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Rafael Schwarz

Executive Director at TERRITORY Influence

Munich, Germany

Rafael is a global marketing & sales executive with 20+ years of experience driving growth for leading brands, agencies, and platforms across FMCG, media, and digital sectors.

At TERRITORY (part of Bertelsmann Marketing Services), Rafael leads international teams and multimillion-euro social media marketing programs for enterprise clients like P&G, L’Oréal, and BMW Group—delivering measurable ROI and award-winning campaigns.

Results driven, entrepreneurial and internationally experienced commercial leader, senior brand management, business transformation and advertising specialist with 20 years’ highly acclaimed results year on year. Demonstrable expertise in business strategy, digital transformation, marketing & sales leadership, direct-to-consumer models, innovation management and P&L delivery. Innovative FMCG, Social Media & Influence Marketing thought leader and board advisor with strategic experience underpinned by pragmatic, hands-on approach.

Rafael's passion lies in building high-performing teams, forging strategic partnerships, and shaping the future of the marketing industry. He brings a unique blend of strategic vision and hands-on execution, with a strong track record in digital transformation, innovation, and business development.

EXPERTISE: 20+ years’ expertise in business strategy, change management, GTM & marketing & sales leadership, innovation management and P&L delivery. International FMCG and Social Media thought leader and CEO/CMO advisor with strategic experience underpinned by pragmatic, hands-on approach and passion to win. Results driven, entrepreneurial and internationally experienced commercial leader, senior business development, AI transformation and growth strategy specialist.

Key Competencies:

General Management * Marketing & Sales Strategy * Organisation Development * Retail
Go to Market Models * Revenue Generation * Customer Acquisition * Product Innovation
Digital Transformation * Return on Investment * P&L Management * Business Development

Direct-to-Consumer * Commercial Acumen * International Leadership * Digital & Social Media
Business Transformation * Key Account Management * Brand Positioning * Word-of-Mouth
Board Member * Advertising & Communication * Change Management * Influencer Marketing

Industry Expertise: FMCG & CPG, Cosmetics & Beauty, Food & Beverage, Health Care & OTC, Laundry & Cleaning, Media & Advertising, Digital & Social & Creative Agencies

Connect with me on LinkedIN to engage on business development strategies, the future of advertising & brand management, consumer trends & marketing innovation and high performance leadership.

Available For: Advising, Consulting, Influencing, Speaking
Travels From: Munich, Germany
Speaking Topics: Social Commerce, Influencer Marketing, Direct To Consumer Models, Brand Management & Advertising, Social Media, Business Development

Rafael Schwarz Points
Academic 5
Author 27
Influencer 20
Speaker 14
Entrepreneur 33
Total 99

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Company Information

Company Type: Service Provider
Business Unit: Influencer Marketing Agency
Theatre: Europe
Minimum Project Size: Undisclosed
Average Hourly Rate: Undisclosed
Number of Employees: Undisclosed
Company Founded Date: Undisclosed
Media Experience: 20 years
Last Media Training: 05/12/2010
Last Media Interview: 06/24/2025

Areas of Expertise

Analytics 30.44
Business Strategy 30.24
Change Management
Digital Disruption
Digital Transformation 30.44
Entrepreneurship
Innovation 30.10
Leadership 30.68
Lean Startup
Management 31.63
Marketing 31.24
Open Innovation
Predictive Analytics
Public Relations 31.66
Retail
Sales
Social
Startups 31.35

Industry Experience

Consumer Products
Forest Products & Paper
Healthcare
Media
Pharmaceuticals
Retail

Publications

1 Academic Whitepaper
Master Thesis | B2B Marketing in the Internet
University of Vienna
January 01, 1999
academic concepts for b2b marketing and practical application of an online marketing program for 3M Adhesive Technologies

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Management, Marketing

1 Advisory Board Membership
Advisory Board Member for Afrilence
Afrilence
June 01, 2021
Connecting Brands to African consumers using Micro & Nano Influencers

