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 when brands should evolve their messaging versus refreshing their creative execution, and why the right answer depends entirely on how old your brand is.Topics covered: [01:00] "Should You Change Your Ad Messaging or Execution? It Depends On Brand Age[02:00] Message versus execution: what's the difference?[04:00] Why younger brands benefit from changing their message[05:00] Why mature brands should protect their core positioning[06:00] The formula for older brands: keep the promise, change the packagingTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcastResources: Pauwels, K., Sud, B., Fisher, R., & Antia, K. (2022). Should you change your ad messaging or execution? It depends on brand age. Applied Marketing Analytics, 8(1), 43–54.Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Many brands treat Connected TV like another form of digital advertising. That's a mistake.This week, we’re sharing a bonus episode with a special presentation from Shoptalk. Catherine Walstad, Chief Media Officer at Marketing Architects, breaks down the most common CTV myths and explains what smarter TV buying actually looks like. From frequency management to targeting accuracy to ad fraud, Catherine covers the traps brands fall into and the strategies that get results.Topics covered: [01:00] Why CTV is not just another digital channel [03:00] How frequency becomes waste faster than you think [04:00] Why premium inventory doesn’t guarantee better performance [05:00] Ad fraud, poor supply, and wasted CTV impressions [06:00] The limitations of IP-based targeting [07:00] Why CTV measurement produces conflicting answers To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.   Resources: Watch: TV Like Digital and Other CTV Myths Catherine’s LinkedIn

Marketers are being told to stop buying media on CPM. But is that actually good advice?This week, Elena and Angela are joined by Chief Media Officer Catherine Walstad and Chief Analytics Officer Matt Hultgren to dig into one of advertising's most debated metrics. Together, they break down why CPM still matters, where the low-CPM-equals-bad-media logic breaks down, and what actually signals media quality.Topics covered:[01:30] Research on the true cost of dull media[06:00] Why TV outperforms digital on cost per attentive second[07:00] Should marketers stop buying on CPM?[11:00] Where low CPM signals bad inventory, and where it doesn't[16:00] How to identify high-quality media[21:00] Why CPM is king at Marketing Architects[25:00] How to design a test to challenge your CPM assumptions To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.Resources: Think TV/Eat Big Fish/Amplified Report: https://thinktv.ca/research/the-eye-watering-cost-of-dull-media/Elliot Wright Article: https://mediacat.uk/whats-holding-tv-back-culture-not-effectiveness/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Nerd Alert: What 100 Studies Taught Us About Marketing 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 synthesize findings from 100 Nerd Alert episodes to surface the principles that consistently show up across the research and what they mean for how marketers should think about creative, reach, promotions and measurement. Topics covered: [00:55] “What 100 Studies Taught Us About Marketing”[02:00] Marketing works through memory[03:00] Why creative is a strategic multiplier, not a subjective choice[04:30] Brand growth comes from reach, not loyalty[05:30] Promotions create spikes, not growth[06:00] Why measurement often misleads strategy  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast 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 on the 95/5 rule remains one of our most popular. Enjoy, and we'll be back with new content next week! This episode, 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 it 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: The 95:5 Rule: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/955-rule-john-dawes/Why You Should Follow The 95-5 Rule: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-you-should-follow-95-5-rule-tyrona-heath/ Calculate your in-market audience: mymarketcalculator.comGet 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 celebrate 100 episodes by flipping the script. Rob takes the lead to break down How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp, exploring why penetration beats loyalty, why light buyers matter more than most marketers think, and how distinctiveness drives brand growth. Topics covered:   [01:20] "How Brands Grow" by Byron Sharp[02:45] The Law of Double Jeopardy[06:15] Why light buyers drive growth[08:00] Mental and physical availability[10:00] Differentiation vs. distinctiveness[12:15] Four takeaways marketers can apply today  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Sharp, B. (2010). How brands grow: What marketers don’t know. Oxford University Press.