The Marketing Architects

Episoder

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  Nerd Alert: Making Effectiveness Work 01.10.2026 8min

  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 dig into why five analysts can hand you five different ROI numbers for the same campaign. They explain why averaging those numbers hides the truth, and how to match your measurement method to the size of the decision in front of you.Topics covered:   [01:40] "Making Effectiveness Work" [02:20] Three ways to measure ad effectiveness [02:40] Why triangulation is a trap [04:10] Test and learn can more than double returns [05:15] Long-term ROI was 2.2 times the 12-week read [05:45] The case against last click attribution  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Duckworth, S., Charles, N., & Stoddard, D. (2024). Making effectiveness work. Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. https://ipa.co.uk/knowledge/effectiveness/ipa-effectiveness-conference-2024/making-effectiveness-work  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  BONUS: 5 Ways to Build a Challenger Brand that Consumers Trust 30.09.2026 17min

  73% of people think they should have an estate plan. But only 26% actually do. So how do you get consumers to act on something they'd rather avoid?Recorded live at Brandweek, CEO Angela Voss sits down with Trust & Will CMO Dale Sperling. They break down five ways the digital estate planning brand builds trust at scale, from TV's signaling power to warm, human creative and sonic branding. Plus, hear how sticking with one campaign helped drive an 89% lift in unaided awareness since 2023.Topics covered: [01:00] Why trust drives purchase decisions [04:00] How TV signals legitimacy [05:30] Building creative around relatable life moments [07:00] Inside the Make It Count campaign [10:30] Running linear and CTV as one TV strategy [11:30] Why consistency pays off in brand building [13:30] What's next for Trust & Will  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2024 Kantar Article: https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/advertising-media/trust-in-media-the-new-publishing-battleground2024 System1 Report: https://system1group.com/blog/the-extraordinary-cost-of-dull Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts 
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  What's a Brand Actually Worth? with Professor Dave Reibstein 29.09.2026 30min

  Buy a brand, and it shows up on your balance sheet. Build one, and it doesn't. Wharton professor Dave Reibstein thinks that's backwards.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Dave Reibstein, the William S. Woodside Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School and co-author of Marketing Metrics. Dave explains how to put an actual number on brand value, whether you take it in price premium, volume, or some mix of both. He shares 10 years of research on how country branding shapes trade, tourism, and investment, plus why "Made in Italy" still sells shoes. Plus, hear the team pitch which country they'd take over as CMO.Topics covered: [03:00] Research on customer capital and talent risk [06:00] Why marketing metrics need standard definitions [07:30] What brand value looks like as a number [09:30] Balancing promotions against long-term brand building [12:00] The management behavior that moves results most [13:30] Why every country should manage its brand [19:30] Dave's case for brand value on the balance sheet  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2021 Journal of Finance Study: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3187850Dave Reibstein’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-reibstein-34269/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
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  Nerd Alert: Shrinkflation and Consumer Demand 24.09.2026 9min

  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 dig into shrinkflation, the quiet price increase that shrinks the product instead of raising the number on the shelf. A decade of retail scanner data shows shoppers shrug off a smaller box, cheer a bigger one, and keep buying either way.Topics covered:   [01:40] "Shrinkflation and Consumer Demand" [02:20] Shrink the box or raise the price? [03:20] Inside four million products and 50,000 stores [04:10] Detergent, cereal, and other quiet categories [05:30] Shoppers are twice as sensitive to price as size [06:40] What marketers should do about it  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Janssen, A., & Kasinger, J. (2026). Shrinkflation and consumer demand. Marketing Science, 45(1), 142–158. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2024.0948  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  Trust is a Growth Strategy with Kent Grayson 22.09.2026 39min

