DSM

08/28/2026

Pick one: brand or performance.

That's the wrong question, and it's costing you. Performance captures demand that's already there. Brand makes more of that demand exist in the first place, and makes buyers easier to convert when it does.

Clayton Pollard, Senior Marketing Manager at DSM, on why the strongest programs never choose between the two: https://thedsmgroup.com/running-brand-and-performance-marketing-together/

Performance without brand is a race to the bottom. Brand without performance can't justify its budget. Here's why the best programs run both.

08/26/2026

New marketing leader, day one: everyone's watching for a big move.

That's exactly the wrong instinct. The leaders who last spend the first 90 days figuring out what's actually broken before they touch anything, so the plan they build is one the business will actually back.

Here's what Dan Enrico, VP of Strategy at DSM, has seen separate the leaders who stick from the ones who don't: https://thedsmgroup.com/90-day-playbook-new-marketing-leader-should-run-2/

The first 90 days in a new CMO or VP of Marketing role set the tone for everything that follows. Here's the playbook the best marketing leaders actually run.

08/25/2026

Most agency briefs read like a task list. Deliverables, deadlines, done.

The good ones do something different: they give the agency enough business context to make smart calls without running back to you for every decision.

Kalina Totzeva, Marketing Manager at DSM, walks through what actually belongs in a strong brief, and why skipping it costs you later: https://thedsmgroup.com/the-agency-brief-that-sets-everyone-up-to-win/

Most agency briefs are too vague to produce great work. Here's how to write one that sets your agency up to deliver — and holds them accountable.

08/24/2026

Big numbers don’t always mean big results.

10,000 likes. 1 million impressions. A record-high CTR.

Cool. What did it actually do for the business?

Our first Marketing Agency Hot Take is all about vanity metrics, and why getting likes doesn't equal business results.

Ready to focus on marketing that actually moves the business? Visit thedsmgroup.com.

08/21/2026

Your board does not need more marketing data.

It needs the right data, presented in a way that connects marketing activity to business decisions.

The strongest board conversations are not built around every metric marketing can track. They are built around the numbers leadership can actually use.

Dan Enrico, VP of Strategy, covers which marketing metrics belong in the boardroom, and which ones do not: https://thedsmgroup.com/marketing-metrics-that-matter-to-your-board/

Not all marketing metrics are equal — and most boards don't care about the ones marketing teams love to report. Here's what to measure and how to present it.

08/20/2026

Your buyers are on LinkedIn. That does not mean your LinkedIn strategy is built to reach them.

Too many B2B companies treat the platform like a place to post updates instead of a channel for building trust, shaping demand, and creating a real path to pipeline.

Kalina Totzeva breaks down why most LinkedIn strategies fall short, and what needs to change if the goal is business growth: https://thedsmgroup.com/linkedin-b2b-strategy-that-drives-pipeline/

LinkedIn is the highest-intent B2B platform available. Most companies are using it wrong. Here's what a LinkedIn strategy that actually drives pipeline looks like.

08/19/2026

You already know a bad marketing hire costs more than the salary.

It’s the months spent getting them up to speed. The campaigns that never launch. The momentum lost while the business waits for the role to start producing.

Before you post the job req, it’s worth asking whether in-house is actually the faster path or just the more familiar one.

We broke down the hidden cost of a bad marketing hire and where an agency partnership changes the math: https://thedsmgroup.com/what-a-bad-marketing-hire-really-costs/

A bad marketing hire costs more than a salary. Here's the real price — and why agencies change the risk calculation entirely.

08/13/2026

Leadership skepticism about marketing often comes down to one thing: unclear proof of business impact.

If marketing performance is not being connected to revenue, pipeline, and return, even strong work can be difficult for a CEO or CFO to evaluate.

The stronger conversation starts with a clearer case for what marketing is contributing and why it matters to the business.

In our latest blog, we break down how marketing leaders can prove value to a skeptical leadership team and build credibility over time.

Read the full blog here: https://thedsmgroup.com/how-to-prove-marketings-value-to-a-skeptical-leadership-team/

When leadership questions marketing’s value, it often comes down to how the data is presented. Here’s how to build a stronger case and show impact.

08/11/2026

When marketing performance is not where it should be, the instinct is often to start changing things.

New campaigns. New budgets. New priorities. But without a clear understanding of what is actually working, faster activity can just create more confusion.

A strong marketing audit gives CMOs the clarity to make better decisions before they start changing the program.

In our latest blog, we break down what a marketing audit actually reveals and why it can be one of the most important first steps for improving marketing performance.

Read the full blog here: https://thedsmgroup.com/before-you-build-anything-new-run-a-marketing-audit/

A real marketing audit isn't a report card. It's a strategic reset — and the best CMOs run one before they build anything new.

08/10/2026

What’s in Matt’s rotation?

As DSM’s Art Director, Matt is always looking at the details and the creative choices that bring a brand to life.

So we asked what’s been fueling his creativity lately, both inside and outside the workday.