Louise Delamare

The most effective CMOs aren't marketers. They're general managers who happen to run marketing. The difference? They speak three languages fluently. They speak CFO: → Through the P&L lens: presenting real LTV and fully-loaded CAC → Through the Balance Sheet: showing unrealized revenue in existing customers → Through Cash Flow: discussing payback windows for every investment They speak CEO: → This year's growth rate and which levers to lean on → Five-year projections grounded in cohort behavior → How each decision impacts enterprise value They speak Board: → Why the ratio matters less than the components → How margin improvements change the entire model → When to trade efficiency for scale It all starts with LTV and CAC. But not the surface-level numbers. The real ones that actually drive decisions. 1️⃣ LTV isn't just revenue per customer ↳ It's behavior × margin × time × retention curve 2️⃣ CAC isn't just ad spend divided by customers ↳ It's fully-loaded costs including sales, onboarding, and overhead 3️⃣ The ratio isn't the whole story ↳ A 5:1 ratio means nothing if payback takes 24 months Make these metrics the center of your growth team. Make them the foundation of your C-suite relationships. But here's the key: take time to explain them. 🔑 Show how marketing LTV connects to finance's P&L. 🔑 Demonstrate how CAC reduction flows to EBITDA. 🔑 Prove how payback windows impact working capital. That's how you earn your seat at the table. * * * The cheat sheet breaks down exactly how to calculate, present, and defend these metrics. Use it before your next board meeting. Follow for more breakdowns of KPIs that actually matter to c-suite execs. 📈

945

125 Comments

Ad budgets are shifting fast. The next 90 days will separate scaling DTC brands from those that stall. IAB’s September report shows how quickly the ground is moving. Growth revised down. Ad spend is now projected at 5.7% (vs. 7.3% in January). Tariffs are the top concern, especially for auto, retail, and consumer electronics. This means budgets are being reshaped. 45% of buyers are cutting spend, while 42% are doubling down on performance. It’s not retreat...it’s reallocation. We can see money is moving. Social spend just jumped to +14.3%. CTV holds strong at +11.4%. Linear TV continues to sink at -14.4%. Priorities are shifting too: 64% still cite customer acquisition as #1, but repeat purchases jumped 8 points YoY to 21%. Brands are working harder to grow value from existing customers, which is a smart bet. If you’re a DTC brand scaling past $10M, this is your fork in the road. You’re big enough to feel the macro pressure, but not big enough to absorb inefficiency. The IAB data confirms what I see across dozens of DTC clients: brands are doubling down on acquisition (74% vs. 58% of agencies). Only 23% of buyers say it’s “business as usual.” The other 77% are already adjusting. If your channel mix still looks like it did in Q1, you’re leaving efficiency on the table...and you’ll feel it in 2026. The winners will reallocate now. The rest will wait and pay for it later. How are tariffs and economic pressure shaping your budget decisions as you head into Q4? We still have room for two more audits this month to get a better view of your options. Drop me a DM and let's set one up.

44

9 Comments

Affinity vs In-Market vs Life Events Targeting: What's the Difference & Why It Matters?   We tend to bucket audiences in programmatic and digital advertising as data points, 1st-party, 3rd-party, and lookalikes. But people aren’t just data files. They have passions, short-term needs, and life milestones, and that’s exactly where affinity, in-market, and life events targeting come in. These are widely available across DSPs and digital advertising channels, and they remain some of the most effective ways to align campaigns with consumer intent.   Here’s a breakdown 👇 🔹 Affinity Audiences • What they are: Audiences built around long-term passions, interests, and lifestyles. These don’t change quickly; they reflect enduring habits. • Example: People who consistently engage with content around fitness, travel, coffee, or gaming. • Best for: Awareness and brand building. Great when your goal is to seed brand recall and stay top-of-mind among people who strongly identify with a lifestyle or passion. 🔹 In-Market Audiences • What they are: Users who are actively researching or comparing products/services. These signals are short-term and closer to conversion. • Example: Someone who’s checking laptop reviews, browsing insurance quotes, or looking at car dealerships. • Best for: Performance and mid-to-lower funnel campaigns. Perfect when the goal is to capture high-intent users who are already considering purchase options. 🔹 Life Events Audiences • What they are: Segments built around major life milestones that shift consumer needs. These moments create demand across multiple categories. • Example: New movers needing furniture and Wi-Fi, graduates seeking courses and jobs, new parents looking for childcare products. • Best for: Contextual and time-sensitive opportunities. Ideal for brands that can add value during transitional moments. ⚖️ TL;DR • Affinity = Who the users are (long-term identity). • In-Market = What the users want now (short-term intent). • Life Events = What’s changing (life milestones).   💡 Pro tip: Don’t just target, sequence. Use Affinity for early engagement, In-Market for conversion, and Life Events for emotional timing. When layered thoughtfully, these signals can guide users through the funnel with precision.   #ProgrammaticAdvertising #AudienceTargeting

101