Episodios

  • Nerd Alert: How AI Reveals Hidden Consumer Preferences

    Nerd Alert: How AI Reveals Hidden Consumer Preferences
    Oct 2 2025
    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 how the Mixture of Experts model uses AI to uncover four distinct consumer segments that traditional econometric models miss entirely. They reveal why assuming all consumers behave the same way leads to missed opportunities and how dynamic segmentation can transform marketing strategy.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] "How Do Consumers Really Choose? Exposing Hidden Preferences With the Mixture of Experts Model"
    • [03:00] Four hidden consumer segments uncovered by AI
    • [05:00] Why traditional models oversimplify consumer behavior
    • [06:00] The power of discount thresholds in promotion-driven buying
    • [07:00] How AI creates flexible, realistic customer pictures
    • [08:00] Why consumers are more like a zoo than a herd of cows








    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.


    Resources:
    Vallarino, D. (2025). How Do Consumers Really Choose? Exposing Hidden Preferences with the Mixture of Experts Model. arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.05800. 


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    10 m
  • How Marketing Earns Respect in the Boardroom with Kimberley Gardiner, CMO at Tractor Supply

    How Marketing Earns Respect in the Boardroom with Kimberley Gardiner, CMO at Tractor Supply
    Sep 30 2025
    Did you know poultry is the third most popular pet in America, behind dogs and cats? It's surprising stats like this that reflect the rural lifestyle trends driving growth at Tractor Supply Company.

    This week, Elena and Rob talk with Kimberley Gardiner, CMO of Tractor Supply. Learn how she measures marketing impact through business outcomes, builds teams grounded in humility, and why she rejects the brand versus performance marketing debate. Plus, hear the undeniable impact of connecting directly with customers.

    Topics covered:
    • [04:00] Transitioning from automotive to Tractor Supply marketing
    • [10:00] Using marketing strategically as a business driver, not cost center
    • [15:00] Investing marketing dollars for measurable returns
    • [18:00] Customer metrics that matter: traffic, transactions, basket size
    • [22:00] Why brand marketing versus performance marketing is a false choice
    • [26:00] What Kimberley learned about rodeo after joining Tractor Supply








    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.


    Resources:
    2024 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/marketers-improvement-financial-fluency/

    Kimberley Gardiner’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberley-sweet-gardiner/


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    30 m
  • Nerd Alert: Do Most New Products Really Fail?

    Nerd Alert: Do Most New Products Really Fail?
    Sep 25 2025
    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 challenge the common myth that 80-95% of new products fail. They reveal that while failure rates are significant, they're about half as bad as widely believed, with context and resources playing crucial roles in determining success.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] "How Common is New Product Failure and When Does It Vary?"
    • [02:00] One in four fail within the first year, 40% by year two
    • [03:00] Why big, competitive categories have higher failure rates
    • [04:00] Growing categories surprisingly show more failures than stable ones
    • [05:00] Brand size and trajectory impact new product survival
    • [07:00] Why retail creates natural barriers that improve odds








    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.


    Resources:
    Victory, K., Nenycz-Thiel, M., Dawes, J. et al. How common is new product failure and when does it vary?. Mark Lett 32, 17–32 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-021-09555-x


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    9 m
  • The Problem with "Purpose" with Nick Asbury

    The Problem with "Purpose" with Nick Asbury
    Sep 23 2025
    A German professor compiled a list of 55 questionable Cannes award entries. And he’s far from the only one. Yet the industry keeps creating marketing to win awards over actual performance.

    This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Nick Asbury, creative writer and author of The Road to Hell: How Purposeful Business Leads to Bad Marketing and a Worse World. Nick challenges brand purpose, arguing it produces formulaic campaigns while the research supporting it is fundamentally flawed.

    Topics covered:
    • [04:00] How the 2008 financial crash sparked the purpose movement
    • [12:00] The real story behind Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign data
    • [18:00] Why for-profit companies lack social license to lead causes
    • [21:00] Nick's crowdsourced fact-checking of Cannes award entries
    • [26:00] Debunking the Gen Z purpose myth after the 2024 election
    • [29:00] What respectful marketing looks like without purpose








    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.


