Red Rock Resort

Off the Strip by several miles and closer to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Red Rock Casino Resort is a property of Station Casinos, which made its mark in Vegas by appealing to those who actually live there. But Red Rock is as fancy and decadent as any on the Strip, with a masculine design of crimson and burnt orange and a chain of more than 3.1m Swarovski and Preciosa crystals (measuring 99 miles) hanging throughout the resort. During the summer, Red Rock opened a 7,000-seat outdoor amphitheatre, and its pool concert series is one of the most popular of its kind in the city.
1011 West Charleston, +1 702 797 7777, redrocklasvegas.com, doubles from $130

Aria at CityCenter

Photograph: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News/Corbis

The centrepiece of the 67-acre CityCenter, Aria is where you play it big in Vegas. There are 4,004 guest rooms, and that doesn’t count the theatre where Elvis still lives, in the Cirque du Soleil production Viva Elvis. The vast, dark-wood-designed hotel and casino is filled with water features, including fountains that greet guests at the porte-cochère. Public art is heavily featured: guests at reception are met with artist Maya Lin’s Silver River sculpture, which greatly resembles … well, a silver river. Aria is home to more than 16 restaurants, including those operated by star chefs Michael Mina (American Fish) and Masayoshi Takayama (Bar Masa and Shaboo).
3730 Las Vegas Boulevard, +1 702 590 7111, arialasvegas.com, doubles from $129

Bellagio

Bellagio, Las Vegas.

One of the big “wow” events in recent Vegas history was the opening of Bellagio, which ushered in the era of the “mega-resort” in October 1998. The splashy Fountains at Bellagio water show at the front of the hotel, envisioned by hotel founder Steve Wynn, continues to halt traffic on the Strip. Inside, the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens change with the seasons. Looming at the registration desk is a glass sculpture designed by the artist Dale Chihuly. The resort is home to the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, also a Wynn vision. In the 40-table poker room hangs a painting by LeRoy Neiman, titled simply (and appropriately) The Game.
3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 693 7111, bellagio.com, doubles from $149

Wynn Encore

Photograph: Eric Kabik/Corbis

Encore opened as a twin to the equally giant Wynn in late-2008, and the two properties represent Steve Wynn’s greatest hits: fantastic restaurants, an interior design of canopies and coffered ceilings that bring to mind the effects of Bellagio. Upon opening, the resort threw a stack of cash and the use of a private jet to country music superstar Garth Brooks, booking his one-man show in the theatre next to Le Rêve. Appropriately, those shows meet in the middle of these hotels. For outdoor entertainment, try the Encore Beach Club, which sits nearly atop the Strip and is one of the finest pool clubs in town.
Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 770 7000. Wynn Encore Hotel, 3121 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 770 8000, wynnlasvegas.com, doubles from $189

Venetian-Palazzo

Photograph: Alamy

Gondoliers steer you through the Venetian, welcoming guests to the waterway that cuts through a replica of St Mark’s Square. Strolling performers sing operatic tunes, and it is all played out in a winding, pedestrian retail centre known as the Grand Canal Shops. The Venetian opened in May 1999, followed in 2007 by the Palazzo next door. Some of the city’s great shows and restaurants are here: Jersey Boys, Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular and the Blue Man Group. Lagasse’s Stadium at Palazzo is one of the city’s finest sports books, the only place in the city where you can find a man watching sport in the jersey of his favourite team, shouting at a big screen and devouring a banana creme pie dessert conceived by Lagasse himself.
Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 414 1000, venetian.com. Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, 3325 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 607 7777, palazzo.com, doubles from $169

Caesars Palace

Photograph: Ethan Miller/Reuters/Corbis

Caesars opened in 1966, has been known as one of the last standing haunts of the Rat Pack, the site of some of the greatest prizefights in history, and the spot where daredevil Evel Knievel went tea-over-teakettle in a 1967 motorcycle leap. These days, the stars are Celine Dion, Elton John and Rod Stewart. All take the stage at various times at the 4,100-seat Colosseum. Another popular show is Absinthe, held in a big white tent in the hotel’s Roman Plaza, near its entrance. One of the city’s first Strip retail centres, the Forum Shops, remains an ideal place to fling your credit card or put that blackjack hot streak to good use.
3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 731 7110, caesarspalace.com, doubles from $179

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan Hotel, Las Vegas.

