Remarkable Content with Ian Faison

Not every launch succeeds on day one, but the brands that endure find ways to win over time.That’s why we’re turning to Clue, the 1985 murder mystery comedy with three different endings. Despite bombing at the box office, it grew into a beloved cult classic. In this episode, we break down its lessons with the help of special guest Christine Royston, Chief Marketing Officer at Wrike.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from building strategy before execution, balancing brand and demand, and embracing word-of-mouth to turn audiences into passionate advocates.About our guest, Christine RoystonChristine Royston is a visionary global marketing executive with a proven track record of scaling iconic technology brands, architecting go-to-market transformation, and driving category leadership in the enterprise SaaS space. As Chief Marketing Officer at Wrike, Christine leads the company’s worldwide marketing strategy, fueling enterprise growth, brand acceleration, and customer-centric innovation at scale.With more than 20 years of experience across global B2B markets, Christine has built and led high-performing teams at some of the world’s most recognized technology companies—including Salesforce, Dropbox, and Imperva—where she helped pioneer marketing strategies during moments of hypergrowth and IPO. She most recently served as Global Head of B2B Marketing at Udemy and as Vice President of Marketing at Bitly, where she was instrumental in repositioning both brands for business adoption and long-term growth.Christine’s executive leadership spans Sales-Led and Product-Led Growth (PLG) models, across direct sales, freemium, and self-service go-to-market motions. Her ability to unify global teams, expand into new international markets, and launch cross-functional marketing engines has positioned her as a sought-after leader in growth-stage transformation and scaled enterprise performance.An expert in enterprise marketing strategy, customer lifecycle innovation, and multi-channel demand generation, Christine has driven business results across cloud computing, cybersecurity, financial services, and manufacturing verticals. She is also known for her passion for mentoring future marketing leaders and building diverse, inclusive, and impact-driven teams.Christine holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an International MBA in Global Marketing from the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business. She brings a global lens to every challenge, with leadership experience spanning the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Clue:Strategy matters more than star power. Even the best team can’t save a weak story. Clue had an all-star cast, but without a clear throughline, it flopped at the box office. Christine draws a parallel to marketing: “Even if you have the best team in the world, without a great strategy, you’re not gonna win. You’ve got to have a really fantastic strategy and a really great team to back it up, so that you can kind of play on everybody’s strengths, but you’re all pointed in the right direction.” Don’t confuse talent or resources with strategy. Success comes from aligning everyone around a clear, shared story.Balance is everything. Clue was billed as both a mystery and a comedy, but leaned heavily into the silliness, confusing audiences who expected a tighter whodunit. Christine sees the same trap in B2B: “The movie was… touted as a mystery and a comedy, but it was definitely way more on the comedy side. And so thinking about that balance… and making sure that you’re really being clear with your intent of messaging, your intent of the brand.” Great marketing requires a balance between brand, demand, clarity, and creativity. Overweighting one side leaves your audience uncertain about what you really stand for.Word of mouth is your secret weapon. Despite its failure in theaters, Clue became a cult classic through community and conversation. For Christine, that’s a marketing playbook: “The fact that it did become this cult classic highlights the importance of word of mouth. How do you make sure you’re getting in front of people who will be interested in your product, or interested in your movie, and making sure that you’re leveraging communities [and] social as a way to get in front of people who maybe aren’t going to go to the box office.” Buzz builds longevity. Beyond paid campaigns, you need advocates, communities, and conversations that keep your brand alive long after launch.Quote“ How do you differentiate yourself and do something a little different. Bring some humor into what is normally a pretty straight-laced B2B technology type of industry. I think people like a little fun in their day-to-day.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Christine Royston, Chief Marketing Officer at Wrike[01:01] Why Clue?[01:24] The Role of CMO at Wrike[03:05] The Origins of Clue, The Movie[14:04] B2B Marketing Lessons from Clue[28:10] Balancing Brand vs. Demand[29:50] Wrike's Brand and Content Strategy[33:21] AI's Role in Modern Marketing[35:11] Wrike's Survey on AI's Impact[40:20] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Christine on LinkedInLearn more about WrikeAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In comedy, the punchline only works if it lands with the audience—and B2B marketing is no different.That’s what we can learn from Hacks, a show about a legendary comedian reinventing herself with the help of a Gen Z writer. In this episode, we’re breaking down its lessons with the help of special guest Jamie Bell, Chief Marketing Officer at Workshop.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from creating a “writer’s room” for fresh ideas, testing content like comedians test their sets, and embracing generational differences as a source of connection rather than division.About our guest, Jamie BellJamie Bell is the CMO at Workshop. She is a marketing leader with a passion for building brands in underestimated industries and demand engines that keep sales teams busy (in a good way!). Over the past 12+ years, Jamie has been lucky enough to work in several early- and growth-stage companies in SaaS, e-commerce, retail, and media.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Hacks:Create a “writer’s room” for marketers. Great campaigns don’t just come from formal briefs—they need a space for messy, creative riffing. Jamie explains, “We didn’t have a writer’s room, at least at Workshop, and so when I came back from maternity leave, we added a meeting. We called it the pitch deck… it’s just like an open forum for people to do like five-minute pitches, and we just creatively layer on, and it’s been a blast.” The lesson? Carve out judgment-free time for brainstorming, where small sparks can snowball into big campaigns.Test your material before scaling. Like comedians who try new jokes on the road, marketers should pilot ideas before investing heavily. Jamie notes, “She does road shows, before to test the set list. So we do some things in like our Happy Monday Club newsletter, where before we’ll like super invest in a piece of content, we’ll just see if it does better than the other content in that newsletter, and see what the reception of that is before we blow it up a bit.” The takeaway: use small, low-risk formats to gauge response, then double down on what resonates.Bridge generational divides head-on. Hacks thrives on the clash between an aging comedy legend and a Gen Z writer, two perspectives that seem at odds, but create brilliance together. Jamie ties this directly to marketing: “There’s so much about marketing and internal communications that I feel is around generational differences… and I think the idea that you take that relationship, you’re unapologetic about it and you just talk about it head on… I think it’s really great too.” In B2B marketing, don’t shy away from generational dynamics; embrace them as a rich source of storytelling and connection.Quote“ Employees are your best brand ambassadors, and you need to spend some effort rolling out things internally. Having employees connected to the mission, the vision, the values.