The Marketing Architects

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.In this episode, Elena and Rob explore research showing how consumer behavior has evolved, examining whether value-driven choices truly impact purchasing decisions.Topics covered: [01:00] "Evolution and Trends in Consumer Behavior"[02:35] Eight major themes in consumer research[03:15] The rise of consumer neuroscience[04:00] How sustainable consumption drives research[05:30] Values versus price sensitivity[07:15] Reality of consumer purchasing decisions  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., Pandey, N., Verma, D., & Kumar, D. (2023). Evolution and trends in consumer behaviour: Insights from Journal of Consumer Behaviour. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 22(1), 217–232. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2118  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

AI won't replace humans. But it will dramatically change how we work. And brands that don't commit to AI will eventually find themselves struggling to keep up with savvy competitors, according to tech expert Shelly Palmer. So what’s really at stake here?In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Shelly Palmer, CEO of The Palmer Group and professor at Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, to discuss AI's impact on marketing. Shelly offers an unflinching look at why marketers are hesitant to adopt AI, how the technology will transform creative work, and what the ongoing battle over AI and copyright means for the industry's future. Topics covered: [02:30] How technology and music launched Shelly’s career[12:00] Why AI is transforming business productivity[17:00] The difference between human creativity and AI execution[21:00] Sam Altman's prediction about agencies[27:00] The ongoing battle over AI and copyright[32:00] Creative ways to experiment with AI tools  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2024 AdAge Article: https://adage.com/article/special-report-ana-annual-meeting/ana-2024-cmos-agencies-consultants-clash-over-ai/2588996“Think About This” Newsletter: https://shellypalmer.com/subscribe/Shelly Palmer’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellypalmer/The Palmer Group: https://shellypalmer.com/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.In this episode, Elena and Rob explore how gender stereotypes in advertising affect viewers of both genders, discovering that these portrayals can create negative cross-gender effects that impact brand perception.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Gender Stereotypes in Advertising Have Negative Cross Gender Effects"[02:00] Male reactions to gender stereotypes in ads[04:35] How stereotypes affect the opposite gender[06:10] The influence of presumed influence[07:25] Role-based vs. physical stereotypes[09:15] Sex appeal vs. stereotypes in advertising  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Åkestam, N., Rosengren, S., Dahlén, M., Liljedal, K. T., & Berg, H. (2021). Gender stereotypes in advertising have negative cross-gender effects. European Journal of Marketing, 55(13), 63-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02-2019-0125  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In healthcare marketing, product and marketing are inseparable. But in many industries, marketers have become disconnected from the products they promote. What does this mean for marketing effectiveness?Exact Sciences CMO Jaime LaMontagne joins Elena and Angela to explore how staying connected to product drives better marketing outcomes. Drawing from her extensive healthcare marketing experience, Jaime shares advice on balancing multiple stakeholders, strict regulations, and evolving patient expectations.Topics covered: [01:00] Why healthcare marketers must understand their products deeply[06:00] Using claims matrices to communicate with different stakeholders[14:00] Balancing creative marketing with healthcare regulations[18:00] How patient empowerment is changing healthcare marketing[23:00] The importance of both brand building and demand capture[30:00] Why marketers should "call their baby ugly"  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2024 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/ritson-liquid-death-product/Jaime LaMontagne’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-lamontagne-marketing100/Exact Sciences: https://www.exactsciences.com/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by ubscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.In this episode, Elena and Rob explore how sunlight influences consumer spending habits, revealing that brighter days lead to bigger sales across all product categories.Topics covered:   [01:05] "The Effect of Weather on Consumer Spending"[02:45] How mood impacts purchasing decisions[04:10] Six years of retail data analysis[05:30] Artificial sunlight experiments[08:20] Weather-based marketing opportunities  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Murray, Kyle B., Fabrizio Di Muro, Adam Finn, and Peter Popkowski Leszczyc. "The Effect of Weather on Consumer Spending." Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 17, no. 6, July 2010, pp. 512-520. Elsevier, doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2010.08.006. Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

