How to recruit top talent for Performance Marketing in CPG and Luxury

𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 - 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸. Close the gaps between strategy and behaviour. Our latest Consumer Sentiment & Retailer Strategy 2025|26 Whitepaper reveals a persistent timing gap: 🔴 82% of retail leaders say their business models must evolve to be fit for the future, yet customers are buying for immediacy and experience today. This divergence defines retail’s current challenge - strategy built for tomorrow meeting consumers acting in the moment. To close that gap, retailers must unite operational foresight with behavioural insight: aligning long-term transformation with short-term emotional connection. The future belongs to retailers who can plan with precision but deliver with empathy. How do customer expectations and retailer plans further diverge? What are leading brands doing about it? 📘 Our Consumer Sentiment & Retailer Strategy 2025|26 Whitepaper is set to release on Thursday, 23rd October 2025. Subscribe now to get exclusive member-only early access to our proprietary research: https://lnkd.in/d7MgzD52 Brian Walker Josh Strutt Dean Salakas Sharon de Jager Renée J. Kruger Shasa-Leigh Kruger Ebeltoft Group World Retail Congress Retail Doctor Academy Retail Doctor Group - Building Transformative Retail #AustralianRetail #Benchmarks #BrianWalker #BusinessAgility #BusinessPerformance #BusinessTransformation #CEO #CEOCommunity #ConsumerSentiment #ConsumerTrends #DataDrivenRetail #FitForBusiness #Founder #FutureOfRetail #Insights #RDG #RDGInsights #RetailCEO #RetailDoctorAcademy #RetailDoctorGroup #RetailExcellence #RetailLeadership #RetailSentiment #RetailStrategy #Sentiment #Strategy #SustainableRetail #Whitepaper

For retail leaders, the busiest time of the year is here. With so much already planned and invested, how confident are you that your campaigns will truly resonate with customers? Leading brands are turning insights into smarter launches, better products, and more confident decisions by tapping verified communities of their real customers. With so much at stake this holiday season, stop guessing and start validating with the people who matter most.💡 Read the full blog to see how these companies are elevating business strategy with customer voices: 📚 https://hubs.la/Q03MhQGV0

Many retail businesses are struggling as mall occupancy start to dip and consumers cut back on spending amid economic uncertainty and job fears. In response, retailers are busy tweaking their operations from trimming costs, refreshing displays to changing menus and hoping for more walk-ins. But these are surface fixes. When teams are too close to their own work, they often can’t see the deeper issues holding them back like outdated business models, weak differentiation, or missed customer experience opportunities. That’s where an external perspective becomes invaluable. Yet, many retailers shy away from engaging external advisors, often because of past poor experiences with consultants who lacked real-world retail depth. The truth is, not all advisors are the same. What retailers truly need are those who’ve walked the retail floors, managed P&L pressures, led loyalty transformations, and navigated digital disruption - people with decades in the game and a diverse track record across multiple industries. Transformation doesn’t start with cost-cutting. It starts with seeing differently. Sometimes, the right pair of external eyes can help you uncover what’s been hiding in plain sight and that can make all the difference. -------- 🔷 I am a Master Transformation Strategist - I help retailers and individuals transform their performance and mental resilience 💡 I post thought-provoking content to share interesting insights that spark growth mindsets and differentiated thinking. 💬 I’d love to hear your thoughts - share your views and join the conversation. 🤝 Open to connecting with like-minded professionals, let’s build something impactful together. 📩 Reach out: ongltj@gmail.com. #RetailTransformation #CustomerExperience #BusinessStrategy #RetailInsights #Leadership #RetailReinvention #FutureOfRetail #Retail #TransformationLeadership Video Credit - @scd.111

One of the most striking findings in PwC’s 2025 Holiday Outlook survey report: Gen Z plans to spend 23% less this season. They know what’s worth it and what’s not—and they’re choosing their purchases with care. For brand leaders, that means thinking about value. As Kelly Pedersen, PwC's retail leader, puts it, “This is a generation that shops with intention." Prioritizing speed from social to shelf and authentic experiences can turn trust into lasting loyalty. Explore more insights from our full report here: https://pwc.to/492Y97G

Quit waiting for shelf space to come back. It’s not. For decades, category managers followed a slow playbook with seven-year cycles, endless resets, and chasing the same brands for the same space. - That playbook is dead. - The retailers winning in 2025 aren’t the biggest. They’re the fastest. - They’re building innovation pipelines that move in months, not years. If you’re still waiting your turn, you’re already behind. It’s time to lead the next wave of wellness. Learn how Step Change helps retailers move from follower to first mover.

