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.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. 

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-assetsJenni 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. 

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. 

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. 

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 how our brains decide whether we like an ad in just three seconds, revealing that early emotional impact matters more than dramatic endings for advertising success.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Neural Signals of Video Advertisement Liking: Insights into Psychological Processes and their Temporal Dynamics"[02:00] How fast people decide if they like or dislike an ad[03:00] Brain activity shifts from emotion to social cognition to evaluation[04:00] Early neural signals predict population-level ad performance[05:00] First 10 seconds matter more than the ending[06:00] Why early branding beats waiting until the end  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Chan, Hang-Yee, Maarten A. S. Boksem, Vinod Venkatraman, Roeland C. Dietvorst, Christin Scholz, Khoi Vo, Emily B. Falk, and Ale Smidts. 2024. “Neural Signals of Video Advertisement Liking: Insights into Psychological Processes and Their Temporal Dynamics.” Journal of Marketing Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222437231194319 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

A 2020 study found that only the right brand architecture strategy maximizes reputation spillover while preventing underinvestment. But most companies make this critical decision based on emotion rather than data. This week, Elena, Rob, and Director of Brand Beth Kuchera explore when to use one brand across everything versus splitting them up. They reveal the five ways brand architecture impacts business success and share why getting this wrong can waste expensive "brain space" that's impossible to recover. Topics covered: [01:00] Research on branded house versus house of brands strategy[05:00] Five ways brand architecture helps or harms your business [10:00] Strategic upsides and downsides of branded house approach [14:00] Creative challenges of extending versus building new brands [17:00] Resources as the most important decision-making factor [24:00] Measuring brand effectiveness across multiple products  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Yu, Jungju, A Model of Brand Architecture Choice: A House of Brands vs. A Branded House (May 28, 2020). Yu, J. (2021). A model of brand architecture choice: a house of brands vs. A branded house. Marketing Science, 40(1), 147-167., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3116284 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3116284  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 how consumer-created brand nicknames can backfire when brands adopt them officially. They reveal why "nickname branding" hurts performance across key metrics and shifts power dynamics in ways that damage brand perception.Topics covered: [01:00] "BMW is Powerful, Beamer is Not: Nickname Branding Impairs Brand Performance"[02:00] What nickname branding means and why brands do it[03:00] Speech Act Theory and power dynamics in marketing[04:00] When trying to be cool backfires spectacularly[06:00] Competent vs. warm brands and nickname effects[07:00] Transactional vs. communal messaging with nicknames  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Zhang, Zhe, Ning Ye, and Matthew Thomson. 2024. “BMW Is Powerful, Beemer Is Not: Nickname Branding Impairs Brand Performance.” Journal of Marketing 89 (1): 135–??. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429241266586  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Marketing budgets are a mess right now, says Mark Ritson. His solution? A simple, three-step system inspired by triple-cooked chips: spend 5-10% of revenue, balance long and short-term investment, and measure each piece properly.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob tackle one of the trickiest questions in marketing: how do you set a budget that actually drives growth? They explore Ritson's budgeting system, why marketers struggle to secure investment, and the frameworks needed to justify balanced spending.Topics covered: [01:00] Mark Ritson's three-step budgeting system[04:00] High-growth companies spend far more than 5-10%[11:00] The 60/40 rule and why most brands fall short[15:00] Setting measurement expectations for brand vs performance spend[20:00] How performance backgrounds shape budgeting approaches[26:00] Keeping unallocated budget for real-time opportunities  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2022 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/ritson-triple-cooked-chips-marketing-budgets/ 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 how advertising creates both immediate sales and long-term brand value through an integrated approach that connects thinking, feeling, and doing.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Discovering How Advertising Grows Sales and Builds Brands"[02:00] Do marketers design campaigns for both short- and long-term goals?[04:00] The integrated hierarchy framework: think, feel, do[05:00] Five years of soft drink brand data across 30,000 interviews[07:00] Why this brand's path was experience, then think, then feel[08:00] Advertising's direct impact on feelings and immediate sales  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Bruce, N. I., Peters, K., & Naik, P. A. (2012). Discovering how advertising grows sales and builds brands. Journal of Marketing Research. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.11.0060  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