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Tags: Management, Marketing, Startups

27 Article/Blogs
How To Shape Your Brand In A 'Post-Truth' World
Import from forbes.com
August 16, 2021
How do custodians of brands and marketers navigate their way forward in what I consider to be a post-truth reality? Based on my experience, I’d like to share three points for you to ponder.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

How To Use Your Net Promoter Score (NPS) Effectively In Health Care
Import from forbes.com
August 16, 2021
Loyal patients are an asset to any health care business since they are more likely to refer other potential clients. That’s why patient feedback is vital for the company’s decision-making processes.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Communicating Complex Technologies To Resonate With Consumers And Society
Import from forbes.com
August 13, 2021
It's important to be able to translate great technology into things that consumers, businesses and policy makers all can understand.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Six Questions To Ask Potential PR Agencies
Import from forbes.com
August 13, 2021
Gather the right information so you can prove not only that the agency is worth its salt but also that the relationship is a good fit.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Considerations For Founding And Selling A Startup
Import from forbes.com
August 13, 2021
Even when everyone is skeptical (like many around us were), identify market opportunities and go for them, build a solid business plan, and — most importantly — choose the right talent to work with.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Why And How To Treat Employees Like Customers Using Omnichannel Communications
Import from forbes.com
August 12, 2021
When you adopt an omnichannel communication strategy, you view your employees as your customers — and you put them front and center at all stages of your internal comms process and thinking.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Why And How To Treat Employees Like Customers Using Omnichannel Communications
Import from forbes.com
August 12, 2021
When you adopt an omnichannel communication strategy, you view your employees as your customers — and you put them front and center at all stages of your internal comms process and thinking.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

15 Critical Questions To Ask To Ensure External Communications Are On Point
Import from forbes.com
August 11, 2021
While ensuring that key aspects of external messages won’t be lost in translation is a challenge for communications teams, this is something every business needs to know how to do effectively to establish credibility and grow.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

How B2B Companies Can Market Like Media Companies
Import from forbes.com
August 11, 2021
Adopting a content-focused approach like media companies do could equate to more leads and more customers, which is why I keep going back to the media company marketing playbook.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Digital Transformation: How Utility Marketers Can Improve Customer Engagement
Import from forbes.com
August 11, 2021
Utilities are tasked with answering a challenging question. If simple digital interactions are not enough, what will drive true customer engagement globally and win trust among customers?

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

13 Creative Ways To Leverage Video In A Marketing Strategy
Import from forbes.com
August 10, 2021
While most marketers know that deploying a well-crafted video is a highly effective way to gain exposure, drive traffic and increase conversions, not all of them understand how to successfully execute this tactic.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Five Essential Marketing Strategies To Support A Scaling Organization
Import from forbes.com
August 10, 2021
Many successful marketing leaders have playbooks. If you haven’t created your own yet, make 2021 the year you do.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

How Brands Can Create A Unified Global Content Experience
Import from forbes.com
August 10, 2021
Our interactions online now transcend basic criteria of speaking the same language or being in the same part of the world. We can now reach out to like-minded individuals, regardless of geography.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

15 Tried-And-True Methods For Improving Click-Open Rates
Import from forbes.com
August 09, 2021
While the reasons recipients delete, unsubscribe from and move branded messaging to their junk or spam folders are many, with an effective strategy, brands can generate a good return on their investments in email marketing.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

How Marketing Leadership Is Failing Technology Brands
Import from forbes.com
August 09, 2021
A firm grasp of the fundamentals is every marketer’s foundation, but top-level CMOs need much more in their toolbox.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Talking Fixes Everything: How Communication Can Save A Failing Project
Import from forbes.com
August 09, 2021
Many strong and lasting partnerships have been built on the contracting firm’s effective response to project challenges.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Here Is How Gen Z Is Changing The Way We Communicate
Import from forbes.com
August 09, 2021
Businesses that fail to address Gen Z will not only miss out on a huge section of the market but might also find themselves out of business.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

How Product Marketers Can Reduce Buyer Uncertainty
Import from forbes.com
August 09, 2021
Give your buyers exactly what they are seeking with access to all the necessary data. And orchestrate experiences that your buyers demand.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

So Many Marketing Tools: Why We Should Be Integrating People, Processes And Technology
Import from forbes.com
August 06, 2021
We’ve been searching for the holy grail of marketing tools and believing that we’re going to find a one-stop-shop when the reality is that no one tool is likely to deliver a complete view of all our customers. 

