The Pennock Knockdown EP 33 | Leslie McIntosh on Driving Growth with Fewer, Bigger, Better Campaigns
The Classically Modern Marketer: Why "Fewer, Bigger, Better" Campaigns Are Your Only Path to ROI
We recently sat down with Leslie McIntosh, Founder of Brand Botanyegic powerhouse with a background that is the best of both worlds: over 20 years driving growth for enterprise CPG giants like L'Oréal and Revlon, coupled with five years as an e-commerce founder herself.
Leslie’s unique perspective—blending classical brand-building fundamentals with scrappy, modern growth tactics—is a blueprint for DTC success in today’s demanding market. Here are the key strategies digital marketing leaders need to adopt right now.
1. Adopt the "Fewer, Bigger, Better" Campaign Philosophy
For emerging brands with limited resources, Leslie’s core advice is to stop spreading your budget thin. Instead of trying to run a new tactic every month, focus your team and your dollars on a concise, high-impact plan:
"Look at the calendar and plan it out... have maybe four to six key activation moments, and then we ladder all of our tactics around that. This way you get more impact."
By concentrating resources on a few "tentpole" moments, you create a cohesive campaign idea that can translate across all channels—social, OOH, and even retail. This clarity ensures that consumers see a single, powerful message everywhere, which is essential for driving conversions.
The "Plan B" is the Foundation: Leslie warns that not every activation will hit expectations. Today, success is about continuous monitoring and optimization. A resilient strategy is not about giving up, but about having "some level of always on" programming to carry the weight while you analyze and pivot.
2. Not All Traffic is Good Traffic: The Founder’s Key Lesson
Leslie shared a pivotal, personal "aha moment" from her time running her own e-commerce store. Attempting to rapidly grow her email list, she leveraged Meta, email, and social, but also placed her giveaways on "freebie sites."
While her traffic and email list exploded, the new audience acquired from the freebie sites was "dead silent." They never engaged, responded, or opened a subsequent email. The takeaway is non-negotiable for modern marketers:
"All growth or all traffic is not great traffic. You want to make sure you invest in trying to get to that high-quality traffic and leads."
Your conversion rate on 1,000 highly motivated, high-intent visitors will always outperform 10,000 visitors who are only looking for a handout. Focus your budget on the customer who is looking for your product, not just a giveaway.
3. The Modern Mandate: Prove ROI and Incrementality
In today’s climate of inflation and tightening investor capital, founders are facing unprecedented pressure on margins and return on investment (ROI). The conversation highlighted a shift in expectations from agencies and partners:
"Things like margins and ROI are increasingly important... they're looking for providers that have some sensitivity to those pressures... that can answer the call of how do we get to ROI? How do we get to incrementality?"
It is no longer enough to report last-click conversions. Agencies must now show a model that indicates a clear path to future growth and proves that the ad spend is driving sales that would not have happened otherwise.
4. Where to Place Your Next Bets: Emerging Channels
Leslie encourages brands to reserve budget for strategic risk-taking outside of the "walled gardens" of Meta and Google. She is most excited about the accessibility and growth potential of these channels:
Connected TV (CTV): Once reserved for major CPG brands, CTV is now accessible to smaller brands. It allows you to tell a bigger story and get into living rooms more efficiently.
Performance Audio: The growth of podcasts and streaming audio has made this channel a powerful storytelling tool. Brands can now effectively use performance audio to build brand narrative and drive conversions.
Reddit: With its strong subreddit communities for every niche (skincare, wellness, etc.), Reddit is evolving into a key platform for reaching high-intent, passionate consumers.
Final Advice for Career Longevity
Leslie closed with three powerful pieces of advice she would give her younger self—lessons that enable professionals to thrive and pivot:
Your Voice Matters: Don't wait for permission to speak up. Opinions and ideas should come from everyone.
Love Networking: Networking is not just for when you need a job; it brings perspective, resources, and growth.
Invest in Your 401k/Assets: Financial cushion provides the confidence and security necessary to pivot your career, whether you’re starting a side business or launching a company.