  Marketers assume the moment consumers spot a sales pitch, their guard goes up and the message dies. New research says that's only half the story. Sometimes recognizing persuasion makes people trust a brand more, not less.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Kellogg School of Management professor Kent Grayson, who has spent decades studying trust, deception and authenticity. He explains the three building blocks every brand draws on to earn trust, plus how to diagnose which one you're actually missing. The team also digs into whether TV itself works as a trust signal, and why AI could erode the founder story the same way paid deals eroded influencers.Topics covered: [03:30] What the persuasion knowledge model really says [07:30] Why people distrust "advertising" but trust the ads they watch [10:30] Trust's three buckets: competence, honesty and benevolence [15:30] Character-based trust vs assurance-based trust [19:00] Can a media channel be a trust signal? [21:30] How AI threatens the founder story [26:00] Trustworthy creative starts with a trustworthy strategy  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2017 KelloggInsight Research: https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/how-to-make-ads-that-even-savvy-customers-trustKent Grayson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kent-grayson-3a0894126/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  Nerd Alert: Do Marketers Know Their Customers? 17.09.2026 9min

  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 dig into research showing that managers consistently misjudge how their own customers feel. They explore why loyalty is the biggest blind spot and what that misread costs a company. Topics covered:   [01:20] "Do Managers Know What Their Customers Think and Why?" [02:10] Comparing 70,000 customer surveys to manager guesses [03:35] Managers were too optimistic across the board [04:30] Why loyalty was the worst miss [05:00] The blind spot on customer complaints [05:55] A $25 million gap in perception  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Hult, G. T. M., Morgeson, F. V., III, Morgan, N. A., Mithas, S., & Fornell, C. (2017). Do managers know what their customers think and why? Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(1), 37–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-016-0487-4  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  AI Didn’t Ruin Your Ads with Steve Babcock 15.09.2026 38min

  83% of ad executives now use AI in the creative process, up from 60% two years ago. But only 45% of young consumers feel positive about AI-made ads. Advertisers guess that number is 82%.This week, Elena and Angela are joined by Chief Creative Officer Steve Babcock to dig into that gap. Cost efficiency is now the top reason marketers reach for AI. It ranked fifth two years ago. Steve explains where AI slop really comes from, why TV punishes cut corners far more than social does, and what still has to stay human. Plus, why cutting production costs means improving the smallest line item on the page. Topics covered: [01:40] Why cost efficiency became AI's top-cited benefit [04:00] Where AI slop comes from and the uncanny valley [11:50] Should brands disclose when an ad was made with AI? [15:00] How AI shows up in briefs, idea generation and pretesting [22:15] Why TV is the least forgiving channel for AI creative [27:30] The case for raising the creative ceiling, not lowering the price floor [30:30] Steve's contrarian take on creating with AI  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2026 IAB and Sonata Insights Study: https://www.iab.com/insights/the-ai-gap-widens/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
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  Nerd Alert: When to Admit Your Brand's Mistakes 10.09.2026 10min

  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 look at why burying a mistake isn't always the right call. They learn how an honest flaw in a product's story can make it feel rare, one of a kind and worth paying more for. Plus, the two limits every marketer should know before trying it.Topics covered:   [02:05] "Made by Mistake: When Mistakes Increase Product Preference" [03:15] The chocolate that people picked over cash [04:05] Why a flaw made a drawing sell for more [04:20] Intentionality bias and the appeal of the improbable [04:45] Mistakes only pay off when you're already skilled [06:00] Fun products versus function, and the $6 eBay premium  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Reich, T., Kupor, D. M., & Smith, R. K. (2018). Made by mistake: When mistakes increase product preference. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(5), 1085–1103. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucx089  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
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  Betting on the Long with Aaron Pelander, Chief Brand Officer, GOVX 08.09.2026 38min

