Future of Consumer Marketing

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Ada Mockute Jaime, Chief Marketing Officer at Nordcurrent, a 23-year-old bootstrap family business that develops and publishes mobile games like Cooking Fever (600+ million downloads), Murder in the Alps, Pocket Styler, and Airplane Chefs. Ada shares how mobile gaming marketing operates more like direct-to-consumer brands than traditional gaming, requiring sophisticated retention strategies and community building across social platforms. With games spanning from time management to storytelling, Nordcurrent has mastered the art of creating lasting emotional connections with players while navigating the complex mobile app ecosystem where organic traffic attribution remains challenging. Topics Discussed: Building 10+ year player retention through multi-layered game design Creating authentic community engagement on social platforms where players naturally gather Developing sophisticated user acquisition funnels that prioritize retention over installs Leveraging nostalgia marketing for games with generational staying power Navigating iOS privacy changes and app store attribution challenges Testing AI integration while maintaining character authenticity and player trust

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Lex Deak, co-founder and CEO of Basket, an AI shopping agent that's reimagining how consumers research, save, and purchase products online. Basket transforms the fragmented shopping experience by creating a universal wish list that evolves into an intelligent shopping companion. Starting as a smart wish listing tool in the UK, Basket has grown into a comprehensive platform that tracks prices, applies coupons, manages stock alerts, and provides personalized recommendations. Through their direct-to-consumer approach and data-driven insights into shopping behavior, they're building the foundation for ambient commerce that anticipates consumer needs without requiring constant user input. Topics Discussed: Transforming impulse shopping into considered purchasing decisions Building AI-powered shopping tools that prioritize user trust over advertiser revenue Leveraging behavioral psychology to understand gender differences in shopping patterns Creating shareable shopping experiences that drive organic user acquisition Scaling internationally while maintaining product-first focus Using micro and nano influencers for cost-effective user acquisition

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Shayanta Paul, Director of Performance Marketing at Delivery Hero, one of the world's largest food delivery businesses. Managing marketing operations across 10 companies in 70 countries, Shayanta shares how sophisticated performance marketers navigate the complex challenges of multi-market operations, data fragmentation, and increasingly automated advertising platforms. From her early days at Google India to scaling performance marketing at global scale, Shayanta reveals the tactical frameworks and measurement strategies that drive success in highly competitive, margin-sensitive markets where traditional attribution models fail. Topics Discussed: Building data-driven marketing foundations across multiple markets and business models Developing measurement frameworks when third-party attribution breaks down Balancing acquisition versus retention spend in margin-constrained businesses Leveraging geosplitting and first-party data for incrementality measurement Evolving team structures as advertising platforms become more automated Implementing AI-powered creative production at scale across diverse markets Identifying undervalued marketing channels before they become saturated

In this episode of The Future of Marketing, host Andres Figueira speaks with Milda Bayer, VP of Marketing and GTM at Lepaya, a people development company serving enterprise clients like ING, Maersk, and L'Oréal. As the first marketing hire across multiple high-growth companies including Mollie Payments (now one of EMEA's largest payment providers), Milda shares her playbook for building marketing functions from scratch in B2B environments. Her approach centers on transforming marketing from a perceived cost center into a measurable revenue driver while navigating the complex stakeholder dynamics that come with selling to C-suite executives. Topics Discussed: Proving marketing value as the first marketing hire without historical data Building thought leadership content that resonates with busy C-suite executives Creating co-creation models that turn target customers into brand advocates Balancing analytical rigor with creative brand-building in B2B marketing Leveraging old-school marketing tactics in an AI-saturated landscape Scaling authentic networking and community-building strategies Identifying leadership potential using energy, potential, and depth frameworks

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Tobias Tanner, Founder of Le Magasin, a co-retail platform revolutionizing how lifestyle and design brands enter physical retail markets. Based in Berlin since 2009, Tanner has built a turnkey solution that makes physical retail accessible and affordable for direct-to-consumer brands while creating curated discovery experiences for consumers. Through partnerships with prestigious destinations like Stockholm's NK department store and innovative concepts like their "Dry Bar" non-alcoholic spirits program, Le Magasin is redefining retail as experiential marketing rather than mere transaction. Topics Discussed: Building a co-retail platform that serves as marketing infrastructure for brands Creating turnkey physical retail solutions for direct-to-consumer brands Developing experiential retail concepts that drive community engagement Navigating cultural differences in consumer expectations across European and US markets Scaling curated retail experiences while maintaining brand selectivity Leveraging high-profile retail partnerships for mutual value creation Building omnichannel strategies that connect physical and digital experiences

