hallenging tariff environment is one major issue for brands to navigate, and we’ll be witnessing inevitable price increases across most verticals. This is not good for brands or consumers, and given the many other changes going on in the workforce, life is going to get more expensive. It will be even more challenging to predict how consumers are going to respond to non-essential purchases. Given the increasingly uncertain nature of these new policies, we will be managing inventory and efficiency extremely tightly this year. IR: Are there any quick wins you’re targeting for growth? MM: We have already seen some quick wins from tightening up our paid digital spend and investing in organic channels. We continue to scrutinise our digital advertising dollars, as one of our goals is to decrease marketing spend by about one-third, year on year, to drive efficiency. We acquire 40 percent of our customers through word-of-mouth, so we are leaning into the channels that support that very profitable acquisition channel. IR: What is a new development within the retail industry that you are excited about? MM: New ad platform Applovin. New channels are always great to diversify our marketing stack. With rising costs on platforms like Meta and Google and a need to further refine our ability to target and attract the right customer, it is great to see new ad platforms like Applovin not only launch, but also show immediate success. We love a platform where we know exactly who we are getting in front of and how that customer is responding. AI for on-site personalisation and customisation of each shopper’s experience is another one. As we grow and traffic to our site increases, being able to use AI to better track and respond to how customers are exploring our site allows us to provide a better experience for them while ideally increasing our chance of converting their visit into a sale. IR: What is the one skill you think is most vital to have as a CEO in 2025? Why? MM: It’s a whole lot easier to have one standout year than to have many solid years. Running a brand is a long-term game of consistent performance, level-headedness and time – who’s able to stay in the game, survive and thrive for decades – throughout not just one but several challenging environments. I think it’s vital to make decisions based not just on one year’s revenue or profitability but based on the company’s long-term positioning. IR: What is one longer-term investment you are making for the business and why? MM: While many brands have flexed brand strength and momentum by rolling out fleets of stores throughout the years, Dagne Dover has flexed agility in changing macro environments by focusing on its engagement with consumers through organic lower-cost grassroots initiatives that don’t require long-term financial commitments. This story first appeared in the March 2025 issue of Inside Retail US magazine.