Leaders Perception Magazine is currently running an interview series called – Navigating the Dynamic Seas of Modern Marketing & Branding
Today, we had the opportunity to interview Kristen DeGroot – CEO @ The Campfire Circle.
Thank you so much for joining us today! We are thrilled to have Kristen DeGroot, CEO of The Campfire Circle, with us. Kristen has an interesting backstory, having graduated with an English writing degree and finding her way into the marketing world through a unique experience in India. Now, she is a digital marketing thought leader and the owner of The Campfire Circle. Today, we will be discussing the significant shifts in the marketing and branding landscape, as well as the balance between data and creativity in marketing. Welcome, Kristen!
Interviewee Name: Kristen DeGroot
Company: The Campfire Circle
Kristen DeGroot’s favourite quote: “We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that death will tremble to take us.” Charles Bukowski
The Interview
Thank you so much for joining us today! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your backstory?
Kristen DeGroot : I graduated with an English writing degree 13 years ago and was so lost when I got out of college because an English degree can be limiting. I found a way around that, though.
I put all of my stuff in storage and moved to India for 4 months and taught monks English in Dharamsala. I kept a daily blog while I was there. My intention with the blog was just a way for my friends and family to follow my trip without having to update everyone via email every day. However, my blog got super popular.
When I returned to the states, I was able to leverage my India blog to get a job writing marketing content. And from there, it was like a snowball. The more I wrote, the more I published, the more recognition I got.
Now I am a digital marketing thought leader who owns The Campfire Circle.
What’s the most significant shift you’ve observed in the marketing and branding landscape in the last year, and how should businesses adapt to it?
Kristen DeGroot : The need for social proof. Consumers DO want to hear about your brand, they just DON’T want to hear about it from you.
Earning social proof may require a little incentive but it is worth the earned media. Just be sure to leverage it so that an interested consumer can easily find these fabulous third-party endorsements of your brand.
In the era of data-driven marketing, how do you balance the need for data and analytics with the creative aspects of marketing and branding?
Kristen DeGroot : I’m both a data nerd and creative. I think all good marketers are.
Data-driven insights help you scale with what is resonating with your audience.
Creativity gets you noticed in the first place. Let’s face it, the internet is cluttered.
Leaders Perception would like to thank Kristen DeGroot and The Campfire Circle for the time dedicated to completing this interview and sharing their valuable insights with our readers!
Subscribe to our newsletter to get a notification as soon as we launch a new interview series.