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Alexei Bezzubov, Chief Marketing Officer at FISSURE.pro. FISSURE operates as more than just an esports studio - they're a comprehensive tournament operator organizing major events for games like Counter-Strike, Dota, and Mobile Legends. Coming from traditional TV production, Alexei transitioned into esports during Ukraine's 2014 political upheaval, building FISSURE into a platform that reaches the coveted 18-35 male demographic through innovative streaming integrations and authentic community engagement. Their approach demonstrates how esports marketing can deliver superior brand touchpoints compared to traditional broadcast advertising. Topics Discussed: Transitioning from traditional TV production to esports marketing during industry disruption Understanding IP rights and licensing restrictions across different gaming publishers Building authentic community engagement in traditionally toxic gaming environments Leveraging streaming platforms for enhanced brand integration opportunities Monetizing free-to-watch tournaments through strategic brand partnerships Managing platform transitions from Twitch to Kick while maintaining audience loyalty

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Holly Eagleson, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing at Misfits Market. Misfits Market has evolved from an "ugly produce subscription box" in 2018 to a full-service online grocery platform serving all lower 48 states. The company rescues food that doesn't meet traditional grocery store aesthetic standards - up to 30% of what's grown never reaches shelves due to size, shape, or cosmetic imperfections. Holly shares how they've navigated the challenge of marketing "imperfect" food while building a premium brand, including their 2022 merger with competitor Imperfect Foods and the strategic evolution from mystery boxes to customizable grocery delivery. Topics Discussed: Evolving from mystery box subscriptions to full grocery customization Managing brand perception around "imperfect" food quality Merging two competing brands with different customer bases and messaging approaches Building urgency and seasonal marketing around surplus crops and limited inventory Leveraging AI for logistics, personalization, and customer service while maintaining authentic content Balancing price competition with holistic value propositions Creating educational content around food waste and shelf-life misconceptions

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Mark Rushmore, Co-Founder of SURI (Sustainable Rituals). SURI is disrupting the $6 billion electric toothbrush market dominated by legacy players with 80% market share. Starting from a simple observation about plastic waste at P&G, Mark and his co-founder built a premium electric toothbrush that doesn't compromise on performance, design, or sustainability. In just three years, they've grown from zero to £23.5 million in annual revenue by focusing relentlessly on product excellence, strategic SEO placement, and building genuine customer love that drives 18-20% of sales through word of mouth. Topics Discussed: Building trust and credibility as a new brand in a high-consideration category Strategic SEO approach for product recommendation searches Creating a premium product that doesn't compromise on sustainability Scaling through repeat purchase dynamics in a "low-frequency" category Multi-market expansion strategy and localization decisions Team structure evolution from generalist to specialist roles

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Tonio Meier, CEO and Co-Founder of GUURU. GUURU is transforming the online shopping experience by connecting shoppers with passionate brand fans in real-time conversations. Operating across 22 language regions, the platform creates authentic peer-to-peer advice exchanges that help brands build community while providing shoppers with expert guidance from certified brand enthusiasts. Through curated conversations and AI-powered content extraction, GUURU is positioning itself as the solution to brands' biggest challenge in the AI search era: maintaining visibility and authentic human connection in an increasingly automated world. Topics Discussed: Building peer-to-peer advice platforms that scale across cultures Creating curated brand communities without losing authenticity Pivoting from broad customer service to focused pre-sales advice Leveraging AI to route conversations and extract valuable content Positioning brands for visibility in AI search results Managing investor relationships while maintaining founder vision

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Elizabeth Pigg, Chief Communications Officer at That's it. That's it. has become America's number one selling fruit bar by mastering the art of simple messaging in a complex market. Founded by Dr. Lior Lewensztain as a solution to help Americans get their daily fruit servings, the company has grown from farmers markets in Los Angeles to 85,000 retail doors nationwide. Elizabeth shares how they've built trust and scaled growth by deliberately choosing simplicity over complexity, creating authentic community connections, and turning their product limitations into competitive advantages. Topics Discussed: Building brand trust through radical ingredient transparency Scaling in-house creative production while maintaining agility Strategic sampling at massive scale (10 million samples annually) Leveraging micro and nano influencers for authentic UGC Preparing for AI-driven commerce and search evolution Creating multiple use cases for simple products across demographics Balancing viral content opportunities with consistent messaging

