April Berthene, Author at Chief Marketer

Roc’s new campaign aims for deeper emotional bonds with shoppers

The CMO at Roc Skincare shares how a 10-person study validating its eye cream works as a marketing tool in tandem with its clinical studies. “Clinically proven” is a staple tagline for skincare brand Roc. The words are prominently display on its logo and thus all of its products. The brand claims that third-party […]

Shopper/Retail

AI will define the 2025 holiday season

Salesforce predicts fewer discounts and more shoppers using AI to find deals for the 2025 holiday season. The 2025 holiday season will be defined by consumers using artificial intelligence to shop, according to ecommerce technology provider Salesforce. Salesforce’s 2025 holiday predictions are: Like 2024, value and the challenging economic environment are top-of-mind for consumers. But […]

Shopper/Retail

Lifetime value is key for beverage marketing, Bero VP says

Premium nonalcohol beer brand Bero, which is co-founded by ‘Spider-man’ actor Tom Holland, is using a paid membership model to help drive repeat purchases. Bero is untapping a niche for itself: premium nonalcoholic beer. The brand launched in October 2024 with actor Tom Holland as the co-founder. Bero is targeting affluent consumers who are transitioning […]

Shopper/Retail

Walmart launches generative AI shopping chatbot

Walmart debuted an app-only generative artificial intelligence chatbot, named Sparky, that can summarize reviews, offer product recommendations based on shopper requests and create product comparisons. Walmart displays the “Ask Sparky” feature as a main button on the bottom navigation bar of its app. Sparky can answer non-product-specific questions as well, such as the weather, sporting […]

Michaels snaps up Joann’s intellectual property, brands

Shoppers looking for fabric and yarn migrate to Michaels. The craft retail chain is deepening its assortment in these product categories. The Michaels Companies Inc. announced that it acquired the intellectual property and private label brands of its bankrupt competitor Joann. Michaels did not respond to a request for comment on how much it paid for […]

Shopper/Retail

Q&A with Bombay Sapphire brand director: Let’s make gin relevant

Bombay Sapphire’s brand director Jamie Keller details the campaigns and sponsorships the brand is using to ignite sales on the under-consumed spirit. Bombay Sapphire’s brand director Jamie Keller is working to “break the taste barrier” for gin in the U.S. Although growing in market share, gin only captures 3% of the spirit market in the […]

Shopper/Retail

Sonos invests in agentic AI

Speaker brand Sonos is eager to have agentic AI surface operational efficiencies and handle B2B customer requests. Speaker brand Sonos likes the sound of agentic AI so much that it is piloting an agent for its business-to-business customer portal. The B2B ordering platform, which caters to Sonos’ custom integrators and distributors was in desperate need […]

Shopper/Retail

Forbes’ most influential CMO Bozoma Saint John shares her top marketing tips

Former Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John discusses how marketers need to understand culture and infuse their authentic selves into their work. Bozoma Saint John is unapologetically herself. No matter if that’s in the C-suite or the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Saint John’s executive tenure includes chief marketing officer at Netflix, chief […]

Schmidt Brothers invests in content marketing with live cooking show for customers

Cutlery brand Schmidt Brothers knows that with a lifetime warranty for its knives, driving repeat purchases can be a challenge. So the Schmidt Brothers focuses on loyalty initiatives that engender positive brand affinity and keep its brand top-of-mind. Its most recent effort is a live, online cooking show called The Cutting Edge. In celebration […]

Shopper/Retail

‘Era of less’ continues for CMOs

Retail chief marketing officers report a marketing budget that is 7.1% of a company’s revenue, a decrease from last year and lower than the average across industries. Gartner’s annual CMO Spend Survey finds that marketers are continuing to operate with a reduced budget post-pandemic, with a mean budget of 7.7% of a company’s revenue in 2025. […]