  The IPA analyzed nearly 1,000 campaigns and found a 60/40 split between brand and performance marketing drives the strongest long-term growth. GOVX tested that research and broke free of a plateau.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob talk with Aaron Pelander, Chief Brand Officer at GOVX, the largest online retailer serving the US military and first responder community. Aaron shares how GOVX moved from a performance-only mindset to a balanced brand strategy. He breaks down the leading indicators his team tracks, from share of search to direct traffic. Marketers on a plateau will get a real plan for building brand strength. Topics covered: [04:00] GOVX marketing before the plateau hit [07:00] What clicked after reading The Long and the Short of It [09:00] Splitting budget into member and brand marketing [14:00] Leading indicators like share of search and direct traffic [21:00] Earning executive buy-in for TV and sponsorships [33:00] Aaron's advice for brands stuck on a plateau [34:00] Why precise attribution is overrated To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2013 IPA Report: https://ipa.co.uk/knowledge/publications-reports/the-long-and-the-short-of-it-balancing-short-and-long-term-marketing-strategies/GOVX Website: https://www.govx.com/Aaron Pelander’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronpelander/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
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  Nerd Alert: Does a Family Name Make People Trust Your Brand? 03.09.2026 10min

  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 family-owned branding builds consumer trust. They dig into new research testing whether a family name on the label actually changes how people feel about a brand, and which categories benefit most.Topics covered:   [02:00] "I Vouch for It with My Name" [00:35] Why a family name feels like an emotional shortcut [03:00] Testing the same cheese ad with two different backstories [04:00] How sincerity turns into brand credibility [05:35] Which categories benefit most from family ownership [07:00] Takeaways for marketers, plus real brand examples  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Schramm, H., & Zinser, A. (2025). "I vouch for it with my name." The influence of brand perception of family businesses on their credibility and the purchase intention of consumers. Frontiers in Communication, 10, Article 1607511. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1607511  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  The World Cup Just Redefined Sports Advertising 01.09.2026 25min

  FIFA's 2026 World Cup pulled in more than $9 billion in tournament revenue. A single rule change around new hydration breaks is expected to net Fox at least $250 million in ad revenue alone.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob break down what the World Cup's record-breaking business means for marketers investing in live sports. They dig into whether mega events can crowd out regular advertisers, if sponsorships or TV spots make the smarter sports buy, and how brands of any size can get into the game without overspending. Plus, hear creative tips for keeping viewers engaged when 71% of fans admit their attention is split during the game.Topics covered: [00:00] The record-breaking business of the 2026 World Cup [03:00] Why the "Americanization" backlash didn't dent demand [08:00] How mega events affect TV pricing for other advertisers [10:00] Why live sports still build a brand's memory structures [14:00] Making creative work for second-screen viewers [15:00] Sponsorships vs. TV spots: which buy works best  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2026 SportsPro Article: https://www.sportspro.com/analysis/sponsorship-marketing/fifa-world-cup-2026-business-revenue-ticketing-broadcast-sponsorship/2026 WARC Article: FIFA World Cup: https://www.warc.com/en/article/almost-nine-in-ten-fans-plan-to-engage-with-world-cup-games-across-channels-d6e7955af51540c791c76b231ac1eeca2026 WARC Article: World Cup Engagement: https://www.warc.com/en/article/almost-nine-in-ten-fans-plan-to-engage-with-world-cup-games-across-channels-d6e7955af51540c791c76b231ac1eeca Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  Nerd Alert: Outrage Sells 27.08.2026 10min

  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 anger changes the way people shop. They break down new research showing angry buyers move faster, skip the safe middle option, and end up more satisfied with what they choose.Topics covered:   [02:00] "The Unique Role of Anger Among Negative Emotions in Goal-Directed Decision Making" [03:00] Does anger lead to better or worse buying choices? [04:00] The compromise effect and the safe middle option [05:00] Angry shoppers click less and decide faster [06:00] Are angry buyers happier with their choices? [07:00] Turning anger appeals into action [08:00] How brands can use a "villain" to tap into emotion  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Khan, U., DePaoli, A., & Maimaran, M. (2019). The unique role of anger among negative emotions in goal-directed decision making. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 4(1), 64–76. https://doi.org/10.1086/701028  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
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  How to be a Confident Marketer with Daniel Sills and Dagmara Szulce 25.08.2026 37min