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Susie Jaramillo, Co-founder and CEO of Encantos, an award-winning children's entertainment and tech company. Susie built and sold one of the top Latino advertising agencies in the US before recognizing a massive gap in Hispanic representation in children's content - despite being 26% of kids, they represent less than 5% of media targeting children. Through Encantos' flagship brand Canticos, she's created the #1 bilingual learning brand in America, generating 18 million monthly streams and nearly a million YouTube subscribers by treating content and marketing as one unified strategy. Topics Discussed: Building culturally authentic content that serves underrepresented audiences Leveraging YouTube as the primary distribution platform over traditional TV Creating reversible bilingual products for language acquisition Using real-time audience feedback to validate new characters and content Developing creator tools and community-driven marketing strategies Partnering with premium talent to elevate children's content production quality

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Brett Li, VP of Marketing at Flipside. Flipside is an AI blockchain intelligence platform that transforms raw blockchain data into actionable insights across 35+ blockchains including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. As a "web 2.5 marketer," Brett brings traditional marketing expertise to the emerging crypto space, helping both blockchain companies and individual users make data-driven decisions in an industry historically driven by hype and speculation. Through Flipside's platform, users can ask natural language questions to uncover ecosystem trends, user behaviors, and value flows without needing deep technical expertise. Topics Discussed: Building trust in crypto through data-driven insights versus hype-based information Marketing complex technical products to both crypto-native and mainstream audiences Balancing crypto-native talent with traditional marketers to avoid echo chambers Adapting B2B demo strategies for the short-attention-span digital era Using AI to democratize access to blockchain intelligence Measuring marketing success when your product impacts billion-dollar ecosystems Developing user scoring methodologies to optimize incentive programs

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Alf Gunnar Andersen, CEO & Founder of Horde, an intelligent personal economy app disrupting Norway's traditional banking sector. Horde empowers consumers by aggregating all their financial data in one platform, revealing hidden costs and enabling smarter financial decisions. Operating in one of the world's most expensive digital advertising markets, Alf shares how his team used creative guerrilla marketing tactics to compete against banks with budgets 10-15 times larger, including a viral treasure hunt campaign that generated 60,000 new users in one week. Topics Discussed: Competing against established banks with unlimited marketing budgets in expensive digital markets Building consumer trust when disrupting a traditionally conservative industry Creating viral marketing campaigns with limited budgets ($100,000 vs competitors' $100 million) Gamifying financial education through reward systems and behavioral psychology Navigating regulatory barriers while maintaining growth momentum Scaling fintech across European markets through upcoming PSD3 regulations

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Chris Willingham, Global Marketing Director at Brompton Bicycle. Brompton is a 50-year-old British folding bicycle company that has evolved from a functional transportation solution into a global lifestyle brand and status symbol. With 1.2 million bikes sold across 47 markets, Brompton demonstrates how legacy brands can reinvent themselves while staying true to their core DNA. Chris shares how they're navigating the shift to electric, creating unified global messaging across diverse market use cases, and building authentic community experiences that foster unprecedented brand loyalty. Topics Discussed: Building global brand consistency when use cases vary dramatically by geography Transitioning from product-feature marketing to benefit-led positioning Mapping complex customer journeys that span up to 2.5 years from awareness to purchase Balancing heritage authenticity with future innovation in electric mobility Creating premium unboxing experiences that match product quality Developing community-driven events that generate genuine superfan engagement Strategic focus through "fewer, bigger, better" resource allocation

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Xiao Zhang, Co-founder and CEO of Collov AI, a spatial AI platform revolutionizing the real estate and home renovation industry. Zhang's company transforms the traditional staging process from a several-thousand-dollar, multi-day operation into a seconds-long, sub-$1 automated experience. Starting as a Stanford PhD in Applied Physics, Zhang pivoted from human-in-the-loop design services to fully automated AI generation, surviving near-bankruptcy and building a platform now serving over 10,000 real estate agents and hundreds of enterprise clients. His journey illustrates how technical founders can build consumer-facing platforms by maintaining relentless customer focus while leveraging breakthrough AI capabilities. Topics Discussed: Transforming traditional real estate staging from manual to AI-automated processes Building domain-specific AI models versus general-purpose solutions Surviving startup pivots during the pre-ChatGPT era of AI development Scaling customer feedback loops to drive product iteration Balancing automation with human customization in consumer platforms Managing lean teams with AI-savvy talent in the generative AI era