36% of US brands and agencies cite frequency management as a top concern this year. And 81% of consumers unsubscribe when brands send too many messages. So when should you worry about showing your ads too many times?Elena, Angela, and Rob explore what truly causes ad fatigue, why it's different from creative wear-out, and how to prevent both. Plus, hear surprising research on why positive ads wear out faster than negative ones and why video ads tend to cause less fatigue than static ads. Topics covered: [01:00] Key stats on marketing fatigue across channels[03:00] The role of negative vs positive emotions in ad wear-out[06:00] What makes CTV a major offender for overly high frequency[09:00] The difference between creative wear-out and ad fatigue[14:00] Why the "first frequency" drives the most response[19:00] Favorite and most annoying ad jingles of all time  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2024 eMarketer Article: https://www.emarketer.com/content/5-key-stats-marketing-fatigue-ctv-email Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

On average, millennials stay with an employer for just two years and nine months. But after 17 years leading marketing at CARFAX's Banking and Insurance Group, Jon-Erik Valetti has cracked the code on marketing and sales alignment.In this episode, Elena and Angela explore how Jon-Erik transformed B2B marketing within a major consumer brand. From viewing marketing as a revenue center to building a thought leadership strategy that resonates with millennial buyers who make up 75% of B2B buying teams, learn how the Banking and Insurance Group grew from 11 employees to a major revenue driver for CARFAX. Topics covered:  [01:00] Why millennials job-hop—and what keeps talent long-term [05:00] Creating shared goals between marketing and sales [10:00] Using a flywheel approach to define team roles[15:00] Building B2B brands within a consumer company[20:00] Why modern B2B buyers want self-guided research [24:00] The marketing experiment that led to angry faxes To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2024 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/b2b-marketers-conflict-with-sales/ Jon-Erik's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonerikv/CARFAX Marketing Flywheel: https://514871.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/514871/CarFax%20Marketing%20Flywheel.png Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.In this episode, Elena and Rob explore why customer participation in product assembly or creation can significantly boost perceived value and brand attachment, even when the result isn't perfect.Topics covered:   [01:00] "The IKEA Effect: When Labor Leads to Love"[02:00] How DIY assembly affects willingness to pay[03:15] The universal appeal across DIY skill levels[04:00] When the IKEA effect backfires[06:45] Applications beyond physical products[07:30] AI collaboration and user engagement  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Norton, Michael I., Daniel Mochon, and Dan Ariely. "The 'IKEA Effect': When Labor Leads to Love." Working Paper, No. 11-091, 2011.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

For 90 years, Amica Insurance only accepted new customers through referrals. Then they opened their doors to everyone—and discovered they had less than 3% national brand awareness. For a direct-to-consumer insurance company, this sparked a complete marketing transformation.This episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Tory Pachis, SVP of Marketing at Amica Insurance, to explore how he built the case for brand investment during one of the industry's most unprofitable years. Learn why Amica chose emotion over humor in their creative strategy, how they've doubled website visitors year-over-year, and what their Boston Celtics partnership means for growth.Topics covered: [01:00] Should brand and performance remain separate?[08:00] Transitioning from referral-only to mass marketing[14:00] How TV improves paid search efficiency[20:00] The strategy behind the Celtics partnership[24:00] Moving beyond cost-per-policy metrics[31:00] Why long-form advertising still matters To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resource:  2024 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/performance-branding-no-such-thing/Connect with Tory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tory-pachis-7106064/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.In this episode, Elena and Rob explore how brands have lost their cultural authority and face growing consumer resistance. They discuss why authenticity matters more than ever and what it means for marketing strategy.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Why Do Brands Cause Trouble? A Dialectical Theory of Consumer Culture and Branding"[02:00] How brand influence has shifted from top-down to consumer-driven[04:00] Cultural engineering and its downfall[05:00] The rise of postmodern consumer culture[08:00] Strategies for authentic brand engagement[09:30] Moving beyond calculated authenticity  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast  Resources: Holt, Douglas B. "Why Do Brands Cause Trouble? A Dialectical Theory of Consumer Culture and Branding." Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 29, no. 1, June 2002, pp. 70-90. Oxford University Press. Available on JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/339922.   Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