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Jamie Bell, Chief Marketing Officer at Workshop[01:33] Why Hacks?[02:07] The Role of CMO at Workshop[03:07] What is the Happy Monday Club?[04:45] The Concept and Creation of Hacks[20:16] Marketing Lessons from Hacks[41:38] Importance of Community and Events[44:03] Workshops' Content Strategy[45:04] Advice for a first-time CMO[48:38] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Jamie on LinkedInLearn more about WorkshopAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Great marketing isn’t just strategy, it’s intuition, timing, and a deep understanding of human behavior. That’s the beauty of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a movie about erasing your memories. In this episode, we’re breaking down its lessons with the help of special guest Noha Rizk, Chief Marketing Officer at Incorta. Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from putting human emotion at the center of their work, trusting intuition alongside data, and embracing mistakes as the path to growth.About our guest, Noha RizkNoha Rizk is the Chief Marketing Officer at Incorta. With deep expertise in Marketing, brand management, integrated channel management, product leadership, P&L accountability, and change management, across various industries and launching and leading partnerships, marketing and product in over 50 countries, Noha brings extensive experience and insights into how to execute for brand loyalty, growth and sustainable share of the market. Prior to Incorta, Noha led marketing for Meta AI, launching Llama, and leading other open source projects like PyTorch. She pioneered online banking for Amex and Citi, online booking and revenue optimisations and integrated channel strategies in the hotel industry with Starwood and Marriott, led partnerships and loyalty in emerging markets, launched NGO and Gov projects with US state department, launched and spun off two of her own successful businesses and helped organise PayPals enterprise, Platforms and Developer product offerings and streamline their GTM strategies.Noha loves to solve big problems and create groundbreaking products and services that inspire customers and business partners. She focuses on delivering insights and metrics driven outcomes, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and coming up with innovative solutions. She especially enjoys building and developing strong, resilient, and nimble teams that can adapt to changing market needs and customer expectations.Noha is an avid reader, developing painter and pianist, proud mother and animal lover with a passion for helping the private sector thrive in emerging markets.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind:Lead with human emotion. Great marketing isn’t about features, it’s about people. Even in B2B, you’re dealing with human psyches, behaviors, and emotions—not faceless corporations. Noha explains, “Even as B2B marketers… you’re dealing with individuals. You’re dealing with the human psyche, you’re dealing with the buying behavior… ultimately that is the objective. The objective is to maintain a relationship with your customers.” The lesson? Build messaging that connects on a human level first, because behind every buying decision is a person making sense of their own emotions.Balance data with intuition. Metrics matter, but numbers can’t capture everything. Noha argues that some of the best insights come from being present, listening, and noticing what the data can’t show. “Some things can’t be measured…A big chunk of marketing has to be intuitive. It’s not always purely scientific.” Just as the film’s dreamlike narrative reminds us memory isn’t linear or logical, B2B marketers need to leave room for creativity, serendipity, and gut instinct, because not everything that counts can be counted.Embrace mistakes as part of growth. Trying to erase failures is as dangerous in marketing as it is in memory. Noha points out, “You can’t just erase away the pain… you won’t learn if you don’t make mistakes. A lot of marketers have to be super buttoned up, their campaigns have to work… there isn’t a lot of opportunity for marketers these days to be allowed to make mistakes.” But the best brands learn from experiments that don’t go as planned. Failure isn’t wasted, it’s the raw material for innovation, resilience, and better campaigns down the road.Quote“ As marketers…we explore the human psyche pretty much day in, day out, even if it's not explicitly said. But that's essentially what we do.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Noha Rizk, Chief Marketing Officer at Incorta[1:26] Why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?[5:51] Role of CMO at Incorta[9:07] Breaking Down Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind[22:11] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind[43:56] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Noha on LinkedInLearn more about IncortaAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s not easy to keep pace with constant change. If you want to stand out, you need to pivot (yes, PIVOT!), adapt, and build real connection with your audience.That’s the genius of Friends, a cultural phenomenon built on chemistry, community, and conversations that felt timeless. In this episode, we’re decoding its lessons with the help of our special guest Lisa Cole, Chief Marketing Officer at 2X.