75% of shoppers say they go to Amazon to find new products, even if they saw the brand elsewhere. Yet many companies still resist being there, missing massive opportunities for growth.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob dive into physical availability, the often-overlooked "place" in the marketing mix. They explore why D2C brands are rushing back to retail, share real campaign examples where distribution made the difference, and discuss what physical availability means in an AI-first world. Topics covered: [02:00] Why "place" is the forgotten P in the marketing mix[06:00] How D2C brands discovered the limits of digital-only strategies[10:00] Real campaign examples where physical availability made the difference[15:00] Brands doing physical availability right today[19:00] Expanding your thinking about "place" beyond shelf space[23:00] Brands we'd buy more if they were easier to find  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2025 WARC Article: https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/4ps---place-physical-availability-the-marketing-factor-youre-likely-overlooking/70102025 AdAge Article: https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/state-dtc-warby-parker-rare-beauty-draper-james/2603761/ 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 reveal the harsh truth about marketers' ability to judge their own brand elements. They explore why we're terrible at predicting how consumers will respond to our logos, colors, sounds, and taglines.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Assessing Branding Strength: Comparing Marketer Judgment and Consumer Data for Brand Identity Elements"[02:00] Only 2% of marketer predictions are accurate[04:00] Why we love our brands like our own dogs[05:00] When marketers actually get it right[06:00] Why teams beat individuals at brand judgment[07:00] Don't trust your gut alone  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Graham, C., & Lowrey, T. M. (2023). Assessing branding strength: Comparing marketer judgement and consumer data for brand identity elements. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 40(4), 977–996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2023.06.006  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Only 40% of Fortune 500 marketing leaders actually hold the title Chief Marketing Officer. But average CMO tenure is now 4.3 years, up from last year. So is the CMO role really disappearing? New research from Spencer Stuart challenges the "CMO decline" narrative everyone loves to share. This week, Elena and Angela explore why this story gained traction, what effective marketing leadership looks like today, and how first-time CMOs can stay relevant. Plus, they share which brands they'd love to lead for one year. Topics covered: [01:00] Spencer Stuart's 2025 Fortune 500 CMO research findings[07:00] Only 40% of marketing leaders use the CMO title[10:00] Should CMOs handle roles beyond traditional marketing?[12:00] What effective marketing leadership looks like today[17:00] Biggest challenge facing first-time CMOs[22:00] How companies should treat the CMO role differently  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2025 Spencer Stuart Report: https://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insight/cmo-tenure-study-2025-the-evolution-of-marketing-leadership 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 reveal how third-party audience targeting often delivers worse accuracy than random guessing, with demographic targeting hitting the right audience only 24.4% of the time compared to 26.5% accuracy from random targeting.Topics covered:   [01:00] "How Effective is Third Party Consumer Profiling and Audience Delivery"[02:00] The difference between first-party and third-party data[04:00] Study results: 59% accuracy sounds good until you learn random targeting hits 26.5%[05:00] Raw data accuracy drops to worse than random at 24.4%[07:00] Interest-based targeting performs better than demographic targeting[08:00] Third-party audiences are "economically unattractive"  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Lambrecht, A., Tucker, C., & Wiertz, C. (2019). How effective is third-party consumer profiling and audience delivery? Evidence from field studies. Marketing Science Institute Working Paper Series, 19-105.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

