Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli

Tina Dietz, founder of Twin Flames Studios, explains how audio content builds trust through intimacy and strategic development. The conversation covers why vocal variety maintains engagement while presentation-style delivery fails, how podcast saturation fears are overstated with only a couple million active shows worldwide, and the difference between podcasting as a business versus for business development. Dietz discusses why audiobooks have grown double digits for fifteen years, where AI voice cloning currently works effectively, how over 80% of audio consumption happens during multitasking, and methods for extracting business intelligence from podcast archives.

MaryLeigh Bliss, Chief Content Officer at YPulse, discusses findings from two reports: the Social Media Monitor tracking platform usage trends and a deep dive into YouTube's role in Gen Z's lives. While marketers have focused intensely on TikTok, YouTube has maintained steady relevance as a multimodal platform serving simultaneously as entertainment hub, search engine, TV replacement, and trusted information source. The conversation examines how young people navigate six platforms at once, each serving distinct purposes, and why YouTube's embedded presence since childhood creates advantages TikTok hasn't replicated. Bliss explains shopping behavior shifts, the rise of reposting over creating, and why YouTube creators command more trust than traditional public figures.

In this episode, Jason Fairchild, CEO of tvScientific, discusses how performance marketing principles are being applied to connected TV advertising. The conversation covers deterministic attribution matching household ad exposure to outcomes, supply path optimization through direct publisher relationships, and radical transparency, including log-level data access. Fairchild explains how the platform brings search and social advertisers to television, the role of incrementality testing in measuring TV impact, and targeting capabilities from demographics to neighborhood-level geography. He also addresses how large language models will disrupt search advertising and create opportunities for television to reclaim its demand creation role in the marketing funnel.

Guilherme Ramos, assistant professor of marketing at Rochester Institute of Technology, and Larissa Elmor, PhD student at FGV Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration and visiting scholar at Imperial College Business School, discuss their research published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing. Their study of nearly 8,000 consumers across three countries examines the gap between what shoppers say they value and what they actually consider when making purchases. The conversation explores why sustainability rarely comes to mind during shopping decisions and what businesses can do to bridge this attitude-behavior gap through cognitive accessibility and contextual salience.

In this episode, Dave Bernath, CEO of Wurl and former Comedy Central GM, explains the technology infrastructure behind ad-supported streaming TV. The conversation covers how FAST channels work, the relationship between content owners and platforms, and why major studios sometimes cede advertising control to distributors. Bernath discusses contextual targeting that matches emotional tone between ads and content, the gap between streaming viewership (45%) and ad spending (15%), and attribution challenges on connected TV. He also addresses YouTube's dominance on connected TVs, metadata inconsistencies in programmatic advertising, and opportunities for small and mid-sized businesses to access TV advertising at scale.

MaryLeigh Bliss from YPulse reveals how media headlines systematically misrepresent Gen Z through sensationalized claims based on viral social content rather than representative research. The conversation debunks major myths about financial expectations, workplace behavior, technology adoption, and mental health by contrasting bold headlines with actual survey data from thousands of young consumers. Bliss explains how to distinguish between micro-trends and mass behavior, why seemingly contradictory data points require nuanced interpretation, and what marketers risk by accepting oversimplified narratives. The discussion offers frameworks for evaluating claims about generational behavior and understanding the gap between media perception and reality.

Attribution has always been a challenge for marketers, and today's internet only makes it harder. Cookie banners frustrate users, bots distort signals, and brands face growing liability for the data they collect. What if there were a way to fix all of this while giving individuals true ownership of their online identities? In this episode, Gabriella Mirabelli speaks with Patrick Moynihan, co-founder and president of Tracer Labs, about Trust ID, a portable, user-owned digital identity built on blockchain technology. Trust ID enables consumers to control consent on a site-by-site basis, reduces friction in online experiences, and provides a digital wallet for secure transactions. For brands, it offers cleaner CRM data, stronger attribution, and less exposure to privacy risks. Patrick shares how the concept evolved from a referral-tracking tool into a potential new standard for digital trust, why adoption is easier than many assume, and what the future might look like if individuals—not platforms—hold the keys to their own data.

Pierre-Yann Dolbec and Andrew Smith discuss research explaining creator monetization. The conversation covers three value capture modes that determine creator monetization: advertiser mode, selling attention through partnerships, entrepreneur mode, exploiting market opportunities through product launches, and professional mode, packaging expertise for direct sale. The researchers explain why mode-spanning creators demonstrate greater resilience, how authenticity struggles stem from violating audience expectations rather than commercialization itself, and why the industry is shifting from single-mode influencers to multi-mode creators building sustainable businesses with assets driven by burnout prevention.

MaryLeigh Bliss from YPulse reveals 2026 predictions for Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and millennial behaviors. After accurately calling 2025 trends, including livestream shopping's breakthrough and local experience resurgence, Bliss forecasts surprising shifts in how social media functions, dramatic compression of cultural cycles, and the evolution of fan creativity through emerging technologies. The conversation covers unexpected entertainment format changes, authenticity concerns reshaping content consumption, and economic anxieties influencing consumer responses to brand behavior. These predictions offer strategic insights for marketers navigating rapid generational shifts in digital behavior and cultural values.

