The Marketing Architects

Ep 87 - Building The “Brand” Case with Tory Pachis, SVP of Marketing at Amica Insurance

For 90 years, Amica Insurance only accepted new customers through referrals. Then they opened their doors to everyone—and discovered they had less than 3% national brand awareness. For a direct-to-consumer insurance company, this sparked a complete marketing transformation.

Ep 86 - How Brand Wins in an AI World with Lena Waters, CMO at Grammarly

86% of Grammarly's marketing team reports that AI prompt generation tools have positively impacted their productivity. But how should marketers balance AI efficiency with maintaining brand voice and authenticity?

Ep 85 - Optimizing Your Media Mix with Richard Kirk

Brands are spending 3X too much on social media according to new analysis of data from 140 advertisers. The research suggests social spend should drop from 13% to just 4% of media budgets, with the difference reallocated to more effective channels like TV.

Ep 84 - The Truth About Marketing Effectiveness with Peter Field

Targeting only consumers who are ready to buy right now is a recipe for inefficient marketing. According to godfather of effectiveness Peter Field, this approach misses most potential customers.

Ep 83 - What a Healthy CEO/CMO Relationship Looks Like

90% of CEOs believe they understand marketing's benefits, but only 50% of CMOs agree. This misalignment can significantly impact a brand's growth potential.

Ep 82 - How AI is Transforming Marketing Today

AI is transforming marketing faster than any one person can keep up. But is the technology living up to the hype, or are we entering a "trough of disillusionment"?

Ep 81 - Classic Brand Marketing with Chelsea Sumrow, First American Title and Insurance CMO

Marketing a 135-year-old B2B brand comes with unique challenges. How do you honor rich history while embracing modern trends? And how can marketing shift from a cost center to a revenue driver in a traditional B2B environment?

Ep 80 - Audience Matters with Sarah Jordan, Constant Contact CMO

Brand spending on market research has been steadily declining, with the latest IPA report showing a 2.9% drop. Why are marketers shying away from one of the best ways to better understand their audience?

Ep 79 - Timeless Marketing Principles with Jason Ing, Gusto CMO

90% of buyers choose from their initial shortlist of vendors. How can marketers ensure their brand makes it to that list?

Ep 78 - Marketing as a Science with Professor Byron Sharp

Is marketing truly intuitive, or should it be treated more like a science? Are American marketers falling behind their global counterparts? And why do so many marketers misinterpret the data they collect?

Ep 77 - The Dangers of Marketing Misattribution

Only 61% of marketing metrics tracked are meaningful to business, brand, and performance. The rest? Vanity metrics. What happens when marketers focus on the wrong numbers?

Ep 76 - The Future of Search Marketing

95% of iOS users opt out of ad tracking. A judge ruled Google acted illegally to maintain its search monopoly. And the company backtracked on plans to eliminate third-party cookies... A lot is happening in the world of search.

Ep 75 - Are Brand Extensions Worth the Risk?

Brand extensions gain an average of 8.3% more market share and have 8.7% lower advertising costs compared to new brands entering a category. But they also come with risks.

Ep 74 - Is Brand Purpose Overrated?

Patagonia. Dove. Ben & Jerry’s. These are just some of the brands that have leaned into purpose-led messaging over the last decade. But could brand purpose be just another marketing trend that misses the mark?

Ep 73 - Proof That Your Brand Matters

Up to 50% of business value comes from brand. Plus, strong brands tend to outperform the stock market, justify higher prices, and drive customer loyalty. So why is brand building often seen as nothing more than an extra cost?

Ep 72 - The Myths of Media Quality

Brands spend billions every year to run TV ads during the most popular programs. But are these expensive timeslots worth it?

Ep 71 - Sports Marketing and the Summer Olympics

NBC Universal paid nearly $8 billion for Olympic broadcast rights through 2032. But is sports marketing really worth it?

Ep 70 - The Most Powerful Marketing Combinations

Removing TV from a marketing campaign can reduce its impact by 39%. That’s a massive drop—and evidence of the impact including TV in your marketing mix has.

Ep 69 - How to use LLMs for Market Research

Artificial intelligence is taking over the world of market research with its ability to accurately predict human responses. But how can you best use AI to help make informed decisions about your business?

Ep 68 - Should Competitors Influence Your Marketing?

How much should your competition influence your marketing strategy? When should you focus on them? And when does it make more sense to ignore them?