On average, brand equity accounts for over 30% of a company's value, yet most marketers still chase vanity metrics instead of measuring what drives real business results.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Kantar's Mary Kyriakidi to unpack findings from Kantar's Diary of a CMO Report. Mary explains why meaningful difference beats distinctiveness alone, how brands can build pricing power instead of defaulting to promotions, and what separates successful CMOs in the boardroom. Plus, learn about Kantar's meaningful, different, and salient framework and why brand equity should be treated as a financial asset.Topics covered: [04:00] Why meaningful difference drives growth beyond distinctiveness alone[09:00] How Kantar's meaningful, different, and salient framework works[14:00] The promotion trap that destroys pricing power and brand equity[16:00] How brands build pricing power through meaningfulness and difference[21:00] What CMOs need to gain credibility in the boardroom[23:00] Common mistakes when measuring brand performance  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Kantar's Diary of a CMO Report: https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/diary-of-a-cmoMary Kyriakidi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-kyriakidi-4a5a4a57/?originalSubdomain=uk 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 reveal how perceived brand simplicity creates higher consumer expectations that backfire when failures occur. They explore why simple brands face harsher judgment than complex ones when things go wrong.Topics covered: [01:00] "Keep It Simple: Consumer Perceptions of Brand Simplicity and Risk"[02:00] Simplicity versus vagueness in marketing[03:00] How simple brands create lower risk perceptions[04:00] YouTube TV's confusing interface betrays simple expectations[05:00] Mental simplicity equals fewer moving parts[06:00] The white couch analogy for brand disappointment  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or join our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Light, N., & Fernbach, P. M. (2024). Keep it simple? Consumer perceptions of brand simplicity and risk. Journal of Marketing Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222437241248413 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Marketing can't force people to buy what they don't need. According to Dale Harrison, 65-90% of market share within a category is determined by brand recall at purchase.This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Dale Harrison, former experimental physicist turned marketing effectiveness expert. Dale breaks down the NBD-Dirichlet model that governs consumer behavior, explains why most growth stories have nothing to do with brilliant marketing, and reveals why reach (not targeting) drives market share. Plus, learn about the mathematical reality behind brand loyalty and why your job as a marketer is to make subtle nudges, not force outcomes.Topics covered: [04:00] Marketing as hacking brains, not forcing behavior [13:00] The NBD-Dirichlet model explained through consumer purchase patterns [22:00] Why brand loyalty is actually polyamorous repertoire buying [26:00] Two ways brands grow: organic category growth vs. market share theft [38:00] Effective CPM vs. total CPM and the targeting efficiency trap [42:00] Share of voice correlation to market share success  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2024 LinkedIn Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-marketing-creates-revenue-dale-w-harrison-84v7c/Dale Harrison's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalewharrison/ 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 challenge the assumption that older consumers stick with older brands. Real purchase data from over 88,000 grocery trips shows older shoppers buy a mix of brands based on size and relevance, not age or nostalgia.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Examining Older Consumers' Loyalty towards Older Brands in Grocery Retailing"[02:00] What the data revealed about older shoppers[04:00] Do these findings apply beyond grocery categories?[05:00] Financial services and credit card research[06:00] Cars, durables, and 25 years of cross-category data[08:00] Your brand preferences are like your closet  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Phua, P., Kennedy, R., Trinh, G., Page, B., & Sharp, B. (2020). Examining older consumers' loyalty towards older brands in grocery retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 54, 101893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101893:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}   Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Most B2B marketers in tech are marketers in name only. They're really just tool operators. That's according to Liam Moroney, founder of Storybook Marketing, who believes the industry has lost sight of fundamental marketing principles.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Liam to discuss the false dichotomies plaguing marketing effectiveness. From brand versus performance to long-term versus short-term thinking, these binaries are actively harming growth. Liam shares his journey from demand gen tool operator to brand advocate and how to make brand measurement more tangible for skeptical executives.Topics covered: [04:00] Crisis of confidence in the demand gen mindset[11:00] How the B2B tech industry avoids the word "brand" entirely[15:00] The problem with demand generation as a concept[19:00] Making brand marketing tangible through operational metrics[23:00] Share of search as an accessible brand measurement tool[29:00] Why B2B advertising looks so generic and how it's changing  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2020 Tom Roach Article: https://thetomroach.com/2020/11/15/the-wrong-and-the-short-of-it/ Liam Moroney's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liammoroney/ 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 reveal how sonic logos, those brief musical signatures lasting just five or six seconds, can boost brand perception and ad effectiveness as much as full-length background music. They explore optimal placement strategies that maximize emotional impact.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Small Sounds, Big Impact: Sonic Logos and Their Effect on Consumer Attitudes, Emotions, Brand and Advertising Placement"[02:00] How sonic logos differ from jingles[03:00] Happy versus sad sonic logos in testing[04:00] Placement matters: beginning versus end positioning[05:00] Primacy and recency effects in audio branding[06:00] Why so few brands invest in sonic logos  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Scott, S. P., Sheinin, D., & Labrecque, L. I. (2022). Small sounds, big impact: Sonic logos and their effect on consumer attitudes, emotions, brands and advertising placement. Journal of Product & Brand Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-06-2021-3507:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}   Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Getting marketing effectiveness principles to stick at major companies is harder than proving they work. Even when the data shows brand activity drives 65% of sales, internal structures and human psychology work against long-term thinking.This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Simon Peel, managing partner at The Other Lot and former Global Head of Media at Adidas. Simon shares how Adidas discovered that brand activity was driving 65% of sales across all channels, not the digital performance marketing in which they were heavily invested. He reveals the internal battles, years of education, and structural changes needed to make effectiveness principles stick at large organizations.Topics covered: [01:00] Why Adidas publicly admitted their digital advertising mistakes[10:00] The marshmallow effect and why humans default to short-term thinking[16:00] Differences between US and European adoption of effectiveness principles[20:00] Why measurement needs econometrics, randomized tests, and attribution[26:00] How light buyers drove 80-90% of revenue at both Adidas and Haleon[30:00] Why AI will perpetuate bad media buying practices  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2019 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/adidas-marketing-effectiveness/2019 Institute of Practitioners in Advertising Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbT8TqBUgOsSimon Peel's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-peel-28a83215/?originalSubdomain=uk 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 how small rituals before consuming products can dramatically enhance enjoyment and make experiences more memorable. They reveal why structured, meaningful movements work better than random gestures and how brands like Jeep, Oreo, and Apple have mastered the art of ritual-driven engagement.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Rituals Enhanced Consumption" [02:00] The Jeep Wrangler ducking ritual and community building [03:00] Four experiments on chocolate bars, carrots, and lemonade [04:00] Why delay after rituals increases anticipation and enjoyment [05:00] Personal involvement: doing versus watching rituals [06:00] Brand examples: Oreos, Starbucks, Disney, and Guinness [07:00] Apple's unboxing experience as the ultimate ritual  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Vohs, K. D., Wang, Y., Gino, F., & Norton, M. I. (2013). Rituals enhance consumption. Psychological Science, 24(9), 1714–1721. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613478949  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Does advertising nudge your memory? Change your mind? Or make you feel something? The answer isn't as simple as you think.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob examine five leading theories of how advertising works. They debate memory nudging versus persuasion models, explore why emotional ads outperform rational ones, and reveal which approaches actually drive business results.Topics covered: [02:00] Memory nudging theory and mental availability from Ehrenberg-Bass[08:00] When persuasion models change consumer minds[13:00] Why emotional priming outperforms rational advertising[18:00] Cultural branding and why most brands can't pull it off[21:00] Signaling theory and how expensive media builds credibility[24:00] Which advertising theory each host likes most[26:00] Mandela Effect game connecting memory to brand recall To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2020 Ehrenberg-Bass Institute Study: https://marketingscience.info/what-is-the-effect-of-advertising-on-mental-market-share/  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 reveal the true cost of turning off advertising spend. They explore research across 365 US brands showing market share declines by 10% after one year, 20% after two years, and 30% after four years of going dark.Topics covered: [01:00] "When Brands Go Dark: A Replication and Extension"[02:00] Market share drops 10% after one year of going dark[04:00] Brand size and trajectory predict decline severity[05:00] Low frequency categories suffer most without advertising[06:00] Light buyers are first to forget your brand[07:00] Mental availability matters more than shelf availability  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Phua, P., Hartnett, N., Beal, V., Trinh, G., & Kennedy, R. (2023). When brands go dark: A replication and extension. Journal of Advertising Research, 63(2), 172–184. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-2023-009  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.  