86% of Grammarly's marketing team reports that AI prompt generation tools have positively impacted their productivity. But how should marketers balance AI efficiency with maintaining brand voice and authenticity?This week, Elena and Angela are joined by Lena Waters, CMO at Grammarly, to discuss how AI is transforming marketing. Together, they explore the evolution of AI tools in marketing, why brand building matters more than ever in the age of AI, and how marketers can effectively measure success across both brand and performance initiatives. Plus, learn why Grammarly's recent TV campaign resonated surprisingly well with the C-suite.Topics covered: [01:00] How Grammarly approaches AI as both user and creator[09:00] Maintaining brand voice while using AI tools[12:00] Balancing B2B and B2C marketing strategies[19:00] Why TV advertising resonates with the C-suite[24:00] The danger of over-focusing on bottom-funnel metrics[27:00] Lessons from pivoting during COVID-19[31:00] Making AI personal while maintaining trust To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2024 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/generative-ai-isnt-marketings-future-its-already-part-of-its-present/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.In this episode, Elena and Rob explore the difference between brand loyalty and repeat purchasing. They discuss how brands can misinterpret habitual buying as true loyalty.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Brand Loyalty Versus Repeat Purchasing Behavior"[02:00] Examples of brand loyalty vs. habitual purchasing[04:00] Distinction between repeat purchasing and brand loyalty[05:10] Brands with the most loyal customers[07:00] Surprising entries on the brand loyalty list[09:00] Importance of mental and physical availability  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or sign up for our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/Newsletter. Resources: Jacoby, J., & Chestnut, R. W. (1973). Brand Loyalty vs. Repeat Purchasing Behavior. *Journal of Marketing Research*, 10(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.2307/3149402  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Brands are spending 3X too much on social media according to new analysis of data from 140 advertisers. The research suggests social spend should drop from 13% to just 4% of media budgets, with the difference reallocated to more effective channels like TV.This week, EssenceMediacom UK's Chief Strategy Officer Richard Kirk joins Elena, Angela, and Rob to explore research on media effectiveness. They discuss why marketers overvalue digital channels, the resurgence of TV advertising, and how streaming platforms' shift to ad-supported models is changing the media landscape. Plus, hear about the UK's robust marketing effectiveness culture and what US marketers can learn from it.Topics covered: [01:00] New analysis reveals major media mix imbalances[06:00] Why 60% of advertising impact comes after three months[09:00] How the Media Mix Navigator tool optimizes spend[13:00] UK's marketing effectiveness culture and research[17:00] Streaming platforms' return to ad-supported models[21:00] The resurgence of TV-style advertising formats  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2024 Media Leader Article: https://uk.themedialeader.com/brands-could-be-spending-three-times-too-much-on-social-you-read-that-right/Profitability 2 Report: https://www.thinkbox.tv/research/thinkbox-research/profit-ability-2-the-new-business-case-for-advertisingMedia Mix Navigator: https://www.thinkbox.tv/training-and-tools/media-mix-navigator/media-mix-navigatorRichard Kirk’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richkirkmedia/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.In this Halloween special, Elena and Rob explore the impact of fear-based messaging in advertising and public health campaigns. They discuss when fear appeals are most effective and how to strike the right balance.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Appealing to Fear: A Meta-Analysis of Fear Appeal Effectiveness and Theories"[02:35] Real-world examples of fear-based advertising[05:10] Short-term activation vs. long-term branding with fear appeals[08:40] The importance of efficacy statements in fear-based messages[09:50] Linear vs. curvilinear models of fear appeal effectiveness[10:30] How audience characteristics impact fear appeal success  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or sign up for our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/Newsletter. Resources: Tannenbaum, M. B., Hepler, J., Zimmerman, R. S., Saul, L., Jacobs, S., Wilson, K., & Albarracin, D. (2015). Appealing to fear: A meta-analysis of fear appeal effectiveness and theories. *Psychological Bulletin*, 141(6), 1178–1204. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039729   Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Targeting only consumers who are ready to buy right now is a recipe for inefficient marketing. According to godfather of effectiveness Peter Field, this approach misses most potential customers.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Peter to discuss the state of marketing effectiveness. Peter shares his thoughts on targeting misconceptions, the power of TV advertising, and why marketers need to focus on long-term brand building. Plus, learn why "waste" in advertising can actually be a good thing.Topics covered:  [01:00] Peter's journey from agency life to independent researcher [04:00] The importance of balancing short-term and long-term marketing strategies [09:30] Why TV remains one of the most effective advertising channels [15:45] Common misconceptions about the 60/40 rule for brand building vs. activation [22:30] The dangers of over-relying on performance marketing and digital metrics [29:00] How to think about marketing effectiveness research and data [35:30] Why broad targeting is often more effective than narrow targeting [40:45] The role of brand building in maintaining pricing power during inflation To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/peter-field-tv-underpriced/The Long and the Short of it: https://www.amazon.com/Long-Short-Balancing-Long-Term-Strategies/dp/085294134X  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.