Ep 67 - How to be a Creative Marketer with Vivienne Wan

Every marketer dreams of crafting unforgettable, creative campaigns. But what does creativity really look like? How can you consistently achieve it? And why do so many campaigns fall short of the mark?

Ep 66 - The Battle for Effectiveness with Mark Ritson

Why has America fallen behind the world in marketing effectiveness knowledge? And what can we do to catch up?

Ep 65 - Marketing Research that’ll Blow Your Mind

Did you know AI influencers drive more engagement than real humans do? Or that consumers buy less, not more, from your brand the longer they’re a customer? Or why you always buy the large popcorn at the movie theater, even though you’d be happy with a smaller size?

Ep 64 - Why CTV’s the Hottest Marketing Channel of the Year

Connected TV is one of the most popular new marketing channels of 2024. According to eMarketer, CTV ad revenue will reach $28 billion this year. But it’s also one of the most complex and confusing channels.

Ep 63 - Is the Era of Advertising Over?

Advertising is on its way out. Or so marketing professor Scott Galloway suggested in his recent interview on the Uncensored CMO podcast.

Ep 62 - What Smart Targeting Looks Like

Brace yourselves. This week, we’re covering a highly debated marketing topic: targeting strategy.

Ep 61 - The Insane Waste Behind Online Advertising

Did you know marketers will spend more than $650 billion on online ads this year? Or that a surprisingly massive chunk of this spending will be completely wasted?

Ep 60 - Getting Real about Reach

Does mass reach marketing still have value in a world where digital advertising lets brands target their bullseye customer alone?

Ep 59 - Let’s Get Political (in Advertising)

Ready to talk politics? Well, political advertising anyway.

Ep 58 - How to Measure Brand Marketing

63% of TV advertisers doubt their ability to accurately measure TV’s impact. And it’s not just TV. Top-of-funnel marketing channels are notoriously hard to evaluate.

Ep 57 - What Does Psychology Tell Us About Marketing?

Can marketers tap into psychology to improve the effectiveness of their work? Well, there’s a reason why Dr. Robert Cialdini’s psychology book “Influence” is a marketing and sales bestseller.

Ep 56 - Marketing for the Future

How much has marketing really changed in the last decade? It might not be as much as you think.

Ep 55 - B2B Marketing Hard Truths with Peter Weinberg

At any time, only 5% of a B2B company’s potential customers are in-market. That’s a small group. Which means marketing to the other 95% might be pretty important...

Ep 54 - Marketing Myths Debunked!

Is primetime really the “prime” time for TV advertisers? What does research say about subliminal advertising? And is personalization actually worth the effort?

Ep 53 - What’s Next for Social Media?

The rise of video-driven social platforms. Evolving privacy regulations limiting advertisers’ access to targeting and reporting data. Meta’s dominance finally facing challengers... Social media is changing for good.

Ep 52 - Settling the Brand Loyalty Debate

The old 80/20 rule is simply wrong. The top 20% of buyers actually account for only 50% of sales. So is brand loyalty still the secret to efficient growth or is the smart move to pursue new consumers?

Ep 51 - The Hidden Costs of Low-Quality Media

Programmatic advertising is bigger than ever. AI’s transforming media buying. Ad fraud continues to grow. And now, MFA (made for advertising) sites have emerged as top contenders for ad dollars. Clearly, there’s a few reasons to be concerned about media quality.

Ep 50 - Are Celebrities in Advertising Worth the Price?

Kim Kardashian and Skims. Snoop Dogg’s 'smokeless’ stunt for Solo Brands. And of course, celebrity-packed Super Bowl commercials. What’s the true power of star power in advertising?

Ep 49 - Break the Digital Doom Loop

As a marketer, going all-in on digital can seem like a safe choice. After all, 72% of marketers say digital campaigns are easier to measure than traditional channels. But is digital alone actually what’s most effective?

Ep 48 - The Great Reach vs Frequency Debate

It’s hard enough to agree on definitions for “reach” and “frequency.” Consensus on the ideal balance between the two is just about impossible.

Ep 47 - Understanding Marketing Research with Notre Dame’s Dr. Mitch Olsen

The US might be behind in marketing effectiveness—at least according to Mark Ritson. But why? What does the state of marketing effectiveness and research look like?

Ep 46 - Media Mix Modeling is Back in Style

The biggest ad platforms are leaning into media mix modeling, even when that means giving other ad channels more credit than their own. Why? Well, MMM might just be making a comeback.

Ep 45 - Revolutionizing B2B Marketing with Salesforce’s Colin Fleming

B2B marketing is behind. Research by BrandFinance shows the top 100 B2B brands have $1 trillion in untapped brand potential... It might just be time for a B2B marketing revolution.

