đŸ‘‰đŸ» SUM NEWS: 4.16.25

April 16, 2025

We know you’re busy, so here’s the good stuff up top: a lightning-fast survey (really), a reminder that pausing can lead to your smartest ideas, and tips on actually connecting with Gen Z. Plus, two smart podcast episodes and a meme—because we're marketers after all.

IN THIS ISSUE

  • ✍ Startup Marketing Survey

  • đŸ”„ From The Ink Well

  • 🌎 Around the Web: Canva, LinkedIn, OpenAI

  • 📌 SUM Community Events

  • 💬 ICYMI: Bite-Sized Insights

  • 😂 In the Meme Time

Take Our Startup Marketing Survey!

We can’t believe we’re saying this, but 
 stop reading this newsletter right now and go take our survey about how marketing roles are evolving in startups.

It’s fast. It’s painless. It might even be fun.

Go on. We’ll still be here when you get back.

FROM THE INK WELL

Marketer Spotlight

Meet Karen: accidental marketer, brand whisperer, and communications pro with 15+ years of experience. From a Super Bowl internship that helped her find her calling to tackling today’s fragmented PR landscape, Karen’s got stories, insights, and tips you can steal. Learn all about her biggest marketing challenge, secret superpower, and the one tool she swears by.

Marketers Need White Space to Innovate

We’re drowning in dashboards and funnel metrics—but when’s the last time you let your mind wander through a mess of bad ideas to unearth a great one? In this thoughtful piece, Alex Stonehouse makes the case for building “creative pauses” into your workflow—moments of stillness that spark clarity, originality, and the kind of creativity no dashboard can deliver. Drawing lessons from his artist father’s process, Alex reminds us why stepping back may be the most powerful move forward.

Interested in sharing your POV on a relevant topic? Submit your pitch for publication in The Ink Well.

SUM PODCAST NETWORK

SUM Disruptors Podcast

In this episode, Mack sits down with marketing exec Sabra Jan Willner (Ogilvy, Lenovo, startup life) to unpack what’s actually moving the needle in B2B marketing today. From the power of customer advisory councils to the surprising value of brand mascots, Sabra shares her insights on building standout strategies in crowded markets.

Brilliantly Wrong

In this episode, Alex chats with Amber Winter—former CEO of Web Courseworks and current CRO at SuiteDynamics—about scaling a company from $3M to $9M, leading through a merger, and building teams that actually work. She breaks down how transparent communication, strategic delegation, and trust-based leadership drive real, sustainable growth.

AROUND THE WEB

  • Canva introduces 6 AI-powered tools—including Magic Charts, an upgraded Photo Editor, and Canva AI—to help you analyze data, build campaigns, and create stunning visuals in seconds. [ZDNet]

  • OpenAI is reportedly working on a social media platform built around its generative AI technology. [yahoo!finance]

  • LinkedIn just launched a “Create on LinkedIn” mini-site packed with posting tips, video best practices, and platform insights—including why video now drives 1.4x more engagement—to help users sharpen their content strategy in 2025. [Social Media Today]

  • Marketers must translate customer success into business impact—because “customers love it” won’t win budget, but “we prevented $1.2M in churn” just might. [Justin Custer via LinkedIn]

  • Driving sales and/or growing market share has emerged as the “top problem” that CEOs want marketing to solve, surging ahead of customer acquisition/retention, according to results from the fourth annual CEO Study on Marketing and the CMO [download page], from Boathouse. [Marketing Charts]

SUM COMMUNITY EVENTS

Block off every Thursday at 1 pm ET for SUM events—consider it your weekly power hour for growth, insights, and community. These events are exclusively available to SUM members. Not a member? 👉 Join now 👈

Tea Time with The Kay Prince

Let’s talk Gen Z: What makes them tick, click, and actually care? Join us for an AMA-style chat with Kay, Director of Growth Marketing at XR Extreme Reach, as we dig into what really drives Gen Z. Moderated by SUM’s Dijana Ilieva, this conversation will explore Gen Z engagement strategies, the role of community, and how to build real connections with this values-driven, digital-first generation.

Tea Time with Maigread Eichten

Join marketing leader Maigread for a refreshingly honest conversation on navigating career transitions. Whether you’re a fresh grad, a mid-career pivot-er, or just always low-key job hunting, Maigread’s got the real-world tips to help you position your skills, own your story, and crush it in today’s beautifully chaotic job market.

ICYMI: A BITE OF INSIGHT

RETHINK YOUR SPOKESPEOPLE

“People's natural ability to be spokespeople or influencers may not align with their title.”

ELEVATE THE RIGHT VOICES

"Some of the most powerful marketing moments happen when you give the mic to the right voice, not just the loudest one."

TAKE RISKS

“When I was first learning how to be a startup marketer, I didn’t live in fear of making mistakes. I took risks, I was brave and more often than not, it paid off.”

IN THE MEME TIME