Episodios

  • Nerd Alert: The Power of Priming in Marketing

    Nerd Alert: The Power of Priming in Marketing
    Jan 29 2026
    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 reveal how 84% of purchases are decided before shoppers even start looking... and why that changes everything about how you should invest in marketing.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] "How Humans Decide: What Drives Consumer Choice and How Brands Should Respond"
    • [02:00] The two stages of every purchase decision
    • [04:00] Why 84% of purchases are already decided
    • [06:00] Who's easy to influence (and who isn't)
    • [07:00] The touchpoints that actually change behavior
    • [08:00] Three moves to reach primed buyers








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


    Resources:
    WPP Media & Oxford Saïd Business School, Marketing Faculty. (2025). How Humans Decide: What drives consumer choice, and how brands should respond. October 2025.


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
    Más Menos
    11 m
  • The Risks of Brand Activism with Professor Tyler Milfeld

    The Risks of Brand Activism with Professor Tyler Milfeld
    Jan 27 2026
    When brands try to stand out through purpose or activism, they often stumble into controversy. So what's driving these missteps? And how should brands respond when backlash strikes?

    This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Professor Tyler Milfeld from Villanova School of Business to discuss the hidden risks of brand activism and repositioning. Tyler unpacks why high-profile rebrands fail, when purpose messaging actually works, and how brands should respond when they face backlash. Plus, learn why doing nothing might be better than apologizing.

    Topics covered:
    • [04:00] Why most repositioning efforts fail
    • [09:00] The credibility gap in brand purpose
    • [12:00] When pro-social brands don't benefit from purpose ads
    • [18:00] How brand power changes the rules for activism
    • [21:00] The worst response to brand activism backlash
    • [29:00] Why great insights matter more than shiny objects
    • [32:00] Marketing communication needs more fun








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


    Resources:
    2025 MediaPost Article:https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/411321/what-drives-brand-repositioning-and-why-do-these.html

    Villanova University Page: https://www1.villanova.edu/university/business/faculty-and-research/faculty-by-department/biodetail.html?mail=tyler.milfeld@villanova.edu&xsl=bio_long

    Tyler Milfeld’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-milfeld/


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
    Más Menos
    44 m
  • Nerd Alert: The Statistical Significance Trap

    Nerd Alert: The Statistical Significance Trap
    Jan 22 2026
    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 examine why treating statistical significance as proof can mislead marketers. They reveal how relying on a single P-value creates blind spots and why smart decisions require looking at the full picture of evidence.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] "Statistical Significance and Statistical Reporting, Moving Beyond Binary"
    • [02:00] What statistical significance actually means
    • [04:00] When significant results don't matter for business
    • [05:00] Building a toolkit approach beyond P-values
    • [06:00] Practical importance versus statistical significance
    • [08:00] Avoiding single-test tunnel vision








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


    Resources:
    McShane, B. B., Bradlow, E. T., Lynch, J. G., Jr., & Meyer, R. J. (2024). “Statistical Significance” and statistical reporting: Moving beyond binary. Journal of Marketing, 88(1), 1–20.


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
    Más Menos
    9 m
  • Creative Effectiveness in 2026 with Steve Babcock

    Creative Effectiveness in 2026 with Steve Babcock
    Jan 20 2026
    Only 21% of creatively awarded campaigns actually drive business results. But when ideas reach the very top of creative excellence, effectiveness doubles to 44%. So what separates the winners from the rest?

    This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Chief Creative Officer Steve Babcock to discuss what makes creative truly effective in 2026. They explore why most award-winning work fails to drive growth, the danger of over-personalization, and why fewer ideas executed longer beats constant reinvention. Plus, hear Steve's contrarian take on creative awards, the role of AI in advertising, and why durability matters more than novelty.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] Why only 21% of award-winning creative is effective
    • [09:00] Durability beats novelty in creative effectiveness
    • [15:00] Over-personalization is hurting creative campaigns
    • [21:00] Balancing emotional and rational messaging
    • [24:00] AI's role in creative work and the "human leap"
    • [32:00] Steve's advice: commit to fewer ideas for longer








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


    Resources:
    2025 WARC Article: https://ethicalmarketingnews.com/highly-awarded-creative-ideas-are-significantly-more-effective-new-warc-research-reveals


