Your customers have so many options, so many different ways that they can relay feedback to you. Sometimes they call you, other times they fill in surveys. If you're like me, sometimes you just go to Twitter and shout it out publicly and hope that the company is monitoring it. The ways in which your customers can provide feedback has never been more complex.

Customers are communicating with businesses. They're providing unparalleled insights to inform brands, organizations, the companies that they deal with, with all kinds of information. Now, the question is, are you as someone working in that business truly listening? Sometimes you actually think you are, but are you really? Do you really know how to listen to all of those different channels of feedback?

Shannon Katschilo is the GM and Vice-President of Medallia in Canada. She has a long career focused on all kinds of different verticals and industries where she has spent her time helping organizations understand what their customers are telling them. Shannon provides us with a great list of five things that leaders and businesses need to do to really understand their customers.

1. Listen before you lead
2. Leverage your employee insights
3. Pulse check your ego
4. Place power in the positive
5. Ask the right questions

Listen in as Shannon and I discuss what these mean and how you can apply them in your business so that you don't miss out on what your customers are trying to tell you.

The Canadian healthcare system is typically ranked as either the lowest ranked or second lowest ranked performing healthcare system of all developed world nations. Our physicians are great. Our procedures, world class. Then why such a low ranking?

According to Dr. Brett Belchetz, the reason why we are so far behind in the rankings is access.

Only about half of Canadian doctors work full-time. That is one of the main reasons why Canadians wait so long for care. The perception is that there simply are not enough doctors. In fact, it's because we're not using our doctors properly.

Dr. Brett Belchetz is trying to tackle this exact issue. He is the CEO and Co-founder of Maple, Canada’s leading virtual care provider connecting patients and healthcare providers like doctors and therapists for online medical visits in minutes. He’s also a practicing physician in Toronto, and a Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute. In addition, Brett’s passion for healthcare communication and policy have led him to work as an on-air medical expert for CTV and Global News, as well as a contributor to outlets such as the National Post. Previously, Brett worked as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company.

It is estimated that about 70% of the visits that people are making to clinics, hospitals and their family doctors can be digitized. Maple is out to enable that. As Maple continues to evolve, it is moving to a proactive model, where they can let patients know the frequency of visits that they need to have. They will tip you off when you need a screening test done or an intervention done. They will have resources available between those healthcare visits. So it's not just see a healthcare provider and you're kind of on your own until the next visit in a month or three months. It's an entire program.

Best of all, Dr. Belchetz wants to make this made in Canada healthcare IP the basis of healthcare systems around the world.

Is your B2B marketing playbook built for a generation that's no longer in charge? With 71% of B2B decision-makers now being Gen Z or Millennial, the old strategies of white papers and logo-heavy content are becoming obsolete. The leaders who will win are the ones who adapt—and fast.

This week, Corby sits down with Matt Derella, a pivotal leader in digital advertising who currently runs the ads business at LinkedIn and formerly served as the Chief Customer Officer at Twitter. Matt provides an insider's look at the massive shifts reshaping the industry and offers a new playbook for growth, leadership, and C-suite alignment.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why the rise of Millennial and Gen Z decision-makers requires a fundamental shift from logos to people and from text to video.
• How to get your CMO and CFO on the same page by ditching vanity metrics and focusing on what truly matters: quality pipeline.
• Leadership lessons on courage and challenging the status quo, forged during a crucial turnaround period at Twitter.
• How AI is "lifting the floor" for creative output and why human craft and trusted expertise will become more valuable than ever.
• Practical, non-negotiable principles for leading with respect and getting the best from your team.

Tune in for a masterclass in future-proofing your marketing strategy and leadership with one of the industry's most insightful leaders.

Today, Corby welcomes Jon Finnie, the head of international sales for Yahoo Ads. With a rich background in Canadian marketing, advertising, and media, Jon shares his insights on driving revenue across Yahoo's diverse consumer properties, including Yahoo News, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, as well as its demand side platform, Yahoo DSP.

Tune in to hear Jon discuss the evolving landscape of digital advertising, the importance of empowering buyers with control over their campaigns, and how Yahoo is navigating privacy regulations and the shift to a cookie-less environment. Discover how AI is revolutionizing campaign optimization and audience targeting, and get a glimpse into the future of marketing in 2025.

Don't miss this engaging conversation filled with industry expertise, practical advice, and a touch of nostalgia as Corby and Jon reflect on the past and look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead. Subscribe now and stay ahead in the ever-changing world of digital marketing! 🚀

Many of us strive to work at the intersection of really smart people, really strong technology advancement and differentiated thinking. That combination of elements ultimately leads to better results. Sean Downey, President, Americas & Global Partners at Google lives at that intersection.

As Sean explains, you have to have a really innovative culture that has tremendous amounts of psychological safety, where people feel like they can come in and contribute ideas and that they belong. Only then will they feel really comfortable pushing the envelope on how to innovate and make things better. Oh, and he never punishes failure. As Sean states, "I love a healthy dose of failure and it's something that as long as we learn something, we can fall forward on it."

Sean believes that innovative organizations strike a healthy balance between innovation and doing the common things commonly. He states that "we're here to invent status quo." What does this mean? Well, Sean likes to innovate on the edge, and he has a cycle that starts with incubation as an idea in the form of a test, which then he proves works. Then and only then does Sean think about growing it, along with a handful of other things that were also successful. And then, he thinks about scaling it. Once scaled, it become the new common and the new starting point for the cycle to start over.

