The past couple years, we’ve done round-up posts (2017, 2018) to share some of our favorite articles of the year.

We’re following suit this year to share a few of the most informative, eye-opening pieces of 2019. Whether for those fireside evenings over the holidays, or those long flights across the country, here’s 15 must-reads sure to get you set to take on 2020 with a perfect vision.

On the move to strategic KPIs and aligning tactics with strategy

Operational, channel-specific metrics often inhibit marketers from proving their contribution to revenue. More marketers are using technology to connect their day-to-day work with high-level strategic KPIs.

Article: Growth, Goals, and KPIs | Something Digital

Article: How E-Commerce Brands Can (Finally) Tie Objectives to Tactics and Prove ROI | Emarsys

On personalized retail

Personalization is the expectation. For example, 20% of online shoppers expect retailers to offer personalized product recommendations based on their previous behavior.

Article: Personalized retail to drive AI solutions spend | Tech HQ

Article: Personalization Is Boosting Retail Sales. Here Are 3 Ways To Do It Right. | Forbes

PDF: 2019 B2C E-Commerce Benchmark Report | Retail TouchPoints

On customer lifecycle marketing

As channel proliferation intensifies, the burden to stitch together a complete brand experience falls on marketers.

Article: What is Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)? Definition, Calculation, Model, Benchmarks, and Examples! | Martech Advisor

Article: Lifecycle Marketing: Your Complete Guide to Reaching & Retaining Customers | Emarsys

Article: How to Nail Abandoned Cart Emails | BounceX

twitter Great round up of 15 of the best #marketing, #ecommerce, & #retail articles of 2019 CLICK TO TWEET

On digital transformation & AI

AI is taking brands who employ it to the next phase of their evolution: proactive marketing. It’s all part of this wave of digital transformation that is permeating the e-commerce space.

Article: 6 Digital Transformation Trends for 2019 | Convince & Convert

Article: What is Digital Marketing: The Ultimate Guide | Martech Advisor

Article: How AI Based Email Marketing Can Increase ROI: Expert Perspectives | Martech Advisor

Article: Mary Meeker’s 2019 Internet trends report | TechCrunch

Podcast: How Artificial Intelligence Will Impact Customer Relationship Management with Bob Fernekees | AndreaJoyWenburg.com

On marketing leadership

As marketing evolves, so too must the people that fuel it forward. Marketing leaders and executives are taking on more and more, faced with new internal and external pressures to perform.

Article: The Rise of the Hyper-Relevant CMO | Martech Advisor

Article: Building a Next-Generation Digital Marketing Strategy | Emarsys

There you have it. While you don’t have to dig into all of these pieces of extraordinary content, reviewing even 5-10 titles that speak to you will help you better understand the intricacies of your marketing strategy — both in hindsight, looking at the year behind, and as you look ahead.

➤ 2020 is here — learn 5 big predictions for the next 5 years.

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