Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use. In this episode, Elena and Rob explore why some brand names are better than others. Like how the rhythmic and repetitive sounds of names like Coca-Cola, Kit Kat, and Lululemon can sway our feelings and decisions to buy. Topics covered: [00:54] “The Sound of Brands” [02:23] H...
Apr 18, 2024•10 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast How much has marketing really changed in the last decade? It might not be as much as you think. This week, Elena and Rob are covering what’s next in marketing, from how younger generations are making new demands of businesses to why it's so hard to keep up with the latest AI developments. But they’re also talking about what doesn’t change. And how marketing for the future is sometimes about focusing on fundamentals. Topics covered: [01:15] Some marketing fundamentals never change [04:00] How AI ...
Apr 16, 2024•22 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use. In this episode, Elena and Rob are going back in time... sort of. They’re covering nostalgia, what it is, and why it’s become a common and highly effective tool in advertising. Topics covered: [00:45] “An Involvement Explanation for Nostalgia Advertising Effects” [01:00] How...
Apr 11, 2024•11 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast 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... In this episode, Elena and Angela are joined by Peter Weinberg, former Global Head of Development at The B2B Institute from LinkedIn. They’re talking about the contrarian ideas Peter researched and popularized during his time at LinkedIn, including the 95-5 rule, why tight targeting isn’t always the right choice, and the role of crea...
Apr 09, 2024•28 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use. In this episode, Elena and Rob are talking all things TV advertising. There have been plenty of marketers announcing “TV is dead” over the last decade, but what does research say about TV’s effectiveness today? Topics covered: [00:45] “Effectiveness and Efficiency of TV’s Br...
Apr 04, 2024•10 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Is primetime really the “prime” time for TV advertisers? What does research say about subliminal advertising? And is personalization actually worth the effort? In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob look at some of the biggest myths and misconceptions in the marketing industry and tackle what research says about each. A word of caution... listening to this episode could challenge deep-rooted beliefs. Topics covered: [01:30] What happens when marketing debates get controversial [06:00] Where did...
Apr 02, 2024•26 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use. In this episode, Elena and Rob discuss a study reviewing behavioral advertising’s impact on consumer welfare, with some surprising results. Hint: behavioral advertising’s not as helpful for consumers as you might think! Topics covered: [01:00] Introducing Behavioral Advertis...
Mar 28, 2024•8 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast 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. In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob unpack the evolution of social media marketing, influenced heavily by Facebook's introduction of dynamic, algorithm-driven experiences. The conversation explores the need for platform diversification, the implications of privacy changes on targ...
Mar 26, 2024•22 min•Ep 53•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use. In our inaugural Nerd Alert episode, Elena and Rob get meta by reviewing research on marketing research. They’re looking at the current state of marketing research and why research is more focused right now on tactics than strategies, creating a gap in how we think about the...
Mar 21, 2024•11 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 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 customers? In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob discuss the ongoing debate about whether it’s better to focus on building brand loyalty or driving new customer acquisition. The team reviews studies highlighting the importance of emotional connection and positive brand experiences in fostering both customer...
Mar 19, 2024•25 min•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast 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 are a few reasons to be concerned about media quality. In today's episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are addressing the impact of AI on digital advertising, the rise of made-for-advertising (MFA) inventory, the costs and benefits of offline vs online media, and how much brand safety really ma...
Mar 12, 2024•22 min•Ep 51•Transcript available on Metacast 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? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are discussing the benefits (and risks) of using a celebrity to promote your brand. Because while celebrities can drive strong attention to your ad, they typically come with high price tags, can feel inauthentic if they aren’t clearly connected to your brand, and can even draw attent...
Mar 05, 2024•27 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast 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? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by SVP Partnerships Jordan Mauer to discuss the ideal balance for online and offline channels. Jordan’s marketing experience includes work for companies like US Bank, Visa, NASCAR, and Shutterfly. And he has strong feelings about the i...
Feb 27, 2024•20 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast It’s hard enough to agree on definitions for “reach” and “frequency.” Consensus on the ideal balance between the two is just about impossible. The internet is undeniably divided over this topic, but Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined this week by VP of Analytics Matt Hultgren to finally settle the debate. Which drives better business results—broadening your audience reach or increasing the number of times your target sees your ad? Does this change across marketing channels? Or even industry and t...
Feb 20, 2024•20 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast 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 really look like? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Dr. Mitch Olsen, marketing professor and director of undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame, to answer that very question. With rich experience in both the corporate and academic worlds of marketing, Mitch shares his thoughts on the state of marketing effectiveness...