As President of Americas & Global Partners at Google, Sean leads the company’s advertising business in North and South America. Before this role he served as the Vice President of the Google Marketing Platform for the Americas, helping Marketers, Agencies and Partners leverage data and technology to advance their Digital Marketing Maturity and buy and measure media more efficiently. Prior to joining Google in 2008, Sean was the Vice President of Buy Side Sales at DoubleClick, where he led their agency and advertiser business. Sean has also worked in various ad technology and software startups, and over the course of his career has brought various evolving advertising technologies to market such as rich media and programmatic buying and analytics.

In this episode, seasoned industry experts Kevin Krossing and Jeff Dack gather around the virtual table to dissect the ever-evolving landscape of creative agencies. Buckle up as we unravel intriguing insights, heated debates, and fresh perspectives on what lies ahead for these dynamic entities.

1. Art vs. Agency Work: The Great Debate

🎨 Artistic Boundaries: Is agency work truly an art form? We delve into the delicate balance between creativity and client briefs. When does a piece transcend mere commercial intent and become a masterpiece? Prepare for a lively exchange of ideas!

📜 The Brief Dilemma: Imagine a canvas where client requirements meet artistic expression. We explore the tension between fulfilling briefs and pushing creative boundaries. Can an agency’s work be both functional and soul-stirring?

2. Maximizing Client Budgets: The Alchemy of Value

💰 Stretching the Dollar: Kevin and Jeff spill the beans on their secret sauce for maximizing client budgets. Discover ingenious strategies that transform limited resources into impactful campaigns. Sometimes, it’s not just about doing more with less—it’s about doing better.

🔍 The Hidden Equation: Ever heard of “one plus one equals three”? Dive into the magic of synergy. A well-crafted creative product can amplify results beyond expectations. We decode the alchemy behind stretching those client dollars.

3. Navigating the Digital Frontier

🌐 Digital Disruption: The digital age has reshaped agency-client dynamics. From social media campaigns to immersive experiences, we discuss how agencies adapt to this brave new world. Buckle up for insights on data-driven creativity and the power of storytelling in pixels.

🚀 Agencies as Innovators: Beyond ads and billboards, agencies now wield tech-savvy tools. We explore AI-driven insights, virtual reality escapades, and the fusion of content and code. How do agencies stay ahead in this digital arms race?

4. The Human Element: Creatives, Clients, and Collaboration

🤝 The Dance of Collaboration: Creatives, suits, and clients—how do they tango? Our podcast unveils the delicate choreography required for successful collaborations. From brainstorming sessions to client pitches, we peek behind the curtain.

🌟 The Agency Renaissance: Amidst automation and algorithms, the human touch remains irreplaceable. We celebrate the storytellers, designers, and strategists who breathe life into brands. After all, pixels need poets too.

Join us as we unravel the Future of Agencies. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer, a curious student, or an agency aficionado, this podcast promises inspiration, laughter, and a dash of creative magic. 🎧✨

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ye7BOgwo4C0?si=GVkB6ZrfyLgPtHWb

#AgencyInsights #CreativeAlchemy #FineTunewithCorbyFine #AdvertisingAgencies

Tony Chapman won a multi-million dollar agency pitch with 40 pictures and a monologue. I was there to witness it, and ever since, have marveled at this marketing guru who is also one of Canada’s leading communication experts and one of the youngest members inducted into the Marketing Hall of Legends (2008).

In this episode, Tony and I discuss the best ways to succeed, whether you are a large multinational or a small, local entrepreneur. Some of Tony's most important pieces of advice resonate across all verticals and businesses. He has many insights and thoughts on culture, the role of digital, and which brands are winning in today's world competing for customers and their constant attention.

Some highlights of Tony's advice include:

"Stop telling your story, become part of theirs"

"Give the customer more of what matters to them, their life, their livelihood, their family, and do it with less friction"

"I think you can, especially with digital nowadays, have an incredibly purposeful career that will bring profit to you versus a profitable career that lacks purpose"

Listen in to Tony Chapman as he shares his stories and opinions as an authority on how to build brands and sell strategically and profitably in today’s volatile marketplace. Then, listen to the rest of my podcast and let me know what you think about it by subscribing to my email list. I hope you enjoy listening. If you have any ideas for other interviews or topics, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

It was 1999 and I was early in my career, VERY early in my career. I had started as a product manager at a "stealthy startup" and found myself working for a really smart and charismatic individual, Michael Tamblyn. Michael was in charge of product and I was there to learn.

Flash forward a decade or two, and I now sit at my computer with a microphone and headphones, and in my screen is a slightly more mature Michael Tamblyn in a much different role. This time, as the CEO of Rakuten Kobo, Michael and I sit down to talk about his experiences leading and growing a Toronto startup through a global expansion and acquisition by a not so likely suitor. Not a venture fund, not a valley power-house, not a wealthy family...but the largest e-commerce player in Japan, Rakuten.

Michael gives some great tips for leaders in any business to consider. First, use your competitors as your distribution channel. Imagine, books being sold electronically through retailers that sold the traditional print versions of the same product. Second, remember it is a lot easier and cost effective to find a market adjacency for your existing customer base than to build a new customer base from scratch. Third, taking the physical out of the mix of your business can simplify and create new opportunities for expansion. And fourth, if you can get your customers to build your product and content...well the outcomes are obvious.

How would Michael's tips from his experience at Kobo apply to your business? Why not listen and try to figure it out.

Listen to the rest of my podcast as well and let me know what you think buy subscribing to my email list. I hope you enjoy listening. If you have any ideas for other interviews or topics, please don’t hesitate to let me know.