In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Lance Dobson, Senior Director of Marketing and Analytics at Shed. Formerly known as Shed Rx, the company focuses on enhancing physical, mental, and emotional wellness through medical interventions, including weight loss medications like GLP-1s. Lance shares insights on creating authentic, connective marketing that resonates with consumers, avoiding tired marketing clichés, and structuring marketing teams to balance creative and analytical functions. He also discusses the evolving role of AI in marketing and the enduring importance of simplicity in effective consumer communication.

Topics Discussed:

• Transitioning from Shed Rx to Shed and expanding beyond GLP-1s to a more holistic wellness approach

• Creating marketing that makes consumers feel understood rather than merely understanding the brand

• Building creative and performance marketing teams with complementary skill sets

• Using authentic customer stories to create emotional connections with target audiences

• The impact of AI on marketing roles and resource allocation

• The enduring value of marketing fundamentals in an increasingly complex landscape

• The future of consumer marketing and the shift toward product features over traditional branding

Lessons For Consumer Marketers:

Focus on Making Customers Feel Understood

Shed’s most effective marketing comes from content where customers feel the brand understands them, rather than trying to make customers understand the brand. This reversal of the traditional marketing approach creates deeper connections and trust with prospective customers.

Use Authentic Customer Stories as Emotional Anchors

Shed recently launched a video featuring a customer with PCOS sharing her personal journey with their products. By showcasing real stories that potential customers can identify with, the brand creates powerful “that’s me” moments that drive conversion more effectively than generic claims.

Avoid Patronizing and Obvious Marketing Approaches

When launching in Texas, Shed deliberately avoided using the clichéd “everything’s bigger in Texas” angle, recognizing that modern consumers respond negatively to marketing that feels trite or pandering. Sophisticated consumers immediately recognize and reject marketing approaches that feel recycled or condescending.

Structure Marketing Teams Around Complementary Strengths

Dobson organizes his marketing department into two complementary sections: a creative team focused on producing engaging content and a performance team focused on analytics and deployment. This left brain/right brain approach enables specialization while ensuring all necessary marketing functions are covered.

Screen for Conflict Management Style During Hiring

To ensure team cohesion, Dobson specifically asks candidates about their conflict management style during interviews. This focus on how people navigate disagreements rather than just technical skills helps build teams that can collaborate effectively despite different approaches and personalities.

Embrace AI as a Force Multiplier Rather Than a Replacement

Following Shopify’s approach of requiring justification for new hires versus AI solutions, Shed views AI as a way to enhance marketer capabilities rather than replace them. Dobson emphasizes that those who know how to leverage AI will outperform those who don’t, particularly in technical areas like SQL, analytics, and API integrations.

Return to Simplicity When Complexity Fails

The most effective marketing often comes from simplifying messages to their core. Dobson shares examples where sophisticated approaches underperformed compared to straightforward messaging, echoing the timeless question: “What would this look like if it were simple?”

Recognize the Shift From Brand Focus to Feature Focus

The future of consumer marketing likely involves less emphasis on traditional brand building and more focus on specific product features and benefits. As consumers increasingly make purchase decisions based on specifications and features rather than brand perception, marketers must adapt by clearly communicating what makes their products uniquely valuable.