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Eight Steps For Leaders Navigating A PR Crisis
Import from forbes.com
August 06, 2021
The more prepared you are for a PR crisis, the better you will respond.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

How To Get Featured In The Media
Import from forbes.com
August 05, 2021
So your brand is finally dabbling in the world of PR. The industry is known for having a cut-throat reputation with a make-it-or-break-it mentality, but it’s a lot less intimidating than you might think.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Are You Ready For Q4 Fulfillment?
Import from forbes.com
August 05, 2021
Take a holistic approach to Q4 fulfillment planning and consider pushing some volume to Q3.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

How Marketers Can Adapt To Market Uncertainty
Import from forbes.com
August 05, 2021
When customers change their behavior and volumes diminish, it’s easy for management to think about reducing their marketing spend. Instead, marketing can look at building new channels, repositioning the brand and revisiting messaging. 

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

How To Get Visibility When You’re An Early Stage Startup
Import from forbes.com
August 04, 2021
When it comes to marketing and communications strategies, there’s a common debate within early stage startups: Do we hire an agency or do we keep it in-house?

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

Avoid Breaking The Bank In The Age Of ‘Wageflation’
Import from forbes.com
August 04, 2021
Here’s how to meet the need for higher wages with minimal cost impact.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Marketing

1 Industry Council Member
Forbes Communication Council Member
Forbes Councils
June 01, 2019
In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together to connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum. Consultants will also be invited to share their insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to expert panels. Forbes Councils mission is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world.

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Tags: Leadership, Management, Marketing

2 Influencer Awards
Recovery Society
Annual Multimedia Award
January 28, 2021
We’re living in phase of metamorphosis. Due to the coronavirus our habits, actions, fears, hopes and desires are going to change – we all know that. The question is, how are these changes going to look like, when the pandemic and the economic crisis will be overcome?

In our research we paint a picture of the coming western society, which we at TERRITORY call
‍Recovery Society. Its views on commerce, social media, spendings and brands condense in 11 theses and an Europe-wide study with 37.000 attendees from 12 countries.

Use our future perspectives on society and our research to develop longterm strategies for your organization or brand. Now is the time to prepare. For a deeper understanding get in contact with our experts.

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Tags: Digital Transformation

Deutscher Preis für Online Kommunikation #dpok
Quadriga
September 30, 2014
our agency is granted the award for the best online marketing campaign in Germany in 2014 for the launch strategy and online WOM campaign for Hansgrohe

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Tags: Marketing

1 Keynote
Turning trends into digital media reality
dmexco
September 11, 2019
Influencer Marketing – von Modeerscheinung bis Marktstandard

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Tags: Analytics, Marketing, Public Relations

1 Media Interview
The Future of Influencer Marketing
Clyde
July 12, 2021
Clyde recently asked me to contribute to their Growth Reimagined Series: #eCommerce Strategies That Work. we talked about different types of #influencers (nano - micro - macro - star) - both human and virtual, the power of #UGC, how influencer fuel #socialcommerce and how brands

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Tags: Innovation, Leadership, Marketing

1 Membership
Member of the Manager Lounge Germany
manager-lounge leaders network GmbH
February 08, 2019
the manager lounge is the hub for business leaders to network, to learn and to participate in exclusive events with fellow business executives

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Tags: Business Strategy, Leadership, Management

1 Panel
i|MS Inspirathon
Gruner + Jahr International Media Sales
May 24, 2019
How influencer solutions help shape brand images: challenges and success stories from people who know (Panel Discussion moderated by Rafael Schwarz)

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Marketing, Public Relations

13 Quotes
14 Ways To Encourage All Team Members To Share Creative Campaign Ideas
Forbes
May 20, 2021
No matter what department or role they’re in, every employee should be given opportunities to voice their own ideas and provide input on campaign strategy in a collaborative manner. However, some might feel hesitant to speak up if they don’t hold the “right” title and are not officially serving in a creative role.

