The Marketing Architects

Marketing Architects
  • 4.7 (45)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Introducing a research-first podcast that builds revenue, not condos. Answer questions on the biggest marketing trends and news with discussions based in marketing, psychology and economics research. Along the way, learn about marketing accountability, category leadership, brand-building and much more. Featuring a team of experienced marketers whose blueprints for success are marketing strategies actually proven to work.

  1. Nerd Alert: What 100 studies taught us about marketing

    51M AGO

    Nerd Alert: What 100 studies taught us about marketing

    Nerd Alert: What 100 Studies Taught Us About Marketing  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 synthesize findings from 100 Nerd Alert episodes to surface the principles that consistently show up across the research and what they mean for how marketers should think about creative, reach, promotions and measurement.  Topics covered:  [00:55] “What 100 Studies Taught Us About Marketing”[02:00] Marketing works through memory[03:00] Why creative is a strategic multiplier, not a subjective choice[04:30] Brand growth comes from reach, not loyalty[05:30] Promotions create spikes, not growth[06:00] Why measurement often misleads strategy    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast   Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    10 min

  2. 1D AGO

    From the Archive: The 95/5 Rule: Rethinking Reach and Timing

    This week, we're resharing a top episode from the archive. Originally recorded a year ago, this episode on the 95/5 rule remains one of our most popular. Enjoy, and we'll be back with new content next week!  This episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob explore the 95/5 rule introduced by professor John Dawes in 2021. They discuss how this principle contradicts the familiar 80/20 rule, why it applies beyond B2B categories, and how brands can shift from "hunter" to "farmer" mindsets. The team also covers creative strategies for reaching the 95% who aren't ready to buy yet and why mental availability matters more than immediate conversion.  Topics covered:  [01:00] Origins of the 95/5 rule and how it contradicts 80/20 thinking  [04:00] Why the rule makes sense for B2B but challenges B2C assumptions  [07:00] How modern marketing overemphasizes tracking immediate conversions  [09:00] Calculating the 95/5 rule for your specific category  [12:00] Creative strategies that build memory structures for future buyers  [14:00] Shifting from hunter to farmer mentality in advertising strategy  [17:00] Brand versus performance marketing balance under this rule  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  The 95:5 Rule: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/955-rule-john-dawes/ Why You Should Follow The 95-5 Rule: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-you-should-follow-95-5-rule-tyrona-heath/  Calculate your in-market audience: mymarketcalculator.com Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    25 min
  3. Nerd Alert: How Brands Grow: The Book That Changed Marketing

    MAR 26

    Nerd Alert: How Brands Grow: The Book That Changed Marketing

    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 celebrate 100 episodes by flipping the script. Rob takes the lead to break down How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp, exploring why penetration beats loyalty, why light buyers matter more than most marketers think, and how distinctiveness drives brand growth.  Topics covered:    [01:20] "How Brands Grow" by Byron Sharp[02:45] The Law of Double Jeopardy[06:15] Why light buyers drive growth[08:00] Mental and physical availability[10:00] Differentiation vs. distinctiveness[12:15] Four takeaways marketers can apply today    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.    Resources:  Sharp, B. (2010). How brands grow: What marketers don’t know. Oxford University Press.    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    16 min
  4. The Hidden Cost of Media Flighting

    MAR 24

    The Hidden Cost of Media Flighting

    Most brands pile spend into peak weeks. But higher CPMs, more clutter and faster saturation mean you're often paying more to reach the same people. Many of whom would have bought anyway. This episode, Elena, Angela, and VP of Media Analytics Jordan Rosler dig into media flighting: why it became the default, where the strategy breaks down, and what the data says about marginal ROI. They also tackle why shoulder weeks often outperform peak ones, when always-on advertising makes more sense, and how upfronts can quietly undermine the efficiency they promise. Topics covered: •    [01:00] Why media flighting became standard marketing practice. •    [04:00] The difference between blended and marginal ROI explained. •    [07:30] What happens to TV performance when spend spikes in a short window. •    [11:00] When always-on advertising beats a flighting strategy. •    [14:00] How upfronts add rigidity to media planning. •    [16:00] When flighting does make sense for your brand. •    [17:30] How to build a 2026 media plan that's both impactful and measurable. To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2026 Digiday Article: https://digiday.com/sponsored/how-a-precise-timing-structure-drives-material-differences-in-marketing-efficiency/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    21 min
  5. Nerd Alert: How Tiny Brands Grow