Ep 44 - What’s the Deal with Distinctive Assets?

Only 15% of brand assets are truly distinctive. And just 19% of logos achieve “gold” status in recognizability according to a study by Ipsos and JKR. So where are things going wrong?

Ep 42 - Is 2024 the Year of CTV?

Last year, CTV ad spend reached a record high of $25 billion, and it’s only continuing to grow. A survey by the IAB found marketers plan to increase CTV spending by 14.5% in 2024—more than any other channel.

Ep 41 - What's Up with Attention?

Two trends are colliding. First, advertisers are tracking their investments more carefully. Second, traditional marketing metrics are under attack as privacy regulations evolve. One possible solution? Attention.

Ep 38 - Cheers to 2024 Marketing Trends

Forrester predicts “experience with generative AI” will be written into 20% of new CMO job descriptions next year. They also say brand purpose is out of style and highly practical, results-driven campaigns will soon be in vogue.

Ep 37 - Mastering QR Codes for Shoppable TV

QR codes achieved mainstream status in 2020. But they're more than just a pandemic fad. In 2022, 83 million US smartphone users scanned the codes. And 3 in 4 consumers say they plan to scan the codes in the future.

Ep 36 - AI and the Future of Ad Agencies

82% of ANA members say their company has an in-house agency. And now generative AI threatens specialized digital agencies. What does the future of ad agencies look like? Do they have a future at all?

Ep 35 - Marketing to the CFO

Only 22% of CMOs feel they have a collaborative relationship with their CFO. And only 39% of financial directors have confidence their marketing team will make smart commercial decisions. The numbers, well, aren’t great.

Ep 34 - Planning a Merry Holiday Shopping Season

This summer, consumers dug into their wallets to attend concerts, watch movies in theaters, and enjoy sporting events in person. But as economic concerns grow, can the summer’s spending keep up for retailers’ crucial holiday sales season?

Ep 33 - How to Create Sticky Digital Advertising

Do digital ads have your attention, really? What about your audience’s attention? Marketers have shifted from traditional channels to digital ones—but the long-term returns of TV, radio, and print have been difficult to replicate.

Ep 32 - Avoiding the Google Tax with SEM

In 2023, Google will rake in $57 billion from search. Their dominance in the market has left marketers heavily dependent on Google’s platform even as prices rise, making it both necessary for success online... and a massive headache.

Ep 31 - Research Says You’re Targeting the Wrong People

Despite a surplus of data and advanced targeting capabilities, marketers aren't targeting as well as we think we are. And it’s hurting performance.

Ep 30 - Closing the Creativity Gap

Despite a heightened focus on growth, businesses frequently sideline creativity. Even though unconventional thinking is exactly what’s needed to reach new levels of success.

Ep 29 - 7 Modern Marketing Dilemmas with Kantar’s Mary Kyriakidi

How do you defend marketing’s value through economic changes, a narrowing focus on ROI, and changing ideas about how to build a memorable brand?

Ep 28 - How to Invest in Emerging Marketing Channels

Connected TV. Podcasts. TikTok. Even virtual reality. They all offer advertisers new opportunities to reach potential customers. But emerging channels are inherently risky.

Ep 27 - What Prevents Your Team from Achieving Marketing Effectiveness?

The term "marketing effectiveness" has gained attention lately, but what does it really mean? And what’s stopping marketers from developing truly effective work?

Ep 26 - Barbie, Lightning Strikes, and High-Impact Marketing on a Budget

Marketers have been overwhelmed with lessons from the success of the Barbie movie’s marketing strategy. But those lessons only go so far if you don’t have a 150-million-dollar budget to spend.

Ep 25 - Emotion is Advertising’s Untapped Performance Lever

Research from System1 and Pinterest found that digital ads rated highly for emotion resulted in a staggering 90% average increase in brand favorability. And this isn’t the first time research has proven emotion’s effects on ad performance.

Ep 24 - How to Speak Marketing to the C-Suite with John Wojcik

Nearly half of marketers believe senior stakeholders focus too much on ROI. Because while it’s the top metric the C-Suite cares about, ROI alone doesn’t show marketing’s full impact.

Ep 23 - Rethinking B2B Advertising with The B2B Institute’s Ty Heath

Based on an analysis of 2,500 B2B ads, one thing is very clear: B2B needs a new creative formula, one that’s actually effective.