    Resources:
    2024 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/good-intentions-lead-to-bad-marketing-why-purpose-is-missing-the-mark/

    Nick Asbury’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-asbury/?originalSubdomain=uk

    Nick's Substack: https://nickasbury.substack.com/

    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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    42 m
  • Nerd Alert: When Ads Make Us Cringe

    Nerd Alert: When Ads Make Us Cringe
    Sep 18 2025
    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 cringeworthy ads spread faster than good ones. They reveal how vicarious embarrassment drives word-of-mouth and why brands might benefit from being talked about badly rather than not at all.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] "That's So Cringe-Worthy: Understanding What Cringe Is and Why We Want to Share It"
    • [03:00] The difference between empathetic embarrassment and cringe
    • [04:00] Why Pepsi's Kendall Jenner ad generated more discussion than polished Super Bowl spots
    • [05:00] How social comparison drives cringe sharing
    • [06:00] Brand loyalty as a shield against cringe backlash
    • [07:00] Recovery strategies for cringeworthy moments








    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.


    Resources:
    Escoe, Brianna & Martin, Nathanael & Salerno, Anthony. (2025). That's So Cringeworthy! Understanding What Cringe Is and Why We Want to Share It. Journal of Marketing Research. 62. 10.1177/00222437241305104. 


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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    10 m
  • Building Brands That Buyers Remember with Jenni Romaniuk

    Building Brands That Buyers Remember with Jenni Romaniuk
    Sep 16 2025
    Big brands don't narrow cast. They want to be known everywhere their category can be part of your life. And there's a reason for that strategic choice.

    This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by research professor Jenni Romaniuk from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science. Jenni breaks down why consistent distinctive assets matter more than aesthetics, how mental availability drives brand growth, and why targeting light buyers is critical for long-term success. Plus, learn why differentiation might not be as important as you think for building a successful brand.

    Topics covered:
    • [04:00] Origin of distinctive assets research and why good branding matters
    • [12:00] When brands should change or evolve their distinctive assets
    • [19:00] What category entry points are and why they drive mental availability
    • [23:00] How to prioritize category entry points for maximum impact
    • [28:00] Why light buyers are essential for risk mitigation and growth
    • [33:00] Why differentiation might not be necessary for brand success








    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.


    Resources:
    2022 Contagious Article: https://www.contagious.com/iq/article/jenni-romaniuk-on-distinctive-assets

    Jenni Romaniuk’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenni-romaniuk-2746884/?originalSubdomain=au


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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    39 m
  • Nerd Alert: What Makes an Ad Authentic

    Nerd Alert: What Makes an Ad Authentic
    Sep 11 2025
    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 discover that authenticity in advertising isn't what most marketers think it is. They explore four distinct dimensions of authenticity and reveal why the most "real" ads don't always drive the best results.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] "Does it Pay to Be Real: Understanding Authenticity and TV Advertising"
    • [02:00] The four dimensions of authenticity in advertising
    • [03:00] Why brand essence beats heritage and realism
    • [05:00] When unrealistic ads outperform everyday scenarios
    • [07:00] How product type and brand size affect authenticity strategy
    • [08:00] Why user-generated content isn't always the answer








    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.


    Resources:
    Becker, Maren, Nico Wiegand, and Werner Reinartz. “Does It Pay to Be Real? Understanding Authenticity in TV Advertising.” Journal of Marketing Research. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022242918815880


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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    11 m
  • What Behavioral Economics Misses About Real-World Marketing

    What Behavioral Economics Misses About Real-World Marketing
    Sep 9 2025
    Real buying decisions are habitual. They're often emotional. Nudges assume people carefully weigh options, but in reality, they just grab what's familiar or easy.

    This week, Elena and Angela explore the gap between behavioral theory and marketing reality. They discuss why popular psychological insights like loss aversion, anchoring, and choice architecture often fall short when applied to actual campaigns. Plus, they share which behavioral principles still work in real-world marketing and why mental availability beats nudges for driving sustainable growth.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] Why behavioral economics experiments don't always translate to real marketing
    • [04:00] The most powerful behavioral principle that works repeatedly
    • [06:00] How Apple masters anchoring and framing to shape perception of value
    • [09:00] Why real buying behavior is habitual and emotional, not deliberate
    • [11:00] The behavioral economics principle that's been overhyped
    • [13:00] How mental availability compares to behavioral tactics like nudging
    • [15:00] The one behavioral insight to keep in your marketing toolbox








    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.


    Resources:
    2024 Behavioral Economics in Consumer Decision-Making Study: https://mideastjournals.com/index.php/mejelss/article/view/4


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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    20 m