There is never been a more transitional time for marketers. New data protection policies, AI driven content and search engines, new websites and brands launching daily, big data complexity all are making the CMO position harder than ever to navigate.  Yet in the midst of all these technical headwinds, having a differentiated and meaningful brand strategy is more important than ever.  Consumers are increasingly looking for value and brands that align with their priorities. By adopting meaning value propositions and messaging, and communicating them effectively, brands can attract and retain customers for the long term, even in a down economy.

Driven by her passion for consumer insights and creating value, Leslie Gibbs’ mission is to assist companies in developing and implementing sustainable brand strategies that drive growth. As the managing partner of Strategic Branding Matters LLC, Leslie finds fulfilment in helping small to medium sized companies support products and services that improve people’s lives. Her areas of expertise include assisting PE backed companies on the brink of growth, preparing companies for acquisition, and rejuvenating larger company strategies to reignite energy and propel progress.

Leslie has over 30 years in the game and possesses extensive knowledge in brand development, strategic planning, digital marketing, social media, advertising strategy, sales team management, long-term multifunctional planning, customer journeys, and consumer insights. She offers fractional and interim engagements to provide her services to a wider range of clients.  The majority of her clients sign short to mid-term retainers and partner with Leslie to accelerate growth.

Many of Leslie’s engagements involve weekly coaching sessions with VP and C-Suite executives.  Mentoring is a real passion.  Leslie’s recent appointment to the Advisory Board of Cal Poly Pomona’s Women in Leadership Executive Education Program combines mentoring opportunities with contributions to the program’s curriculum development and marketing. Additionally, she serves on the Marketing Operating Partner on the Board of Directors at OCLA, a non-profit organization committed to providing free services and resources to individuals without shelter or those at risk of losing it in LA County.

From Brand Management to Starting Her Own Consulting Business

Leslie’s career began in brand management at P&G, where she was captivated by the disciplined approach of utilizing insights to establish significant brand differentiation. During her time at P&G, the company marketed multiple brands in the same category, each with its unique target audience and justification for existence. This approach left a lasting impression on Leslie, and she has since incorporated it into every position she has held.

Though Leslie has consistently pursued roles with profit and loss responsibilities, brand strategy has remained a passion project. She believes in the importance of developing a well-defined brand strategy as a foundational element for driving long-term growth and profit.

In 2022, Leslie made a career change and stepped away from her executive role to start her own consulting business. As a consultant, Leslie can channel her experiences managing profit and loss, building marketing infrastructures, and leading teams, to help companies create and implement sustainable brand strategies that drive growth. She believes that starting her own consulting business has allowed her to take a more focused approach in supporting clients in developing and implementing brand strategies that are tailored to their unique needs. Her ability to draw on her extensive experience in leadership and marketing has proven to be an asset in helping companies achieve their desired outcomes.

Helping to Accelerate Growth

Leslie’s clients are typically private equity-backed companies that generate between $20 million and $500 million in revenue. These companies have done a great job of getting the operations up and running and delivering a positive customer experience, but they are now looking to accelerate growth. Leslie helps companies overcome the common challenge of defining their brand value proposition and identifying their growth strategy for the future. Strategic Branding Matters is focused on helping companies commit to a winning and differentiated strategy that delivers against KPIs today and creates a playbook for the future.

Identifying Meaningful Consumer Insights to Inform Brand Strategy

Leslie has developed a natural instinct for identifying consumer insights that inform brand strategy. She typically begins with stakeholder interviews to gain an understanding of how people on the ground perceive the industry and the competitive landscape. From there, Leslie forms hypotheses and looks for gaps in the competitive set that can be tested with customers.

Through this process, Leslie is able to gather insights that are both new and meaningful. The entire process usually takes a couple of months, but the outcome is well worth the investment. Leslie has found that stakeholder interviews are an effective starting point because they provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the market. She also uses other tools and techniques, such as qualitative research, segmentation analysis, and customer feedback, to further validate her hypotheses. She states, “The whole process only takes a couple of months, but inevitably, I am able to bring back insights that are new but resonate as being meaningful and fresh.”

Enabling Business Expansion through Digital Marketing

Today’s strategy for acquiring customers centers on digital marketing, which is fundamental to success. The majority of marketing leaders today are highly knowledgeable about available acquisition tools, and Leslie readily introduces new tools when knowledge gaps are identified. When working with CMOs, her primary responsibility is to enhance the CMO’s results short term and provide them with a road map to expand revenues and profit over time. “Working together, we can optimize the evolving array of tools available to create awareness and interest but also ensure that the company is able to deliver against the brand promise in a meaningful way that creates competitive advantage,” says Leslie.

Significance of a Holistic Approach to Marketing

Leslie observes that many clients are increasingly prioritizing digital acquisition as the key marketing focus, which is understandable. However, she advises working with a strategic consultant, such as herself, to ensure that short-term metrics do not take precedence over long-term branding and customer experience. As collecting customer data becomes more challenging and automated copywriting becomes prevalent, a brand’s identity becomes all that remains. Without devoting adequate time to comprehending the target audience, message, and differentiation, it is probable that many brands will cease to exist. Therefore, Leslie emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to marketing that balances short-term goals with long-term brand building, and she offers her expertise as a strategic consultant to assist clients in achieving this.

Continuous Learning and Networking Strategies

Leslie is an avid reader who effectively utilizes the resources and networks provided by the Kellogg Alumni Association. Additionally, she maintains partnerships in her local area and stays connected to the obstacles faced by their clients. In addition to attending 2-3 webinars weekly, Leslie constantly learns from the Chief Marketing Officers she collaborates with. Working with multiple non-competing companies and tackling various challenges simultaneously makes it easier for Leslie to keep up with the latest trends affecting marketing departments. As a result, her mind naturally identifies patterns, allowing her to diagnose issues and suggest solutions when encountering similar challenges repeatedly across industries.

Aligning Passion and Strengths in Brand Strategy

When Leslie started her career at P&G, she set her sights on reaching the C-Suite as the pinnacle of her career growth. However, after serving 10 years as a CMO, she still found herself bogged down with day-to-day operations, personnel issues, endless meetings and office politics. Though she tried to prioritize strategic discussions, there were often more pressing matters to attend to and strategy discussions often ended up postponed. As a consultant, she now has the opportunity to be a “change agent” and devote her time to projects that excite her most. Additionally, she finds great joy in cultivating relationships and guiding the growth of other talented professionals and making introductions. Nothing is more fulfilling to her than introducing two individuals who can benefit from each other’s strengths and watching them flourish.

Balancing Stakeholder Needs

Leslie recognizes the importance of balancing the needs of different stakeholders when working as a consultant. In every engagement, there are two groups of stakeholders: the individual or team who hired her for her expertise or works directly with her and the rest of the organization. A skilled consultant ensures that both stakeholders are aligned and working towards a common goal. To achieve this, Leslie recommends conducting multi-disciplinary finding reviews to ensure that all aspects of the recommendations are well-considered and supportable. Additionally, Leslie believes that negative feedback is a valuable gift because it presents an opportunity to fix any concerns.

Focus on Consumer Insights and Learn from Experienced Professionals

Leslie’s advice for someone just starting in the field of brand strategy is to understand that it is not something you can just jump into. It requires a deep understanding of the consumer and the ability to synthesize multiple data sources to create winning strategies. Her recommendation is to seek out a workplace where brand strategy is highly valued and to learn from those who are leading the charge. Working alongside experienced professionals in the field can provide valuable insights and opportunities for growth.  Leslie also emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and staying up to date with industry trends.

To learn more about Leslie and her consulting firm visit StrategicBrandingMatters.com.