Future of Consumer Marketing

In this episode of The Future of Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Erika White, Chief Marketing Officer at Navan, the leading all-in-one business travel and expense management platform. Navan is disrupting the antiquated corporate travel industry by bringing consumer-grade personalization to business travel—enabling employees to book trips as seamlessly as their personal travel while maintaining compliance and giving finance teams real-time visibility. After going public in October, Navan is scaling its marketing organization globally while maintaining an in-person culture that mirrors the in-person connections their product facilitates. Erika shares how she's building a unified global marketing function, leveraging AI for brand consistency at scale, and creating demand in a $185 billion addressable market dominated by legacy solutions. Topics Discussed: Globalizing a disparate marketing organization across US and EMEA markets Orchestrating a high-impact IPO marketing campaign as a demand generation event Building an in-person marketing culture that reflects the product's value proposition Training custom LLMs on brand voice for scalable content creation Allocating marketing budget toward upmarket demand generation and sales enablement Leveraging out-of-home advertising contextually for business travelers Expanding from travel into expense management and payments during COVID

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Sarah Qualters, VP of Marketing at Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services. As the #1 custom sparkling wine producer in the U.S. with 3.5 million cases of capacity, Rack & Riddle operates behind the scenes, producing sparkling wine for over 400 clients who sell it under their own labels. Sarah shares how she's building a marketing function from scratch in a B2B2C business model where most consumers have never heard of the brand—yet have likely enjoyed their wines at retailers like Trader Joe's, Kroger, and Albertsons. With just a two-person marketing team, she's establishing innovation processes, navigating complex multi-stakeholder decision chains, and identifying white space opportunities in a market dominated by European imports. Topics Discussed: Building marketing infrastructure in a company that operated without a marketing team for 18+ years Navigating B2B2C marketing across winemakers, distributors, retailers, and consumers Establishing innovation processes to capture emerging trends (premixed cocktails, alcohol-removed wines) Managing stakeholder marketing across the three-tier alcohol distribution system Leveraging AI for efficiency with a lean marketing team Identifying market gaps in domestic vs. imported sparkling wine

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Isabella Sobieski, Director of Brand and Marketing at Pluto TV. Pluto TV is competing in one of the most crowded entertainment landscapes by positioning itself as the anti-subscription streaming service - completely free, always. Operating across 36 countries since being acquired by Paramount in 2019, Pluto TV faces a unique challenge: convincing consumers accustomed to Netflix's on-demand model or traditional TV's familiarity that there's a third way. By treating content curation as community building, leveraging nostalgia as a psychological trigger, and finding white space in niche content markets, Pluto has carved out a sustainable position in an oversaturated streaming market. Topics Discussed: Building a free streaming service in a subscription-dominated market Using niche content verticals to create loyal audience segments Leveraging psychological triggers like nostalgia and recognition in product design Competing for attention without traditional marketing budgets Adapting marketing strategies across culturally diverse markets (US, Latin America, Europe) Converting influencers and content creators into distribution partners Operating lean marketing teams through strategic agency partnerships

In this episode of The Future of Marketing, host Anders Figueira interviews Tyler Axon, Head of Growth at BetHog, a crypto casino and sportsbook from the founders of FanDuel. BetHog is entering one of the most challenging marketing environments imaginable: combining crypto and gambling regulations while competing against established giants like Stake. With just 15 people, BetHog is building trust in a space flooded with anonymous crypto casinos by leveraging their team's FanDuel pedigree, pioneering AI-powered gaming experiences, and completely reimagining digital marketing playbooks for Web3 consumers. Tyler shares how they're navigating the shift from traditional regulated betting to global crypto gambling, where wallet data replaces credit cards, influencer marketing trumps TV commercials, and ChatGPT rankings matter as much as Google SEO. Topics Discussed: Marketing crypto gambling under dual regulatory constraints Building trust and brand legitimacy in anonymous crypto casino markets Transitioning from Web2 (traditional betting) to Web3 (crypto) marketing strategies Product-first growth philosophy and timing market entry Leveraging AI for product differentiation and viral marketing content Adapting acquisition channels for crypto-native consumers Using founder credibility and transparency as marketing tools Token economics and airdrop programs as retention mechanisms