Ullie Appelbaum, brand strategist and author of The Science of Brand Associations, explains how cognitive psychology's associative network theory and neuroscience research inform brand building. The conversation covers how information is stored as connected nodes in memory, the 5-95 rule showing brand predisposition represents 70% of future sales, and the 60-40 optimal mix of brand building to performance marketing. Appelbaum discusses how cultural associations age and require modernization, methods for shifting brand associations, creating differentiation in commodity categories, and why internal stakeholder alignment on brand positioning is essential before external execution.

Siyun Chen, associate professor at Sun Yat-sen University, discusses her research showing masculine brands perform better with simple ad designs while feminine brands achieve better results with complex designs. The conversation covers how visual complexity is determined by element count, detail level, and arrangement irregularity, why the effect works through subconscious conceptual fluency, and how brand gender can be manipulated through names, colors, and visual elements. Chen explains the role of holistic versus analytical thinking styles, why following design trends without considering brand fit is the biggest mistake practitioners make, and practical guidelines for determining appropriate complexity levels.

Former Uber Head of Marketing Data Science Sundar Swaminathan shares how he uncovered that Uber's massive Facebook ad spend wasn't driving real growth. He explains what companies can learn about incrementality, brand investment, and making data-driven decisions without overcomplicating the process. A must-listen for marketers navigating performance vs. brand spend.

In today's episode, MaryLeigh Bliss, Chief Content Officer at YPulse, discusses insights from their recent fashion preferences report based on a survey of 1,500 young North American consumers. She explores how the fear of seeming "cringe" leads many to avoid clothes that look "try-hard," and how comfort has become a defining aesthetic—with sweatpants now acceptable almost anywhere. The conversation also looks at how TikTok and Instagram often act less as discovery tools and more as validation loops that reinforce existing styles. Bliss explains why luxury branding struggles to resonate with generations raised on big-box retail, how thrifting is motivated more by price than sustainability, and why the renewed interest in "going-out" clothes may reflect a broader desire for in-person connection.

Logos do more than identify a brand—they shape how we experience it. In this episode, Qing Tang, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Hong Kong Baptist University, discusses research she and her colleagues published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing on logo design and perceptions of luxury. While many companies have shifted toward clean, minimalist logos, research findings reveal that more complex designs can actually heighten perceptions of exclusivity and craftsmanship. The conversation examines the trade-offs between luxury and approachability, why some brands revert to older, more intricate logos, and how logo design choices play out across industries and digital platforms. Whether you're managing an established luxury house or building a new brand, this episode offers evidence-based insights into how subtle visual cues influence consumer judgment—and why logo redesigns deserve more strategic consideration than they often receive.

Out-of-home advertising is delivering stronger results than many digital-first channels. Dan Levi, EVP & CMO of Clear Channel Outdoor, shares insights from a five-year study with Kantar that proves OOH drives awareness, intent, and brand favorability—and amplifies the impact of other media. Learn how marketers can measure performance, optimize creative, and integrate OOH into modern campaigns.

Is the agency world oversupplied—or just under differentiated? In this episode, Gabriella Mirabelli speaks with Robin Bonn, CEO of Co:definery and author of Market of One, about why most agencies struggle to stand out—and how they can fix it. They discuss the myths of procurement power, why "our people" isn't a strategy, and how smart specialization can transform your business. Whether you're leading an agency, consulting firm, or any service-based business, this conversation is packed with actionable insights on pricing, positioning, and building a truly unique market presence.

YPulse Chief Content Officer MaryLeigh Bliss shares the latest insights into how Gen Z and Millennials are reshaping entertainment and news consumption. From YouTube's dominance to TikTok's growing role as a news source, Bliss reveals what young audiences are watching, how they engage with content, and who they trust. Discover what today's viewing habits mean for brands and media alike.

What does it mean to market AI to marketers? Typeface CMO Jason Ing joins Gabriella Mirabelli to share how his team is cutting through the noise, helping brands integrate AI without disrupting workflows, and shifting the focus from flashy tools to real outcomes. Learn how agentic AI is changing content creation—and why marketers are uniquely positioned to lead the AI revolution.

Subscription businesses live and die by churn—but its impact goes far beyond lost customers. In this episode, Professor Barak Libai discusses research he and his colleagues conducted that reveals how churn reshapes growth, revenue, and market potential -- and what that means for anyone building or investing in a subscription model.  

What makes consumers truly love a brand? In this episode, Allison McClamroch, Head of Brand US at Zeno Group, shares insights from Zeno's latest research on brand love and loyalty. Discover how generational values, social media influence, and cultural relevance shape brand relationships—and what brands must do to earn and keep loyalty in today's competitive landscape. A must-listen for marketers, brand strategists, and communicators.