What you may have missed this year, and a reflection for 2025

I don’t know about you, but looking back, I posted a ton on social media this year.

Social media is a fascinating place. When it comes to what performs best, there are countless factors — many beyond your control. With each platform continuously evolving features and tweaking its algorithms, there’s no foolproof way to determine just how valuable and relevant an individual post really was (or could’ve been, under other circumstances or variables).

As part of my personal brand and marketing mix for my businesses, I continued to share content across various platforms this year, with the intention of it actually being valuable, inspiring or helpful in some way.

Sharing all things marketing, storytelling, social good and education

Since I can’t re-share it all for you here, I’ve turned to the analytics section of LinkedIn and YouTube to show you some of the top-performing posts this year. You’re reading an action-packed edition of The Intersection right now (this is your warning that it’s a long one). Note that just because they got the most attention, it doesn’t mean these are objectively the “best” posts, but they clearly resonated in some way.

Don’t worry, I haven’t selected any content that’s no longer relevant, or that was promoting a time-sensitive opportunity 😅 I continue to be a curator, even of my own content.

🎥 You’ll see that I’ve included some links to videos or posts throughout, and even some embedded videos at the end.

Read on for the ideas and insights from some of my top content of 2024.

A few reflection questions for you

Before we fully dive into all that content, I want to make sure you find these questions.

It's the perfect time of year to reflect on your work and life. I do a few reflections and exercises every December and January to take a look at myself, my goals, and the alignment of it all. There’s a new resource I’m using, mentioned in the video above.

The 10 Questions To Take On A Long Walk mentioned are part of a full free deck of Tools, Frameworks and Hard Questions for Self-Improvement in 2025 by Mark Pollard. (Maybe next year I’ll have my own to send you).

He says it's time to ask yourself: "What on earth am I doing with my life?” or “What on earth is my life doing with me?”

We go through so much in a year. Lots of change and evolution — personally, within our industries, and collectively as a society. There's so much to fill our time and minds that we often don't make enough time to reflect or set goals.

So I encourage you to take some time offline to do some reflection over the next few weeks. An hour can make an impact on a year. Enjoy!

If you found this valuable at all, feel free to share the video posted here on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Now actually, read on for the ideas and insights from some of my top content of 2024.

Matcha Mousse: A colour that inspired discussion

This is a recent post from last week that spread pretty quickly. As of last night, the post had 564 reactions with over 32,000 Impressions in a few days — which is great because it’s for an important cause.

Did you see Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year get announced?

If you’re a designer, you definitely saw that it’s Mocha Mousse.

I love me some earth tones.

But charity: water had a clever take on the colour, sparking a deeper conversation.

The organization highlighted how for 703 million people, water this colour is a daily reality. They’re reminding us that there’s an urgent need for clean water solutions. This has resonated far beyond the creative community.

This is some solid cause marketing in action. It’s so good to see it being timely and relevant. As a designer and a nonprofit guy, it’s a fun crossover.

Awesome work to the team behind this at charity: water.

Dirty water just got its 15 minutes of fame.

Time to correct autocorrect?

This campaign really caught my attention when I saw it circulating online.

As a designer who did my thesis on using design for social good, and having worked with nonprofits, particularly on marketing, I just had to share.

The I Am Not A Typo campaign calls for Big Tech to fix the fault in the default and develop technology that greater reflects the society in which it functions.

The lead stat is that 41% of names given to babies in the UK are 'incorrect', according to our devices' English dictionaries. I’m curious about the percentage in Canada or the US, too. It’s an issue that disproportionately affects names of African or Asian origin (as well as Scottish, Welsh and Irish names).

The collective behind this is aiming to create social change so no one feels like an oversight. They look at the link between identity and technology, challenging tech giants to adapt.

It’s a powerful use of clean design and typography for social good.

Failure sucks, but instructs.

I had the chance to hear 2 great stories of young founders who shared their “fuckups” publicly.

Having followed both of these founders for a while, it’s an epic reminder of how much we don’t see on social. A lot of people are going through more than you could possibly know.

Erica Rankin shared her journey with Bro Dough, and what life looked like before it — and now after making the call to shut it down after 4.5 years and file for bankruptcy.

Francesca Albo shared the many pivots of Puppysphere which started as a side hustle and evolved into a business with locations in Toronto, NYC, LA, Miami and more. 

So much of entrepreneurship culture is about growth and wins, so it’s always inspiring to hear these stories get shared.

“Failure is success in progress.” 
— Albert Einstein

(Shoutout to Marsha Druker who’s been curating and hosting Fuckup Nights events in Toronto for years now)

Has Gen Z broken the marketing funnel?

The consumer funnel was built for the old world — and Gen Z doesn’t live there anymore. Today's consumption is an "infinite loop of inspiration, exploration, community and loyalty".