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Andrew Maffettone, Founder of BlueTuskr, a full-service e-commerce marketing agency that operates at the intersection of Amazon marketplaces and direct-to-consumer strategies. With 15 years in e-commerce marketing and multiple agency exits under his belt, Andrew has built BlueTuskr into a 55-60 client operation that serves as an outsourced marketing department for e-commerce brands. BlueTuskr's differentiation lies in its ability to bridge the traditionally siloed worlds of marketplace and D2C marketing, creating truly omnichannel strategies through specialized sub-departments that function like seven agencies under one roof. Topics Discussed: Building a full-service agency structure with specialized sub-departments Qualifying clients through an investor lens: treating agency partnerships like investment decisions Navigating the tension between being embedded in client teams while maintaining agency culture Developing new service offerings through complimentary pilot programs with early clients Scaling operations with a global team across US, LATAM, and Philippines Integrating AI tools strategically to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality Managing omnichannel marketing strategies that bridge Amazon marketplaces and D2C platforms

In this episode of The Future of Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Lin Sällström, Head of Sales & Marketing at Hickap, a 9-year-old Scandinavian vegan beauty brand. Hickap is carving out space in the highly competitive beauty market by building an inclusive community-first brand that treats customers like friends rather than transactions. Operating with a lean team of just nine people, Hickap has become one of the fastest-growing vegan beauty brands in Scandinavia through a marketing approach centered on consistency, authenticity, and deep customer relationships. Their strategy demonstrates how smaller brands can compete against legacy players like Max Factor, Lancôme, and Maybelline by leveraging proximity to customers and cultural relevance. Topics Discussed: Building an inclusive, warm beauty brand for Gen Z and Gen Alpha first-time beauty users Operating a lean, high-performing marketing team in a competitive category Leveraging consistency as a competitive advantage and growth accelerator Creating community through customer-influencer integration at events and campaigns Using customer feedback to drive product development and category expansion Launching culturally-relevant seasonal campaigns in Nordic markets Expanding from makeup brushes into skincare, makeup, and hair care categories Competing against legacy beauty brands with significantly larger marketing budgets

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Jordan Malara, owner of Adventure Inn Durango and The Ridge Hotel (rebranding to The Outrider Hotel). Jordan is building a boutique hotel brand in Colorado's competitive hospitality market by recognizing a fundamental insight: guests don't search for hotels first - they choose destinations, then look for places to stay. By marketing the destination alongside the property and focusing on authentic local experiences over sterile accommodations, Jordan is creating a scalable hospitality brand that stands apart from both traditional hotels and the fragmented short-term rental market. Topics Discussed: Marketing destination experiences rather than room amenities Leveraging user-generated content and influencer partnerships for authentic storytelling Building brand consistency while maintaining local authenticity across multiple properties Creating operational efficiency through centralized management structures Using seasonal marketing strategies to balance revenue across peak and off-peak periods Developing partnerships with local businesses to enhance guest experience Training staff to embody brand culture and deliver insider local knowledge Applying AI to guest communications, bookkeeping, and market research Transitioning from short-term rental management to branded hotel operations

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Tyson Hill, Vice President of Content, Marketing and Communications at Phoenix Rising Football Club. Phoenix Rising operates in one of marketing's most challenging environments: a second-division soccer team competing in a crowded sports market dominated by NFL, NBA, and major university programs—while also competing globally against Premier League and international soccer broadcasts. Rather than trying to convert existing soccer fans, Phoenix Rising has carved out a unique positioning by marketing live experiences to non-traditional audiences, turning accessibility and atmosphere into their competitive advantages. Through hyper-targeted creative, experience-first messaging, and a lean but highly skilled team, they're building a community-driven sports brand in a market that didn't know it existed. Topics Discussed: - Marketing a second-division sports team in a saturated major market - Competing against global sports broadcasting for local attendance - Building community and camaraderie as the core product experience - Converting non-soccer fans through live experience marketing - Operating with lean, expert teams in resource-constrained environments - Creating accessible sports experiences versus premium league paywalls - Leveraging broadcast partnerships for brand awareness without major budgets