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from embracing constant pivots, building your own Central Perk with your community, and why team chemistry often matters more than individual expertise.About our guest, Lisa ColeLisa Cole is currently CMO at 2X. She's a strategic marketing leader with over 24 years of experience driving transformative growth for B2B technology and professional services. As a former CMO at Huron, FARO, and Cellebrite, she has earned industry recognition for enhancing brand positioning, optimizing demand generation, and leveraging AI to accelerate go-to-market strategies. Through her earned accolades from Sirius Decisions, Forrester, and CMO Alliance and her book The Revenue RAMP, she guides B2B leaders in achieving more with less using her proven frameworks. What B2B Companies Can Learn From Friends:Pivot, pivot, pivot. In marketing, staying still isn’t an option. New channels, new buyer behaviors, and now AI advancements mean marketers are in a constant state of change. Lisa explains, “Pivot is certainly one, especially now that, it seems like every week there’s a new advancement… marketing as a whole is pivot. We’re constantly in a period of time in between pivots is compressing.” The same way Ross couldn’t move that couch without shouting “Pivot!” every marketer today needs to be ready to shift strategy, adjust direction, and keep moving forward.Create your Central Perk. Every brand needs a place where buyers feel safe, connected, and part of something bigger than a transaction. For the Friends cast, it was Central Perk, a space where they could gather, vent, and support each other without judgment. Lisa says, “You have to create a place… where your target audience, your buyers feel safe to get together and meet and engage as a community… if you care about Central Perk for your buyers, then they’ll care about you too.” In B2B, that means investing in communities and experiences where customers can be candid, connect with peers, and build trust—with your brand quietly in the background.Build team chemistry. The Friends cast worked because the chemistry was real—something greater than the sum of its parts. Marketing teams are no different. Lisa says, “Sometimes it’s the chemistry that matters more than the expertise. It's not necessarily that I brought together six experts.  It's the way that they work together, sometimes is the real magic.” Great marketing doesn’t just come from the smartest experts; it comes from teams (in-house, partners, or both) who click, collaborate, and push each other toward a shared mission.Quote“  I'm not necessarily saying to marketers that this cast needs to be a large in-house marketing team. I'm just simply saying that the people that are in the day-to-day business of executing marketing for your organization, that there is a chemistry between them and that they are working together in a unified way.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Lisa Cole, CMO at 2X[01:09] Why Friends?[01:52] The Role of CMO at 2X[03:34] The Creation of Friends[07:54] The Chemistry and Dynamics of Friends[21:59] Marketing Takeaways from Friends[32:17] The Humble Leader[37:36] Introducing Brand Gravity[48:11] 2X’s Content Strategy[49:46] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Lisa on LinkedInLearn more about 2XAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most brands talk about standing out. Very few actually do it. The ones that win are the ones willing to take a swing, sometimes even a wild one.That’s exactly what GoDaddy did with the “Act Like You Know” campaign, a Super Bowl ad that became a cultural moment because of its boldness. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Sydney Sloan, Chief Marketing Officer at G2.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from emotional storytelling, influencer culture, and why building brand in the age of AI requires creativity, boldness, and a willingness to have a little fun.About our guest, Sydney SloanSydney Sloan is a visionary marketing leader with a track record of driving growth and innovation in the tech industry. As CMO of G2, the world’s largest and most trusted software marketplace, Sydney is at the forefront of shaping the company's strategic direction. Sydney previously held CMO roles at compliance automation software company Drata, sales tech leader Salesloft, and cloud content management visionary Alfresco.What B2B Companies Can Learn From GoDaddy’s “Act Like You Know” Campaign:Take bold swings. Safe marketing doesn’t get noticed. To capture attention, B2B brands have to be willing to step outside the comfort zone and take real creative risks. As Sydney shared, “Take a big swing. Go do something outside of your comfort zone.” Boldness is the difference between blending in and breaking through.Your brand is the moat. With paid tactics getting harder, brand is the lasting advantage. It’s not about clicks or keywords anymore. It’s about the emotional connection people feel. As Sydney says, “Brand is right. It’s the emotional connection that you actually build between a brand, which is not a person… and the audience.” In the age of AI, trust and resonance are the true differentiators.Influencers aren’t just for B2C. Big-budget companies might hire celebrities, but every B2B brand can find ways to put people at the center of their story. It’s about connection, not just reach. Sydney explained, “You can still use influencers, you can still have people connecting to people and doing it in creative ways.” In B2B, credibility often comes best through people, not platforms.Quote“We gotta go back and invest in brand. And what does that mean, and how do I do it? It’s not the old playbook. That thing is gone. Display, out the windows. Google search, out the window. We are all at the starting line together. And whoever's the most creative and figures out this new era we’re in has an unfair advantage.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Sydney Sloan, CMO at G2[01:17] Why GoDaddy's “Act Like You Know” Campaign[03:55] The Role of Influencers in B2B Marketing[11:39] The Role of CMO at G2[13:19] Understanding GoDaddy's “Act Like You Know” Campaign[19:32] B2B Marketing Lessons from GoDaddy's “Act Like You Know” Campaign[33:29] The Power of Creative Marketing[37:50] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Sydney on LinkedInLearn more about G2About Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Being the underdog might feel like a disadvantage or your greatest marketing edge.That’s the brilliance of Steph Curry’s story. He redefined basketball not by being the tallest or strongest, but by mastering the three-pointer, staying relentlessly consistent, and building an empire as the face of an underdog brand. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons from Steph Curry with the help of our special guest Brian Gilman, Chief Marketing Officer at ThetaRay.Together, we dig into what B2B marketers can learn from embracing the underdog role, cutting through noise with consistency, and focusing on doing one thing better than anyone else to create real brand gravity.About our guest, Brian GilmanBrian Gilam is the CMO at ThetaRay. He is a visionary Chief Executive with a proven track record in spearheading strategic B2B sales/marketing initiatives and driving robust growth. Brian excels in leading companies through critical transitions, including exit events and funding rounds, while managing large-scale projects and multi-million-dollar budgets. He is an expert in crafting high-ROI programs, fostering C-Level engagements, and negotiating impactful partnerships.