Happy Marketer Connection Ep. 13: Shonda Brown, Church & Dwight on “Pivoting”

There has never been a better time to talk about business pivots. And few better to discuss it than Shonda Brown, Senior Associate Brand Manager at Church & Dwight, who lived the lessons of rapid and continuous responsive change over the past six months. An advocate of consumer engagement, she discusses the ways her Krew – the ARM & HAMMER Kitty Krew that is – have helped her successfully navigate the pandemic on this week’s episode of Happy Marketer Connection podcast.

Happy Marketer Connection Episode 13
Shonda Brown, Senior Associate Brand Manager at Church & Dwight
Theme “Pivoting”

Hear from Shonda about how to pivot your career and your marketing strategies, the game-changing insights that come from online brand communities, what Shonda has learned about cats and cat owners from her online community, how to market organically, and why Shonda decided not to become a lawyer.

To listen on Apple Podcasts click here.
To listen on Spotify click here.

Episode Highlights

• Intro
• [0:17] Sue Frech, Happy Marketer Connection, Vesta
• [0:39] Shonda Brown, Senior Associate Brand Manager at Church & Dwight
• Sue Frech interviewing Shonda Brown on PIVOTING
• [1:11] Pivot
• [1:42] Icebreaker: What did Shonda want to be when she grew up?
• [1:51] Lawyer, Law School
• [3:04] Sales
• [3:11] How did Shonda switch to marketing?
• [3:21] University of Delaware (UD), Financial Services, Insurance
• [3:53] Sales Pitch
• [4:10] Business School, Mentor
• [4:29] IBM
• [5:17] MBA (Masters of Business Administration) at La Salle University
• [5:35] National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods)
• [5:52] Career Fair, Networking
• [6:57] How do you engage the consumer today?
• [7:12] Digital Marketing
• [7:33] TV Ads, Social Media
• [7:59] Cat Litter, Kitty Litter
• [8:10] Aha Moment
• [9:48] How does Shonda leverage her online brand community ARM & HAMMER Kitty Crew?
• [10:12] COVID-19
• [11:34] Nano-Influencers, Influencers, ARM & HAMMER
• [12:34] Podcast
• [12:40] What type of marketer is Shonda?
• [13:01] Forecasting, Nielsen
• [14:42] Consumer Engagement
• [14:57] Psychology
• [15:06] Retailer, Shopper Marketing
• [15:43] eCommerce (eComm)
• [15:53] What does Shopper Marketing look like during the pandemic?
• [16:12] Walmart, Meijer, In-Store Demos
• [16:28] ABSORBX
• [16:46] In-Store Promotions, Virtual Demos, Advertising
• [18:14] CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery)
• [18:19] Event Marketing
• [18:51] Supply Chain
• [19:01] How have online sales grown during the pandemic?
• [19:44] Brick-and-Mortar
• [19:54] Amazon, Chewy
• [20:05] What other marketing trends have come up due to the pandemic?
• [20:33] Eco-Friendly Packaging
• [21:29] How does Shonda view her career progression?
• [22:22] Finance, P&L (Profit & Loss Statement)
• [22:57] Community Powered Marketing delivers a new world of sales growth. Learn more at Vesta-Go.com
• [23:15] Question from the Smiley360 community: Why did Shonda choose to build an online community?
• [23:57] Culturelle, Probiotics
• [24:30] Sampling
• [26:31] Efficacy
• [27:08] Innovation
• [27:33] Data
• [27:38] What positive story does Shonda have to share?
• [28:28] Quarantine
• [29:44] Mom Guilt
• [30:39] Gen X (Generation X)
• Outro
• [30:52] Connect with Shonda on LinkedIn.
• [31:32] Thank you for listening! Subscribe to Happy Marketing Connection on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more
• [31:43] Connect with Sue on LinkedIn or Twitter at @SueFrech, and Vesta-Go.com
• Theme Song: Hello (Extended Version) – Paul Werner – provided by Jamendo

Get Connected
Connect with Shonda on LinkedIn.

Get More Happy Marketer Connection
Check out previous episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts:
Episode 1: Welcome to Happy Marketer Connection with Guest Marlea Clark, CMO of Stella Rising on “Evolution”
Episode 2: Dawn Dobras, CEO of Credo Beauty on “Champion”
Episode 3: Gina Bonafede, Director of Marketing at DAS Companies on “Connection Marketing”
Episode 4: Tom Deierlein, Co-Founder and CEO, Thundercat Technology on “Grit”
Episode 5: Michele Muhammad, CMO of DSE Healthcare on “Transformational Marketing”
Episode 6: Chris Pyne, Founder and President, Junction 37 on “Values”
Episode 7: David Rich, Founder, Palabra on “Storytelling”
Episode 8: Alex Colkitt, Content and Community Strategist, Sir Kensington’s on “Engagement”
Episode 9: Alan Sutton, VP Global Sales and Operations, Jay At Play on “Heritage”
Episode 10: Anne Candido, Co-Founder, Forthright People on “Brand Love”
Episode 11: Cathy Murphy, Co-Founder and CEO, Venus Media Group on “Balance”
Episode 12: Rachel Braun Scherl, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, SPARK Solutions for Growth

About the Happy Marketer Connection Podcast
Welcome to Happy Marketer Connection. Marketers know it’s the connections we make – between ideas, people, and brands –  that make all the difference. Each week, Happy Marketer Connection invites you to connect with our Co-Founder and CEO Sue Frech, Martech pioneer, and unfailing optimist, as she and her fellow passionate marketers explore engaging and inventive marketing strategies and toast brands making impactful consumer connections.