If the Mirage launched the mega-resort era in Vegas, the Cosmopolitan seems to be its bookend. Built next to CityCenter, the resort stacks 2,995 rooms – the majority of which offer terraces and views of the Strip. Tucked into the Marquee nightclub, a three-storey party space, is an enclave known as the Library, where guests shoot pool and read Vegas-centric books, The signature gathering spot is the Chandelier bar, a bedazzled, multi-decked haven of hobnobbing. A pizzeria called, simply, Pizzeria, sits down an unmarked hallway, giving the impression you sort of have to know somebody to find the place. The concert and party centre, Boulevard Pool, is positioned high above the Strip.
3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 698 7000, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com, doubles from $160

Mandarin Oriental

Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas.

Perhaps the coolest floor in all of Vegas is the 23rd at the Mandarin Oriental, where the Mandarin Bar overlooks the Strip on one end and Pierre Gagnaire’s Twist looks out from the other. This is a non-gaming hotel, it has no grand theatre or any sort of resident production show or headliner. But it is one chic spot, with live jazz playing from the Mandarin Bar and visitors reclining in the lounge next to the reception. Yes, that is on the 23rd floor, too, a spot called the Sky Lobby. The hotel provides one of the great escapes in Las Vegas, a 27,000sqft.
3752 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 590 8888, mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas, doubles from $195

Mandalay Bay

Photograph: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Laden with deeply coloured floor tiling in its valet entrance and a uniquely curious fragrance that hints at citrus, Mandalay Bay is a genuine mega-resort with 3,300 rooms, and filled with an array of entertainment venues. The 12,000-seat Mandalay Bay Events Center hosts boxing and mixed-martial arts events, the House of Blues features emerging and contemporary pop acts. Upstairs two venues provide terrific views of the Strip: the cozy, pop art-laden Foundation Room and MIX restaurant and nightclub. Shark Reef, the watery walking park filled with sharks and other exotic, aquatic creatures, is the quintessential fun-for-the-entire-family attraction.
2950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 632 7777, mandalaybay.com, doubles from $130

Mirage

Photograph: Alamy

The Mirage can often be overlooked these days, as more gargantuan resorts have sprouted since it’s breathtaking opening in 1989. Siegfried & Roy once performed here, and these days the Beatles (with the Cirque du Soleil production Love) and a master ventriloquist (theatre headliner Terry Fator) rule the entertainment scene. Inside, the casino floor is shrouded in tropical surroundings. Guests walk through a glass atrium that lets the sun shine in, hearing the soothing sounds of a waterfall over the action at the casino. Mirage has been upgraded to keep pace with its taller competition, and is still one of the city’s major players on the Strip.
3400 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 791 7111, mirage.com, doubles from $60

The 8 Best Casino Hotels in Las Vegas

When visiting Sin City, why take a gamble on your accommodations? Double down with the eight best casino hotels in Las Vegas.

I’m standing outside The Bellagio watching more than 1,000 fountains gracefully dance in choreographed unison, waving along with the sounds of classical music as they shoot up 460 feet against the Las Vegas skyline. Suddenly, I get it. Sure, Vegas has seen its fair share of criticisms – it’s crowded, it’s crass, it plays to our lowest common denominator. But even the most jaded of visitors to the tourist-packed Sin City street would find it hard to deny the presence of sheer magic in the air.

As the self-described “Entertainment Capital of the World,” one of Earth’s most-visited tourism destinations attracts crowds for an infinite number of reasons, from buttoned-up business conventions to booze-fueled bachelor parties. But no matter what brings you here or which Cirque du Soleil show you are waiting on to start, everyone at some point sits down to place a bet. When gambling is a top priority on your trip, here are eight of the best casino resorts to book in Las Vegas.

Join the Daily Poker Tournaments at The Mirage

One of the first mega hotels on the Vegas street isn’t here to blow you away with over-the-top gimmicks or superfluous glamour. The 3,044-room AAA Four Diamond resort has been one of the top hotels on Vegas since it was built by Steve Wynn in 1989, with a classy old-school Vegas vibe that remains lively without being overly annoying.

Famous for long hosting one of the top poker rooms in Vegas, The Mirage‘s 100,000 square feet of gaming space includes a massive sports book, equipped with 85-foot HD projection screens, and themed slots such as Iron Man and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. After wandering the casino floor to get a lay of the land, saddle up to the 25-table poker room and try your hand at seven-card stud or join in on the daily No Limit Texas Hold’Em tournaments.

Lodgings range from tastefully decorated standard rooms to absurd three-bedroom villas with 24-hour personal chefs and butler service. Check out the nightly volcano eruption shows outside the casino, before heading over to Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak for dinner and capping the night with a performance of The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil. If you’re feeling adventurous, wander over to the adults-only Bare Pool Lounge for some “European-style sunbathing” and live DJs.