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Hal Smith, Founder of H Street Digital, a performance marketing agency that guarantees to 2x digital advertising revenue for eight-figure DTC brands in 90 days. After a decade of scaling multiple performance marketing agencies and working across presidential campaigns, Fortune 100 banks, and DTC brands, Smith identified the systematic bottlenecks that prevent most brands from scaling efficiently. His agency's approach differs radically from the typical agency model: they audit brands across five core performance levers, identify the single biggest constraint using theory of constraints methodology, and commit to specific, measurable outcomes through 90-day sprints with full refund guarantees if they don't deliver. Topics Discussed: - Applying theory of constraints to identify the biggest growth bottleneck in DTC brands - Building a performance marketing audit framework across thousands of data points Using 90-day outcome-based sprints with measurable KPIs and refund guarantees - Leveraging AI for creative research and customer insight extraction Testing product-market fit through systematic persona and pain point matrices - The five core performance levers: offer strategy, creative systems, media buying, CRO, and attribution - Why tactical advice on social media often delivers low-impact results Building a lean, profitable agency model focused on accountability over growth - Preparing for agentic commerce and AI disruption in the DTC ecosystem

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews John Tabis, Founder and Chairman of The Bouqs Company. The Bouqs Company transformed the floral industry by eliminating the traditional five-to-six layer supply chain and shipping flowers directly from eco-friendly farms in Ecuador, Colombia, and beyond to consumers across the United States. Starting with just $13,000, Tabis and his co-founder grew the company from $2 million in year one to $32 million by year four—all by rejecting commodity positioning and building a premium brand in one of the most emotionally charged but underserved consumer categories. Through strategic storytelling, aggressive PR tactics, and ruthless focus on customer experience optimization, The Bouqs Company carved out a new position in a market dominated by players competing solely on price. Topics Discussed: Disrupting traditional supply chains by shipping directly from farms to consumers Finding the "Holy Shit Moment" (HSM) in brand storytelling to break through noise Leveraging guerrilla PR tactics to secure celebrity endorsements and media coverage Evolving brand narrative and product offerings based on customer feedback Transitioning from growth-focused founder to strategic chairman role Building subscription models that balance flexibility with customer lock-in Expanding from pure e-commerce to omnichannel retail strategy

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Allie Egan, Founder and CEO of Veracity. After reversing her own autoimmune thyroid disease through functional medicine, Allie built Veracity into a doctor-recommended, clinically-backed metabolic health brand that's achieved 40x growth in two years. Operating in the increasingly crowded natural alternatives to GLP-1s market, Veracity has differentiated itself by combining rigorous Western scientific validation with plant-based ingredients, while riding the wave of consumer education created by the prescription weight loss medication boom. Through strategic product development driven by biological data from tens of thousands of hormone tests, Veracity pivoted from a broad wellness brand to focus exclusively on metabolic health - a decision that 4x'd their business in a single year. Topics Discussed: Using proprietary biological data to identify product-market fit and category opportunities Positioning against prescription medications without directly competing Leveraging market education created by pharmaceutical competitors (GLP-1s) Building scientific credibility through physician partnerships and clinical testing Pivoting from broad wellness to category-specific focus based on customer data Balancing founder authenticity with scalable content production Maintaining brand principles throughout manufacturing and supply chain decisions

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Andres Gimeno, Director of Growth Marketing at Hyperice, the world's leading recovery technology company. Hyperice has mastered the art of building premium brand authority through professional athlete validation while simultaneously scaling to everyday consumers. Born from a courtside observation of Kobe Bryant's recovery routine 12 years ago, Hyperice now partners with every major professional sports league globally - NBA, NFL, MLB, PGA, UFC - and has recently launched the groundbreaking Nike x Hyperice boot collaboration. With just over 100 employees operating across 65+ countries, Hyperice demonstrates how a lean team can execute sophisticated global expansion through strategic partnerships, localized market intelligence, and a product-first marketing philosophy that lets results speak louder than campaigns. Topics Discussed: Building brand authority through professional athlete validation before scaling to mass market Translating premium product positioning from elite athletes to everyday consumers Leveraging UGC content to bridge the gap between professional and amateur use cases Executing global expansion with cultural localization across 65+ countries Using AI to accelerate creative prototyping and market-specific insights at scale Navigating payment infrastructure differences in emerging markets Partnering with Nike to launch category-defining products (Hyperboot) Focusing on endurance sports communities as primary adoption channels