  B2B marketer confidence jumped this year. But when researchers asked finance leaders the same questions, only 12% said marketing's financial impact holds up under pressure.This week, Elena and Rob talk with Daniel Sills of NewtonX and Dagmara Szulce of the ANA about their new Confident B2B Marketer study. They unpack why marketer confidence is rising, and why finance and revenue leaders aren't yet convinced. The group breaks down the vocabulary gap driving that disconnect, and how confident marketers grew brand investment in a year when most companies cut back.Topics covered: [03:00] Key findings from the Confident B2B Marketer study [04:00] What's driving marketer confidence up this year [09:00] The vocabulary gap between marketing and finance [12:00] How confident marketers grew brand budgets under pressure [18:00] Marketing to complex buying groups and AI search [22:00] Using AI without losing your data foundation [26:00] The one move to make before your next budget cycle To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2025 ANA and NewtonX Confident B2B Marketer Study: https://www.newtonx.com/article/confident-b2b-marketer-2026/Daniel Sills’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielpsills/Dagmara Szulce’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dagmaraszulce/NewtonX Website: https://www.newtonx.com/work-with-us/?utm_campaign=50131755-PER-PC-General-Podcast-Campaign-All-2026-01-01&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Marketing%20ArchitectsANA Website: https://www.ana.net/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  Nerd Alert: Betting Small on Everything 20.08.2026 11min

  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 dig into new data showing most Fortune 500 ads run on next to nothing, and why the real problem isn't budget size. It's confidence in the ideas worth backing.Topics covered:   [02:32] "Fewer, Bigger, Longer, Better" — Creative X's new ad spend study [03:47] 93% of ads run on less than $10,000 [05:02] Production is up 29%, but spend per ad is down 15% [07:02] Small tests eat 30% of budget, top ads get just 18% [08:02] Why this is a confidence problem, not a budget problem [08:32] What marketers should do with the data To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: WARC. (2026, June 22). Most big-brand ads run on digital platforms have tiny budgets. WARC. https://www.warc.com/en/feed/most-big-brand-ads-run-on-digital-platforms-have-tiny-budgets-16a01f05c2ba4a1bbdc515099bb8acb2  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  Does AI Have Taste? with Catrina McAuliffe 18.08.2026 28min

  AI and human evaluators rated the same 20 ad concepts within 0.2 points of each other, across nearly every dimension. So can a machine really judge great creative?This week, Elena and Rob are joined by SVP Brand Strategy Catrina McAuliffe to unpack Marketing Architects' new seven-criteria framework for creative quality. Catrina shares how the framework was built, how it held up against 500 marketing and creative pros, and where AI still falls short. Marketers will get a clearer sense of when to trust AI's creative feedback, and when human debate still wins.Topics covered: [01:00] The seven-criteria framework for creative quality [09:00] Testing the framework against 500 marketing and creative pros [11:00] AI and human scores landed within point-two of each other [13:00] Does AI push ideas toward safe, average creative? [15:00] How the framework differs from ScriptSooth pretesting [16:00] Using AI to sharpen writers, not replace them [22:00] Where pretesting and the framework each fit in  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2026 Marketing Architects Research Press Release: https://marketingarchitects.com/blog/marketing-architects-research-gives-humans-and-ai-a-shared-language-for-creative-quality Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  Nerd Alert: The Power of Product Placements 13.08.2026 10min

  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 dig into whether product placement in movies sticks in viewers' memories, using the famous Reese's Pieces and E.T. story as a jumping-off point.Topics covered:   [02:20] "The Effect of Product Placement in Movies on Brand Recall: A Meta-Analysis" [03:10] Why brands pay for screen time instead of commercial breaks [04:30] Cohen's d and what counts as a large effect [05:10] Kids and adults recall placements about the same [06:10] Execution matters more than exposure [07:40] Aston Martin versus BMW in the Bond franchise  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Preethy Rose, M., & Shanthi, R. (2024). The effect of product placement in movies on brand recall: A meta-analysis. International Research Journal of Multidisciplinary Scope, 5(4), 807–814.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
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  Marketing Effectiveness and the Proof Problem with Andrew Tindall 11.08.2026 43min

