Johnny Russo

Shaping the Ecommerce, Digital Marketing, Social Media Landscape

Etail Connect: Adapting To The Seismic Shift In Consumer Shopping Behaviour

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Etail Connect is one of my favourite events to attend, so I was very excited when they asked me to speak for the 3rd year in a row. They asked me to talk about how The Kersheh Group and our D2C team accelerated our Digital Transformation.

We talked about:

  • Getting buy-in for the pivot
  • Adopting the right framework in order to scale, profitably
  • Selecting the right tools and tech stack
  • Designing for the customer/market
  • Consolidating websites
  • Balancing channels

Here is the topic outline:

Day-to-day shopping has shifted online and with the closing of many non-essential brick-and mortar stores over many months, traditional B2B brands face a significant challenge. One fast and effective way to adapt to the shift we’re witnessing in the retail industry is by rapidly introducing and investing in a D2C retail channel. A blurring of the lines, with one thing in common – Digital Transformation is pivotal! Hear from Johnny Russo on how The Kersheh Group accelerated their Digital Transformation and embraced both a wholesale and D2C model.

Here is the entire session.

Spain’s 4-Day Work Week Pilot Could Force Countries to Innovate

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On March 15, Spain announced they are putting forth a request to trial a four-day working week for companies that were interested. This plan was the brainchild of leftwing Spanish party Más País, who along with this plan is proposing a reduced work week of 32 hours.

This is not the first time countries have talked about it, but it seems to be the first time countries are truly serious in taking action to improve people’s lives, gain productivity, and give people more time. In fact, New Zealand and Germany have been talking about similar plans.

One of the main goals of putting such plans into action is to actually increase productivity. While that may sound like an oxymoron, there are a number of studies that point out that sometimes less is indeed more. Some advantages include:

  • Employees feel more refreshed and rested. Like the very best athletes, rest is often times as important as practice
  • Since employees may be happier, that likely equals more positive day-to-day relationships with colleagues
  • Because they are happier and have more energy and are spending more time with family or friends, they often feel more purpose in their lives, which may lead to less turnover

COVID-19 Has Helped to Force Change on Numerous Social Issues

As the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on numerous social issues, it has also made people and companies more willing to change. Proponents of a reduced work week speak not only about the increase in productivity, but also how it could play a key role in improving mental health of workers, fighting climate change with, for example, less driving to work as more people are working from home, and general physical health and wellness. This could also help with potential burnout, stress, and depression.

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The Cast of Ecommerce, Now and Always

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On March 2, 2021, I was asked to sit on a panel for one of the best Retail and Technology events on the planet – DX3. In light of the global COVID pandemic, it was their first virtual edition. The panel’s topic was Ecommerce, Now and Always, which discussed how the pandemic has changed the Ecommerce, Digital, and Retail landscape. Below is a transcribed version of my answers to some of the moderator’s questions.

How has e-commerce changed over the past year?

Well, everyone is talking about it. Those who didn’t believe in it are now leading the charge. Less selling is needed when talking about Digital. Investments are being made. Talent is being brought in. For those leaders and companies who were trying to delay their entrance or launch into Digital, they are now trying to figure out a way to leapfrog their competitors. I’ve been in Retail for almost 12 years. I’ve always been in a Digital capacity. And I remember the discussions about social media’s impact, the importance of reviews, and email as the best Marketing channel. And it was always like “Johnny, we know…. But we’re going to keep investing in TV, flyers, and billboards, all the things that got us here in the past.” And I kept thinking 5% market share today is going to be 15% next year, and 50% in a few years. And that’s exactly what was going to happen. But COVID made us all fast forward at least 3 years in our planning. I truly believe those that are the most nimble and best at adapting to this wave, will be the ones to win. Not necessarily the biggest or ones with the most cash.

What are we expecting in the future?