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Sangwook Park, Chief Executive Officer at Laughland. Laughland is disrupting the oral care category by bringing dentist-level personalization to teeth whitening at an accessible price point. Starting from a consumer growth equity background at a fund investing in brands like Olaplex and Curology, Park identified a critical gap: oral care lacked the innovation and fun that had transformed skincare and beauty, while remaining clinically credible. With over 200,000 customers across 25+ countries and a lean team of nine, Laughland has proven that personalization doesn't require sacrificing accessibility, achieving double-digit growth while actually reducing prices through supply chain optimization. Topics Discussed: Building a personalized oral care brand in a commoditized category dominated by legacy players Scaling internationally from day one through organic press coverage Leveraging dentist expertise and authority to educate consumers on product differentiation Optimizing team productivity through AI tools to maintain lean operations while scaling rapidly Transitioning from premium positioning to mass-market accessibility through strategic pricing and product expansion Balancing clinical credibility with brand personality in a traditionally boring category

In this episode of The Future of Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Joseph Heller, CEO & Founder of The Studio. The Studio has quietly become one of the most essential manufacturing platforms for consumer brands, serving over 100,000 customers across 14 years by solving one of the hardest problems in consumer business: finding the right manufacturer. Rather than competing on price or technology features, The Studio built its business around curation and trust—acting as the critical bridge between brands and the world's manufacturing infrastructure. Their approach to marketing reflects a fundamental understanding that sophisticated customers don't buy software or platforms; they buy solutions to specific problems delivered with speed and clarity. Topics Discussed: Building trust in a market where manufacturers have poor reputations Evolving marketing strategies as customer acquisition costs increase Curating manufacturing partners rather than simply connecting buyers and sellers Using AI to compress design iteration cycles from days to hours Expanding beyond China to build global manufacturing networks Translating complex B2B services into simple, compelling marketing messages Leveraging organic growth and word-of-mouth in the early stages Adapting to social media-driven product trends and customer inspiration

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Phil Cohen, COO and Co-Founder of Simplifyber. Simplifyber is tackling one of manufacturing's most entrenched challenges: making sustainable materials compete directly with plastics at scale. Rather than positioning themselves as a premium alternative that costs more, they've engineered a platform technology - combining proprietary liquid natural fiber slurries with custom manufacturing equipment - that can produce everything from flexible shoe uppers to rigid automotive interiors. By starting with high-margin durable goods rather than commoditized packaging, and by designing for scale from day one, Simplifyber is building a razor-and-blades business model where their technology diffuses globally through equipment sales and consumable material contracts. Topics Discussed: Designing sustainable materials companies for scale from inception Competing with plastics through strategic product positioning in high-margin categories Re-engineering industrial equipment to create proprietary manufacturing advantages Building platform technologies that enable unforeseen applications Maintaining ruthless team accountability in venture-backed environments Navigating complex technical decisions with multiple stakeholder voices

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Ankur Goyal, SVP of Growth at Coterie. Coterie is disrupting the baby care category dominated by legacy CPG giants through a relentless focus on product superiority, demand generation marketing, and leveraging direct-to-consumer advantages that traditional competitors simply cannot replicate. In four years, Ankur has scaled the company 15x while taking it from unprofitable to highly profitable, culminating in an acquisition by Mammoth Brands. Through sophisticated use of AI, hyper-personalized customer experiences, and creative that prioritizes demand generation over demand capture, Coterie has proven that even in commodity categories, digital-native brands can command premium pricing and build defensible moats. Topics Discussed: Disrupting legacy-dominated CPG categories with demonstrably superior products Building a demand generation-first paid acquisition strategy Leveraging AI for customer segmentation, personalization, and CX automation Creating digital product experiences as competitive advantages in physical product categories Structuring lean growth teams with specialized creative pods Extracting customer insights to drive messaging breakthroughs Balancing premium positioning with accessible brand communication