So if you're a marketer or organization, how can you get attention?

It comes down to community — something both brands and nonprofits can harness. The report shares that secret sauce for brands today is making Gen Zs feel that they’re part of a community — and inviting them to explore a whole universe of relevant touchpoints.

PS — Watching other things happening during a video like this, split screens or multiple videos at once, holds Gen Z's attention longer (over half of them say).

Data Source: Archrival surveyed a nationally representative sample of 750 Gen Zs and 250 millennials, and conducted qualitative focus groups with dozens of Gen Zs. This was published in collaboration with Vogue Business.

How can you be more customer-centric if you don’t know your customers?

Be more customer-centric. (You've likely heard this).

The problem is that many business owners, nonprofit leaders, brand marketers and in-house teams don't know their customers deeply enough.

You may think you do, based on the data you have — but in the example in this photo, data on your customers can clearly represent very different people.

King Charles and Ozzy Osbourne could appear as the same person in the same category on paper, when you're looking at this data alone. (Thanks Joseph Ottorino for this comparison).

So it's hard to be customer-centric if you don't truly know your customers.

Today, many brands and nonprofits are investing in data. Not just collecting it, but properly interpreting it and leveraging it.

This epic slide was shared today by the Head of Marketing at Audi Canada, speaking about customer-centricity and data at the EAUC event hosted by Environics Analytics today in Toronto.

(Audi is a brand, but made up of many entities and departments. Their data sits inside their marketing team, but is now being shared with agencies, their internal CRM, product teams, maintenance and after-sales teams, and dealer network).

Here are a few takeaways from this:

• Customer understanding goes beyond demographics. You need to get into psychographics, track behaviours, and gather the right data to know who you're serving.

• Data isn’t just for marketers. It should flow through your entire organization, from sales to service, to ensure that every touchpoint reflects customer needs.

• Investing in the right data practices leads to better decisions. The more precise your data, the more aligned your strategies will be with the people you're serving.

The point of this post?

True customer-centricity comes from deeply knowing your audience and aligning every aspect of your business to serve them better. Getting the right data and using it across your organization is the key to achieving this.

Neil Patel’s best advice: The best form of marketing isn’t marketing.

After 22 years as a marketer, millions of monthly blog visits and an agency team quickly approaching 1000 employees globally, Neil Patel says the best advice he can offer is that the best form of marketing isn’t marketing.

Big companies are built with amazing products and care for customers, rather than marketing, he argues.

“No matter how much you spend on marketing, if you can’t figure out how to wow your customers and make their lives better in some way, you won’t win.”

Don’t think of marketing as the secret to growing or becoming successful — here’s an analogy Neil shared to explain:

Basically, you’ve gotta have something good to market! Once you do, branding helps tell that story and let people know it’s for them — then marketing tells them about it.

And yes, this applies to charities and nonprofits too — if your organization doesn’t have compelling, clear opportunities for people to contribute to and know the impact, they won’t simply donate when seeing social media marketing for example.

I’ve been following Neil’s blog for over a decade. It was amazing meeting him yesterday, hearing his insights and having a chance to ask a few questions.

What should today’s fresh creative talent know?

There’s an influx of talented students eager to enter the workforce at a challenging time — so what’s most important for them to know?

I’ve been teaching a couple of courses in the final semester of the Creative Advertising program at Seneca Polytechnic, and as the career-focused class just wrapped up, it’s time to share a few tips here.

Curiosity, resilience, problem-solving and building relationships are key in this industry. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of staying adaptable and continuing to learn — it doesn’t stop when you graduate.

Based on questions from my students, here are a few of the tips covered in our final class:

• Job Title Flexibility: All experience is valid. (Dianne B. preaches this). Be prepared to pursue diverse job opportunities beyond the specific agency role you’ve studied for. Gain experience through internships, freelancing, part-time options and non-agency roles as part of your portfolio and career journey.

• Role Requirements: Don't lie about skills you lack, focus on your strengths and still apply. Learn through online courses and freelance projects first to meet job requirements. Don’t be intimidated and learn on the job.

• Specialization: Explore various aspects of advertising before specializing. Be open to gaining experience in digital marketing, social media, content creation and other practices within the industry, before being exclusive.

• Soft Skills: Focus on developing skills like clear communication, empathy, and adaptability. Leadership qualities are also valued, whether you’re in a management role or not.

• Portfolio Building: Showcase transferable skills through portfolios if you don’t have the perfect portfolio for the role. Join industry associations too. Do some volunteer pro bono work to put your skills into practice while supporting a good cause.

• Introverts: Not all roles require constant client interaction. Set boundaries, manage energy levels, and focus on tasks that matter most. (Great tips from April Hossain).

