Scaling Startups and Building Brand Trust

Listen to Alex Gassner, Director of Growth and Ecommerce at The Absorption Company share her thoughts about building a high-impact brand.

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Table of Contents

Alex Gassner is the Director of Growth and Ecommerce at The Absorption Company, a highly absorbable supplement brand. In her role, she has led website optimization, overhauled email flows, and launched paid media campaigns. Before The Absorption Company, Alex was the Director of Ecommerce at Moon Juice.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [0:42] Alex Gassner shares how she entered the marketing industry
  • [5:01] How The Absorption Company enhances supplement absorption
  • [8:51] The challenges of growing a startup brand and building consumer trust
  • [13:36] Alex talks about the unique dynamics of celebrity-founded brands
  • [17:54] How brand awareness impacts sales, especially during peak seasons like Cyber Week
  • [20:21] Measuring marketing performance and communicating results to leadership
  • [28:44] Best practices for managing agency partners and external teams

In this episode...

Many brands struggle to stand out in a crowded market, especially when launching a new product in a competitive industry. Beyond product quality, companies must educate consumers, build trust, and create a compelling brand story to drive conversions. How can businesses balance brand awareness, performance marketing, and consumer education to fuel long-term growth?

With businesses struggling to communicate their true value to potential customers, growth and e-commerce marketer Alex Gassner emphasizes the importance of brand trust and communication. Companies should craft compelling messaging, strategically leverage organic and paid marketing, and build a long-term strategy rather than relying solely on promotional spikes. Well-crafted narratives can differentiate companies in a saturated market, and partnering with authentic influencers can build credibility, helping to reach new audiences.

In this episode of Chief Advertiser, Samir Balwani interviews Alex Gassner, Director of Growth and Ecommerce at The Absorption Company, about building a high-impact brand. Alex talks about the challenges of launching a brand with celebrity co-founders, the importance of balancing short-term revenue tactics with long-term brand building, and how to manage agency partners and external teams.

Where to listen:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

  • "It’s nice when the brand I work for aligns with what I’m interested in in my personal life."
  • "Brand awareness plays a huge role in everything. It’s not just promoting and spending."
  • "The way to grow as a business is by looking at the underlying KPIs on a weekly basis."
  • "It’s important to make agency partners feel like they’re truly part of the team, not outsiders."
  • "You can’t educate until people appreciate you as a source of truth and actually trust you."

Action Steps:

  1. Invest in brand awareness early: Building recognition before focusing on conversions helps establish trust and credibility with potential customers. Without strong brand awareness, performance marketing efforts may struggle to generate meaningful long-term results.
  2. Educate consumers on your product’s unique value: Clear, compelling messaging helps potential buyers understand why your brand stands out in a crowded market. Consumers are more likely to purchase when they fully grasp the benefits and differentiators of a product.
  3. Leverage influencer partnerships strategically: Selecting influencers whose audiences align with your brand’s mission ensures more authentic and impactful promotions. Rather than focusing solely on follower count, brands should prioritize engagement and credibility.
  4. Balance short-term revenue with long-term growth: Relying too heavily on discounts or promotional spikes can lead to unsustainable business practices. A well-rounded marketing strategy should include both immediate sales drivers and brand-building efforts.
  5. Develop a strong measurement framework: Tracking the right KPIs allows brands to make data-driven decisions and optimize marketing spend effectively. A clear measurement plan helps companies identify which strategies are driving the most sustainable growth.
Episode Transcript

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