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Steph Curry:Play the underdog role. Steph could’ve gone with Nike or Adidas like every other superstar, but he signed with Under Armour, the underdog, and turned it into a cultural force. Brian says, “His role as an underdog… It’s endearing to be able to play the role of underdog as well as he does, and I think that’s why people resonate with him as well as they do.” For marketers, especially at scale-ups, that lesson is powerful: people root for challengers who feel accessible and relatable. Positioning your brand as the scrappy player in the game can create emotional connection far beyond features and price.Focus on consistency over noise. Steph’s greatness comes from showing up every day and blocking out distractions. Brian says, “He controls what he can control.” In marketing, the same discipline applies. Instead of chasing every channel or campaign, concentrate on the actions that matter most. Steph doesn’t let the highs get too high or the lows too low, he just executes. That consistency of effort is what makes him durable and dominant. For B2B, that means resisting the urge to “do it all” and instead building steady momentum with tactics that reliably drive results.Do one thing better than anyone else. Steph didn’t try to be everything, he mastered the three-pointer until it broke the NBA. Brian explains, “For me, it’s always do one thing really, really well. Forget about the marketing machine, you need that one thing, and then build the next thing.” Just as Curry’s deep shooting created “gravity” that opened the floor for teammates, one marketing strength executed brilliantly can lift all your other channels. Don’t spread yourself thin, find your version of the 30-foot three-pointer and own it.Quotes“I think that in today’s market, successful marketers are gonna throw out the book on convention. I’ve never seen such a highly competitive environment… and unless you’re thinking about speed, cutting out the number of touch points, and getting to that face-to-face interaction as fast as humanly possible, you’re never gonna get business anymore.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Brian Gilman, Chief Marketing Officer at ThetaRay[01:03] Why Steph Curry?[04:28] The Role of CMO of Thetaray[06:23] Who is Steph Curry?[26:58] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Steph Curry[39:13] Brian's Marketing Strategy[42:20] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Brian on LinkedInLearn more about ThetaRayAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s not easy to make people rethink their assumptions. If you want to shift perception, you need to challenge expectations, gently, cleverly, and sometimes with a perfectly executed deepfake.That’s the brilliance of Orange’s Women’s Soccer Ad, a mind-bending celebration of women’s soccer disguised as a highlight reel of men’s soccer. And in this episode, we’re decoding its genius with the help of our special guest Angie Westbrock, CEO of Standard AI.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from surprising your audience, staying true to both your brand and your customer, and not allowing biases to affect your content.About our guest, Angie WestbrockAngie Westbock’s mission is to build high-performance, diverse teams that transform challenges into opportunities. With a solid background as COO and now CEO, she thrives on aligning our company's strengths to create impactful solutions, all while cultivating a culture that celebrates diversity and encourages groundbreaking ideas.Angie is currently serving as the CEO at Standard AI, a startup using AI and computer vision technology to help retailers and brands optimize operations and bottom lines through real-time insights into shoppers’ in-store experiences. With a non-traditional background beginning in CPG and then moving into tech, her experience spans from stealth start-ups to IPO to Fortune 500 companies. Leveraging this expertise in commercialization strategy and growth, Angie is able to guide organizations through every phase of development. What B2B Companies Can Learn From Orange’s Women’s Soccer Ad:Surprise your audience. Great marketing can earn attention through clever misdirection, then deliver a powerful payoff. The Orange ad didn’t just say women’s sports deserve respect,  it showed it by tricking viewers into watching with existing bias, then rewiring their perception. Angie explains, “Had they not executed the deepfake as well as they did, you would’ve noticed it from the beginning, and it would’ve just validated any of the biases that were already there.” The same applies to B2B: stop announcing your message, design it to unfold in a way that surprises and engages.Technology isn’t the story; the outcome is. Orange used advanced deepfake technology, but they never made that the headline. The ad wasn’t about AI, it was about bias, identity, and respect. The technology was the tool, not the message. “We always try to  tie it to the customer's use cases and ROI versus just about the tech,” says Angie. This is a trap many B2B companies fall into. You’re proud of your tech stack, your infrastructure, your proprietary model, and rightly so. But your buyer doesn’t care. They care about what your product helps them become. Sell the before and after, not the engine.Don’t let your biases affect your content. Too many B2B marketers create content for the people who already agree with them, existing customers, internal stakeholders, or the "safe" ICP. But powerful messaging challenges assumptions. Orange didn’t make an ad to celebrate women’s soccer for people who already love it, they made an ad to get skeptics to pause and rethink. Angie says, “It wasn’t just to the women to honor them and to empower them. It was actually to the men also, to say, you need to revisit your thinking here.” In B2B, you’re often selling change: a new workflow, a new tool, a new way of doing things. That means your messaging needs to meet people where they are, not where you wish they were.Quote“ We get so caught up in what we want to say that we don't take into consideration the very specific viewpoints of the customer that you're selling to and making sure that it's going to land with them in a way that aligns with how they're thinking.Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Angie Westbrock, Chief Executive Officer at Standard AI[01:00] Why Orange’s Women’s Soccer Ad [01:50] What Standard AI Actually Does[05:33] Why Physical Retail Is Still Underrated[11:38] Designed for Rewatching and Social[13:51] Real Tech, Real Players, Real Impact[14:55] Messaging That Reaches the People Who Need to Hear It[21:59] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Why Orange’s Women’s Soccer Ad [34:38] Not a Cheap Trick — A Trusted Brand Moment[38:13] It All Starts With a Single Shift in Mindset[40:00] What Marketers Want From In-Store Strategy[47:41] Standard AI’s Brand Strategy and Differentiation[52:40] Final Thoughts: Break Through the NoiseLinksConnect with Angie on LinkedInLearn more about Standard AIAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Copy and paste content doesn’t build a connection. If you want your brand to resonate, you need to go deeper, more human, more emotional, more real.That’s executed perfectly by The Last of Us, a post-apocalyptic story that became a global phenomenon not because of monsters, but because of its heart. In this episode, we’re taking a closer look with the help of our special guest, Ashley Emery, CMO at VelocityEHS.