Highlights

Screen Time

The hotel’s sports book features 85-foot HD projection screens.

Find Love

The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil performs regularly.

The Mirage Hotel & Casino

Rated 4 stars out of 5

Top rated

Las Vegas

8.5 Excellent (54483 reviews)

Sip Scotch at the High Roller Table at The Bellagio

Inspired by the gorgeous Italian lakefront town of Bellagio and memorialized in the 2001 heist film Oceans Eleven, The Bellagio has long been synonymous with luxury in Las Vegas. However, it’s not just the world-famous fountains, the on-site art gallery or the hotel’s lush botanical gardens that make this hotel one of the top choices in Las Vegas.

The Bellagio’s sprawling 116,000 square feet of gaming space (roughly the size of two football fields) hosts one of the best gaming floors in Vegas, its sexy 40-table poker room a haven for pro players and World Poker Tour showdowns. You can also sip rare vintage Scotch while rolling the dice in the opulent Art Deco Club Prime high limit lounge, or pick out a winner amidst the hotel’s 2,300 slot machines.

Rooms are noted for their beauty and elegance, with accommodations ranging from simple yet luxurious hotel rooms to ultra-ritzy invite-only villas. When you’re done dominating the craps table like Danny Ocean, toast your winning with a fancy French feast at a table overlooking the fountains at the AAA Five Diamond Le Cirque. The next day, kick back at the Mediterranean-styled The Pool at the Bellagio Hotel for a more laid-back take on the typical Vegas pool party rager.

Highlights

Poker Face

The hotel’s opulent poker room is a haven for pro players.

Garden Party

In addition to the world-famous fountains, the hotel also boasts its own art gallery and botanical gardens.

Bellagio

Rated 5 stars out of 5

Top rated

Las Vegas

8.8 Excellent (44136 reviews)

Escape into Nature at Red Rock Casino Resort

Perched near the base of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, about 10 minutes west of the street, the 5-star Red Rock Casino Resort is the most criminally overlooked of all Las Vegas casino hotels. Take a break from the endless noise of the street and get back to nature, overlooking stunning sandstone canyons and picturesque red-hued mountains from the comfort of your room.

Gamblers will find a more intimate environment for planning a date with lady luck. Instead of getting lost in a maze of massive gaming floors, Red Rock offers a more manageable layout of 20 poker tables and 16 blackjack tables, along with baccarat, craps, roulette, bingo and a chic VIP high limit table games lounge. With 2,700 slot machines and a 200-TV-strong sports book, the resort is also known by locals as one of the best hotels for slots and video poker in Vegas.

Accommodations include chic, modern hotel rooms and opulent Grand Villa Suites. Play some poolside blackjack at the Sandbar Pool, see some live music at the on-site Rocks Lounge, or carve into some USDA Prime steak at T-Bones Chophouse. There’s even a 72-lane bowling alley with “cosmic” bowling on weekends for those who want a little fun without having to suffer through another cookie-cutter, eardrum-bursting Vegas nightclub experience.

Highlights

Rock Out

Enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and canyons of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Get Bowled Over

The hotel includes its own 72-lane bowling alley with “cosmic” bowling on weekends.

Red Rock Casino Resort

Rated 5 stars out of 5

Top rated

Las Vegas

9.0 Excellent (4610 reviews)

Play Blackjack by The Pool at Encore at Wynn

Together with the adjacent Wynn Las Vegas, Encore at Wynn is one of the largest and most opulent hotels in Vegas. Located on a quieter stretch of the street(north of most Vegas mega resorts) with all guests at the newer 2,034-room Encore given access to the full suite of amenities at the main 2,716-room Wynn, the combined resort claims the most five-star awards of any independent hotel in the world.

With an almost incomprehensible 263,000 square feet of gaming space between the two hotels, Encore’s gaming floor is a bit more laid-back and is home to the Wynn’s legendarily posh 28-table poker room. The hotel also boasts one of the widest varieties of table games and slots, in addition to a high limit gaming pavilion at its always-happening Encore Beach Club pool.

Rooms and suites are among the biggest on the street, unfurling excellent views of the skyline and mountains from as high as 48 stories. While the resort also includes its own shopping complex and 18-hole championship golf course, Encore’s most well known attraction is its massive 40,000-square foot XS Nightclub. Regarded as one of the world’s top clubs, it features a 10-foot rotating chandelier amidst an otherworldly assemblage of 10,000 lights set to pounding EDM music.