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Kareem Azees, Head of Marketing at ResQ, the facilities management platform streamlining repair and maintenance operations for restaurants. ResQ revolutionizes restaurant equipment management through QR code asset tracking and a network of trade vendors, helping operators make data-driven decisions about their equipment lifecycle. Through strategic franchise-focused marketing and lean team operations, ResQ has carved out a unique position in the restaurant tech space by solving a critical operational challenge that costs restaurants 3-5% of their P&L. Topics Discussed: Transitioning from broad industry events to brand-specific franchise conferences Building efficient marketing teams using AI and freelance networks Understanding the franchise ecosystem vs. corporate restaurant decision-making Leveraging customer success stories and social proof in restaurant tech Implementing AI workflows for content creation and case study production Defining ideal customer profiles in the complex restaurant industry landscape

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Aaron Zagha, Chief Marketing Officer at Newton Baby, a company revolutionizing the baby sleep market through radical product innovation and data-driven marketing. Newton Baby has disrupted the traditional crib mattress category with their breathable, washable "woven air" technology made from the same material as yogurt cups. Starting as employee number two or three at the early-stage company, Aaron has scaled Newton Baby from a single product to a full sleep ecosystem through rigorous incrementality testing, AI experimentation, and a flat organizational structure that encourages radical experimentation. Topics Discussed: Building a flat, experiment-driven marketing organization with 13-14 team members Running 25-30 marketing channels simultaneously and using incrementality testing to optimize Leveraging AI across ad platforms, customer service, and creative production Adapting marketing strategies for millennial vs. Gen Z parents Competing against 50+ year legacy brands as a digital-native DTC player Testing and abandoning channels like Snapchat and branded paid search based on data

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Gilbert Corrales, CEO and Co-Founder of Leaf. Leaf has evolved from a music marketing platform that became the number one music app in Latin America to a performance marketing agency specializing in direct-to-consumer retail brands. Starting with the challenge of helping musicians own their audience relationships in an increasingly commoditized digital music landscape, Gilbert and his team discovered that the same attention-based marketing frameworks applied across industries. Now Leaf helps fast-growing e-commerce companies optimize their digital marketing strategies while building technology products that solve conversion tracking and campaign optimization challenges at scale. Topics Discussed: Transitioning from music industry marketing to e-commerce performance marketing Building marketplace dynamics and solving chicken-and-egg problems in two-sided markets Evolving from pure services to product-led growth with technology solutions Strategic hiring and team expansion in specialized verticals Leveraging AI tools while maintaining human expertise and agency Creating "unreasonable hospitality" as a competitive advantage in service businesses

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews John Solomon, CMO of Therabody. Therabody has transformed from a single percussion therapy device company (Theragun) into a comprehensive wellness ecosystem spanning performance, recovery, beauty, and everyday wellness. Under John's leadership, the brand has evolved from targeting elite athletes and weekend warriors to reaching mainstream consumers across multiple life stages - from millennials to active aging demographics. Through strategic brand architecture, product innovation, and audience-first marketing, Therabody has built a multi-category platform that maintains relevance across vastly different consumer segments while scaling from a DTC startup to a global omnichannel brand. Topics Discussed: Transitioning from niche athlete-focused brand to mainstream multi-category platform Complete brand architecture overhaul: packaging, positioning, and product development Building audience-first marketing organization vs. product-centric teams Leveraging AI for personalized customer experiences and operational efficiency Managing brand reputation at scale across digital platforms Retail strategy: balancing profitability with experiential brand building Cross-category technology innovation and platform thinking

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Henrik Jonsson, CEO of agood company. Henrik shares the brutal reality of marketing sustainable products in a mass market that claims to care about sustainability but refuses to pay premium prices for it. Through painful lessons learned over five years, agood company discovered that circular products must compete on traditional value propositions—price, quality, and design—rather than relying on sustainability as a differentiator. Operating across five distribution channels and generating revenue through D2C, retail partnerships, corporate gifting, brand collaborations, and ODM partnerships, the company has evolved from a trial-and-error startup to a focused business targeting 50 million euros in revenue by 2029. Topics Discussed Debunking the myth that consumers will pay premium prices for sustainable products Building a "seamless transition" strategy to replace non-circular products at competitive prices Operating across five distinct distribution channels with different marketing approaches Scaling from startup losses to profitability while maintaining circular production principles Managing provocative marketing campaigns and handling social media backlash Recruiting purpose-driven talent in competitive markets Balancing transparency about imperfection with authentic sustainability messaging