While many marketing leaders feel overwhelmed by the pace of AI adoption, Alex argues that the real shift isn't about the tools—it’s about the team. As automation handles more of the execution, the role of the marketer is fundamentally changing from a technical specialist to a strategic conductor.

We dive deep into:

- Why Alex is moving away from hiring technical channel specialists and why "marketing generalists" are the key to scaling B2B in the AI era.

-How Personio uses AI agents to allow buyers to research and book meetings on their own terms (even at 10 pm on a Sunday).

- How to lead a high-growth team through the AI wave, balancing the evangelists with the skeptics while maintaining a "Care to challenge" culture.

- Why you should "shut the laptop" for creative briefs and why LLMs can't help you find a fresh POV in a B2B sea of sameness.

- Why 80% of your focus should be on demand creation and brand narrative, rather than just optimising demand capture.

📩 GET THE BONUS CONTENT

What is the one belief about marketing that Alex has completely reversed in the last decade? We asked him a bonus question about the future of brand building that didn’t make the final edit. Subscribe to the newsletter to read his answer: https://www.precis.com/resources#newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While many CMOs are panicking over a "search apocalypse" and declining organic clicks, Kristina argues that the story is actually much more positive. It’s not about losing traffic; it’s about a massive redirection of value. By treating AI as a "premium filter" for your brand, you can stop chasing noisy clicks and start winning the customers that actually matter.

We dive deep into:

- The $12M replacement cost: Why we analysed four major industries to find where "missing" organic traffic is going—and why it’s actually a high-value real estate opportunity.

- Agentic commerce (E-com): Why e-commerce brands need to optimise their feeds now to prepare for a future where AI agents help customers shop directly on the results page.

- The "invisible churn" (B2B): Why gatekeeping your content is the biggest risk to your leads and how to ensure your brand makes the AI's shortlist.

- The banking "penalty tax": Why missing out on AI summaries for high-value terms like "mortgage rates" forces you to buy that traffic back through expensive ads.

- Healthcare’s authority gap: How to bridge the 67% citation gap by turning academic medical titles into the actual questions patients are asking.

📩 GET THE BONUS CONTENT

How does a search professional transition from a "traffic driver" into a "trust curator"? We asked Kristina a bonus question about the future of the industry that didn’t make the final edit.

Subscribe to the newsletter to read her answer: https://bit.ly/4pEx0gi

📖 READ THE FULL RECAP

Check out the blog post for a short recap and actionable takeaways

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Connecting the dots, we sit down with Alexander Matt, former Global CMO at Fjällräven and the strategic mind behind iconic brand moments at Adidas Originals and Levi’s.

Many leaders feel the pressure to deliver short-term revenue, often at the expense of long-term brand equity. Alexander challenges the idea that "legacy" equals strength, arguing instead that cultural relevance is the only way to build a brand people will actually "fight for".

We dive deep into:

• The 3 pillars of relevance: Why you need community, a strong point of view, and radical consistency to stay ahead.
• The Stan Smith relaunch: How Adidas took a discounted shoe off the market for a year to save its soul—a masterclass in internal alignment.
• Commercial brand building: Why loyal, active consumers are the most profitable growth engine for your business.
• Measuring what matters: Why you should ditch vanity metrics for NPS and active consumer growth.

📩 GET THE BONUS CONTENT

What’s the one thing Alexander would do differently if building a brand from scratch today? We asked him a bonus question that didn’t make the final edit.

Subscribe to the newsletter to read his answer: https://bit.ly/4pEx0gi

📖 READ THE FULL RECAP

Check out the blog post for a practical recap and applicable takeaways: https://bit.ly/45hMOhu

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is for CMOs and marketing leaders who want to stop confusing OKRs with KPIs and start planning smarter for the next quarter. Sophie Hedestad (CEO of Noxit, ex-CMO at Meltwater & Netigate) shares her practical framework for turning vague marketing goals into focused, transformational outcomes that align the entire company.

Key Takeaways:

- The difference is transformation: OKRs are a focus tool for transformational goals, while KPIs are your health metrics for business-as-usual operations.

- The 3-3-3 model: Structure your goals with three Objectives, three Key Results per objective, and three Initiatives per Key Result for mental clarity and easy follow-up.

- Alignment is the superpower: OKRs create both vertical and horizontal alignment, making marketing's work transparent and helping you collaborate across Sales, Product, and Tech.

- Protect the time: The biggest implementation challenge is the "whirlwind" of daily tasks. You must protect time to work on your transformational OKRs.

- Write better KRs: A good Key Result gives context (e.g., "NPS is currently 30, we will push it to 40") instead of just listing a number ("NPS to 40").

📬 Subscribe to our newsletter to get exclusive, bonus content from our guests and more playbooks you can steal: https://www.precis.com/resources#newsletter

📚 Read the episode recap: https://bit.ly/3XjR5fX

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode goes deep on app retention that actually drives growth. Our guests unpack why most lifecycle strategies fall flat and how to design one that performs, even with messy data, shrinking CRM opt-ins, and budget pressure.

🎙️ Anna Olofsson, Head of Marketing (Sweden & Finland) at Wolt

🎙️ Pia Jacobson, Apps Lead at Precis

🎙️ Stefania Casciari Carter, CMO at Precis

Takeaways:

- Retention isn’t a phase, it’s a growth lever

- High-LTV users don’t come from discounts

- CRM can’t fix poor onboarding or siloed teams

- Lifecycle strategy must adapt to local market context

- Even without perfect data, you can design smarter journeys

📬 Subscribe to our newsletter to get exclusive, bonus content from our guests: https://bit.ly/4p54SCV

📚 Read the episode recap here: https://bit.ly/485GRpB

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Connecting the Dots, we dive into thought leadership on LinkedIn. Our guests explore personal branding, the role of AI, and how internal creator programmes can drive serious commercial impact.