To help, 14 members of Forbes Communications Council shared ways to encourage all team members to share creative ideas for marketing and communications campaigns, even if they are not formal members of the creative team. Follow their recommendations to promote cross-team collaboration and better marketing results.

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Tags: Marketing

top trends der Verbrauchergespräche
Talkwalker
March 08, 2021

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Tags: Public Relations

top trends in consumer conversations
Talkwalker
October 21, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way brands and consumers interact, while altering expectations on both ends.
Talkwalker hence talked to 50 industry experrtes from all over the world to understand how brand communication has to adapt to engage consumers.

Testimonials & in-depth analysis from 50 industry experts from all over the world

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Tags: Marketing

15 Creative Ways To Boost Brand Image Through YouTube
Forbes
September 02, 2020
The use of social media platforms for customer engagement and marketing has been growing exponentially over the last decade. Still, there are some platforms that businesses have not fully tapped into or downright ignored when it came to promoting their brand.

YouTube is one such channel. The avoidance by most companies is strange, seeing how video marketing is an increasingly useful tool for businesses to improve their brand recognition and engage with their target audience. To help businesses make the most of their video marketing efforts, 15 experts from Forbes Communications Council discuss some of the most creative ways a company can leverage YouTube to boost its brand image.

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Tags: Marketing

11 Best Strategies To Connect With The DIY Market
Forbes
August 14, 2020
The DIY movement has witnessed a renaissance since the rise of visual-based social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. The DIY market isn't a small section of the populace. As people start to realize that DIY projects can be both economically beneficial and fun, more people are looking into adopting it as a hobby.

What used to be confined to a small group of craftsmen has now exploded in popularity. It's therefore in the best interest of businesses to tap into this burgeoning market as soon as possible.

To help, 11 contributors to Forbes Communications Council share some of the strategies they find the most effective in establishing a connection with the DIY market.

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Tags: Marketing

16 Custom KPIs To Better Understand Your Marketing Numbers
Forbes
August 04, 2020
Custom key performance indicators (KPIs) can be useful in figuring out what works and what doesn't when it comes to your marketing statistics. With more and more companies relying on marketing statistics, the standard KPIs offer everyone the same information across the board.

Businesses that want to innovate and push boundaries need to develop their own custom KPIs that can help them dive into their marketing and communication statistics like standard ones don't. Below, 16 associates of Forbes Communications Council share the custom KPIs they use to help their businesses get a more in-depth understanding of their marketing and communication numbers.

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Tags: Marketing

10 Critical Soft Skills For Communicators
Forbes
June 03, 2020
Success isn't just due to how well you use your innate skills. A much-overlooked facet of success is the use of soft skills. As soft skills are an essential part of dealing with other employees within the workplace, communicators need to harness these skills and fine-tune them if they want to achieve success. Without a proper appreciation for the person they are communicating with and how their communication methods affect the target, they may fail at their task.

Below, 10 members of Forbes Communications Council share their opinions on what they consider to be the most pertinent soft skills communicators should demonstrate to be effective in their role and why they are important.

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Tags: Leadership

15 Ways To Convey Intent To Employees And Ensure Alignment With Goals
Forbes
May 22, 2020
Goal alignment is the key to business success. Unfortunately, proper alignment of individuals' goals with those of the company requires skillful communication. When a business is ready to move forward in achieving its goals, some employees might be reluctant to be progressive. Humans tend to enjoy routine, and a shakeup such as the intent of a corporate purpose is a massive shift in perspective.

