September and October were rough months for e-commerce, direct-to-consumer, and retail businesses in general. We read about it. We talked about it with prospects. We experienced it with clients. The issues were widespread.

Digital marketing has the power to build businesses by driving more traffic, generating more clicks, and generally helping brands capture more than their fair share of attention. But, like most things, success with digital marketing takes time. The key question is: How much time?

The ability to critically assess and optimize the marketing strategies of portfolio companies is a huge advantage for private equity firms. Gaining that advantage starts with asking the right questions.

The business landscape is rife with success stories that inspire and cautionary tales that warn. For every acquisition success story, there’s a tale of disaster that private equity firms and other investors should heed.

Total holiday sales in the U.S. have increased yearly over the past decade, but there’s pessimism in 2023. What does this mean for private equity firms with portfolio companies that rely heavily on end-of-year purchases?

As private equity firms search for strategies that can drive substantial returns, they too often miss the connection between digital marketing levers and their downstream impact on EBITDA. It’s not that PE firms don’t emphasize and address digital marketing …

Navigating the digital landscape might not be second nature for many in the private equity sector, but the correlation between digital optimization and enhanced EBITDA is undeniable.

Frank’s rapid growth inspired JPMorgan Chase to acquire Frank for $175 million in 2021. There was just one problem: 4 million of the 4.25 million contacts in Frank’s customer relationship management (CRM) system were completely fabricated.