In the ever-evolving landscape of eCommerce, staying ahead requires constant adaptation and strategic insights. The Fospha State of eCommerce Report for Q1 2024 brings valuable data to the forefront, guiding marketers, advertisers, business owners, and agencies in the eCommerce industry on where to channel their efforts for maximum return.  

The report reveals a significant underinvestment in paid social channels, with advertisers reaching only 59% of their potential, suggesting an opportunity to nearly double spend for profitable returns.  

Here are some key takeaways from the report: 

Meta and TikTok emerge as leaders in paid social success, with Meta boasting the highest relative Return On Ad Spend (ROAS). Notably, TikTok stands out for new customer acquisition, outpacing other channels in driving new conversions.  
Snapchat’s major update has catapulted it as a growth channel worth watching, with a remarkable 504% increase in ROAS year-over-year.  
The report highlights a widespread issue in the industry: the underrepresentation of impressions-led channels by Google Analytics and ad platforms’ own attribution models. This discrepancy emphasizes the need for standardized measurement methods to accurately report performance.  

Now is the time to reassess your investment in paid social, explore the potential of emerging channels like Snapchat, and adopt reliable measurement methods to navigate the complex digital marketing landscape effectively. 

For a deep dive into these insights and to leverage them for your digital strategy, download the full Fospha State of eCommerce Report Q1 2024. Embrace the data-driven insights to refine your approach, optimize spend across platforms, and drive your eCommerce brand towards profitable growth.  

If you’re looking to turbocharge your brand’s growth, you’re in the right place. Fospha, a leader in marketing measurement and analytics, has just released a game-changing report: “Elevating eCommerce: Secrets of Scaling Brands.” This isn’t just another report—it’s your playbook for smashing those growth goals. Let’s dive in.

Key Strategies for Different Growth Stages

Fospha analysed 71 eCommerce brands to uncover the secret sauce behind the top performers at each growth stage. Whether you’re a startup, scaleup, mature, or majority offline, there’s gold in these insights.By diving into real-world case studies and expert opinions, Fospha unveils the significant impact of full-funnel marketing and upper-funnel investments on sustainable growth.

Upper Funnel Advertising: The best brands aren’t just throwing money at ads—they’re strategically investing. On average, they’re dedicating over 18% of their Meta budget and 22% of their TikTok spend to awareness and consideration. Why? Because brand visibility is king.

Lifecycle-Specific Strategies:

Startups: It’s all about building that brand awareness with Paid Social. Think big, get seen.
Scaleups: Now’s the time to double down on conversion activities and impressions-led media. Make those clicks count.
Mature Brands: Diversify the marketing mix, increase upper-funnel spending, and explore international markets.
Majority Offline Brands: Time to dive into Paid Social, despite traditionally relying on click-based channels like Performance Max.

Real-World Success Stories

Fospha’s report is packed with real-world case studies that show these strategies in action. Check out these brand wins:

Pooch & Mutt: By ramping up their TikTok spend, they improved customer acquisition costs (CAC) and saw revenue soar.
The Essence Vault: They kept their CAC steady while boosting their Meta spend, demonstrating efficient budget management.
Represent: They took efficiency to the next level and expanded their presence in the US market, thanks to their savvy TikTok investments.

Insights from the Experts

Fospha teamed up with Meta Marketing Science team to enrich the report with expert perspectives on effective growth strategies. Alfonso, Marketing Science Partner at Meta, highlights the importance of accurate and actionable measurement systems for smart marketing investments and driving growth.

Download the Report for In-Depth Insights

Want to take your eCommerce game to the next level? Get your hands on Fospha’s latest report. It’s packed with the data-driven insights you need to navigate different growth stages and make your marketing dollars work harder.

Click here to download “Elevating eCommerce: Secrets of Scaling Brands” report.

About Fospha

Fospha is a new type of marketing measurement. Using machine learning to combine multi-touch attribution and marketing mix modelling in one view, provides clear, actionable insights on where to spend to maximise your growth. With a cutting-edge approach Fospha shows you the impact of all clicks and impressions, restoring visibility you lost with iOS14 & 17 and future-proofing you against further privacy changes

Snapchat driving spend growth at higher efficiency

Nutrimuscle is a fast-growing sports supplement brand that started using Fospha in June 2023. Their goal was to grow by increasing conversions and effectively allocating spend, but like many businesses, one of the primary challenges they faced was the inability to track key metrics (i.e. Cost of Acquiring Customers) and lack of transparency into campaign performance.