    MAR 19

    Nerd Alert: How Tiny Brands Grow

    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 challenge the widely held belief that small brands survive on loyal, niche audiences. They reveal why reach, not loyalty, is the real driver of growth for tiny brands. Topics covered:    [01:20] "Tiny Brands, Big Challenges: The Limits of Loyalty and the Role of Penetration in Driving Growth"[02:10] What counts as a tiny brand?[04:20] Do tiny brands actually have more loyal customers?[06:10] What growing tiny brands have in common[07:20] Why loyalty follows growth, not the other way around[08:00] Why tiny brands need to compete for the whole category  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.    Resources:  Barker-Trowse, A., Dunn, S., Graham, C., Sharp, B., & Corsi, A. M. (2026). Tiny brands, big challenges: The limits of loyalty and the role of penetration in driving growth. Journal of Business Research, 204, 115864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115864    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    11 min
  6. What Your CFO Really Thinks About Marketing

    MAR 17

    What Your CFO Really Thinks About Marketing

    Only 2.6% of board directors have marketing experience. So how is marketing really being evaluated at the top? And what can marketers do about it? This episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Marketing Architects CFO Brent Longwall to break down how finance actually evaluates marketing investments. They cover the root causes of tension between marketing and finance, what makes a marketing pitch credible to a CFO, and how to build a shared language across both functions. If you've ever struggled to justify a brand investment or earn trust with your finance team, this one's for you. Topics covered:  [01:45] Marketing's shrinking influence in the boardroom[03:30] The core tension between marketing and finance time horizons[07:00] The three numbers your CFO checks every month[15:00] What makes a marketing investment credible vs. suspicious[23:00] How marketers can speak the CFO's language[25:00] What marketers should stop (and start) saying to finance    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.    Resources:  Whitler, Kimberly & Krause, Ryan & Lehmann, Donald. (2018). When and How Board Members with Marketing Experience Facilitate Firm Growth. 10.1509/jm.17.0195?code=amma-site.    Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    32 min
  7. Nerd Alert: The Ad Load Problem

    MAR 12

    Nerd Alert: The Ad Load Problem

    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 what happens when people feel bombarded by ads on social media and why the real threat to engagement isn't a bad ad. It's platform fatigue. Topics covered:    [01:05] "The Impact of Ad Overload Perception and Social Media on Ad Avoidance Behavior"[02:10] The two theories behind why ads push people away[03:45] How researchers measured ad clutter, fatigue and avoidance[05:55] Why fatigue, not the ad itself, drives avoidance[06:45] Three key takeaways for marketers[08:00] Why TV advertising sidesteps the ad overload problem    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.    Resources:  Essa Tayeb, M., Chebbi, T., Badawi, A., Ali Toumi, J., & Louail, B. (2024). The impact of ad overloads perception in social media on ad avoidance behavior: The mediating effect of social media fatigue and goal impediment. Management, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.58691/man/197329     Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    9 min

  8. MAR 10

    The Marketing Order of Operations (MOO)

    Tiny brands don't grow through loyalty. They grow through penetration. A study of 400+ brands found that growing brands increased penetration by 135%, compared to just 26% growth from purchase frequency. So where should marketers invest first? This episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob introduce the MOO, a seven-step Marketing Order of Operations that gives marketers a clear priority sequence for building effectiveness, from defining the competitive playing field to communicating results internally. The team also covers why even small brands can't afford to ignore marketing effectiveness principles and how to balance short-term performance with long-term brand building. Topics covered:  [01:00] Research on tiny brands debunks the loyalty-first growth myth[05:00] Step 1: Define your competitive playing field and category buyers[07:30] Step 2: Build distinctive brand assets that make your brand recognizable[12:30] Step 4: Choose channels for both short- and long-term growth[15:00] Step 5: Build a measurement system that matches your objectives[19:30] Step 7: Communicate results in the language of the business    To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.    Resources:  2026 Money Guy Article: https://moneyguy.com/guide/foo/ Alicia Barker-Trowse, Steven Dunn, Charles Graham, Byron Sharp, Armando Maria Corsi, Tiny brands, big challenges: The limits of loyalty and the role of penetration in driving growth, Journal of Business Research, Volume 204, 2026, 115864, ISSN 0148-2963, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115864.     Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    27 min
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4.7
out of 5
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About

Introducing a research-first podcast that builds revenue, not condos. Answer questions on the biggest marketing trends and news with discussions based in marketing, psychology and economics research. Along the way, learn about marketing accountability, category leadership, brand-building and much more. Featuring a team of experienced marketers whose blueprints for success are marketing strategies actually proven to work.

Information

  • Creator
    Marketing Architects
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    260
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Marketing Architects
  • Show Website
    The Marketing Architects

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