How does a communications department align the company's goals in the context of the employee's ambitions? Fifteen experts from Forbes Communications Council examine how to make a connection with employees to ensure that their personal goals align with the company's by imparting the business's intent.

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Tags: Leadership

Ensuring Accurate External Messaging Quickly: 15 Proven Strategies
Forbes
May 18, 2020
When a business needs to connect to the public or their external environment, accurate messaging is critical. If the company has a lot of time, that messaging can go through several iterations before it makes its way out of the business and into the recipients' hands.

If the message needs to go out quickly, there isn't the luxury of multiple revisions, and companies need to come up with ways to ensure that there is nothing lost in communication. To aid companies that might not have the time to revise their external communication properly, 15 members of Forbes Communications Council offer their own strategies for ensuring accuracy in external messaging when pressed for time.

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Tags: Public Relations

15 Effective Ways Marketers Can Connect with Generation Z
Forbes
May 08, 2020
With each new generation, the tactics marketers need to use to stay relevant evolve. The internet created quite a change in how marketers in the early '90s approached sales. Today's marketing has made digital sales and promotion a subdomain that is significant in its own right because of the use of technology by so many quarters of society.

Generation Z's consumption of traditional media has almost entirely ceased, leaving marketers trying to find new ways of reaching this sector of the market. To aid in creating this connection, 15 associates of Forbes Communications Council explore what strategies modern marketers can use to connect with Gen Z, and why each of those methods is so successful at achieving this goal.

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Tags: Marketing

Here's How To Get Your Whole Company To Promote A Positive Brand Image
Forbes
December 20, 2019
We can never tell with absolute certainty what the future holds. However, understanding the trends within an industry allows a professional to plan for the future with great accuracy.

While it seems like the success and image of your brand is in your hands, every department and employee can play a role in improving it. From executives to assistants, each person involved in your business can bring something new and different to the table. This helps you gain a variety of viewpoints, and you may even come up with solutions you'd never thought of before.

To this end, we asked a panel of Forbes Communications Council members how everyone in the company can get involved to promote a positive brand image. Their best answers are below.

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Tags: Leadership

13 Crucial Skills Communications Professionals Should Cultivate
Forbes
November 14, 2019
We can never tell with absolute certainty what the future holds. However, understanding the trends within an industry allows a professional to plan for the future with great accuracy.

Within the fast-changing communications industry, professionals need to be ready to adapt to new technologies and approaches in the field to ensure the success of their operations. To this end, communications experts need to develop critical skills to set themselves up for future success.

Below, 13 experts from Forbes Communications Council examine what skills a communications professional should invest in today in order to stay relevant and be prepared for future trends.

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Tags: Public Relations

How Businesses Can Make The Most Of User-Generated Content
Forbes
October 23, 2019
A business's consumers can sometimes be its biggest fans or its most significant liabilities, depending on how they relate to the brand and how happy they are with its services. A satisfied customer’s endorsement or a positive review works wonders for any company’s marketing efforts, as word-of-mouth is still a very powerful way to gain new followers and clients.

Be it reviews, case studies or simply a social media post, user-generated content (UGC) can sometimes go viral, helping spread the brand’s message far and wide. However, businesses have little control over user-generated content, and misuse and abuse of the brand stem from the same creative interests that fuel the positive benefits of that content creation.

Ten associates of Forbes Communications Council explore how businesses can leverage UGC to keep the brand's message while still providing a fun escape for the creators and consumers of the material.

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Tags: Marketing

1 Webinar
Covid19 Impact for Consumers, Influencers & Brands
Territory Influence
April 22, 2020
learn how to adapt your marketing strategies and engage best with your consumers during the confinement period

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Tags: Business Strategy, Marketing, Public Relations

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Opportunities

1 Social Media Marketing
Social Media & Influencer Marketing

Location: Virtual    Fees: 1750

Service Type: Service Offered

I help brands grow by developing effective social media & influence marketing strategies, tools and processes

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