Nutrimuscle wanted to understand where to allocate spend, and which channels would be most effective for increasing reach and conversions. Last click and ad platform measurement wasn’t enough- this is where they turned to Fospha.

Brand-building, brand messaging, and brand-resilience

When defining brand messaging and personality, it’s crucial to establish what your brand is and, more importantly, what it isn’t. Ruchika Kalra, brand director at Lastminute, highlighted GymShark’s clear message: “We do gym.” This simple statement conveys the company’s focus and helps potential customers understand when the brand’s offering can be valuable to them.

Once the brand voice and proposition are defined, consistent messaging across all touchpoints and channels is key to customer recognition. Be self-aware when communicating with customers and consider their perspective on the brand after encountering your messages. Social listening is a crucial skill for marketers to develop in this regard.

Consistency in messaging doesn’t mean uniform communication across all customer segments. It’s important to “speak your customer’s language” and tailor messages while maintaining the same brand tone.

With the emergence of AI-powered tools, it’s crucial to understand their impact on brand expression. Don’t simply change your website’s strapline when introducing a new AI-fueled tool.

Izabela Misiorny, CMO at Siteimprove, points out that marketers should consider whether altering your brand expression aligns with your overall vision for brand-building. Ask yourself: Is it just a pointless novelty? What value can the “AI-powered…” expression bring to the brand?

Taylor Swift’s approach to building brand evangelists is another powerful strategy to consider. No marketing campaign speaks louder than personal recommendations. Creating a community of advocates can help your brand reach a wider target audience. For B2B marketers, this means finding allies and forming partnerships with brands that share a similar vision for making an impact.

Misiorny also emphasized community building, self-awareness, and empathy in marketing as key components of brand resilience. In the face of economic downturns, industry disruptions like AI, and pressure to follow trends, a resilient brand will survive and thrive in this fast-changing world. Marketers should also cultivate a discerning attitude, periodically sense-checking their direction while maintaining a consistent brand proposition.

Customer loyalty and customer-centric experience

Customer-centric branding and communication across all channels are essential in today’s market. With the cost of acquiring customers through advertising increasing by 222% in recent years, customer loyalty has become not just a marketing goal but part of a comprehensive business strategy. Marketers should leverage existing customer relationships for growth.

Jim Rudall, GM of EMEA at MailChimp, emphasizes that the key to success is creating a positive and memorable customer experience by integrating scientific insights and personalization to enhance engagement and loyalty. To achieve this, businesses need to understand the deeper psychological factors influencing customer behaviors.

Rudall mentions the Fogg Behaviour Model: Behavior = Motivation * Ability * Prompts. Understanding why customers support your brand, their readiness to do so, and when to engage them on this journey can help you better comprehend their motivations.

Rather than focusing solely on rational factors like price and quality in loyalty strategies, consider the cognitive factors that influence how people perceive value. Rudall introduces a loyalty wheel comprising four neurobiological principles: rewards, memory, emotion, and social interaction. These pillars help marketers understand the scientific underpinnings of loyal actions. Remember, repeat purchases alone don’t define loyalty.

Content marketing and content reach

There’s an ongoing debate about the importance of being entertaining versus educational in content creation. While brands can create significant momentum through clever use of trends and entertaining content, it’s crucial to align your approach with your brand proposition.

When creating content, it’s important to tailor it to each platform. Resources may be limited, but content that performs well on one platform doesn’t necessarily translate to others. For example, polished product videos might be more appropriate for Instagram, while behind-the-scenes content could be better suited for TikTok.

Jenna Rak, Senior Director of Audience Development, Social Media and Analytics at Vogue, shared an example of discovering unexpected engagement on Reddit around their political covers. This highlights the importance of exploring where discussions about your brand are already taking place on less considered platforms.

Audience feedback is crucial to the content creation process. Strategies for incorporating feedback include using social listening tools, reviewing comments on platforms like TikTok (where 92% of consumers are actively engaged in the comments section), and considering call center data to identify customer pain points.

Robb Miller, VP of Sales at Issuu, points out that as we enter the visual economy, dynamic digital solutions are becoming necessary for content marketing. Having versatile tools that enable easy content transformation and distribution across multiple platforms can significantly speed up marketers’ content distribution tasks.

Marketing efforts measurement and cookie-less world

The impending deprecation of third-party cookies is driven by legislative changes, company preferences, and consumer sentiment against tracking. Businesses heavily reliant on cookies should prepare for changes, such as Google Chrome’s phase-out of cookies, and adopt new technologies offering cookie-less solutions.