AI agents heavily rely on structured data like pricing and star ratings while largely ignoring flashy visuals or banners. Traditional SEO strategies may actually harm your chances of being recommended by AI systems.This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Jonathan Elfreich, Head AI Architect at Misfits and Machines, to explore how AI is changing marketing. From SEO to GEO optimization to AI-driven TV advertising, learn what marketers need to know about preparing for a world where machines make purchasing decisions.Topics covered: [04:00] How AI differs from automation and learns from data [09:00] Why traditional SEO strategies harm AI citation results [14:00] Building brand memories in AI systems like ChatGPT [18:00] How well-known brands have advantages in AI recommendations [21:00] Short-term changes happening in TV advertising with AI [24:00] Long-term vision for personalized, generated TV content [28:00] The importance of targeting and mass customization  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources:  2025 AdExchanger Article: https://www.adexchanger.com/data-driven-thinking/marketing-to-machines-a-new-performance-strategy-in-the-age-of-ai-agents/ 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 animal images consistently create more favorable attitudes toward ads and brands than human models. They reveal how biophilia, pet love, and trust drive effectiveness. Plus learn when using animals can backfire.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Effectiveness of Animal Images and Advertising"[02:00] Biophilia drives receptiveness to animal ads[03:00] Pet lovers smile more at animal advertisements[04:00] Baby animals trigger caretaking reflexes[06:00] Animals project trustworthiness onto brands[08:00] When animals backfire as consumer stand-ins To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Keller, B., & Gierl, H. (2020).Effectiveness of animal images in advertising. Marketing ZFP–Journal of Research and Management, 42(1), 3–32. https://doi.org/10.15358/0344-1369-2020-1-3  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

This week, we're resharing a top episode from the archive. Originally recorded a year ago, this episode features the one and only Mark Ritson and remains one of our most popular episodes to-date. Enjoy, and we'll be back with new content next week!This episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by professor, consultant, and columnist Dr. Mark Ritson. Based on his experience as both a marketing academic and practitioner, Mark shares his thoughts on the state of marketing effectiveness in the US, what we can learn from the history of marketing, and the importance of balancing research with active testing to discover marketing strategies that really work.Topics covered:   [04:30] What is marketing effectiveness?[07:30] Why Mark created the Mini MBA[15:00] How AI will change the future of advertising[17:15] Why marketers undervalue TV advertising[21:00] The differences between effectiveness and marketing science[29:30] Marketing fundamentals don't change To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  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. 

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 betrayal triggers actual psychological pain and revenge-seeking behavior, making betrayed customers far more dangerous than merely dissatisfied ones.Topics covered:  [01:00] "Insights into the Experience of Brand Betrayal: From What People Say and What The Brain Reveals"[02:00] When brands don't disappoint but actually betray[03:00] Brand betrayal creates deep psychological loss[05:00] Brain scans reveal betrayal activates pain centers[07:00] How Domino's recovered from brand betrayal To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Reimann, M., MacInnis, D. J., Folkes, V. S., Uhalde, A., & Pol, G. (2018). Insights into the experience of brand betrayal: From what people say and what the brain reveals. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 3(2), 240–254. https://doi.org/10.1086/697077 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