🎙️ David Blinov, CEO at Precis Finland and founder of The F Company

🎙️ Göran Hellman, Head of Nordics at LinkedIn Marketing Solutions

🎙️ Stefania Casciari Carter, CMO at Precis

Takeaways

• Building a personal brand still works — and it drives measurable revenue
• AI can support content creation, but authenticity is the differentiator
• Internal creator programmes outperform when tied to clear incentives
• Video is the top-performing format for B2B engagement on LinkedIn
• CEOs and executives are increasingly expected to show up online.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests

00:32 Building a Personal Brand on LinkedIn

03:42 The Role of AI in Content Creation

06:34 Authenticity and Vulnerability in Personal Branding

09:18 The Impact of Video Content on Engagement

12:11 Navigating the Challenges of Content Creation

15:12 The Importance of Personal Experience in Branding

18:05 Business Impact of Personal Branding on LinkedIn

23:12 Building Thought Leadership Programs

26:15 Engagement and Motivation in Programs

29:22 Internal vs. External Creator Programs

31:32 Measuring Success in Thought Leadership

33:55 Getting CEOs Involved on LinkedIn

38:04 B2B vs. B2C on LinkedIn

41:32 Quickfire Tips for Content Creation

Subscribe to our newsletter to get exclusive, bonus content from our guests: http://bit.ly/3W2Nty5

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Takeaways

• Brands are recognizing TikTok's potential but struggle with execution.
• Community engagement is crucial for success on TikTok.
• Content must be platform-native and engaging, not just promotional.
• Understanding TikTok's algorithm is key to reaching audiences.
• Brands should focus on interest-based targeting rather than demographics.
• Timeliness in content creation is essential to leverage trends.
• Using influencers can help brands connect with communities effectively.
• Brands need to balance heritage with modern content strategies.
• Evaluating TikTok's ROI requires a multi-faceted approach.
• Spending time on TikTok is necessary for marketers to understand the platform. 

Timestamps:

00:00 Unlocking TikTok's potential for brands

03:01 Understanding TikTok's community dynamics

05:45 Navigating brand challenges on TikTok

08:49 Creating engaging TikTok content

11:49 The importance of trends and timing

14:39 Building and engaging with communities

17:54 The role of influencer marketing

20:39 Organic vs paid strategies on TikTok

23:37 Evaluating TikTok's ROI for brands

26:42 Key recommendations for TikTok success

Takeaways

• Branding has been marketing for many centuries.
• Brand and performance shouldn't be separate.
• We've become smarter marketers, but also short-term focused.
• Branding is a long-term game that requires multiple interactions.
• You need to fix your performance engine first before branding.
• Branding becomes a cost and optional cost during tough times.
• It's crucial to build evidence over time for branding initiatives.
• Rethink your funnel stages and reporting timelines for better performance.
• During economic uncertainty, maintaining branding efforts can be an opportunity.
• CMOs should be bold and innovative in their marketing strategies.

01:05 The evolution of branding and performance marketing

05:02 Defining brand and its importance in e-commerce

08:10 Building brand loyalty in a competitive market

12:59 Challenges in selling brand internally

13:33 The evolution of e-commerce

15:15 Balancing performance and branding

17:34 Communicating brand value internally

22:49 Challenges in building a performance engine

24:36 Long-term strategies for branding

27:28 Navigating economic uncertainty

30:22 The role of risk in marketing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Connecting the dots, we explore how the Danish portable speaker company is moving away from short-term performance loops and towards a brand-first, full-funnel strategy –starting with two unexpected cities.

🎙️ Carol Nachbaur – VP of Marketing at Soundboks

🎙️ Mickey Cavonius – Partner & CCO at Precis

🎙️ Simone Engbo Hansen – Global Content Lead at Precis

Together, they dissect how to invest in cultural relevance, build brand equity, and rethink what success looks like, all without burning your media budget.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro – What this episode is really about

01:18 Meet the guests – Who are Carol and Mickey?

03:00 Soundboks’ full-funnel pivot: from discounts to brand building

05:40 Why they picked Cologne and Chicago (not Berlin or LA as you might think)

08:50 What is the “lighthouse tactic” and why does it work?

10:45 Why the easy media mix can hurt long-term growth

13:50 Scrappy, not sloppy: creative ways to diversify

15:40 From brand moment to retargeting funnel: offline meets digital

18:00 Leading indicators vs lagging results – tracking what actually works

21:50 Why coolness, community and cultural fit matter

25:00 Aligning your entire org around one experience

27:30 “Own the Party” – the new Soundboks brand direction

30:00 Final thoughts – what marketers should focus on next

Key takeaways from the episode

• Don’t just chase efficiency, build a solid presence from top to bottom.
• Smaller cities can drive bigger brand impact if you go deep.
• Revenue is a result, not your only KPI.
• Offline moments feed digital performance, but only when done right.
• If you’re stuck, the problem might not be your funnel. It might be your mix.

Subscribe and stay ahead

Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper insights + exclusive guest takeovers.

About Connecting the dots

Connecting the dots gives you clarity in the chaos of modern marketing. We present straight-talking insights on the trends that matter to marketers right now, powered by Precis’ expertise in data, media, creative, and technology.