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Ajay Prakash, Co-Founder & CEO of Rinse. Since 2013, Rinse has been building a technology-enabled dry cleaning and laundry service that's tackling one of life's most universal pain points through strategic category creation. Operating across 11 major North American markets with expansion into Canada, Rinse has built a trusted brand in an industry that hasn't innovated in decades. Rather than relying on viral campaigns or growth hacks, Ajay shares how Rinse has achieved market leadership through relentless focus on customer experience, strategic channel selection, and the compounding effect of trust-building at every touchpoint. Topics Discussed: Creating a new category in a legacy industry resistant to innovation Building trust as the foundation for considered purchases Evolving marketing strategy from early-stage to scale-stage Channel-specific customer acquisition and the power law of marketing effectiveness Leveraging AI to enhance operational productivity in a complex, multi-market business Managing distributed teams across physical and remote operations Scaling while maintaining culture and institutional knowledge

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Gary Spittle, Founder and CEO of Sonical. Sonical is pioneering the "Headphone 3.0" category—building hearing computers that transform how consumers interact with audio technology. Rather than accepting the fixed functionality of traditional headphones and earbuds, Sonical created a platform that lets users customize their audio experience through downloadable apps, applying the smartphone model to wearable audio devices. Gary shares how his team navigated the challenge of building both a B2B licensing platform and a direct-to-consumer hardware product, using crowdfunding, ecosystem development, and mission-critical user targeting to carve out a new market category in the competitive audio technology space. Topics Discussed: Building a dual-business model: B2B platform licensing and D2C hardware  Targeting mission-critical end users (DJs, audio professionals, construction workers, enterprise users)  Using crowdfunding as both capital and marketing strategy  Creating a developer ecosystem to drive platform adoption Simplifying complex technology through familiar mental models (smartphone app concept)  Positioning a new product category ("Headphone 3.0") in an established market  Leveraging trade shows and conference speaking for investor marketing

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Lou Lentine, CEO and Founder of Echelon. Echelon has built a distinctive position in the crowded connected fitness market by designing products around consumer pain points rather than technology first. While competitors focused on premium positioning and professional installation, Lou's team created equipment that consumers could set up in 30 minutes without tools - a critical differentiator during COVID when in-home installation became impossible. The company has evolved from a single spin bike with 100 pieces of content to a global fitness platform producing 2,000 pieces of content monthly across studios in Chattanooga, Miami, and soon Dubai. With a multi-channel strategy spanning DTC, major retailers like Costco and Dick's Sporting Goods, and a rapidly growing commercial business, Echelon demonstrates how to scale authentic community engagement while maintaining profitability across diverse distribution channels. Topics Discussed: Building a content ecosystem before launching hardware products Designing consumer products with retail distribution and home assembly in mind  Navigating the connected fitness boom during COVID and subsequent market correction  Managing multi-channel distribution across DTC, major retail, and commercial segments  Leveraging AI and AWS partnerships to create personalized workout experiences  Making strategic pivots in content production (closing London studio, opening Dubai)  Building authentic community engagement without celebrity endorsements 

In this episode of The Future of Marketing, host Brett interviews Sarah Meller, CEO of Saatchi Art. Saatchi Art operates at the intersection of technology and the art world, running a global online art marketplace alongside The Other Art Fair and a hospitality art advisory business. Sarah discusses the unique challenge of marketing a premium product category that most consumers don't yet know they want—original artwork—while competing against mass-produced wall art and fighting the perception that art collecting is only for the wealthy. Through democratizing access to original art and leveraging technology to solve discovery challenges, Saatchi Art is creating a new category of everyday art collecting. Topics Discussed: Marketing category creation versus demand capture in luxury markets Balancing democratization with premium brand positioning Navigating UGC-based marketplaces and discovery challenges Building IRL experiences in an increasingly digital world Leveraging AI for content creation and visual merchandalization Evolving from marketing leadership to CEO in a DTC business