At the helm of Marketing and Communications for EMEA, covering around 18 markets for Lenovo ISG, Alexandre Blumenthal is in charge of leveraging digital marketing in B2B, but also communications, thought leadership, PR and social media. His Shiny New Object is simply “being real.”

Too many brands focus on making extraordinary claims that attract consumers’ attention, but how many actually establish a real connection? Do consumers believe them, or even care about their advertising? Asking these questions, Alexandre has come to the conclusion that good marketing strategy is all about stripping back the big claims and being real.

Marketing leaders can get wrapped up in advertising and marketing objectives. However, ads speak to real people on the street, who won’t have a reason to listen to your brand’s message unless there is something to catch their eye.

This is why Alexandre suggests that brands need to first understand their target audience, their pain points and decision-making processes. In B2B and B2C alike, before explaining why your product may be the best performing, you need to first establish a reason for your audience to listen to you.

Find out how more on how brands can 'be real' from Alexandre, as well as some top marketing tips, on the latest episode of the Shiny New Object Podcast.

The host of the Shiny New Object podcast is Tom Ollerton, founder of Automated Creative.