At any given time, 95% of potential B2B buyers aren't in-market for your product. Only 5% are actively shopping. Most people your ads reach won't buy anytime soon.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob explore the 95/5 rule introduced by professor John Dawes in 2021. They discuss how this principle contradicts the familiar 80/20 rule, why the fundamental principle applies beyond B2B categories, and how brands can shift from "hunter" to "farmer" mindsets. The team also covers creative strategies for reaching the 95% who aren't ready to buy yet and why mental availability matters more than immediate conversion. Topics covered: [01:00] Origins of the 95/5 rule and how it contradicts 80/20 thinking[04:00] Why the rule makes sense for B2B but challenges B2C assumptions[07:00] How modern marketing overemphasizes tracking immediate conversions[09:00] Calculating the 95/5 rule for your specific category[12:00] Creative strategies that build memory structures for future buyers[14:00] Shifting from hunter to farmer mentality in advertising strategy[17:00] Brand versus performance marketing balance under this rule  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: John Dawes: The 95:5 Rule: https://johndawes.info/the-955-rule/ Tyrona Heath: Why You Should Follow The 95-5 Rule: https://tyronaheath.com/2022/08/11/why-you-should-follow-the-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 explore how dynamic retargeting ads often underperform generic brand ads. They discover that timing and customer readiness matter more than personalization.Topics covered:   [01:00] "When Does Retargeting Work? Information Specificity in Online Advertising"[04:00] Why personalized ads can underperform generic ones[05:00] Customer journey signals that predict ad effectiveness[06:00] Review site visits as high-intent indicators[09:00] Broad reach versus moment marketing strategies[11:00] Lab study confirms field experiment results  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Lambrecht, A., & Tucker, C. (2013). When does retargeting work? Information specificity in online advertising. Journal of Marketing Research, 50(5), 561–576. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.11.0503  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Most B2B marketers completely misunderstand what brand advertising is supposed to do. They conflate brand narrative with brand advertising, trying to make one execution do both jobs. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Matt Maynard, VP of Global Brand and Advertising at Asana. Matt shares how he went from journalism to marketing thought leadership without taking a single marketing class. He digs into the dangerous defaults B2B marketers fall into, from pipeline obsession to customer story overuse. Plus, learn why brand advertising and brand narrative are two completely different things that most companies wrongly conflate. Topics covered: [02:00] Matt's journey from journalism to self-taught marketer[08:00] Why brand marketing is having an identity crisis in B2B[13:00] Translating marketing effectiveness theory into practice[18:00] Managing product-led and sales-led growth motions[22:00] Reframing the 95-5 rule as increasing your odds[25:00] What "responsible reach" means for brand marketing[31:00] Why customer stories don't belong in brand advertising[35:00] The difference between brand narrative and brand advertising  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2024 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/ritson-applicable-b2b-marketing/Matt Maynard's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmaynard/Asana: https://asana.com/ 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 how attention metrics reveal the true value of media platforms. They discover that not all impressions deliver equal attention and learn why excess share of voice works best when paired with high-attention media placement.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Attention and Effectiveness to ESOV and Beyond, Part Two"[02:00] Not all media impressions are created equal[04:00] How attention varies by platform and pricing gaps[05:00] Active vs. passive attention and the 2.5-second rule[07:00] Attention elasticity amplifies creative performance[08:00] ESOV still works, but placement matters  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Brittain, R., & Field, P. (2023). Attention and Effectiveness: To ESOV and Beyond Part II. Advertising Council Australia. https://advertisingcouncil.org.au  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Research shows brands that over-invest in short-term performance marketing alone can cut their ROI by 20-50%. But when they shift to a balanced strategy with 40-60% brand building, ROI jumps by an average of 90%.In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob tackle how marketers can implement effectiveness principles without massive budgets. They explore how Dollar Shave Club drove 12,000 subscriptions with a $4,500 video, discuss the ideal channel mix for limited funds, and share practical tools making creativity more accessible than ever. Plus, discover which marketing tactics to protect when budgets get tight.Topics covered: [01:00] Brand and performance balance research[02:30] Dollar Shave Club's $4,500 success[05:20] Optimizing a $1 million media budget[09:00] AI tools for creative production[15:45] Convincing CFOs to invest in brand[29:00] Marketing budget showdown game  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2025 The Australian Article: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/growth-agenda/brand-and-performance-ads-create-multiplier-effect-for-business-growth/news-story/4cd2d4896b58020979384f2b57a74122 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 the paradox between consumers' stated privacy concerns and their willingness to share data for small incentives, revealing how privacy regulations affect the entire advertising ecosystem.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Privacy and Consumer Empowerment in Online Advertising"[02:00] GDPR's impact on ad platforms and consumer behavior[04:00] How data sharing affects product pricing[05:00] The privacy paradox explained[07:00] New privacy-friendly ad models[10:00] Balancing personalization with cultural imprinting  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Choi, W. J., & Jerath, K. (2021). Privacy and Consumer Empowerment in Online Advertising. Forthcoming in Foundations and Trends in Marketing. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4017940   Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

