Author: Alison Bukowski

Choose your own Adventure(s): Executing a Customer-led Marketing Strategy – BE GENTLE BULLDOZER (AKA PUSH & PRIORITIZE)

Choose your own Adventure(s): Customer-led MarketingGENTLE BULLDOZER (PUSH & PRIORITIZE) I first said, “Be a gentle bulldozer” six years ago at Bill Lee’s summit on customer engagement. Melissa Brown and I were presenting on the topic of securing internal champions–getting them excited about customer advocacy so they would advocate on our behalf. I use the […]

Choose your own Adventure(s): Executing a Customer-led Marketing Strategy – CREATIVITY

CREATIVITY “Alison, you’re too creative to get stuck in a job like this one,” said my father when, at age 19, I shared an interest in law school (following in his footsteps). My Dad didn’t give a lot of advice growing up – his parenting style was leading by example and letting me manage my […]

Choose your own Adventure(s): Executing a Customer-led Marketing Strategy – Data

March 9, 2023DATA I’m nostalgic; I like taking a sentimental sabbatical. Nostalgia this week for customer marketing 2010, when value was defined by awesome customer events, smiling faces a barometer of success. Building relationships meant I got references/testimonials on the fly. I was a hero. But not today – gotta bring the numbers. The impact […]

Choose your own Adventure(s): Executing a Customer-led Marketing Strategy – ALIGNMENT

March 2, 2023ALIGNMENT Then: It’s not about what you know, it’s who you know. Now: It’s not about who you know, but to whom you are aligned. During the years I focused solely on customer advocacy, I sat within five different areas of the business. The worst spot? Operations & Technology – yeah, I didn’t […]

Choose your own Adventure(s): Executing a Customer-led Marketing Strategy – TRUST YOUR GUT

February 27, 2023TRUST YOUR GUT 👄 Confession: Six months into my first customer advocacy role, I wanted to quit. I started searching for and interviewing for new jobs. I was exhausted, frustrated, and demoralized. Advocacy was new to my business unit and my internal stakeholders just weren’t getting it. I wasn’t making progress, they weren’t […]

Choose your own Adventure(s): Executing a Customer-led Marketing Strategy – GET TOUGH

February 24, 2023GET TOUGH; KNOW YOUR VALUE 🙄 “You’re pretty flexible for a big girl.”😕 “You’re not really fat, just kind of husky.”😶 “Well, I mean, you’re really tall, so…” 😤 “Wow, I didn’t think someone so young could be in that role.”😣 “So basically you don’t really work, you just take people to dinner.”😠 […]

Choose your own Adventure(s): Executing a Customer-led Marketing Strategy – DEFINE

February 21, 2023DEFINE (AKA WHAT’S IN A NAME?) I could quote Shakespeare, but instead, I’ll reiterate: It’s about damn time customer marketing found its rightful position driving strategy, not just supporting it – and if that means an adventure that will be exhilarating, exhausting, and terrifying, let’s do it. There is still debate, years later, […]

Choose your own Adventure(s): Executing a Customer-led Marketing Strategy – SECURE SUPPORT

February 14, 2023SECURE SUPPORT Confession: I don’t like Valentine’s Day – it stems from 6th grade; if anyone wants to hear the heartbreaking story, message me. That said, I like what it represents: acknowledging special people in our lives and thanking them for their support. So today it’s fitting I acknowledge the support I have […]

Choose your own Adventure(s): Executing a Customer-led Marketing Strategy – THE BEGINNING

February 12, 2023THE BEGINNING I first used this phrase to describe building a customer advocacy program about three years ago. And it resonated, even though it’s a simple premise: It’s why I cling to #peoplebeforeprofessionals – not because I want a catchy hashtag, but because it’s people who drive business decisions and outcomes. It’s why […]