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Most brands pile spend into peak weeks. But higher CPMs, more clutter and faster saturation mean you're often paying more to reach the same people. Many of whom would have bought anyway.This episode, Elena, Angela, and VP of Media Analytics Jordan Rosler dig into media flighting: why it became the default, where the strategy breaks down, and what the data says about marginal ROI. They also tackle why shoulder weeks often outperform peak ones, when always-on advertising makes more sense, and how upfronts can quietly undermine the efficiency they promise.Topics covered:•    [01:00] Why media flighting became standard marketing practice.•    [04:00] The difference between blended and marginal ROI explained.•    [07:30] What happens to TV performance when spend spikes in a short window.•    [11:00] When always-on advertising beats a flighting strategy.•    [14:00] How upfronts add rigidity to media planning.•    [16:00] When flighting does make sense for your brand.•    [17:30] How to build a 2026 media plan that's both impactful and measurable.To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.Resources:2026 Digiday Article: https://digiday.com/sponsored/how-a-precise-timing-structure-drives-material-differences-in-marketing-efficiency/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 widely held belief that small brands survive on loyal, niche audiences. They reveal why reach, not loyalty, is the real driver of growth for tiny brands.Topics covered:   [01:20] "Tiny Brands, Big Challenges: The Limits of Loyalty and the Role of Penetration in Driving Growth"[02:10] What counts as a tiny brand?[04:20] Do tiny brands actually have more loyal customers?[06:10] What growing tiny brands have in common[07:20] Why loyalty follows growth, not the other way around[08:00] Why tiny brands need to compete for the whole category To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Barker-Trowse, A., Dunn, S., Graham, C., Sharp, B., & Corsi, A. M. (2026). Tiny brands, big challenges: The limits of loyalty and the role of penetration in driving growth. Journal of Business Research, 204, 115864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115864  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Only 2.6% of board directors have marketing experience. So how is marketing really being evaluated at the top? And what can marketers do about it?This episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Marketing Architects CFO Brent Longwall to break down how finance actually evaluates marketing investments. They cover the root causes of tension between marketing and finance, what makes a marketing pitch credible to a CFO, and how to build a shared language across both functions. If you've ever struggled to justify a brand investment or earn trust with your finance team, this one's for you.Topics covered: [01:45] Marketing's shrinking influence in the boardroom[03:30] The core tension between marketing and finance time horizons[07:00] The three numbers your CFO checks every month[15:00] What makes a marketing investment credible vs. suspicious[23:00] How marketers can speak the CFO's language[25:00] What marketers should stop (and start) saying to finance  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Whitler, Kimberly & Krause, Ryan & Lehmann, Donald. (2018). When and How Board Members with Marketing Experience Facilitate Firm Growth. 10.1509/jm.17.0195?code=amma-site.  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 what happens when people feel bombarded by ads on social media and why the real threat to engagement isn't a bad ad. It's platform fatigue.Topics covered:   [01:05] "The Impact of Ad Overload Perception and Social Media on Ad Avoidance Behavior"[02:10] The two theories behind why ads push people away[03:45] How researchers measured ad clutter, fatigue and avoidance[05:55] Why fatigue, not the ad itself, drives avoidance[06:45] Three key takeaways for marketers[08:00] Why TV advertising sidesteps the ad overload problem  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Essa Tayeb, M., Chebbi, T., Badawi, A., Ali Toumi, J., & Louail, B. (2024). The impact of ad overloads perception in social media on ad avoidance behavior: The mediating effect of social media fatigue and goal impediment. Management, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.58691/man/197329   Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Tiny brands don't grow through loyalty. They grow through penetration. A study of 400+ brands found that growing brands increased penetration by 135%, compared to just 26% growth from purchase frequency. So where should marketers invest first?This episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob introduce the MOO, a seven-step Marketing Order of Operations that gives marketers a clear priority sequence for building effectiveness, from defining the competitive playing field to communicating results internally. The team also covers why even small brands can't afford to ignore marketing effectiveness principles and how to balance short-term performance with long-term brand building.Topics covered: [01:00] Research on tiny brands debunks the loyalty-first growth myth[05:00] Step 1: Define your competitive playing field and category buyers[07:30] Step 2: Build distinctive brand assets that make your brand recognizable[12:30] Step 4: Choose channels for both short- and long-term growth[15:00] Step 5: Build a measurement system that matches your objectives[19:30] Step 7: Communicate results in the language of the business  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2026 Money Guy Article: https://moneyguy.com/guide/foo/Alicia Barker-Trowse, Steven Dunn, Charles Graham, Byron Sharp, Armando Maria Corsi, Tiny brands, big challenges: The limits of loyalty and the role of penetration in driving growth, Journal of Business Research, Volume 204, 2026, 115864, ISSN 0148-2963, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115864.   