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from emotional storytelling, breaking traditional formats, and building real resonance with your audience (even in the most unexpected places).About our guest, Ashley EmeryAshley excels in driving growth and innovation in B2B technology organizations, both at the global enterprise and high-growth start-up scale. She holds an Executive MBA and specializes in demand generation and revenue-focused marketing strategies. Ashley has a proven track record of building and leading high-performing marketing teams, having served as Head of Global Campaigns for the Database and Analytics category at AWS, VP of Marketing at Emburse, and most recently, the SVP of Demand Generation at Employ, the parent company of JazzHR, Jobvite, and Lever.What B2B Companies Can Learn From The Last of Us:Story comes before product. In B2B, it’s easy to get stuck in the habit of leading with features, capabilities, or technical specs. But as The Last of Us demonstrates, what draws people in is a story they care about, not a list of innovations. Your product may be powerful, but unless your audience understands how it impacts their world or identity, it won’t matter. Center the narrative on the customer’s journey, pain, and outcome, your product plays a supporting role in that transformation. This shift can completely reframe how you approach content, ads, and even your brand voice. Ashley advises, “Lead with a human-centric storytelling. Don’t sell features… the product is the enabler, it’s not the hero.”Your audience might not be who you think. “Even if you think you understand your audience, you may not,” said Ashley, who was surprised herself, as she was so drawn to the series. Just as The Last of Us broke out of its presumed “gamer” audience, B2B brands often have unexpected buyers, champions, or influencers they’re missing. Assumptions based on firmographics or industry stereotypes can be limiting. VelocityEHS found that their safety-focused customers were actually risk-tolerant thrill-seekers outside of work, which changed how they positioned messaging. This is a call to continuously validate personas, run qualitative interviews, and listen for nuance. Your best buyers may not look like your ICP on paper.The medium shapes the message. It’s not enough to have a great story, you have to tailor it to the channel and format. A 60-minute podcast moment doesn’t automatically become a good TikTok. Just like a video game plot doesn’t translate directly into a TV script, B2B content has to be rewritten for the medium it's living in. That means writing social hooks, designing natively for mobile, and assuming low context. Ian reminds us that, “-if you take an idea that Ashley says in minute 50 of a podcast and drop it onto LinkedIn, and the person has no context at all who this person is or what they do, then the actual insight itself isn’t as interesting or valuable.” Meet your audience where they are, mentally, emotionally, and contextually, or risk wasting great content on the wrong canvas.Quotes“Often in marketing, we get scared of emotion. We try to stay very neutral in our language. We don’t want to be provocative, we don’t want to be bold, and I think we as humans crave that. The show is a perfect example. The boldness, the emotional connection, and the conflict of the characters was really valuable. There’s so much raw emotion and connection in the stories that could be told, and not being afraid to tell an uncomfortable story… is powerful.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Ashley Emery, CMO at VelocityEHS.[00:56] Why The Last of Us?[01:42] The Role of CMO at VelocityEHS[02:48] Breaking Down The Last of Us[26:47] B2B Marketing Lessons from The Last of Us[27:36] Human-Centric Storytelling in Marketing[35:16 Understanding Your Audience[38:43] Building an Ecosystem of Content[40:20] The Importance of Star Power[42:14] Embracing Emotional Tension in Marketing[46:11] Final Thoughts & TakeawaysLinksConnect with Ashley on LinkedInLearn more about VelocityEHSAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When it comes to marketing, the boldest ideas often come from imagining a future no one else can see, then making it real.That’s exactly what Stanley Kubrick achieved with 2001: A Space Odyssey, a film that married meticulous research with visionary storytelling to create the most realistic depiction of space the world had ever seen. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Josh Golden, CMO at Quad.Together, we dive into how marketers can embrace risk, iterate through failure, compete on imagination rather than resources, and create experiences—both digital and physical—that deliver the elusive “wow” factor. All while staying relevant, resonant, and ready to invent the future.About our guest, Josh GoldenAs Chief Marketing Officer at Quad, Josh Golden is architecting the evolution of Quad as a marketing experience company. He leads a highly collaborative team that works with marketers around the world to clear the path for a frictionless solution to easily communicate with their optimal audience.Quad’s clients are the lifeblood of its operations, driving the company’s evolution and influencing its every action. Josh is helping the company combine Quad’s history as a manufacturer and commercial printer with this marketer-obsessed philosophy to best support client growth and eliminate the interference that otherwise causes them to lose time, money, and customers.Since assuming his role, Josh has defined the Quad brand narrative, developed the company’s “marketing experience” framing, implemented a new Quad design system and initiated brand and product marketing campaigns for key verticals.With more than three decades of experience in marketing, branding, media, and content, Josh is one of the most prolific connectors in the marketing industry. Prior to joining Quad in 2021, Josh was President and Publisher of Ad Age where he spurred transformative growth for the venerable, 90-year trade publication and media brand. His passion for driving evolution was also on display as Vice President, Global Digital Marketing, at Xerox; Group Director of Digital Marketing at NBC Universal; Chief Digital Officer at Grey Group; Managing Director, Digital at Havas; and head of the first digital division at Young & Rubicam.A self-proclaimed “professional groupie,” Josh avidly follows and cheers people who pursue their passions. He likes playing a little semi-aggressive tennis and makes a killer “cheater” banana bread. He lives in Westchester, NY with his wife and two teenage children.Josh received his MBA from New York University and his B.S. in communications from Ithaca College.What B2B Companies Can Learn From 2001: A Space Odyssey:Embrace the process, not just the end product. Kubrick went through a massive number of iterations before landing on the film we know and love today. Josh says, “There is not one singular moment; it’s a series of failures.” In marketing, abandoned ideas aren’t wasted. They’re the iterations that lead to something great. Like Kubrick, be willing to test, discard, and refine until you find the version that truly resonates. The process is the work.AI can execute, but humans inspire. Hal, the AI in 2001, could run the ship, but couldn’t imagine a better way forward. Josh says, “ Humans have the capacity to do the wow factor.” AI can give you the exact steps to execute a campaign, but it can’t create the unexpected spark that makes it unforgettable. Your job as a marketer is to deliver that human insight and surprise that AI can’t replicate.Inspiration doesn’t have to start from scratch.2001 began as a loose adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s short story The Sentinel, but evolved far beyond it. Josh reflects, “You’re ultimately gonna go rewrite it in your own way.” In marketing, you can take inspiration from existing ideas, but the magic comes from reshaping them into something uniquely yours.Quote“There’s moments that we all have as marketers where real ideas happen, and I celebrate those…but in truth…There is not one singular moment. It’s a series of failures…That inspiration is evident in the film, and it's evident that in the actual process of trying and failing and trying and failing and trying and failing, and then getting to a point where you're like, wow, this is actually kind of okay.’”