Feb 13, 2024•34 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast 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. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by VP Strategy Dan Cleveland and Director of Analytics Jordan Rossler to talk about all things MMM. They’re digging into the pros and cons of the model, how new tools have made MMM more accessible than ever, and the importance of tying marketing investments back to busin...
Feb 06, 2024•28 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast 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. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Colin Fleming, EVP Global Marketing at Salesforce. Colin leads a team of more than 600 marketers building Salesforce’s brand and customer base. In this episode, he shares how Salesforce identified the need to lean into brand-building, how to balance brand and performance...
Jan 30, 2024•37 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast 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? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob talk about what makes assets truly distinctive, the most effective formats for memorability, and whether consistency or creativity plays a larger role in an asset’s success. Plus, quiz yourself along with the hosts as they run through some of the most well-known brand assets used to...
Jan 23, 2024•22 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we’re resharing one of our top episodes from the archive. Enjoy, and we’ll be back with new content next week! Brand is far more measurable today than it was even five years ago. So why are we still questioning brand’s value? Maybe because it’s tough to know exactly how to grow brand. Or how to defend its importance to the business. In this episode, Elena, Angela and Rob tackle brand misconceptions from a performance marketer’s perspective, from what it means to build brand awareness ...
Jan 16, 2024•21 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast 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. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by VP Media Catherine Walstad to review everything marketers should know about the potential and pitfalls of Connected TV in the upcoming year. Together, they highlight misconceptions about the rise of CTV and explore tactical steps advertisers ca...
Jan 09, 2024•29 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast 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. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob discuss the rise and relevance of attention metrics in advertising. From how attention goes beyond visibility to the many ways attention is measured, our hosts are exploring the benefits, challenges, and practical applications of attention metrics. They ...
Jan 02, 2024•20 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re taking time off to spend the holidays with our families so we’re republishing one of our top episodes from the archives. We hope you enjoy, and we’ll be back with new content next week. There are more than 130 marketing metrics. But how many really determine marketing effectiveness? Especially for brand-building channels like TV, radio, and print advertising? In this episode, VP of Analytics Matt Hultgren joins Angela and Elena to discuss how measurement best practices have chang...
Dec 26, 2023•30 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast It’s a podcast takeover! In a special bonus episode, we’re sharing Elena’s conversation with Marc Binkley and Vassilis Douros of “The Sleeping Barber” and Conor Byrne of “That’s What I Call Marketing.” Together, they review their favorite marketing trends and campaigns of the year, plus what they’re looking forward to for marketers in 2024. The conversation explores Apple’s distinctive brand assets, how Spotify and Strava make the most of customer data, the potential impact of AI, what brand pur...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast 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. In this wrap-up episode for the year, Elena, Angela, and Rob are sharing their own predictions for the biggest marketing trends in 2024. From a focus on effectiveness to the growth of traditional marketing channels to AI completely reimagining the ad industry, there’s a ...
Dec 19, 2023•25 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast 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. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Associate Director of Product Optimization Tilly DeNardo to talk about the future of QR codes in TV advertising. The team dives into Marketing Architects’ research on how consumers perceive the codes in advertising and how to create ads ...
Dec 12, 2023•26 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast 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? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by SVP Client Growth Dhiren Khemlani to discuss the pros and cons of in-housing, the impact of AI on agencies, and the importance of remaining agile and adaptable. Finally, they predict what agencies will look like in the next decade. Or if agencies will ...
Dec 05, 2023•30 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast 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. To uncover the reason for this disconnect, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by CFO Brent Longval. Together, they explore why marketing and finance can end up at opposite ends of the table and how learning to speak the same language can close the gap. There’s work to do on both ...
Nov 28, 2023•30 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast 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? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Strategy Director Kyle Lewis to discuss the trends retailers can expect during the holiday shopping season and how they can cultivate positive experiences to support sales going into 2024. Starting with the fact t...
Nov 21, 2023•25 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast 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. According to Data2Decisions and DDB, digital attribution techniques overestimate the business effects of search by a factor of two and underestimate the impact of TV by a factor of 10. In this week’s episode, Rob, Angela, and Elena discuss digital advertising’s effecti...
Nov 14, 2023•21 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast 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. This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Director of Analytics Jordan Rossler to discuss how marketers can improve the effectiveness of their SEM investment—while reducing their dependence on Google. Because no brand that wants to compete online can fully avoid Google...
Nov 07, 2023•22 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast 