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
    Más Menos
    38 m
  • Nerd Alert: The Availability Gap in B2B Marketing

    Nerd Alert: The Availability Gap in B2B Marketing
    Jan 15 2026
    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 B2B brands struggle with physical availability and how marketers can reclaim control over where and how their products are sold. They break down three key strategies: presence, prominence, and portfolio management.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] "Easy to Find: Being Where B2B Buying Happens"
    • [02:00] Mental vs. physical availability
    • [03:00] Presence: Showing up where buying happens
    • [05:00] Prominence: Building owned vs. rented visibility
    • [07:00] Portfolio: Protecting your core products
    • [08:00] The lighthouse and harbor analogy








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


    Resources:
    Nenycz-Thiel, M., & Romaniuk, J. (2025, November). Easy to find: Being where B2B buying happens. Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science.


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
    Más Menos
    10 m
  • How Established Brands Can Still Grow

    How Established Brands Can Still Grow
    Jan 13 2026
    Research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute proves 18% of established brands grow market share by 5% or more in a single year. The real question isn't whether growth is possible—it's how to sustain it.

    This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob explore what separates the 7% of brands that maintain growth over multiple years from the rest, covering fundamentals like mental and physical availability and the tension between board pressure and patient strategy.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] Why growth isn't rare for established brands
    • [04:00] Only 7% of brands sustain meaningful growth over three years
    • [06:00] How consistency beats novelty for long-term success
    • [09:00] What it means to become a category leader
    • [13:00] Creative fundamentals that build mental availability
    • [17:00] Physical availability matters as much as mental availability
    • [21:00] Playing "Grow or Go" to evaluate marketing decisions








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


    Resources:
    2025 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/established-brands-grow/


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
    Más Menos
    33 m
  • Nerd Alert: What Drives Brand Recall?

    Nerd Alert: What Drives Brand Recall?
    Jan 8 2026
    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 brand presence and timing shape viewer memory. They reveal why showing your brand early and often for at least two-thirds of the ad is critical for recognition.

    Topics covered:
    • [01:00] "Brand Recognition in Television Advertising: The Influence of Brand Presence and Brand Introduction"
    • [02:00] How brand presence affects recall
    • [03:00] The cost of delayed brand introduction
    • [04:00] The two-thirds rule for optimal recognition
    • [05:00] Building memory structures through creative
    • [06:00] Why storytelling techniques can backfire








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


    Resources:
    Gerber, C., Terblanche-Smit, M., & Crommelin, T. (2014). Brand recognition in television advertising: The influence of brand presence and brand introduction.Acta Commercii, 14(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v14i1.223


    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
    Más Menos
    8 m
  • What Every Brand Should Know About AI Search with Josh Blyskal, Profound

    What Every Brand Should Know About AI Search with Josh Blyskal, Profound
    Jan 6 2026
    When your grandma starts asking ChatGPT for recommendations, you know search has fundamentally changed. Josh Blyskal from Profound tracks billions of real AI search queries, and his data reveals a massive shift in how consumers discover and evaluate brands.

    This week, Elena, Rob, and Jonathan sit down with Josh to discuss answer engine optimization (AEO) and what marketers need to know right now. Josh explains why traditional SEO tactics like domain authority matter less in AI search, how different engines cite content, and the surprising power of FAQs in product discovery. Plus, learn why SEOs have never had a better opportunity to become heroes in their marketing organizations.

    Topics covered:
    • [04:00] When AI search shifted from novelty to cultural necessity
    • [06:00] How ranking signals differ between ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity
    • [09:00] Why domain authority matters less for AEO than traditional SEO
    • [14:00] Tracking real user prompts across the marketing funnel
    • [19:00] How instant checkout in ChatGPT changes brand visibility strategy
    • [22:00] Why FAQs increased citations by 848% in top-performing domains
    • [26:00] Why SEOs should lead the AEO charge at their companies








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


    Resources:
    2025 Profound Article: https://www.tryprofound.com/guides/what-is-answer-engine-optimization

    Profound Website: https://www.tryprofound.com/

    Profound LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tryprofound/

    Josh Blyskal’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-blyskal/


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