• Avoid Pigeonholing Yourself: Seek mentorship for exposure to new roles. Diversify clients and express interest in different areas.

• Have Conversations: Mark Simone recommends engaging in 100 conversations with industry professionals for insights and to improve interview skills. He also suggests auditing your inner circle to ensure positive influences on professional development.

• Solution-Focused Mindset: Mark shared that he looks for team members who have an entrepreneurial mindset, focused on actively seeking solutions rather than solely identifying problems. He encourages candidates to approach challenges with proactive problem-solving strategies, and avoiding negative comments about previous experiences.

• Career Transitions: If you’re moving into advertising from another industry, highlight transferable skills and apply learnings across roles. Don't hesitate to transition if a role doesn't align with your goals.
  

Customer experience for Canadian consumers in 2024

This year’s CMAcx event focused on the role of Customer Experience for Canadian Consumers in 2024, hosted by the Canadian Marketing Association.

It emphasized the importance of aligning business strategies with customers' needs to foster loyalty and engagement through personalization, authenticity, convenience, and empathy — and the need for accessible data, efficient tools for agents, and responsive feedback to create a seamless experience.

I had the opportunity to moderate the panel discussion with reps from a wide range of industries:

Alison Cox, Distinguished Designer at IBM Consulting Canada shared her expertise on the unique challenges faced in implementing CX strategies across various industries such as finance, retail, and the public sector. As a service provider, she highlighted the complexities of integrating digital transformation initiatives and the importance of tailoring approaches to the needs and regulations of each sector. She emphasized the use of design thinking and service design to map user journeys and enhance overall customer experiences.

Marina Ramic Baric, VP of Marketing at Osmow's discussed the power of viral campaigns in the fast-casual restaurant industry. She shared how their National Shawarma Day campaign significantly boosted consumer engagement and improved brand perception. She emphasized understanding consumer behaviour and trends to create impactful marketing that resonates with audiences and drives brand loyalty.

Matt McGowan, General Manager of Canada at Snap Inc. shared the innovative use of augmented reality by Snap to enhance user experience within the platform (so many opportunities for brands on Snapchat). He discussed the potential of AR to revolutionize customer interactions, offering immersive and interactive experiences. He highlighted how AR can facilitate self-expression, learning, and fun, with Snapchat leading the use of technology to connect people in meaningful ways.

Vivianne Gauci, SVP of Customer Experience & CMO at HomeEquity Bank addressed the challenges of capturing and utilizing the voice of the customer in the financial services sector. She outlined the initiatives they've implemented to transition into a more customer-centric organization, including enhanced feedback mechanisms and the use of customer insights to drive marketing and CX strategies. She shared examples of listening to customers and integrating their feedback to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction.

Everyone also shared their perspectives on what consumers of the future will expect from brands, emphasizing the need for continuous innovation and responsiveness to changing customer needs.

I posed a reminder to focus on the "human" element in CX — businesses need to motivate their employees to develop and use their skills effectively in serving customers, even as AI and technology play an increasingly prominent role in shaping customer experiences.

Tired of reading?

Now for a few videos

As a founder, should you brand your business or yourself? Here’s what I shared during a panel discussion:

And just a couple of entrepreneurs named Daniel talking about collaboration — from small businesses to nonprofit organizations:

Why invest in founder-led marketing and personal branding when building a startup? Here’s a clip from when I took the stage at the Startup Canada Tour for the final keynote to share the latest stats and best practices:

And lastly, a clip of me addressing the common question: When should you outsource your marketing vs. hiring a team in-house?

There’s more where these came from on my YouTube channel.

Thank you for your time and attention.

This past year, I invested in my content to increase frequency, quality and improve my storytelling. You may have engaged with some of my videos shared here on LinkedIn, you may have even subscribed to my weekly newsletter — I’m very grateful for that.

Every comment, like, share, plus every subscriber and piece of feedback, helps to support the work I do, and my goal of making more positive impact.

Not every piece of content gets the reach it deserves, and sometimes only a handful of people engage. That’s the journey with anyone posting online.

There’s many variables you can’t control, like your video hook, posting frequency or timing, but ultimately the algorithms and platforms are evolving so much that there’s a lot out of your hands.

That doesn’t mean you stop creating or posting. And I won’t stop sharing either.

Even if you just skimmed this super long email, I hope you’ve found something valuable within it that you can take in or reference later.

Thank you so much for reading and being a subscriber of The Intersection.

Want to collaborate in 2025?

Alongside teaching again in January, I’m here to help you tell your story and build your brand to make more impact. You can find out more about how I can support at danieldoes.co.

If you made it this far and are looking to connect, feel free to book a quick call with me here (there’s no cost).

Thank you again.

Wishing you a restful holiday!

Daniel