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 sustainability advertising is so hard to get right and what brands can do to close the gap between what consumers say they value and what they actually buy.Topics covered:   [00:55] "Sustainability Advertising: A Literature Review and Framework for Future Research"[01:50] The gap between sustainable intent and action[04:00] The three levers of sustainability advertising: ad context, source characteristics, and message design[05:30] Why consumers don't trust sustainability claims and when third-party cues help[06:15] The sustainability liability: when "eco-friendly" hurts perceived performance[07:40] What brands can do to make sustainability messaging actually work  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Rathee, S., & Milfeld, T. (2023). Sustainability advertising: Literature review and framework for future research. International Journal of Advertising. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2023.2175300 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

7 in 10 people globally say they're hesitant to trust someone different from them, according to the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer. Trust is getting more personal. So where does that leave brands? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob explore what it really means to build a brand in a world where trust is earned through experience, not messaging. They dig into why the gap between marketing promises and reality is so damaging, how to bridge online and in-person brand moments, and what channels like TV do for brand trust that others simply can't. Plus, hear real-world examples of brands that get it right, from Snickers to Disney to Jeep. Topics covered: [01:00] 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer findings on consumer trust[03:00] How much control marketers actually have over brand perception[06:00] Where marketing promises most often break down[08:30] Why marketers over-index on comms and under-index on product experience[11:00] The moment where brand actually happens[14:00] How TV builds familiarity that carries into other channels[17:00] Real examples of brands bridging TV and in-person experience To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Report: https://www.edelman.com/trust/2026/trust-barometer 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 narrative ads work even when they say little about the product. The answer lies in image fluency. How easily a story can be pictured shapes how much people like the ad and the brand behind it.Topics covered:  [01:05] "Image Fluency and Narrative Advertising Effects"[01:55] The four steps of ad processing[03:00] How matching visuals change brand attitudes[03:55] Familiar vs. unfamiliar story scenarios[04:35] How to make your ads easier to imagine[05:00] Why clarity matters more than originality  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Chang, C. (2013). Imagery fluency and narrative advertising effects. Journal of Advertising, 42(1), 54–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2012.749087  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Marketers love the idea that premium media makes brands premium. But the research is surprisingly mixed. High involvement content can change how ads land, sometimes helping attitudes, sometimes hurting recall.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob tackle the debate between premium media and efficient reach. They review mixed research on media context effects, break down the extreme cost differences between premium and standard TV placements, and share when high-profile media genuinely outperforms. Discover why sacrificing reach for prestige might hurt more than help.Topics covered: [02:00] Super Bowl advertising performance data[04:00] The history of premium media and costly signaling[09:00] Cost differences between premium and standard TV placements[14:00] When premium media actually performs better[18:00] Creative requirements for premium placements[26:00] Playing "Worth the Premium" game with real scenarios To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Norris, Claire E.; Colman, Andrew M.; Aleixo, Paulo A. (2003). Selective Exposure to Television Programmes and Advertising Effectiveness. University of Leicester. Journal contribution. https://hdl.handle.net/2381/3983  Hartmann, W. R., & Klapper, D. (2016). Super Bowl Ads (Working Paper No. 2139). Stanford Graduate School of Business. https://web.stanford.edu/~wesleyr/SuperBowl.pdf  