The most efficient frequency for TV advertising is just one impression. As controversial as that sounds, the data is clear. You need at least 2X more conversion likelihood from a second viewing to justify its cost.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Jordan Rossler, VP of Media Analytics, to explore why cost is the principal determinant of TV's ROI. They examine the controversial "Everything Works at Zero" principle, where any effective media becomes dramatically more efficient when you lower its cost. The team breaks down why CPM is king and how to evaluate if cheap media is still high quality.Topics covered: [01:00] The "Everything Works at Zero" principle explained[05:45] How TV pricing differs between linear and streaming[12:00] Why frequency of one is the most efficient level for TV[14:00] Creating ads that stand alone regardless of frequency[16:30] The hidden costs of targeting in TV advertising[19:00] Using ACR data to prove cost-efficient buys outperform premium ones[23:45] Debunking myths about targeting effectiveness To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  Reach, Revenue & ROI: The 3 Principles for Effective Advertising Report: https://www.marketingarchitects.com/blog/report-three-principles-for-effective-tv-advertising 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 how platform design influences marketing outcomes, revealing that each digital ecosystem creates unique challenges and opportunities that impact advertising effectiveness.Topics covered: [01:00] "Platform Research in Marketing"[04:00] How network effects shape platform economics[05:10] The interaction between organic and paid content[06:45] The impact of reviews and platform manipulation[07:15] Self-preferencing and the ethics of content labeling[09:30] Platform-specific insights for marketers  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Sen, A., Lambrecht, A., & Newby, J. (2025). Platform Research in Marketing. Carnegie Mellon University and London Business School.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Think of brand as a turbocharger for your paid ads. It warms people up before they meet your call to action or come into market. But when is the right time to start investing in brand building over pure performance marketing, especially as a digital-first company?This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob explore when performance marketing reaches diminishing returns and why it's so difficult for marketers to shift budget toward brand. Plus, they share real client examples of how brand investment transformed businesses, including Old Spice's reinvention that increased sales 125% in just three months, and outline metrics beyond traditional brand studies that prove brand's impact on your business.Topics covered: [01:00] Research on brand equity's impact on ecommerce[03:30] Signs your performance marketing is reaching diminishing returns[09:00] How brand acts as a turbocharger for paid advertising[15:00] Client success stories from brand investment[20:00] Old Spice's brand reinvention that increased sales 125%[28:00] Better ways to measure brand impact beyond brand studies  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  Mokha, Anupreet. (2021). Brand Equity, Brand Satisfaction, and Brand Loyalty: A Study of Select E-Commerce Industry. International Journal of Online Marketing. 11. 34-50. 10.4018/IJOM.2021070103.  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 how Bayesian modeling offers a more nuanced approach to marketing attribution than traditional methods. They discuss why many marketers still rely on oversimplified attribution models despite their limitations.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Bayesian Modeling of Marketing Attribution"[03:00] Problems with traditional attribution models[04:50] Why simple models persist despite their flaws[06:00] Key components of Bayesian attribution[08:00] Rapid decay of ad effects and negative interaction effects[09:45] How this approach can offer deeper marketing insights  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Sinha, R., Arbour, D., & Puli, A. (2022). Bayesian Modeling of Marketing Attribution. Available at arXiv:2205.15965   Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

