The Marketing Architects

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.Once upon a time, Elena and Rob decided to explore the meaning of “brand love” and the use of powerful storytelling. They discovered that brands with a strong story create meaningful connections and fuel brand loyalty. Topics covered:   [00:46] “The Role of Storytelling in the Creation of Brand Love”[01:14] Examples of storytelling[03:42] Does storytelling lead to brand love?[04:15] What is brand love?[05:43] Storytelling in advertising[07:00] Emotional connection adds value To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: Dias P, Cavalheiro R. The role of storytelling in the creation of brand love: the PANDORA case. J Brand Manag. 2022;29(1):58–71. doi: 10.1057/s41262-021-00254-6. Epub 2021 Oct 6. PMCID: PMC8494506.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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.Whether you realize it or not, psychological principles are applied in marketing all the time. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are reviewing the six psychological lessons found in Dr. Cialdini’s classic book. They cover how marketers can use these principles for good (not evil) and how they show up in everything from customer reviews to subscription models.Topics covered:   [01:30] The history of Influence at Marketing Architects[03:30] Why we feel obligated to return favors[06:00] How consistency shows up in subscription models[10:00] The power of social proof[12:30] Everyone is more influenced by people they like[16:30] How authority affects buying decisions[18:45] Why scarcity increases desirability  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: 2016 Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2016/06/02/why-every-marketer-should-read-influence-the-psychology-of-persuasion/?sh=4c73d5b56d0c  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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] How to choose the right brand name[04:48] Ice cream and... cat litter?[05:56] How suppressed emotions affect brand name reactions [06:35] How much rhyme is too much?[07:00] Positive effect and sound repetition make a differenceTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: Argo, Jennifer & Popa, Monica & Smith, Malcolm. (2010). The Sound of Brands. Journal of Marketing - J MARKETING. 74. 97-109. 10.1509/jmkg.74.4.97.    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 is transforming advertising and creative[08:00] How to keep up with AI’s evolution[09:00] Gen Z’s impact on marketing trends[14:00] Why AR/VR is overhyped for marketers right now[17:00] How top-performing ad formats are moving to short-form video[20:00] Would you rather travel to the future or the past?  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: 2023 Wizard of Ads Article: https://wizardofads.org/the-fundamentals-that-remain/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 some people are extra susceptible to nostalgia[02:00] What is nostalgia?[03:30] Three types of nostalgia[07:00] Why is nostalgia so effective in advertising?[10:00] The connections between nostalgia, likeability, and memorability To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: Muehling, Darrel & Pascal, Vincent. (2012). An Involvement Explanation for Nostalgia Advertising Effects. Journal of Promotion Management. 18. 100-118. 10.1080/10496491.2012.646222.   Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 creativity in B2B marketing. Stick around, and you’ll even get a sneak peek at what Peter’s doing next! Topics covered:   [00:30] Introducing Peter Weinberg[04:30] How the 95-5 rule leads B2B marketing strategy[08:00] Broad vs narrow targeting for B2B[12:00] Why top-of-funnel and brand matters for B2B[14:00] How should B2B marketers think about TV?[19:00] The state of marketing effectiveness in the US[25:30] What’s next for Peter? To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: The B2B Institute Article: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/b2b-institute/b2b-research/trends/95-5-rule Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 Brand-Building Power”[03:00] What is a gross rating point (GRP)?[04:00] A 30-second TV ad is just as effective today as in the 1980s[05:00] Does spot length impact effectiveness?[07:00] Traditional marketing should still be a focus[08:00] How pretesting makes in-market campaigns more successful  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: Effectiveness and Efficiency of TV's Brand-Building Power: A Historical Review Frank Findley, Kelly Johnson, Douglas Crang, David W. Stewart Journal of Advertising Research Jun 2020, JAR-2020-011; DOI: 10.2501/JAR-2020-011  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 the term “primetime” come from?[07:30] Why primetime doesn’t always equal the best performance[12:00] The history of the subliminal advertising myth[17:30] What research says about the impact of personalization[22:00] Where personalization can go wrong   To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: 2012 Brand Genetics Article: https://brandgenetics.com/human-thinking/how-brands-grow-speed-summary/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 Advertising and Consumer Welfare[02:00] Defining behavioral targeting[04:30] Study results on behavioral advertising’s impact[05:30] How you might interact with behavioral ads[06:00] Behavioral vs contextual targeting  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: Schnadower Mustri, Eduardo and Adjerid, Idris and Acquisti, Alessandro, Behavioral Advertising and Consumer Welfare: An Empirical Investigation (March 23, 2023). Available at:  https://ssrn.com/abstract=4398428  or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4398428  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 targeting, and why video content now claims more than half of social ad budgets. Topics covered:   [01:30] How Facebook transformed social media forever[04:00] Snapchat and Reddit’s potential for growth[06:30] The risk of over-dependence on Meta[08:00] How privacy changes affect social attribution[09:30] How to make the most of social video[14:30] How to measure the effectiveness of social marketing[16:30] Organic vs paid social  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: 2024 Mashable Article: https://mashable.com/article/facebook-changed-social-media Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 conceptual side of marketing.Topics covered:  [00:30] Introducing Nerd Alert[02:00] Overview of “Research in Marketing Strategy”[05:00] The four parts of the marketing strategy framework [08:30] How marketing’s short-termism problem shows up in research[10:00] Why we need more research on marketing theory  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast Resources: Morgan, N.A., Whitler, K.A., Feng, H. et al. Research in marketing strategy. J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. 