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 privacy first advertising changes digital marketing. They reveal that when individual tracking disappears, platforms must rely on user groups instead. This shifts advertising toward probabilistic targeting, like how TV has always worked. Topics covered: [01:00] "Reach, Measurement, Optimization and Frequency Capping and Targeted Online Advertising Under K Anonymity"[01:45] Privacy forces less tracking, more thinking[02:50] How K Anonymity groups users by shared traits[04:35] Simulating the trade-off between privacy and performance[06:00] Privacy pushes reach-first thinking  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Gao, Y., & Qiao, M. (2025). Reach measurement, optimization and frequency capping in targeted online advertising under k-anonymity. arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.04882. Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

A single 30-second Super Bowl spot now costs $8 million. Factor in production, celebrities, and amplification, and total campaign costs land between $15 and $50 million. So, are the ads actually worth it?Elena, Angela, and Rob break down this year's Super Bowl commercials through a marketing effectiveness lens. They discuss which brands nailed distinctive assets versus those that let celebrity overshadow strategy, why consistency beats spectacle, and what separates memorable ads from forgettable ones. Topics covered: [02:00] Classic TV commercial effectiveness errors in Super Bowl ads[06:00] Which brands executed distinctive brand assets well[11:00] The Pepsi polar bear debate and brand linkage[20:00] Patterns across effective ads: product as hero and consistency[28:00] Quiet winners that did real work for brands[32:00] Key takeaways for brands not advertising in the Super Bowl To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2026 Adwave Article: https://adwave.com/resources/super-bowl-commercial-cost2026 Billboard Article: https://www.billboard.com/lists/super-bowl-2026-time-performers-commercials-everything-to-know/ 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 what makes ads memorable over time, not just minutes after viewing. They reveal how emotion, brand relevance, and AI are reshaping how marketers should think about ad recall and creative testing. Topics covered: [01:00] "Long-Term Ad Memorability: Understanding and Generating Memorable Ads"[02:00] Why short-term recall is a poor proxy for advertising effectiveness[04:00] Emotion as the strongest driver of long-term memory[05:00] How brand relevance affects ad memorability[06:00] AI model Henry predicts and generates more memorable ads[07:00] Practical takeaways for marketers on creative testing  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Khosla, A., Ranjan, A., Torralba, A., Oliva, A., & colleagues. (2024). Long-term ad memorability: Understanding and generating memorable ads. Adobe Research and collaborating universities. Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Streaming now accounts for 47% of all TV viewing. Five of the top 10 most-streamed days ever happened in November 2025 alone. But TV isn't disappearing. It's just fragmented. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by VP of Media Partnerships Nikki Erkkila to discuss the state of modern TV advertising. Together, they break down the biggest misconceptions about streaming versus linear TV, why hyper-targeting can actually limit growth, and how marketers should approach buying Connected TV without losing the power of broad reach. Topics covered: [04:00] How fragmented is the TV landscape really?[10:00] Why CTV feels familiar to digital marketers[16:00] The biggest mistake marketers make with CTV[21:00] Should you buy linear or streaming? (Hint: It's not either/or)[23:00] When is targeting worth the cost?[29:00] How creative strategies can differ in streaming versus linear To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2025 Nielson Report: https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2025/nielsens-the-gauge-broadcast-and-streaming-power-historic-month/2026 Awful Announcing Article: https://awfulannouncing.com/streaming/strange-state-sports-fast-tv-tubi.html 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, even ones unrelated to purchasing decisions, shape what people are willing to spend. They reveal that disgust suppresses value across the board, while sadness increases openness to new products by motivating a desire for change. Topics covered:   [01:00] "Heart Strings and Purse Strings: Carryover Effects of Emotions on Economic Decisions"[02:00] How disgust, sadness, and neutrality shift buying behavior[03:00] The endowment effect and emotional influence[05:00] Why specificity matters more than positive or negative[06:00] Disgust in advertising: effective or repellent?[08:00] Can annoyance drive brand recall?  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Lerner, J. S., Small, D. A., & Loewenstein, G. (2004). Heart strings and purse strings: Carryover effects of emotions on economic decisions. Psychological Science, 15(5), 337–341.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.