  Ignaz Semmelweis proved handwashing saved lives, but doctors ignored his messy data for decades. Thousands died waiting for perfect proof.This week, Elena and Rob sit down with System1 Chief Growth Officer Andrew Tindall to talk about what makes marketing research worth trusting. Andrew breaks down why distinctiveness alone won't grow your brand, and why emotion is the real profit driver. The conversation also covers his research on creators, consistency, and why audio remains one of the most underrated channels in the industry. It's a must-listen for any marketer trying to separate real evidence from marketing hype. Topics covered: [03:00] What "useful evidence" means for marketers[10:00] Andrew's favorite research-backed finding on emotion [13:00] Surprising results from the Creator Effectiveness Playbook [17:00] Why distinctive and emotional ads drive more profit [20:00] The case for "compound creativity" and consistency [25:00] Why audio and radio remain overlooked and undervalued [32:00] Andrew's most contrarian marketing opinion To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2026 The Drum Article: https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/andrew-tindall-marketing-doesn-t-need-perfect-evidence-it-needs-useful-evidenceAndrew Tindall’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-tindall/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  Nerd Alert: The Cure for Dull Advertising 06.08.2026 11min

  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 unpack System1's new report, "The Cure for Dull," revealing why 48% of ad viewers still feel absolutely nothing and the five creative ingredients marketers can use to fix it. Topics covered:   [01:00] "The Cure for Dull" [02:00] Ads that stuck: Nike and Budweiser [04:00] Has advertising gotten more or less dull over time? [05:00] 48% of viewers feel nothing [07:00] Five pillars for treating dull [09:00] The megaphone analogy for media budgets To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: System1. (2026). The cure for dull. System1 Group, in collaboration with Adam Morgan (eatbigfish), Peter Field, Karen Nelson-Field, Orlando Wood, and Jon Evans. https://system1group.com/the-cure-for-dull Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
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  The Media Quality Obsession 04.08.2026 23min

  Ask media buyers what quality media means, and answers vary. Reach, brand safety, dwell time, exclusivity: nobody agrees, and that confusion is costing marketers real money.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob challenge the industry's obsession with premium placements. They argue quality really comes down to effectiveness: reaching real humans, in a context where the ad can do its job, at a price that makes the math work. They also unpack why Marketing Architects built its own DSP instead of relying on industry platforms, what to demand from media partners to protect against fraud, and how AI cuts both ways for junk inventory and creative quality.Topics covered:[01:00] Two studies on the industry's quality confusion and CTV fraud[02:00] A working definition: audience, context, and price[07:00] Whether premium placements really make creative work harder[08:00] The one non-negotiable floor: real humans seeing the ad[11:00] Why "everything works at zero" and cost drives TV performance[13:00] Why Marketing Architects built its own DSP[19:00] Using AI to fight junk inventory without lowering creative quality  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.Resources:2026 eMarketer Article: https://www.emarketer.com/content/media-buyers-struggle-define-quality-inventory--it-s-costing-them2025 AdExchanger Article: https://www.adexchanger.com/on-tv-and-video/new-channel-same-old-tricks-how-legacy-web-tactics-are-undermining-ctv-advertising/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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  Nerd Alert: Why Nostalgic Advertising Works 30.07.2026 10min

  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 look at new research on nostalgic advertising. They break down when a "remember when" ad sticks in someone's memory, and when a straightforward, factual ad works better instead. Topics covered:   [02:05] "Nostalgic Advertising Enhances Brand Name Recall by Reactivating Brand-Related Autobiographical Memories" [02:35] Why marketers need every edge to stay top of mind [04:00] Three studies pit nostalgic ads against factual ads [05:00] When nostalgia wins, and when it doesn't [06:00] Younger versus older adults: who remembers more? [07:05] Takeaways for legacy brands and win-back campaigns  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Thoma, D., & Koziak, J. (2025). Nostalgic advertising enhances brand name recall by reactivating brand-related autobiographical memories, especially for familiar and personally relevant brands. Psychology & Marketing, 42(12), 3306–3318. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.70042  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.