Ep 22 - Effective TV Advertising Part 3—Driving Brand and Sales Together

The battle over whether marketers should focus on sales or brands results has raged for years now. But while many marketers are now embracing both, this philosophy of “bothism” has only recently been applied to TV advertising.

Ep 21 - Effective TV Advertising Part 2—Cost Determines ROI

Targeting the right customer at the right time is a marketer’s dream—but only if the price is right.

Ep 20 - Effective TV Advertising Part 1—Reach Over Targeting

Why would anyone market to those who aren’t likely to buy right away or who don’t fit perfectly within your ICP? Actually, there are multiple reasons.

Ep 19 - Brand Awareness vs Affinity – Which Drives Brand Growth?

Awareness vs affinity. Reach vs resonance. Even customer acquisition vs loyalty. The debate has many names, and it’s clearly not going anywhere. But what if everyone’s right?

Ep 18 - How Do Earned, Owned and Paid Media Fit in Your Marketing Strategy?

Earned media is a small part of marketers’ budgets, but it’s a growing focus for brands across all categories. Still, is it really a winning marketing strategy on its own?

Ep 17 - What Does Creative Effectiveness Really Look Like?

75% of marketers struggle to link creative activities to commercial returns. And 79% say they have inadequate training to connect creative impact and business outcomes.

Ep 16 - Is It Time for a Contextual Targeting Comeback?

Google announced they would disable cookies for 1% of Chrome users at the beginning of 2024. Now, the pressure is on advertisers looking for targeting alternatives that don’t need cookies. Like contextual targeting.

Ep 15 - How Will AI Change Creative Work?

Following AI news has been quite the rollercoaster ride lately. The technology’s potential is incredible for a wide range of fields. But especially for creative work like copywriting, design, and video editing.

Ep 14 - How to Build a High-Performing Marketing Team

1,100 marketers were asked if they’d recommend working in their own marketing department to a friend or colleague. The results were a definitive "no." Clearly, marketing teams need a rebrand.

Ep 13 - What Does Tesla’s Pivot to Advertising Mean for Marketers?

For years, Tesla has been the poster child for why not every brand needs advertising. With word-of-mouth alone they became one of the most valuable companies in the world. So why is Tesla now shifting gears into advertising? .

Ep 12 - Navigating the Dark Funnel of Marketing Measurement

The “dark funnel” gained attention when marketers realized prospects were beginning the customer journey sooner than they’d thought. And they weren’t measuring it.

Ep 11 - The Untapped Value of B2B Brands

The top 100 B2B brands across the globe are worth a staggering $2 trillion collectively. But they have $1 trillion in untapped brand potential. Talk about missed opportunity, right?

Ep 10 - How to Target Your Audience on Mass Marketing Channels

Reaching large audiences is powerful. But they still need to be the right large audiences. Because even the biggest brands can't afford to skip targeting. Even on mass-reach marketing channels like TV, radio and print.

Ep 9 - How Airbnb Used Brand Awareness to Drive Profitability

Airbnb is the only public VC-backed company founded in the US in the last 15 years that is meaningfully profitable. How did they do it? They dramatically changed their approach to marketing.

Ep 8 - Brand Awareness – Is it Overrated or Effective Marketing?

Brand is far more measurable today than even five years ago. So why are we still questioning brand’s value? Maybe becauseit’s tough to know exactly how to grow brand—and defend its importance to the business.

Ep 7 - Behavioral Advertising – How Does Targeting Really Work?

Behavioral targeting has undeniably changed marketing and advertising, fueling the online advertising industry’s growth to $540 billion globally. But what’s the real impact... for marketers and for consumers?

Ep 6 - What Do Marketers Need to Know About a TikTok Ban?

TikTok has over 100 million American users, and US marketers will spend more than $11 billion on the app by the end of 2023. So what happens if the app is banned?

Ep 5 - How Will AI Reshape Marketing?

Marketing might just be the category of work most impacted by artificial intelligence in 2023. So how should marketers be thinking about using the technology in their daily work?

Ep 4 - How to Measure Upper Funnel Marketing Channels

There are more than 130 marketing metrics. But how many really determine marketing effectiveness? Especially for brand-building channels?

Ep 3 - Advertising During a Recession

The economy can be confusing. How marketers should respond to economic change can be equally difficult to navigate.

Ep 2 - Narrow Targeting vs Broad Reach Marketing

How do you balance broad reach and highly targeted marketing efforts?

Ep 1 - The Danger of Digital Marketing Dependence

As a marketer, what is the danger of relying too heavily on digital advertising?