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 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.

44% of marketers say media fragmentation is one of their biggest concerns. But is it really threatening effectiveness—or just exposing weak planning?This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob tackle the fragmentation debate head-on. They explore why reach hasn't disappeared, how creative consistency beats endless platform optimization, and why the smartest response to complexity is simplicity. Plus, hear why doubling down on what works might be better than chasing every new channel.Topics covered: [01:00] Why 44% of marketers worry about media fragmentation[05:00] Mass reach moments and the obsession with live sports[09:00] Creative consistency across channels: IKEA as a model[12:00] Why narrowing targeting actually shrinks growth potential[15:00] Planning fundamentals that prevent fragmentation chaos[18:00] The importance of reinforcement over reinvention To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: WARC Article: https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/warc-talks/staying-effective-in-a-lots-of-little-media-market/en-GB/159439? 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 84% of purchases are decided before shoppers even start looking... and why that changes everything about how you should invest in marketing.Topics covered: [01:00] "How Humans Decide: What Drives Consumer Choice and How Brands Should Respond"[02:00] The two stages of every purchase decision[04:00] Why 84% of purchases are already decided[06:00] Who's easy to influence (and who isn't)[07:00] The touchpoints that actually change behavior[08:00] Three moves to reach primed buyers  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: WPP Media & Oxford Saïd Business School, Marketing Faculty. (2025). How Humans Decide: What drives consumer choice, and how brands should respond. October 2025.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

When brands try to stand out through purpose or activism, they often stumble into controversy. So what's driving these missteps? And how should brands respond when backlash strikes? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Professor Tyler Milfeld from Villanova School of Business to discuss the hidden risks of brand activism and repositioning. Tyler unpacks why high-profile rebrands fail, when purpose messaging actually works, and how brands should respond when they face backlash. Plus, learn why doing nothing might be better than apologizing. Topics covered: [04:00] Why most repositioning efforts fail[09:00] The credibility gap in brand purpose[12:00] When pro-social brands don't benefit from purpose ads[18:00] How brand power changes the rules for activism[21:00] The worst response to brand activism backlash[29:00] Why great insights matter more than shiny objects[32:00] Marketing communication needs more fun To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2025 MediaPost Article:https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/411321/what-drives-brand-repositioning-and-why-do-these.htmlVillanova University Page: https://www1.villanova.edu/university/business/faculty-and-research/faculty-by-department/biodetail.html?mail=tyler.milfeld@villanova.edu&xsl=bio_longTyler Milfeld’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-milfeld/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We're breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.In this episode, Elena and Rob examine why treating statistical significance as proof can mislead marketers. They reveal how relying on a single P-value creates blind spots and why smart decisions require looking at the full picture of evidence.Topics covered: [01:00] "Statistical Significance and Statistical Reporting, Moving Beyond Binary"[02:00] What statistical significance actually means[04:00] When significant results don't matter for business[05:00] Building a toolkit approach beyond P-values[06:00] Practical importance versus statistical significance[08:00] Avoiding single-test tunnel vision  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: McShane, B. B., Bradlow, E. T., Lynch, J. G., Jr., & Meyer, R. J. (2024). “Statistical Significance” and statistical reporting: Moving beyond binary. Journal of Marketing, 88(1), 1–20.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Only 21% of creatively awarded campaigns actually drive business results. But when ideas reach the very top of creative excellence, effectiveness doubles to 44%. So what separates the winners from the rest?This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Chief Creative Officer Steve Babcock to discuss what makes creative truly effective in 2026. They explore why most award-winning work fails to drive growth, the danger of over-personalization, and why fewer ideas executed longer beats constant reinvention. Plus, hear Steve's contrarian take on creative awards, the role of AI in advertising, and why durability matters more than novelty.Topics covered: [01:00] Why only 21% of award-winning creative is effective[09:00] Durability beats novelty in creative effectiveness[15:00] Over-personalization is hurting creative campaigns[21:00] Balancing emotional and rational messaging[24:00] AI's role in creative work and the "human leap"[32:00] Steve's advice: commit to fewer ideas for longer  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2025 WARC Article: https://ethicalmarketingnews.com/highly-awarded-creative-ideas-are-significantly-more-effective-new-warc-research-reveals Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.In this episode, Elena and Rob explore why B2B brands struggle with physical availability and how marketers can reclaim control over where and how their products are sold. They break down three key strategies: presence, prominence, and portfolio management.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Easy to Find: Being Where B2B Buying Happens"[02:00] Mental vs. physical availability[03:00] Presence: Showing up where buying happens[05:00] Prominence: Building owned vs. rented visibility[07:00] Portfolio: Protecting your core products[08:00] The lighthouse and harbor analogy  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Nenycz-Thiel, M., & Romaniuk, J. (2025, November). Easy to find: Being where B2B buying happens. Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute proves 18% of established brands grow market share by 5% or more in a single year. The real question isn't whether growth is possible—it's how to sustain it.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob explore what separates the 7% of brands that maintain growth over multiple years from the rest, covering fundamentals like mental and physical availability and the tension between board pressure and patient strategy.Topics covered: [01:00] Why growth isn't rare for established brands[04:00] Only 7% of brands sustain meaningful growth over three years[06:00] How consistency beats novelty for long-term success[09:00] What it means to become a category leader[13:00] Creative fundamentals that build mental availability[17:00] Physical availability matters as much as mental availability[21:00] Playing "Grow or Go" to evaluate marketing decisions  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2025 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/established-brands-grow/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.