Check out this report from the Association of National Advertisers. From their Exec Summary: The rise of #RetailMediaNetworks has reshaped the brand-retailer relationship, bringing new complexities that many companies struggle to manage. According to an EMARKETER report (Retail media is the fastest growing ad channel, but “is not invincible,” our analyst warns), “Powered by retailers’ first-party data from e-commerce transactions and loyalty programs, there are now over 200 RMNs worldwide, and retail media is the fastest-growing ad channel, projected to grow to almost $80 billion in ad spend by 2027.” But the most intriguing part is this - "What used to be a mostly sales-driven channel is now a major player in brand awareness, customer engagement, and omnichannel success." You have to get the experience and the activations right and on brand to deliver lasting value that sticks... and nothing sticks better than a great customer experience that surprises and delights. It's just not as easy as it sounds!

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹’𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 ~ 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘦. Turn insight into execution 30% faster than your competitors. Our latest Consumer Sentiment & Retailer Strategy 2025|26 Whitepaper research reveals that while 69% of retail leaders feel confident about their own company’s future, only 21% express confidence in the broader industry. That gap is not about capability. It’s about trust. • Trust in strategy. • Trust in data. • Trust in leadership alignment. Trust in modern retail is a performance multiplier, a tangible, economic driver, as described by Stephen M. R. Covey, The New York Times & #1 The Wall Street Journal bestselling author. When trust is high, decision cycles shorten, engagement rises, and execution accelerates. When trust is low, everything drags - costs increase, morale dips, and strategy stalls. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀? 📘 Our Consumer Sentiment & Retailer Strategy 2025|26 Whitepaper is out for release now, immediately available to our Trusted Community. #SubscribeNow to get exclusive member-only early access to our proprietary research: https://lnkd.in/d7MgzD52 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 Ebeltoft Group, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴, Lightspeed APAC. Brian Walker Josh Strutt Dean Salakas Sharon de Jager Renée J. Kruger Shasa-Leigh Kruger World Retail Congress Retail Doctor Academy Retail Doctor Group - Building Transformative Retail #AIinRetail #AustralianRetail #Benchmarks #BrianWalker #BusinessAgility #BusinessPerformance #BusinessTransformation #CEO #CEOCommunity #ConsumerSentiment #ConsumerTrends #DataDrivenRetail #FitForBusiness #Founder #FutureOfRetail #Insights #RDG #RDGInsights #RetailCEO #RetailDoctorAcademy #RetailDoctorGroup #RetailExcellence #RetailLeadership #RetailSentiment #RetailStrategy #Sentiment #Strategy #SustainableRetail #Whitepaper

The FMCG world has always been about speed. But today, speed alone isn’t enough. The real challenges run deeper: • Margins under pressure from inflation and retailer power. • Shifting consumer expectations demanding healthier, sustainable, and affordable products. • Channel disruption, as e-commerce and D2C reshape traditional distribution. • Innovation bottlenecks, with teams too busy firefighting to build for tomorrow. • Talent retention, as employees seek purpose, not just paychecks. Winning in FMCG today isn’t just about bigger budgets or faster launches. It’s about building resilience, creativity, and systems that keep brands relevant in an unforgiving marketplace. #FMCG #Leadership #Innovation #Strategy #Marketing #DigitalTransformation #ChangeManagement #Growth #BusinessLeadership #FutureOfWork #ExecutiveLeadership #CareerGrowth

In my experience, the key lies in balancing analytics with intuition—using forecasts to guide decisions, but never losing sight of the evolving customer journey. The retail industry continues to demonstrate resilience and innovation, particularly in the apparel and consumer goods sectors. With data-driven planning and flexible inventory strategies, brands are exploring ways to quickly adapt to changing customer demands and protect profits I look forward to seeing how 2025 will further shape the retail industry through smarter configurations and more inclusive leadership

In FMCG, we spend a lot of time debating who owns growth Sales, Marketing, or Digital transformation. The truth is, growth shows up only when all three move together. The shopper doesn’t see departments. They see one brand, one price, one experience whether they are instore, on an app, or watching a reel. That’s why the best performing companies are tightening the link between teams instead of building new silos.  •  Sales teams are using shopper data to plan distribution, not just chase targets.  •  Marketing teams are making budget calls based on what actually converts, not just what trends.  •  Digital teams are sitting inside business reviews, not outside running reports. When communication, content, pricing, and availability are aligned, everything moves faster and costs less. The next leap in FMCG won’t come from more tools or more meetings. It’ll come from better rhythm between the people who already drive the business. #FMCG #CommercialExcellence #BrandGrowth #DigitalExecution #Leadership