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Josh Golden, CMO at Quad[01:27] The Role of CMO at Quad[02:54] Overview of 2001: A Space Odyssey[21:45] B2B Marketing Lessons from 2001: A Space Odyssey[25:28] The AI Character and Its Implications[26:42] AI vs. Human Creativity[43:21] Final Thoughts & TakeawaysLinksConnect with Josh on LinkedInLearn more about QuadAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When small-market teams face off against deep-pocketed competitors, winning means rewriting the rules of the game. That’s exactly what happened in Moneyball, where the Oakland A’s turned to unconventional metrics and overlooked talent to outsmart the league’s biggest spenders. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Scott Greenwald, CMO at Linedata.Together, we dive into how B2B marketers can rethink the metrics that matter, compete asymmetrically against larger rivals, align teams around bold strategies, and tell stories that stick, all while staying credible, prepared, and ready to adapt.About our guest, Scott GreenwaldAt Linedata, Scott’s tenure as Chief Marketing Officer has been marked by the successful leadership of a dynamic, multi-lingual team and the creation of transformative digital marketing strategies. Our efforts have resulted in a staggering 600% year-over-year increase in web traffic, contributing significantly to a 20% generation of the sales pipeline.Scott’s role extends to overseeing the marketing budget and launching a new CRM and Marketing Automation tool, which has streamlined Linedata’s pipeline review process and accelerated the sales cycle. With a focus on driving market visibility and thought leadership, Scott’s strategic campaigns across key global markets have empowered Linedata to cement its presence in the competitive financial services industry.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Moneyball:Focus on the outcomes that matter.  In Moneyball, the point wasn’t to sign the flashiest “five-tool” players; it was to score runs. The same is true in marketing. Scott says, “In the end, it’s how many of the MQLs turn into opportunities or new business? And that’s what we focus on.” Metrics that look good in a report mean nothing if they don’t turn into real pipeline and closed deals. In B2B, your scoreboard isn’t impressions or clicks, it’s revenue.Credibility over volume in content. AI makes it easy to crank out more content than ever before, but more isn’t always better. “If we suddenly increased our, our, our output fivefold, we, we would lose that credibility,” Scott says. His team uses AI to adapt and reformat high-quality core pieces, not flood the market with fluff. Your audience notices when your content is consistent, credible, and worth their time—and they notice just as fast when it’s not.Compete asymmetrically. The A’s couldn’t outspend the Yankees or Red Sox, so they had to outthink them. That meant challenging every “sacred cow” in baseball and finding value others overlooked. Scott explains, “You can’t come in here and say, I’m going to transform this marketing organization into what I had before… you have to assess the talent pool [and] review the best way of spending the marketing budgets you have.” In marketing, the same rule applies: when you can’t match your competitors’ budget, you win by rewriting the playbook.Quote“It is our responsibility as storytellers of not just giving the business what they want, but also giving the audience what they need to hear.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Scott Greenwal, CMO at Linedata[01:04] Why Moneyball?[06:45] Behind the Scenes of Moneyball[10:00] B2B Marketing Lessons from Moneyball[31:51] The Importance of Storytelling[37:18] The Role of Communication in Change Management[41:02] The Evolution of Marketing Automation[45:30] Balancing Content Quality and Quantity[47:00 Final Thoughts & TakeawaysLinksConnect with Scott on LinkedInLearn more about LinedataAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a world full of polished content, authenticity is what truly cuts through.That’s the secret behind Armchair Expert, the wildly popular podcast from Dax Shepard that mixes candid conversation with crowd-sourced chaos. In this episode, we unpack the marketing insights behind it with the help of our special guest Derek Weeks, Chief Marketing Officer at Katalon.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from building real connections, inviting community participation, and letting go of perfection to create content people genuinely trust and engage with.About our guest, Derek WeeksDerek Weeks is the Chief Marketing Officer at Katalon. He is a driven, results-oriented CMO with a proven ability to achieve multiple successful exits, build and execute bold go-to-market strategies for each stage of business growth, and demonstrate solid returns on marketing investments. Accomplished at building high-performing teams, driving quality marketing-sourced pipeline, developing massive communities, and collaborating with sales teams to meet business targets.What B2B Companies Can Learn From the Armchair Expert Podcast:Vulnerability builds trust and attention. Derek Weeks emphasizes that Armchair Expert’s standout quality is its authentic vulnerability, which creates a powerful emotional connection with listeners. He explains, “It’s really about being human… It builds an emotional connection with your brand.” Derek draws a parallel to B2B marketing, highlighting that it’s crucial to showcase real people behind the brand to forge trust.Mix long-form and short-form content strategically. Armchair Expert masterfully balances 90-minute conversations with short, snackable segments like Armchair Anonymous. Derek believes this dual-format approach is essential for B2B marketing: “That kind of mix of long and short is something that you have to play into as a marketer and realize your audience expects different things at different times.” He stresses that marketers must go deep when it matters, but also repurpose content aggressively to cater to varied audience behaviors, especially across platforms like TikTok.Empower community-generated content. Derek praises Armchair Expert for its use of community-driven content through Armchair Anonymous, where listeners share personal stories weekly. He says, “They really don’t have to spend time creating content at all… believe in your community and the value that they create.” B2B marketers should harness their user-generated content to scale content creation far beyond the limits of a marketing budget.Quotes“ You have to think about what draws people to the next.  What did you do in that moment that got people to say, ‘This is worth following or paying attention to or coming back again?’  Figure out what's going to make people come back, not what makes people appear the first time.  