A built-in excuse many companies had for not embracing Digital sooner, was legacy ERP systems, or just legacy technology in general. Well, those same leaders of those same companies now have to step up to the plate and swing for the fences. They need to build a future proof tech stack as much as possible, or at least ones that are adaptable. I once had a large email provider quote for $30k implementation fee for an abandoned cart program. We obviously changed providers after that insane quote. But today, especially if you are using Shopify, you can turn on cart emails instantly, with a number of providers of your choosing. Technology today is setup to help the users and business leaders drive business, rather than constantly worrying about things breaking, or trouble implementing different technologies together.

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Avenue Code Spotlight Series: How to Prioritize Digital Investments That Yield a High ROI

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In January of 2021, Avenue Code asked me to be featured in a Spotlight Series about Digital Transformation. We had a great chat about how to transform businesses digitally, how to prioritize digital investments, and how data plays a key role.

Thanks to Avenue Code for featuring me, and for Retail Insider for publishing it.

Here is the excerpt of that article as it appeared:

By Avenue Code

COVID-19 created a unique opportunity for accelerated executive buy-in on digital investments supporting e-commerce. Avenue Code chatted with Johnny Russo, VP of Marketing and Ecommerce at The Kersheh Group, to get practical tips on how to prioritize digital investments that yield a high ROI.   

Avenue Code: Tell us about your career path. How did you get to where you are today?

Johnny Russo: I studied journalism and wanted to be a TV sports broadcaster but ended up channeling my writing expertise into marketing. After only two weeks, I fell in love with marketing, advertising, and branding, and I knew it was where I wanted to be. I immersed myself in research and reading to learn all that I could. Digital was emerging at the time, which made it easy for me to get ahead of the curve in learning about SEO, email marketing, social media, etc.

I should note that I’m still very passionate about writing. I run my own blog, and I’m in the process of writing a book that presents tangible, bite-sized tips for leaders. These tips are a combination of my research and my own learnings as I transitioned from management to executive-level leadership, and they cover both what to do and what not to do.

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My Podcast With The Voice of Retail: Culture, Personalization, and Retail Tech

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My Podcast With The Voice of Retail: Culture, Personalization, and Retail Tech

In September 2019, shortly after starting my new role with The Kersheh Group, my old pal Michael Leblanc asked me to be on his The Voice of Retail podcast. I’ve always respected Michael, especially the work he’s done with the Retail Council of Canada. So I obviously was excited to be on.

And to top it off, I found out that I would be featured on the same podcast as my virtual mentor, Mitch Joel. What an absolute pleasure it was to be on the same podcast with someone I consider a mentor (no more virtual, as weeks after the podcast, he was kind enough to have coffee with me), and someone who I have followed so closely in my career. It’s a great honour to be on the same podcast as you Mitch. And thank you Michael LeBlanc for giving such a large and impactful voice to retail in Canada. What a tremendous job you do.

The podcast discussed Canadian Ecommerce, trends in the industry, Digital Transformation, agile methodologies, culture, building a team, personalization, and retail technology.

Here it is in its entirety:

Digital rock star, global keynote speaker and agency pioneer Mitch Joel helps us Decode the Future, and Vice President Marketing/eCommerce for The Kersheh Group Johnny Russo talks culture, personalization and retail tech

About the Blog

Johnny Russo Logo

I have been following blogs for over 15 years. I have also written blog posts for many of the companies I have worked for. So it only made sense that I finally (yes, I said finally) made the plunge and launched my own blog in 2015. So what … Read More

Experience

Digital Experience - Johnny Russo

I have 13+ years experience in the Retail, Start-up, Technology, and Manufacturing industries. I have led growth and strategies in Ecommerce, Digital Marketing, Marketing, Branding Social Media, Mobile, and Omni-Channel … Read More

Current Project

Working as the Vice President of Marketing & Ecommerce at The Kersheh Group, an apparel retailer and manufacturer that specializes predominately in kids sleepwear. The Kersheh Group manufactures and markets sleepwear for boys, girls, adults, and the entire family. Our cozy, … Read More