DSM

10/09/2026

Your company already has a position in the market. The only question is whether you chose it on purpose.

When positioning develops on its own, it usually reflects how the company talks about itself. Not what actually matters to buyers.

Strong positioning starts with the buyer, accounts for the competitive landscape, and gives people a clear, credible reason to choose you over the alternatives.

Dan Enrico, VP of Strategy at DSM, explains why positioning should be built deliberately, not inherited by default: https://thedsmgroup.com/positioning-work-most-b2b-companies-skip/

Positioning isn't a tagline or a value prop. It's the foundation every marketing program is built on. Most B2B companies skip the work — and pay for it in every campaign they run.

10/08/2026

Before a B2B buyer ever speaks with your sales team, your thought leadership may already be shaping how they see your company.

The strongest thought leadership builds that trust by consistently sharing a clear point of view, real expertise, and useful perspective during the buyer’s research process.

Over time, that can strengthen consideration, improve sales conversations, and make the rest of your marketing more effective.

Clayton Pollard, Senior Marketing Manager at DSM, outlines why thought leadership should be treated as a long-term B2B marketing asset, not just another content deliverable: https://thedsmgroup.com/b2b-thought-leadership-is-most-underutilized-asset/

Thought leadership builds the trust that makes every other marketing channel more effective. Most B2B companies are doing it wrong — or not doing it at all. Here's the fix.

10/07/2026

For this edition of What’s in My Rotation, meet Sierra de Blank.

Her take: a great idea only works if the right people are aligned behind it. Creative strength matters, but so does knowing when an idea is the right fit for the client.

And outside of work? Think Wind Walkers, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, gaming, and dark chocolate.

Get to know the people behind DSM: https://thedsmgroup.com/marketing-agency-new-jersey/

10/06/2026

Your competitors are constantly showing you how they’re approaching the market.

Their messaging, channel choices, paid campaigns, content, and positioning all provide clues about what they believe matters to buyers.

Competitive intelligence turns those signals into better decisions around positioning, channel strategy, and campaign planning.

Clayton Pollard, Senior Marketing Manager at DSM, explains how to make those insights useful: https://thedsmgroup.com/smart-marketers-use-competitive-intelligence-to-win/

Your competitors are telling you exactly what's working in your market — if you know how to listen. Here's how to build a competitive intelligence practice that sharpens your strategy.

10/02/2026

Most companies have a marketing plan. That's not the same as having a marketing strategy.

A plan tells you what's launching, where the budget is going, and which channels are active. Strategy answers the harder question: why this approach, and why now, will actually move the business.

Without that foundation, a team can execute every campaign exactly as planned and still end up with the same results.

Dan Enrico, VP of Strategy at DSM, explains why strategy needs to come before the next campaign calendar or agency scope: https://thedsmgroup.com/have-a-marketing-strategy-or-just-a-marketing-plan/

Most companies mistake a marketing plan for a marketing strategy. One tells you what you're doing. The other tells you why it will work. Here's the difference — and why it matters.

09/30/2026

Every marketing conversation seems to come back to AI right now.

Which tools are you using? How fast can your team move? What parts of ex*****on can you automate?

Those are fair questions. They are just not the whole conversation.

AI can speed up production, analysis, and personalization. But it cannot decide whether your positioning is differentiated, your offer is compelling, or your message is worth caring about in the first place.

Clayton Pollard, Senior Marketing Manager at DSM, writes about the part of AI adoption marketing leaders cannot afford to skip: the strategy underneath it: https://thedsmgroup.com/ai-wont-fix-a-bad-marketing-strategy/

AI is reshaping how marketing gets executed. It hasn't changed what separates good strategy from bad. Here's the distinction senior leaders shouldn't lose sight of.

09/28/2026

The metrics are up across the board.

Great.

Now what?

Your report shouldn’t leave a marketing leader with more numbers and the same questions. It should tell you what’s working, what isn’t, and what you should do next.

Because reporting isn’t the deliverable. An actionable strategy is.

See how DSM turns marketing data into direction: thedsmgroup.com

09/25/2026

You signed off on the strategy.

Could you defend it without the deck?

That is where a lot of marketing “ownership” starts to fall apart.

Approval means the plan made it past your desk.

Ownership means you understand the reasoning well enough to stand behind the budget, the tradeoffs, and the assumptions when the room starts asking harder questions.

Dan Enrico, VP of Strategy at DSM, covers the difference between approving a marketing strategy and actually owning one: https://thedsmgroup.com/do-you-really-own-your-marketing-strategy/

Most CMOs think they own strategy because they approve the plan. Ownership means something sharper than that and most haven't gotten there yet.

09/24/2026

Build your marketing team or hire the agency?

That question gets asked in growing marketing orgs all the time. It is also usually the wrong place to start.

The better test is whether your current setup gives you real strategic depth, or just more people waiting for direction.

In-house teams bring context and speed. Agencies bring specialized expertise and scale. The strongest model is often the one that gives you both without turning the relationship into another vendor handoff.

Kalina Totzeva, Marketing Manager at DSM, discusses what marketing leaders should really be asking before they decide whether to build in-house or find the right partner: https://thedsmgroup.com/inhouse-marketing-team-vs-agency-partner/

In-house or agency isn't really the choice. The real question is whether your partner acts like an extension of your team or like a vendor filling a ticket.

09/23/2026

A great day on the course for an even better cause! ⛳

The DSM team joined Cancer Hope Network for their 2026 Golf & Pickleball Classic, spending the day on the golf course in support of the incredible work they do for people impacted by cancer.

We’re always grateful to show up for our clients!