94% of advertisers are concerned about how tariffs might impact their budgets according to an IAB survey. Of those planning cuts, 60% expect a 6-10% decrease in ad spend, while 22% anticipate cuts of 11-20%.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob explore what the research says about marketing during economic downturns. They discuss how brands that maintain or increase spending during tough times consistently gain market share, why creative thinking matters more than ever, and the smartest ways to adjust your strategy if budget cuts are unavoidable.Topics covered: [01:00] Current economic landscape and marketer uncertainty[05:00] Predicted impact of tariffs on US media ad spending[07:00] Research showing companies that increased ad spend by 50% during recession saw 1.5% market share growth[09:00] Creative marketing examples from economic downturns[13:00] Ways to reduce marketing spend without damaging your brand[17:30] Where to double down if you have available budget[21:00] Finding personal comfort rituals during uncertain times  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  Tellis, Gerard & Tellis, Kethan. (2009). A Critical Review and Synthesis of Research on Advertising in a Recession. Journal of Advertising Research. 49. 10.2501/S0021849909090400. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228272297_A_Critical_Review_and_Synthesis_of_Research_on_Advertising_in_a_Recession   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 how AI transforms workplace collaboration. A groundbreaking Procter & Gamble study reveals that individuals using AI match team performance, while AI-human teams produce superior results. Topics covered:   [01:00] "The Cybernetic Teammate: A Field Experiment on Generative AI Reshaping Teamwork"[03:00] Field experiment setup and methodology[04:35] How AI helps break departmental silos[05:10] Improved emotional experience when working with AI[06:05] AI integration beyond productivity[07:00] AI-human collaboration creating "blended intelligence" To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Dell'Acqua, F., Ayoubi, C., Lifshitz, H., Sadun, R., Mollick, E., Mollick, L., Han, Y., Goldman, J., Nair, H., Taub, S., & Lakhani, K. (2025). The Cybernetic Teammate: A Field Experiment on Generative AI Reshaping Teamwork and Expertise. Harvard Business School Working Paper No. 25-043 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 which marketing strategy matters more: differentiation or distinctiveness?In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob debate whether brands should focus on meaningful differentiation or memorable distinctiveness. The hosts explore research showing that while differentiation plays a more limited role than traditionally assumed, distinctiveness is crucial for getting into consumers' consideration sets. They also examine how category dynamics impact which strategy dominates and share real-world examples of brands that excel at either approach. Topics covered: [01:00] Research from Rob Myerson on Byron Sharp's distinctiveness claims[03:00] The case for focusing on distinctiveness in marketing[06:00] Why differentiation gives brands resilience and pricing power[09:00] How category dynamics impact strategy importance[12:30] The role of distinctiveness in TV advertising effectiveness[19:00] Examples of brands excelling at distinctiveness vs differentiation  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2021 WARC Article: https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/what-does-byron-sharps-research-really-tell-us-about-differentiation/en-gb/4314 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 how sticking with the same creative platform drives better results. Based on research analyzing 4,000 ads, they reveal why consistency isn't boring—it's a powerful force that compounds over time.Topics covered:   [01:00] "The Magic of Compound Creativity"[01:45] When brands should consider changing creative[03:00] How consistency impacts creative quality scores[04:35] Why creative elements get better with age[06:05] The business impact of creative consistency[08:40] The compounding effect of brand continuity  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: System1 & IPA (2024). The Magic of Compound Creativity: How consistency leads to creative quality, stronger brands and greater profits. With data from the IPA Effectiveness Databank  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Only a third of agencies believe their clients provide a clear target audience in their briefs. So how can we build effective targeting strategies that drive real business growth?In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob tackle the misunderstood world of targeting in marketing. They explore why defining your target audience isn't just a media decision but a foundational strategic choice. Plus they examine the flaws in third-party data targeting and provide practical advice for maximizing reach without wasting budget on ineffective targeting tactics.Topics covered: [01:00] Why marketers should be wary of "algorithmic hanky panky"[03:30] The misconception that brands grow through narrow audience targeting[07:00] How digital platforms introduce bias in AB testing[11:00] The major pitfalls of third-party data for targeting[14:00] Balancing targeting precision with cost-effectiveness[17:00] Top targeting strategies that deliver without sacrificing reach[20:00] The surprising success of broad targeting for brand growth  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2025 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/ritson-ignore-anyone-targeting/ 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 whether price promotions deliver more than just temporary sales spikes. They examine how different product categories respond to discounts and reveal when promotions might help or harm brand loyalty.Topics covered:   [01:00] "The Long-Term Effects on Category Incidents"[02:00] How soup and yogurt categories respond to promotions[03:00] The short-term impact of discounts on sales[05:00] Premium brands and the "discount doom loop"[07:00] When promotions actually build customer retention[08:30] Using offers effectively for new TV advertisers  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Pauwels, K., Hanssens, D. M., & Siddarth, S. (2002). The long-term effects of price promotions on category incidence, brand choice, and purchase quantity. Journal of Marketing Research, 39(4), 421–439. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.39.4.421.19114  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

A study from Les Binet and Peter Field found that for every 10-point increase in excess share of voice, brands see around a 0.5% annual market share growth on average. But does this marketing principle still hold true in today's fragmented media landscape?This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by VP of Strategy Dan Cleveland to explore excess share of voice (ESOV) and its enduring relevance. They dive into how ESOV correlates with growth, why it's still a valuable planning tool, and what happens when brands let their share of voice slip below market share. Plus, discover why TV remains crucial for building the top-of-funnel awareness that drives long-term brand performance.Topics covered: [01:00] The history of share of voice and why it matters[03:30] How excess share of voice links to market share growth[08:00] When ESOV doesn't work (and what that reveals)[12:30] Using share of search as a real-time metric[16:00] Why top-of-funnel channels drive brand awareness[21:00] The risks of underspending compared to your share of market[27:00] Practical steps to apply ESOV to your strategy  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources:  2023 IPA Article: https://ipa.co.uk/knowledge/ipa-blog/esov-an-excessive-focus-on-the-wrong-thing/?utm_source=chatgpt.com 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 how creative advertisements can actually hurt the performance of regular ads shown alongside them. They discuss why brands with smaller budgets should still prioritize creativity to avoid getting lost in the mix.Topics covered:   [01:00] "The Power of Creative Advertising: Creative Ads Impair Recall and Attitudes Towards Other Ads"[03:00] How creative ads affect surrounding regular ads[04:35] The dramatic drop in recall when creative ads are repeated[05:10] Why regular ads are judged more harshly after creative ones[06:30] The "Super Bowl effect" and competitive ad environments[07:00] Creating memorable ads on smaller budgets To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Jin, H. S., Kerr, G., Suh, J., Kim, H. J., & Sheehan, B. (2022). The power of creative advertising: Creative ads impair recall and attitudes toward other ads. International Journal of Advertising, 41(3), 1-21.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Marketers only accurately predict the outcome of an A/B test 52% of the time. With today's viewers constantly multitasking, creative has seconds—not minutes—to make an impact. But many brands still rely on outdated approaches, leading to forgettable commercials.In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Chief Creative Officer Steve Babcock to discuss Marketing Architects' new report on TV creative effectiveness. They explore why strategy must come first, why pretesting is no longer optional, storytelling lessons from marketing effectiveness research, and how AI is enhancing (not replacing) human creativity.Topics covered: [01:00] New research on what makes TV creative effective in 2025[05:00] Why the old creative playbook no longer works[08:00] Finding the "elephant in the room" for strategic development[13:00] How AI-powered pretesting is changing creative development[21:00] The cost of "dull" advertising that evokes no emotion[25:00] Using AI as a creative engineering tool[36:00] The future of "shootless" video production  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2025 Marketing Architects Report: https://www.marketingarchitects.com/NewRules 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 how emotions outweigh logic in advertising effectiveness. They discuss research showing emotional responses are nearly twice as powerful as cognitive factors in driving purchase intent across nearly all product categories.Topics covered:   [01:00] "The Power of Effect: Predicting Intention"[02:00] Rational vs. emotional decision-making[03:00] The AdSAM non-verbal research tool[05:00] Where emotion dominates across product categories[06:45] The one category where logic outperforms emotion[09:30] Creating ads that evoke the right feelings  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Morris, J. D., Woo, C., Geason, J. A., & Kim, J. (2002). The power of affect: Predicting intention.Journal of Advertising Research, 42(3), 7-17.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

