You’ve expanded to new sales channels and managed to connect with more consumers. But have you thought to “UnMarket” and “UnSell?”
If not, you will — just as soon as you’ve spent an hour with Scott Stratten. Here’s a small sampling we pulled from dozens of recent testimonials:
“Simply brilliant! I truly believe I’m a better practitioner than I was when I woke up this morning.”
“Hands down the best keynote speaker I have ever heard.”
“Highest feedback score for any presenter over a four-day period.”
Scott Stratten, the “UnMarketer”
Those quotes from Walmart, Domino’s and AutoTrader portray the feelings of countless executives who have documented their experiences with this innovative “UnMarketer.” As the co-author of four best-selling business books on modern branding, marketing and the customer experience, Stratten has helped companies ranging from PepsiCo to Saks Fifth Avenue to Deloitte increase engagement with outrageously original (and effective) strategies.
So naturally, we had to ask him to keynote this year’s Catalyst Americas.
And guess what? He said “yes!”
If April seems like a long time to wait for Stratten’s insights, take heart. Stratten sat down to answer some of our most pressing questions about his unique approach to digital marketing and what to expect when takes the stage as keynote speaker at Catalyst Americas. Here’s what he had to say…
You’ve advised PepsiCo, Saks Fifth Avenue and even Cirque du Soleil … why Catalyst? What drew you to this conference?
Disruption is my world and there isn’t a more disruptive industry than retail and e-commerce. I could talk about it all day. Thankfully for attendees, they’ve only given me an hour. Plus, San Diego is so much warmer than Toronto.
Can you give us a “sneak peek” of what to expect at your session?
Everything has changed — and nothing is different. This is such an important message that we retitled our original book, UnMarketing, to add that line. It means that all the newest bells and whistles are out there, but you can’t lose focus on what’s important: product and service. New technology should enhance both, but if you fail in the basics, no amount of innovation will help you.
Amid the reams of marketing advice available today, you’re compelling companies to “UnMarket.” Why?
The most powerful marketing is done by everyone else outside of the brand. Stories that go viral, millions of reviews posted yearly. We trust each other well before the brand. What can we do with that as brands? Disruption happens because there are gaps in the current market. If we don’t identify and innovate, someone else will.
As someone who’s helped companies in a wide range of industries embrace digital disruption, can you give us a general intro to what true disruption looks like in the world of e-commerce?
Look no further than Endy, the online mattress company out of my country (Canada). A decade ago, ordering a mattress online without even touching it seemed bonkers. They’re killing it. Their service is second to none. Did I mention they’re 100% online? They have better service than brands that have stores and humans walking around. That’s sad for the industry and awesome for Endy. We’ve bought five mattresses from them already.
To anyone who might still be on the fence about attending this year’s Catalyst, what would you say?
What the heck are you waiting for? For me to invite you to eat at Nobu with me before my keynote? Kidding, wasabi + talking onstage don’t mix. But come on people, you won’t find a better collection of retail industry experts and practitioners anywhere.
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Remember: This is just a preview of all you’ll learn from Stratten at Catalyst Americas. If you want to know where digital marketing is really headed — and what you can do to create more meaningful connections with consumers — his keynote session is one you won’t want to miss.
Rithum’s Catalyst Americas will take place April 17 – 19 at the San Diego Convention Center. Use the promo code Blog9946 to save $100 off the registration fee. And if you register three or more people, we’ll take 25% off your entire registration!