47, 4–29 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-018-0598-1  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 loyalty and acquisition, leading them to ask whether the two strategies really stand in opposition or could, just maybe, work together.Topics covered:[01:00] What’s the fuss around brand loyalty all about?[03:30] How quality and brand experience affect loyalty[06:00] Debating acquisition vs retention for growth[10:00] The history of ‘double jeopardy’[18:00] How effective are loyalty programs, really?[21:30] How loyalty programs can be a source for first-party data  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: 2023 Kantar Article: https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/modern-marketing-dilemmas-is-it-still-ok-to-talk-about-brand-loyalty Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 matters.Topics covered:   [01:00] Global ad spend will double its growth this year, thanks to AI[02:30] What are MFA sites?[04:00] Balancing cost and quality in media buys[08:00] Why low-quality inventory isn’t cost-effective[10:30] How offline channels differ from digital[14:30] How to judge media quality[15:30] AI’s impact on digital advertising  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: 2023 ANA Report: https://www.ana.net/miccontent/show/id/rr-2023-12-ana-programmatic-media-supply-chain-transparency-study2024 WARC Article: https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/why-media-quality-will-take-centre-stage-in-2024/en-gb/6531 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 attention away from your product or service through the ‘vampire effect.’ The team talks through when a celebrity might not be the right choice and how to find the right partner when you are pursuing a celebrity endorser.Topics covered: [01:30] The types of celebrity endorsements[02:30] The history of celebrities in advertising[05:30] How celebrities drive greater attention in ads[08:00] The pros and cons of partnering with a celebrity[11:30] Using characters vs celebrities[13:00] How to choose the right celebrity for your brand[17:30] Marketing Architects’ celebrity fantasy draftTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 Knowledge at Wharton Article: https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-marketing-psychology-behind-celebrity-endorsements/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 importance of offline channels, including TV advertising, for growing a business. Topics covered: [01:30] Digital vs offline channels for brand-building[06:30] Why marketers’ bias is usually toward digital[07:30] The limitations of online advertising[09:45] The biggest barriers to testing offline channels[14:00] How to test offline on a budget[16:00] Introducing Misfits & Machines!To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/digital-offline-marketer-brand-building/2020 Marketing AX Borders Article: https://marketingacrossborders.blog/2020/06/13/why-online-media-is-overrated-as-a-brand-building-channel/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 type of business? As with many marketing topics, the answers aren’t entirely straightforward. Topics covered:[01:00] Defining reach and frequency[03:30] Why your first impression is the most valuable[06:00] Why is reach vs frequency so hotly debated?[09:30] Frequency on linear vs streaming TV[13:00] How creative quality affects frequency[15:30] How do you plan a campaign optimized for both reach and frequency?To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2010 Ehrenberg-Bass Article: https://marketingscience.info/frequency-and-frequency-something-to-watch-out-for/B2B Institute Article: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/b2b-institute/b2b-research/trends/reach-maximalismGet more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 in the US, the process behind publishing marketing research, and how the next generation of marketers are being taught to prioritize business outcomes in their work. Topics covered: [02:00] Mark Ritson’s take on effectiveness in the US[03:30] Mitch’s experience marketing at P&G and transition to academia[11:30] The process of publishing marketing research[16:30] Is the US actually behind on effectiveness?[23:30] What marketing education looks like today[26:00] How is TV advertising discussed in the classroom?To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/effectiveness-ignorance-american-marketing/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 business results. Topics covered: [02:00] Why Facebook, Google and Amazon are adopting MMM[04:30] What is media mix modeling (MMM)?[05:30] Why marketers aren’t satisfied with last-click attribution[10:00] How MMM provides a holistic view of performance[13:00] Meta’s Robyn vs Google’s Lightweight[16:30] Why MMM struggles to measure brand impacts[21:30] How AI will change MMMTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 Adexchanger Article: https://www.adexchanger.com/measurement/why-facebook-google-and-amazon-are-embracing-media-mix-modeling/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 objectives, and why B2B marketers need to spend more time thinking about the humans on the other end of their work. Topics covered: [02:00] MarketingWeek on why B2B brands are behind[03:30] Colin’s experience as a F1 racecar driver[08:30] Brand marketing for Salesforce[11:15] Marketing effectiveness for B2B[14:30] Treating B2B like B2C marketing[21:00] Thinking about category entry points (CEPs)[24:00] How Salesforce’s forest characters came to life[33:00] Using TV’s broad reach for business growthTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 BrandFinance Report: https://static.brandirectory.com/reports/brand-finance-global-b2b-brands-index-2023-full-report.pdf Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 today. Topics covered: [01:00] MarketingWeek’s review of brand assets study[04:00] The highest-scoring format for distinctive assets[05:30] Why patience matters for distinctiveness[09:00] Assets need to be memorable, ownable, and have long-term potential[10:00] How distinctive assets have been elevated on TV[14:00] Using AI to evaluate brand assets[18:00] Distinctive assets quizTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/15-brand-assets-truly-distinctive-finds-research/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.