss brands succeeding on TikTok and what the platform has in store for the future.
During the conversation, Dustin and Amy share
- Specific examples of brand performing well on TikTok
- What they’re most excited about at TikTok
- 3 creators every beauty brand should keep their eyes on
Tell us what you thought of this episode by emailing us at ft@traackr.com.
In this episode, Pierre-Loic sits down with Tomei Thomas, CEO at Beekman 1802, to discuss the secret sauce to the skincare brand’s omnichannel strategy. Tomei will break down how Beekman 1802 navigates its various commerce channels (including the Home Shopping Network, Ulta Beauty, and its own DTC site!) and how prioritizing a diverse commerce set created a winning strategy for the brand.
During the conversation, Tomei shares
- How word-of-mouth marketing is at the core of the business
- The value of using core values in every aspect of the business
- How to effectively use TikTok to drive business goals
- The future of selling beauty products
Tell us what you thought of this episode by emailing us at ft@traackr.com.
Influencer marketing is maturing as a channel and impacting all stages of the purchase funnel including conversion. As social commerce, the creator economy, and eCommerce continue to rapidly gain traction, how should you think about the role of influencers in driving sales for your brand? How do these new conversion points fit within your overall commerce mix? What opportunities and risks should you be prepared for? What questions should you be asking?
In this series, host Pierre-Loic Assayag, CEO of Traackr, speaks with top executives to unpack the convergence of influencers and commerce, provide guidance on effectively measuring its impact, and forecasting what comes next.This season's lineup:
- The power of the creator with Chira Schaad, L’Oréal
- PT 1 Being brave on TikTok with Amy & Dustin, TikTok
- PT 2 Being brave on TikTok with Amy & Dustin, TikTok
- Managing a diverse set of commerce channels with Tomei Thomas, Beekman 1802
- Breaking away from the funnel with Tiffani Carter, Thrive Causemetics
Make sure to tune into the full season, and tell us what you think by emailing us at ft@traackr.com.
In this episode of The Fast Traack, we are speaking with Minter Dial, a professional speaker, storyteller, consultant and veteran executive, with a 16-year high-profile career at L’Oréal. He’s a specialist on new tech, branding and leadership and is regularly cited as a major influencer, including being a 2020 global top 20 influential figure in marketing. He is the author of four books, including You Lead, which is what brings us together today. You Lead explores how leadership needs to evolve to create sustainably successful businesses. Minter unravels what it will take for leaders to thrive today’s complex, fast paced, noisy world. It’s a deeply personal essay that presents a new approach to leadership that requires better understanding ourselves, being vulnerable and living our values.
In this episode of The Fast Traack, we speak with Thierry Lonziano, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & Communication Director at Peugeot about the transformation of a brand and rebuilding a global marketing organization from the ground up. 2020 has tested the foundation of every brand on the planet. COVID-19 has been a forcing function in digital transformation, challenging marketing leaders to reevaluate every aspect of their strategies. Over the last few years, Peugeot has been on a transformative journey. As part of that journey, Lonziano has led the brand through a major renovation of its marketing organization. Join us as we explore how Lonziano approached this reinvention of marketing at one of the world’s automotive leaders.
In this episode of The Fast Traack, we speak with Akash Mehta, founder of Akash Agency, a modern digital agency for conscious brand building and co-founder of Fable & Mane, a hair wellness brand that launched in the midst of COVID-19 and is finding success thanks to a strategic digital vision. Akash brings a wealth of experience to his new brand after having built global earned media strategies for leading beauty organizations including Dior and Estée Lauder Companies.
We talk about how established brands are (or should be) rapidly undoing their old ways. We also explore how digitally native brands (DNB) are shifting their strategies in response to our new reality. Lastly, we explore the outer limits of these new strategies. Can a new billion dollar business be built on an entirely digital platform?
In our latest episode of The Fast Traack we talk to Santiago Garcia Solimei, Global Director of Social Media, Meliá Hotels International about Meliá Hotels re-opening influencer initiative. He answers the question "How can you bounce back from COVID-19 with the help of influencers?"
In this special episode of The Fast Traackr, our CEO Pierre-Loic Assayag and our VP of Marketing Evy Lyons interviewed Firdaous El Honsali, Director of Global Communications at Dove, on the topic of brand purpose. Specifically, we discussed the question, “What does it take to truly enable brand purpose and what role influencers can play in bringing a brand’s purpose to life?”
We're kicking off the second season of The Fast Traack by Traackr by hearing from Lauren Seegers, an agent to reality stars and traditional influencers.
We're asking the questions:
- What does an influencer agent do?
- Why would an influencer choose not to work with an agent?
- What is the main benefit of working with an agent?
And so much more! You won't want to miss this one.
In the latest episode of The Fast Traack, we spoke with Jennifer Johnson and Erin Williams-- the incredible social team for TPH by Taraji. We talked all things BLM, being an ally and how brands can implement social justice into their brand's DNA.
In the latest episode of The Fast Traack by Traackr, we spoke with Geo West, founder of HAPPY CAT Influencer Marketing Consultancy!
