Strategist, mentor, business coach – Moshe Modeira is all of these things, and much more. He’s a seasoned marketer, with over 20 years of experience. His career spans roles as business analyst, tech consultant, and multi-million-dollar brand founder – driving success across, e-commerce, technology, and retail. Modeira advises companies on creating enduring digital footprints, executing memorable marketing strategies, and product positioning. His focus is on consumer products, commerce platforms, and community-based digital experiences, guiding teams from ideation to market success. The much in-demand thought-leader, speaker, and communicator understands the profound cultural and communications shifts of the 2020s, and writes about them in his LinkedIn newsletter called “Commerce and Capital: Trends, Insights, Knowledge, and Wisdom.”
What’s the most important advice you give businesses?
We’re in the age where everyone’s expected to be media savvy, and put messaging out there that talks about mission, vision, and values, as opposed to the “hard sell.” I think we’re transitioning from a time in history where the hard sell was everything. Now, people buy brands for their values, and how they make them feel.
What’s an example of modern messaging?
We’re in the age where the greatest communication shift in our history has a lot to do with authenticity and storytelling. Marketing has to have a personal anecdote, and can’t look like it was written by a machine. Something that’s your own style or vibe – otherwise, don’t press “publish.” And we’re in a world right now where, especially with the collision of AI, there’s a lot of generic copy. I think that people intrinsically know what is real and what is not. Our greatest differentiation has to be talking as people, about the things that have really happened to us.
How has marketing changed in the past few years?
In so many ways. A lot of it has to do with social media, and just how powerful and essential it has become. People don’t trust brands. People trust people. And so, you have a brand, you want to sell your products, but you need ambassadors, you need influencers, you need spokespeople who elevate that brand.
What’s the biggest challenge for startups?
It is that communication piece. It’s really hard to present yourself, and put narratives out there. Get media training, learn messaging that can captivate and engage. People will, for instance, feel more connected to the executives who are speaking on a YouTube channel, than executives who are strangers to the customer. They have to learn the storytelling game.
What’s your point of differentiation?
I truly believe that excellence has to start from yourself, and your own standards, and permeate outwards. One of my favorite stories is when Steve Jobs was selling the Apple Lisa. Up until that point, they would never bother with how the thing looked inside. Just wires, and they wouldn’t even paint it. Who’s ever going to see inside the computer? He stops the production, and orders them to start painting the insides, and cleaning things up. Visually pleasing. One of the engineers said, “Why does it matter? No one’s ever gonna see this.” Steve Jobs said, “But I will know. It matters to me, and it’s a legacy and heritage of excellence, and high standard, that needs to be the vision of the company.” That is how I’ve found success, too, through the details, and going above and beyond.
Tell me about a time you were innovative.
One of my favorites was Crazy Pants, an apparel brand I co-founded, and brought to the market. We had access to manufacturing in Turkey, and could do all the designing in Canada. Then we started creating partnerships with retailers all over the world: Canada, US, Emirates, and Europe. I really love that proverb, “Go big or go home.” That was the ethic I brought to Crazy Pants. It’s first year we made $11,000. We were selling at events in the second year, and made over $400,000. Started using social media, and having a hashtag “Lazy Sundays,” where girls all over the continent would show what they were doing that Sunday, when they were in their sweatpants. It was innovative guerrilla marketing. It placed the product in the lifestyle context. The third year, we made $1.1 million. That’s when we were getting offers from VC’s. We showed we were relentless and indefatigable!
Dave Gordon | Contributing Writer
