An honest conversation with Sacha Jennis, Online Strategist & Performance Specialist, about the myths, challenges, and realities of modern digital marketing.
The digital marketing landscape changes faster than a Belgium weather forecast. What worked yesterday might be obsolete tomorrow. But some truths remain constant: the need for genuine strategy, authentic creativity, and real understanding of your customers.
We sat down with Sacha Jennis, an Online Strategist and Performance Specialist, to challenge conventional wisdom and explore what really matters in digital marketing today. His insights cut through the noise of industry buzzwords and get to the heart of what drives real results. Let's dive right in.
The "Truths" That No Longer Hold Water
What's the one digital marketing "truth" you no longer believe?
"That a paid focus is enough on its own. And that data is king. This only resonates if you interpret and implement it correctly," Sacha begins. "I also constantly hear that SEO is dead, especially when people discuss AI. I even heard an AI expert tell my colleagues that future websites will just be chatbots."
He shakes his head. "I completely disagree. A profound knowledge of SEO is key. AI basically looks at the same parameters as search algorithms do. So with good website SEO, you have the basis for a future-proof website which obviously needs to keep up with ever evolving (AI) standards."
Another myth he's keen to bust: "The idea that you have to be on every social media channel, especially TikTok. It all depends on what's relevant for your client and where their customers actually spend their time."
The Short-Term vs Long-Term Balancing Act
How do you balance the pressure for short-term results with the need for long-term brand building?
"That's the most challenging part," Sacha admits with a smile. "In the short run, we focus on website and social channel improvements. This is the first thing we do when starting with a new client. After this, we set up quick paid campaigns based on soft conversions to push traffic to websites."
But he's quick to add a crucial caveat: "We always address the data aspect. Paid channel algorithms need conversion data to boost leads and ecommerce. This won't happen in the short run."
His long-term approach is clear: "Primary focus is always on SEO and the website. Short-term thinking never wins in the long run. Obsession with immediate ROI simply leads to underinvestment in long-term brand building."
AI: The Tool, Not the Strategy
In what ways has AI changed your approach to strategy? What do you now do differently, or refuse to automate?
"AI helps to quickly spot areas of improvement and marketing insights for new clients," Sacha explains. "It's integrated into the bulk of tools we use. But our creativity as digital marketeers combined with the client's expertise and product knowledge remains key. This is the most important addition we as humans should nurture."
He emphasises authenticity: "This will make the difference as AI and search algorithms rank authentic websites and content higher than AI-generated content. Context is also important when it comes to performance marketing. Implementing automatic recommendations from Google and Meta often affects results negatively."
His philosophy is simple: "The blend of art and science is key."
The Contrarian Take That Changes Everything
What's the most contrarian view you hold about digital marketing today?
Without hesitation, Sacha responds: "You have to keep offline marketing in mind to make a difference with online and all things digital. Never leave the old school way because not everyone will find you online or see your brand for the first time there."
This perspective challenges the digital-first mentality that dominates many marketing departments today.
When Customers Reshape Strategy
When was the last time customer feedback fundamentally changed your strategy?
"We mostly try to advise our customers and convince them of our strategic expert insights with raw data," Sacha says. "But a customer's profound knowledge and strategic insights for their business and industry is crucial. Sometimes a small piece of information about their business after working together for several months can cause a change in strategic perspective."
He shares a specific example: "Offline insight data from a customer ('people who enter their showroom are very likely to become customers') shifted our focus with an additional conversion goal: route directions and showroom visits."
This real-world feedback transformed how they measured success for that client.
Creativity vs Data: Finding the Balance
How do you ensure your team's creativity isn't stifled by data obsession?
"By challenging them to think and interpret data themselves, resulting in performance optimisations," Sacha explains. "Also being critical in the way AI is being used on basic stuff you can find out yourself in even less time by thinking straight for a while."
He's also pushing for better tools: "I asked management for more performant data tools so we can get the right data in a more efficient way."
Learning from Failure
What's a recent marketing failure that taught you more than any success?
"A drop in user data in an analytics account because of a change in cookie banner or tracking resulted in better and qualitative data. It shifted our focus from quantity to quality," Sacha reflects.
He sees this as a valuable lesson: "Red flags like drops or absence of analytics data alert us to look at recent changes. This can lead to success when visitor data is more qualitative."
Measuring Thought Leadership Impact
How do you measure the real impact of thought leadership in your organisation?
Sacha keeps it practical: "Impression rates, views of LinkedIn contributions, and qualitative page views of blogs."
While simple, these metrics provide tangible evidence of reach and engagement. Also, impressions and conversion have won importance over clicks now AI overviews and zero click searches are taking over.
The Next Big Disruption
What's the next big disruption you see coming for digital marketing, and how are you preparing for it?
"The AI disruption is huge, but I actually expect a flattening out because of legislation, lawsuits, and other factors," Sacha predicts. "People are more protective of their personal data. Brands that respect this will gain more trust. So the privacy disruption."
He also sees opportunity in sustainability: "I hope SMEs will do more with sustainability. Many companies seek the safe path but can gain competitive advantage by challenging SDGs head first."
The economic reality is stark: "Cost pressure of SMEs in digital will not go away, but many tools get more expensive. There will be a change here, for sure."
Statistics support his privacy focus: 56% of CMOs are increasing budget allocation for privacy-first tech in 2025.
The Question Every CMO Should Answer
If you could ask one question of every CMO in your industry, what would it be and why?
Sacha's question cuts to the heart of organisational alignment: "What does the CEO expect from digital marketing? Also, what is the biggest frustration gap between sales and marketing? Often a lack of internal communication can solve so many of these frustrations."
The Takeaway
Sacha's insights reveal a fundamental truth about modern digital marketing: success comes not from following every trend or adopting every new tool, but from understanding your customers, maintaining authentic creativity, and building genuine value.
The most successful marketers blend art with science, respect both online and offline channels, and never lose sight of the human element in an increasingly automated world.
In a landscape obsessed with the latest shiny object, perhaps the most contrarian view of all is that the fundamentals still matter most.
Want to explore how these insights could transform your marketing strategy? Duval Union helps businesses navigate the complex world of digital marketing with clarity and purpose. Get in touch to discover what's possible.
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