We posed the question "do brands and influencers really understand each other?"
- What can each party do to better understand the other?
- What could concretely result from a better understanding of each other?
Listen up and let us know your thoughts!
In the latest episode of The Fast Traack, we spoke with Maria Maddox, Head of PR for the premium division of AmorePacific. Maria was faced with a dilemma at the beginning of quarantine. One of the brands she represents, Laneige, was about to release one of their most anticipated products of the year; a glowy makeup serum with packaging that looks like it was made for Insta. Typically, a party would be in order. Most likely in a beautiful NYC space, fit with incredible flower displays and a guest list of top influencers. The only problem? Parties, at least for the foreseeable future, were cancelled.
As we highlighted in a former blog post, the FTC released a brochure aimed at providing greater clarity to the Endorsement Guides (“guidelines”) for brands and social media influencers in December of last year. The guidelines, originally enacted in 1980, were last amended in 2009 as part of an agency-wide review of FTC practices. On February 12, 2020, the FTC announced they would be seeking public comment on whether to update the existing guidelines. This effort was characterized by FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra as a “self critical” analysis of the agency’s current enforcement approach.
We talked to attorney Jamie Rubin about what these guidelines mean and why brands need to pay close attention.
Every brand needs advocates in order to survive. That’s why, for many companies, having an ambassador program is crucial for success. My co-host Evy and I had the opportunity to talk to Bailey DuMont on the latest episode of The Fast Traack. Bailey is the Director of Brand Marketing for Ancient Nutrition; leading the charge on all things social media and influencer marketing. She’s also built one of the best ambassador programs we know of. Listen to her advice on how to create one of your own.
In this episode of The Fast Traack, we talk to influencer marketing expert Rachel Clay on her experience working with luxury brands. We ask the overarching question "what is the place of luxury brands in times of crisis?"
In this episode of The Fast Traack podcast, we posed the question: How is The Business Model Changing For Influencer Right Now? Answered by micro-influencer Tomi Obebe.
- How has quarantine changed her initial content plan for this quarter?
- Have any partnerships been cancelled as a result of the change in the world?
- Have any new/unexpected partnerships arisen as a result of COVID-19?
- How has the nature of her engagement with her audience changed as a result of quarantine?
In this episode of The Fast Traack, we speak with Lauren Thermos, Director of Global Integrated Media & Marketing Strategy.
Welcome back to The Fast Traack! In Episode 3, we speak to Holly Jackson, Director of Global Services at Traackr and our resident data-nerd. This episode is hosted by Mackenzie Newcomb, the Influencer Marketing and Social Media Manager at Traackr, micro influencer and book club president.
In this episode of The Fast Traack podcast, we posed the question: What does Traackr data tell us about influencer marketing during quarantine??
- What are some early insights we’ve noticed about the state of influencer marketing?
- Are influencers sharing information or educating people on the virus?
- What kind of beauty content are we seeing now vs a year ago?
- What “new normal” topics are we seeing an uptick of conversations about?
- Is Beauty doing well? What other industries are thriving?
Don’t have time to listen? Here is our main takeaway; social media usage is on the rise. Your brand has the ability right now to reach potential customers, and they are receptive to hearing from you. Beauty brands that can adapt to the “new normal” will not only survive, but they will thrive during and after quarantine.
In this episode of The Fast Traack podcast, we posed the question: What advice do we have for beauty brands transitioning their influencer activations from IRL to #stayhome?
- Should you pause your influencer activations?
- What type of #stayhome content will my audience respond to?
- How does supply chain impact influencer relationships?
- What are some keywords you should avoid right now?
In the midst of a lockdown, we’re seeing unprecedented natural creativity. Now is the time to allow your influencers even more freedom, while simultaneously triple-checking copy for potential insensitivities and tone deafness. Social media will always adapt, and brands that can be useful and flexible in this treacherous time will come out on top.
Today, we launched our podcast The Fast Traack; micro conversations all about elevating our influencer marketing skills. Our first guest is Katie Martell, an unapologetic marketing truth-teller who has been named a top voice on LinkedIn three times! She provides strategic communications guidance to high-growth brands, and has partnered with firms like Adobe, Microsoft, and Oracle. Not to mention, she’s currently working on a documentary exploring the intersection of marketing and social movements.
This episode is co-hosted by Evy (Wilkins) Lyons, VP of Marketing for Traackr and myself, Mackenzie Newcomb, the Influencer Marketing and Social Media Manager at Traackr, micro influencer and aspiring TikTok star.
Our first episode of The Fast Traack centers around a major question on every marketer’s mind right now: How can brands avoid pandering to the COVID-19 pandemic?
- Does every company need to send out an email?
- Who do customers WANT to hear from?
- Do you need to toss out your Q2 strategy?
- How can your brand be helpful in this time of crisis?
While it’s not the time to pause all marketing efforts, it’s crucial to revisit what you had scheduled for this quarter and make plans given our “new normal”, all while ensuring we add real value and avoid coming across as tone deaf.
In the words of Katie, “Put yourself in the mind of your customer, ask what they need from you now.” Then, go do it!