Growth, Hats, Vegas, and Gnarly Spreadsheets

At Plum Good Marketing, we believe the best marketing stories aren’t just about big flashy wins and carefully curated case studies. They’re quick, consistent, creative, and sometimes messy moments that move businesses forward. That’s why every week, we share Very Good Things: a round-up of what worked, what we learned, and what’s worth talking about.

This week was a mix of growth milestones, clever brand plays, and uncovering a few tough truths. Here’s the breakdown.

B2B Growth for the First Time in 18 Months

About three months ago, we started working with the third company owned by one of our long-time clients. The first two businesses we supported were growing, but this one hadn’t seen an increase in over a year.

That changed last month. For the first time in a year and a half, the company grew — not by chasing new customers (although we’re working on that too), but by re-engaging existing ones. We built targeted email campaigns, implemented follow-up flows for their sales team, and ran ads designed to re-ignite lapsed customers. What happened? Existing customers bought more, creating a lift that broke their year-long slump.

Why it matters:

• Customer retention strategies are just as important (and easier to quickly execute) as acquisition campaigns.
  
• Email marketing continues to deliver ROI, with some studies showing it drives $36 for every $1 spent (Klaviyo).
  
• Before chasing “more leads,” it’s always best to make sure you’re nurturing the relationships you already have. Who doesn’t love referrals, upgrades and repeat orders?
  

A Branded Baseball Hat with Built-In Buzz

Our e-commerce made-to-measure suit client (that’s a mouth-ful!) is kind of a big deal on YouTube and Instagram (not to mention Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok, but we digress.) Together, we came up with the idea of launching a branded baseball hat — a low-cost way for fans to connect with the brand while creating walking, talking ambassadors out of loyal customers.

The hats just arrived, it’s not even on the website yet, and when our client wore one to the airport, three different people asked about it before he even boarded. We’re not afraid to take that as a very good sign. 

Why it matters:

• Merchandise can be more than swag, it’s a marketing channel, especially when you’ve done the work to create a community with your customers and followers.
  
• (Cool looking) branded products create visibility in the wild, turning everyday fans into micro-influencers.
  
• Social-first brands can extend their reach by offering entry-level price point products that carry cultural cachet.
  

What Happens in Vegas Shouldn’t Stay in Vegas

Every January, our tooling client attends a massive trade show in Las Vegas. Historically, the event generated buzz but not measurable ROI, missed sales conversations, inconsistent content, and little follow-up. They know it’s important, and spend a lot of money to make sure they show up well, but have been frustrated with the results on the bottom line.

This year, we’re packing our bags and going with them. We’ll be on the ground with them — Fractional CMO + videographer in tow — to help capture meaningful content, facilitate key partner conversations, and build a plan to turn trade show energy into long-term growth. We might even broker some deals with new wholesale clients (it’s fun playing sales person and we’ve set a goal for ourselves.) 

Why it matters:

• Trade shows aren’t just about going, you have to make the most of it. Without planning,  follow-up, and content you’re leaving money on the table.
  
• Content opportunities abound at large events. Documenting the experience can create months of marketing material. And, video isn’t easy – if you have the funds to have a professional there – DO IT.
  
• With B2B companies investing an average of 39% of their budgets in events (Forbes), maximizing ROI is non-negotiable.
  

Top 50 Clients, Personalized Outreach

For another client, we built a pilot program targeting their top 50 customers. The plan? Research and draft personalized emails for their sales team to send four times a year with a goal of maintaining relationships and sparking new orders.

The test worked. After sending just five emails, the client received two above-average orders. That’s a significant return for such a small lift.

Why it matters:

• Personalized outreach builds loyalty and trust.
  
• Consistency compounds: quarterly touchpoints are manageable and effective.
  
• Sales and Marketing need to work in harmony – collaborating to support each other.
  

Finding the Problem: Amazon Pricing Disconnect

Not all Very Good Things are about wins. Sometimes, the best outcome is uncovering a problem before it gets worse. For an e-commerce client who sells more on Amazon than on their own site, but was noticing a recent downturn, we identified a major pricing disconnect. Some products were priced too high, others too low, and things were just messy.

We flagged the issue, presented the ugly spreadsheet, and are now working with their Amazon agency to fix it.

Why it matters:

• Inconsistent pricing erodes trust and hurts performance – plus, you lose the buy box which is a death sentence for an Amazon PDP.
  
• Amazon optimization requires constant monitoring — from listings to ads to pricing.
  
• Problems are inevitable, but catching them early keeps them from becoming disasters.
  

Key Takeaways

This week reinforced some important truths:

• Don’t forget to nurture your existing customers while prospecting for new ones. 

• Branded merchandise can spark conversations and create organic marketing opportunities.
  
• Trade shows are only as valuable as what you put into them.
  
• Personalized outreach to top clients can deliver outsized returns.
  
• Sometimes the win is finding the problem before it finds you.
  

We believe in sharing these stories not just to celebrate, but to highlight what’s possible when you combine leadership, creativity, clarity, and strategy. Working with a Fractional CMO Agency (like us) makes sure things are thoughtful, intentional, and, yes, very good.