The first time is kind of an easy win. The second time, or third time, or 10th time is the hard part.”Time Stamps[00:55]  Meet Derek Weeks, CMO at Katalon[01:23]  Why Armchair Expert?[03:01] Vulnerability and Trust in B2B[08:58]  Don’t Build Campaigns, Build Conversations[13:37] The Long-Form to Short-Form Pipeline[19:05] Unfair Mindshare[21:47] What Armchair Expert Gets Right[24:01] Practical Ways to Bring Personality into B2B[27:38] Final Thoughts & TakeawaysLinksConnect with Derek on LinkedInLearn more about KatalonAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Turning into your parents might be your worst fear, or your biggest marketing opportunity.That’s the brilliance of Progressive’s Dr. Rick campaign. It’s hilarious, deeply relatable, and sneakily strategic. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Keri McGhee, Chief Marketing Officer at Attentive.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from character-driven storytelling, embracing creative risk, and using humor and relatability to create campaigns that people actually want to talk about.About our guest, Keri McGheeKeri McGhee is the CMO at Attentive, the AI marketing platform for leading brands. She leads strategic global marketing to further build the Attentive brand, overseeing product marketing, revenue marketing, events, partner marketing, communications and content, and brand creative. Keri's past experiences include leading marketing at various start-ups and as a senior director at Zillow, where she led the B2B marketing team of 60+ people, responsible for strengthening partner loyalty and experience for 60,000+ real estate partners. She got her start in tech at Expedia, leading both consumer and corporate travel marketing teams.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Progressive’s Dr. Rick Campaign:Take creative risks. Keri’s central message is clear: great brand moments come from taking chances. “We take ourselves way too seriously in B2B.  So I think my advice is to step outside of the comfort zone of what the CFO, and the COO, and the CEO say yes to. And do the work to get the customer validation to pitch in some new idea..” B2B marketers often play it safe, focusing on product features, ROI charts, or thought leadership. But real differentiation happens when you create something unexpected, emotional, or funny. The Dr. Rick campaign could’ve flopped. Instead, it became a cultural reference point.Make your audience feel seen. The best ads are mirrors, not megaphones. Progressive tapped into a deep, relatable insecurity, “Am I becoming my parents?” Keri shares, “It's incredibly memorable, which I think is the most important thing in marketing right now.” For B2B, this could mean identifying moments of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or job-related stress and playfully reflecting those back to the buyer.Build a fictional persona. A single viral hit is fleeting. A character-driven series builds long-term brand equity. Dr. Rick works because he’s a consistent, evolving character. He became a franchise. Most B2B brands invest in one-off videos or campaigns. But serialization keeps audiences coming back, like a show you binge-watch. Keri states, “  I can't think of any B2B that actually has been able to do that…Most of the true B2B play companies are not investing in brand in that way.”Quotes“What we find with B2B buyers is they make decisions as people, not as the companies for which they're spending money for. We undervalue that a lot in B2B marketing…And the reality is, the things that are impossible to measure are where we are starting to place bigger bets because it's the only way to drive differentiation.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Keri McGhee, Chief Marketing Officer at Katalon[01:06] Why Dr. Rick?[02:45] The Psychology of Being Seen[04:02] Who Is Dr. Rick?[11:26] Branding in a Commoditized Industry[13:59] Flow vs. Dr. Rick: A Franchise Strategy[15:26] Why B2B Doesn’t Do This[22:14] Parents vs. Homeowners[26:35] Keri’s Top B2B Takeaway[28:30] Creating Content Around Insecurity[31:20] Why Brands Don’t Take Risks[40:56] Final Thoughts & TakeawaysLinksConnect with Keri on LinkedInLearn more about AttentiveAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When AI feels like old news, the most remarkable storytellers don’t just talk about it, they show you something you’ve never seen before.That’s exactly what happens in Shell Game, the mind-bending podcast where journalist Evan Ratliff clones his voice and lets it interact with the world without anyone knowing it’s not really him. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Kelly Starman, Chief Marketing Officer at MasterControl.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from leading with curiosity, making space for creative risk, and crafting weird, emotional stories that people can’t help but talk about.About our guest, Kelly StarmanKelly Starman is a results-focused marketing executive with two decades of driving growth and leading high-performing teams. She has a strong track record in leading large-scale organizational change. Expertise in developing and implementing global go-to-market strategies in the healthcare and technology sectors, including positioning, branding & advertising, digital marketing, demand gen, and marketing automation. What B2B Companies Can Learn From Shell Game:Embrace the weird. Evan Ratliff’s podcast stands out because it dares to be different. In B2B, weird isn’t a liability—it’s an asset. “So much of B2B marketing is just boring,” Kelly says. “I love the idea of being weird… tapping into that and being memorable makes for great marketing.” If your content doesn’t break the pattern, it won’t break through.Lead with curiosity. Shell Game works because it starts with a single, captivating question: what happens when you clone your own voice and let it speak for you? For Kelly, that spirit of experimentation is essential in modern marketing. “I have not had more fun in my career than I've had in the past six months,” she says. “It has been incredible to really step back and think about what is possible with all this new technology.” Curiosity isn’t just a mindset, it’s a strategy for discovering what’s next before your competitors do.Curate, don’t just create. In a world of AI overload, audiences don’t want more content, they want better content. That’s where curation comes in. “I think there's just so much out there that I find myself really turning to like individuals that I trust,” Kelly says. As marketers, “How do you add value for your customers… where do you go for that curated content to stay as current as you can?” Being a trusted curator builds loyalty in a noisy market.Quote“So much of B2B marketing is just boring... I love the idea of being weird. I usually say like, I want this to be really bold. I want this to be really breakthrough and attention-grabbing."Time Stamps[0:55] Meet Kelly Starman, Chief Marketing Officer at MasterControl[01:07] Why Shell Game?[02:53] The Role of CMO at MasterControl[04:33] What is Shell Game?[12:39] Breaking Down the Content in Shell Game[24:57] B2B Marketing Lessons from Shell Game[28:20] Super Accelerated Learning Techniques[41:28] Mastercontrol's Marketing Strategy[44:38] Measuring ROI Strategically[47:56] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Kelly on LinkedInLearn more about MasterControlAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When your audience thinks they already know your story, the boldest brands flip the script and earn their attention in the process. That’s exactly what happens in Wicked, the smash-hit film adaptation that reimagines one of pop culture’s most iconic villains. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Allison MacLeod, Chief Marketing Officer & GM of US Education at Flywire.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from reframing brand narratives, building fan-level community, and executing with bold, high-stakes detail that actually gets noticed.About our guest, Allison MacleodAllison Macleod currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer & Head of US Education at Flywire (Nasdaq: FLYW), a global payments enablement & software company. At Flywire, Allison leads global marketing and revenue operations, & US Education sales, relationship management & pre-sales. She played a key role in guiding Flywire to a successful IPO in May 2021.Allison brings nearly 20 years of experience with a background spanning marketing and revenue-focused roles. Prior to Flywire, she spent seven years at Rapid7 (Nasdaq: RPD), where she played a pivotal role in building and scaling demand generation, business development, and analytics. Before that, she held various digital and field-based positions at Forrester, including launching the marketing function in EMEA.Outside of work, Allison sits on the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council and serves as a strategic advisor to early-stage companies through F-Prime & Underscore VC.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Wicked:Reframe what they think they know. Wicked works because it flips a legacy story on its head. The same power lies in brand repositioning. “How do you really reframe what people think they know about you and your brand,” Allison says. Whether it’s entering new markets or expanding product lines, your biggest unlock might come from telling your old story in a completely new way.Community is your flywheel. Wicked isn’t just a show, it’s a movement. Audiences don’t just watch it, they live it. That level of advocacy isn’t accidental. “How do you really cultivate that community, whether that's your clients, the advocacy, and make people… feel that deep passion for what you do,” Allison asks. In B2B, fandom might look like retention, referrals, or customer-led storytelling, but it starts with emotional connection.Be bold and unforgettable. Every production choice in Wicked is a masterclass in attention to detail. From the live vocals to the stunts, they took creative risks that resonated. “How do you be bold and unforgettable,” Allison says. The safest move in saturated categories? Standing out.Quote“I think that's sort of the lesson and the beauty in this, taking something that everyone already thought they knew, and they thought they knew the story… and completely reframing it. And I think that’s where you just think of us as businesses, us as consumers… there’s so much clutter. So the brands that stick out and do things differently, and even if it is trying the same channel but in a different way, there’s so much power in that."Time Stamps[0:55] Meet Allison MacLeod, Chief Marketing Officer & GM of US Education at Flywire[01:05] Why Wicked?[02:29] The Role of CMO at Flywire[04:00] Breaking Down of Wicked[09:22] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Wicked[21:54] The Appeal of Villains and Taking Risks[23:37] The Power of Visual Design in Branding[24:54] Marketing Strategies for Global Brands[29:26] Flywire's Unique Differentiation Approach[40:03] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Allison on LinkedInLearn more about FlywireAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When timeless advertising principles meet today’s AI-saturated landscape, something surprising happens: the old rules still work.Especially when we’re talking about the father of advertising himself, David Ogilvy. In this episode, we dive into his iconic book, Ogilvy on Advertising, with the help of our special guest Eric Williamson, CMO at CallMiner.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from Ogilvy’s approach: why specificity beats slogans, how research powers emotional storytelling, and why writing for humans is the real differentiator.About our guest, Eric WilliamsonAs CallMiner’s Chief Marketing Officer, Eric oversees all global marketing functions from brand and events to demand generation. Eric’s marketing team works very closely with channel and sales to drive pipeline and CallMiner’s explosive growth. Eric has over 20 years of experience in both technology and consumer products marketing from both the vendor and agency side. Before joining CallMiner, Eric was VP Brand & Digital Marketing at Acquia — an open DXP platform built around Drupal — where he led brand, creative services, webops, editorial, and demand generation. Prior to Acquia, Eric was on the agency side of marketing working as SVP Digital & Social at MullenLowe, and before that as VP Digital Strategy at The Martin Agency. During his career Eric has worked with a variety of B2C and B2B brands including Google, Microsoft, Intel, GEICO, Walmart, P&G, Pizza Hut, Acura, Royal Caribbean, and Hyatt. He earned his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University, and an MBA from The University of Texas at Dallas.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Ogilvy on Advertising:Start with the line, not the logo. Great B2B brands don’t start with visuals, they start with voice. The sharpest creative begins on the page, not the mood board. “Copy first, research first, copy second, then worry about the visuals,” Eric says. In other words: write the line that earns attention before you pick the font.Write for humans. Most B2B copy dies in a sea of jargon. What buyers actually want is to feel seen. “It’s really easy to fall into a place for a technology company to talk about your tech, talk about your features… and there’s nothing emotional about that,” Eric says. The fix is to start by writing for humans. Emotion isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s your edge.Don’t guess, ask. You don’t need personas when you have real people. The best insights come from your customers, not your whiteboard. Eric says, “Just go talk to them…Why do they keep staying with you? What sort of thing that they worry about at night does this help solve for them?” The answers aren’t in your funnel. They’re in the field.Quote“ Write for humans because, ultimately, that's who you're selling to, that's who you're trying to influence. It’s really understanding their emotions. What are their fears, what are their desires? Even in the B2B world, it's easy to forget that.”Time Stamps[0:55] Meet Eric Williamson, Chief Marketing Officer at CallMiner[00:58] Why Ogilvy On Advertising?[02:49] The Role of CMO at CallMiner[03:38] Origins of Ogilvy On Advertising[06:56] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Ogilvy on Advertising[21:29] Ogilvy's Predictions[37:23] CallMiner's Marketing Strategies[41:57] AI as a Solution[44:20] Advice for Marketing Leaders[45:38] Final Thoughts & TakeawaysLinksConnect with Eric on LinkedInLearn more about CallMinerAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.