CTV ad revenue is projected to reach $28 billion this year, but 39% of advertisers still cite transparency in ad placements as a major concern. Is Connected TV delivering on its promises or falling short?This episode, Elena and Angela are joined by Chief Media Officer Catherine Walstad to discuss the state of CTV advertising. They explore the maturing optimism around streaming TV and share practical advice for navigating this complex but essential channel. Learn why CTV shouldn't be viewed as either brand or performance marketing, but as a powerful complement to linear TV.Topics covered: [01:00] CTV usage and ad spend projections through 2026[03:30] Current marketing sentiment around CTV advertising[06:00] Defining CTV, OTT, and streaming terminology[09:00] Is CTV delivering on its ROI promises?[11:00] CTV's role in both brand and performance marketing[18:00] Why CTV advertising has high CPMs and hidden costs[21:00] CTV measurement challenges and solutions[27:00] How fragmentation impacts advertisers and viewers[29:30] Emerging CTV trends like shoppable and interactive ads  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2025 eMarketer Article: https://www.emarketer.com/content/5-things-know-about-ctv-advertising-platforms2025 Ad Exchanger Article: https://www.adexchanger.com/tv/buyers-say-ctvs-transparency-problem-remains-a-roadblock-to-investment/ 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 how humor in advertising drives stronger brand recall and sales despite its 37% decline over the past two decades. They reveal why creating memorable, relatable comedy leads to measurable business results.Topics covered:   [01:00] "What's Working in Humorous Advertising"[02:30] The decline of humor in modern advertising[03:45] Data proving funny ads outperform competitors[05:10] How humor magnifies brand memories[06:05] Why humor drives brand fame[07:20] Balancing humor with brand connection  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: WARC. (2025). What's Working in Humorous Advertising. WARC Strategy. Retrieved from WARC.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Only 90% of marketers see an ROI boost when they add brand building to performance marketing. Yet American marketers still struggle to prioritize effectiveness over efficiency, with many optimizing for lower costs rather than long-term business growth.This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Lexi Wolf, Head of Advisory at WARC North America, to explore how marketing effectiveness is gaining momentum in the U.S. Lexi breaks down key findings from WARC's groundbreaking "Multiplier Effect" research, revealing why brand and performance marketing aren't opposing forces but rather complementary strategies that multiply each other's impact. Plus, learn how top marketers create creative platforms that drive both long-term equity and immediate sales.Topics covered: [01:00] The state of marketing effectiveness in the U.S. versus other regions[05:30] Why marketers struggle with marketing marketing itself[10:30] How effectiveness principles should be directional, not prescriptive[17:00] The "advertising doom loop" and how to escape it[20:00] Why strong brands make your entire marketing funnel more efficient[24:00] Creating creative platforms that work for both brand and performance[32:00] Resources for marketers new to effectiveness principles  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2023 WARC Report: https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/in-the-us-its-time-to-talk-about-marketing-effectiveness/en-gb/6132The Multiplier Effect Report: https://page.warc.com/the-multiplier-effect-report 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 uncover what design elements actually drive direct mail success. They explore research showing that opening and keeping mail require different strategies, with personalization playing a critical role in campaign effectiveness.Topics covered: [01:00] "The Effects of Mailing Design Characteristics on Direct Mail Campaign Performance"[02:45] The impact of extreme personalization[03:40] Why opening rates don't correlate with keeping rates[05:10] Design elements that increase open rates[06:00] Features that make people keep mail instead of tossing it[07:30] Finding the balance between brand building and direct response  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter  Resources: Feld, S., Frenzen, H., Krafft, M., Peters, K., & Verhoef, P. C. (2013). The effects of mailing design characteristics on direct mail campaign performance.International Journal of Research in Marketing, 30(2), 143-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2012.07.003  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.