Contextual first-party data is becoming more prominent as cookies are phased out. First-party data provides clearer indicators of user actions and can be used to target advertising more effectively. Miranda Glover, CMO at UNRIVLD, suggests that when marketers put performance metrics into context, they unlock the power of data.

Paul Wright, Head of Advertising International at Uber, shares that marketers should focus on standing out and getting engagement from consumers in an ad-saturated world. For instance, Uber is shifting away from search-based KPIs to focus more on attention-based evaluation of ad performance.

Data is crucial for understanding customer behavior and optimizing the customer experience. Effective data management leads to better personalization and, consequently, more successful marketing efforts. However, as Rak points out, data should inform rather than drive creative decisions, reinforcing the need for a balance between analytics and creative intuition.

There’s an ongoing tension between creativity and measurable performance in marketing. While it’s necessary to justify marketing expenditure with performance metrics, it’s also important not to stifle creativity, which is fundamental for brand differentiation and engaging customer experiences.

Ian Gibbs, Insight & Planning Director at DMA, highlights a misalignment between measurement metrics and business objectives. With average marketing budgets falling to 7.7% of overall company revenue in 2024, it’s crucial for marketers to demonstrate which efforts generate positive effects.

Gibbs emphasizes a shift from performance marketing to brand marketing. Despite budgets still favoring performance marketing, investments in brand measurement are yielding better results, including shareholder value and profit growth.

To improve marketing effectiveness and measurement, marketers should focus on meaningful metrics that resonate in the boardroom, rather than campaign delivery metrics like video plays or social media engagement. Building a unified measurement framework for alignment across the business is also crucial.

The role of a modern CMO

The role of CMO is evolving and multifaceted in the digital age. Key traits for modern CMOs include:

Being experimental: Always allocate budget and time to test new approaches for delivering messages to customers.
Balancing AI and human creativity: While AI can aid in content creation and basic tasks, explore its use for data analytics and operational tasks to free up time for creativity and strategy. CMOs should champion originality in content and enable their teams to perform better.
Enabling business growth: Marisa Thomas, CMO at Good-Loop, argues that CMOs should define their role based on the company’s growth stage and be proponents for change.
Cultivating an innovative culture: As leaders, CMOs should foster a non-restrictive mindset, show vulnerability with team members, and create a culture of trust and innovation within their teams.

Conclusion

The insights from DMWF Global 2024 underscore the importance of adaptability, creativity, and strategic thinking. Marketers must balance data-driven decisions with brand authenticity, prioritize customer-centricity, and embrace new technologies while remaining true to their core values.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, scaling a brand effectively requires more than just an innovative product or service. For D2C and e-commerce marketers, understanding the intricacies of growth strategies across different stages of business development is crucial.  

A recent analysis of 71 brands offers valuable insights into the optimal strategies for startups, scaleups, mature brands, and majority offline businesses. Here’s what we learned. 

Startup Stage: Building the Foundation 

Key Strategy: Startups focus on impressions-driven channels like Paid Social to establish their audience base. This approach is essential for gaining visibility and creating a strong initial footprint in the market. 

Case Study: Pooch & Mutt exemplified this strategy by leveraging Paid Social to achieve significant year-on-year revenue gains while also improving acquisition costs. This foundational step is crucial for setting the stage for future growth and stability. 

Scaleup Stage: Accelerating Conversion 

Key Strategy: For scaleups, having already established an audience, the focus shifts to conversion activities. Increasing spend in impressions-led media helps continue generating demand while maintaining a balance with acquisition costs. 

Case Study: The Essence Vault successfully applied this approach, scaling their Meta presence while minimizing cost increases. This stage emphasizes the importance of efficient spending to maximize conversion rates and sustain growth momentum. 

Mature Stage: Expanding Horizons 

Key Strategy: Mature brands invest in higher funnel activities to avoid market saturation and explore international expansion opportunities. This strategic pivot ensures sustained growth and market diversification. 

Case Study: Represent scaled their efforts on TikTok, enhancing growth and improving Meta efficiency. By expanding their presence in the US, they exemplified how mature brands can navigate saturation and seek new markets for continued success. 

Majority Offline Brands: Embracing Digital Channels 

Key Strategy: Majority offline brands primarily invest in click-based channels like Performance Max. However, the analysis reveals significant opportunities in Paid Social, suggesting a balanced approach for optimal results.