The Charleston Marketing Podcast

Charleston AMA
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to The Charleston Marketing Podcast, the podcast that dives deep into the world of marketing, with a specific focus on the vibrant city of Charleston. Join us as we explore the strategies, trends, and success stories that shape the marketing landscape in this historic and captivating coastal city. Each episode of The Charleston Marketing Podcast brings you exclusive interviews with local marketing experts, industry thought leaders and Charleston entrepreneurs who have harnessed the power of effective marketing in the Lowcountry and beyond. From strategic communication, social media, PR, digital strategy and everything in between, we uncover valuable insights and actionable tips for our listeners.

  1. Jul 30

    Media Made Easy W/ Charleston Media Solutions

    How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. We kick off a new media series with John Hakim from Charleston Media Solutions and get brutally clear on what local marketing needs to do: make people want you, find you, and choose you. We break down why generic ads and vanity metrics fail and how stronger storytelling keeps you in front of buyers until they act.  • shifting from products to people in marketing strategy  • why radio works differently than it did five years ago  • building simple top of funnel messaging that sparks search  • focusing on qualified searchers instead of raw clicks  • understanding the messy middle and why retargeting matters  • using stage-based storytelling instead of one generic message  • “never abandon the buyer” as the campaign mindset  • the four actions ads should drive: call, click, walk in, keep searching  • previewing upcoming topics like media buying and budget breakdowns  listeners, if you have questions, please comment on any of the social medias, send us emails or whatever. CharlestonMediaSolutions.com How can Charleston businesses get noticed, found and chosen? The Charleston Marketing Podcast, brought to you by Charleston AMA and recorded at Charleston Media Solutions, answers the marketing and media questions local business owners are asking. We explore media buying, advertising budgets, radio, digital marketing, storytelling and the customer journey, with practical strategies for growing your business in today’s attention economy. CharlestonMediaSolutions.com South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) is a public, nonprofit organization that fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy by supporting technology-based startups, academic research, and industry partnerships. Through funding, coaching, and its investment arm SC Launch, SCRA helps early-stage companies grow, commercialize ideas, and scale within the state’s key innovation sectors. Support the show Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions Annual Sponsor: ‪SCRA; South Carolina Research Authority Quarterly Sponsor: King and Columbus CAMACast Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton, Rachel Backal, Tom Keppeler, Amanda Bunting Comen,  Silicon Harbor Hot Take Host: Stanfield Gray, https://digsouth.com Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse Score by:  The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase YouTube...

    Media Made Easy W/ Charleston Media Solutions

  2. Jul 30

    How Be The Ones Turns Civic Life Into Community w/ Cate Mayer

    How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. Civic engagement has a branding problem and Cate Mayer is done pretending it does not. When voting and local government feel dry, confusing, and closed-off, most people do what any normal person would do: they opt out. Cate, founder and executive director of the South Carolina grassroots nonprofit Be the Ones (BeTheOnes.org), makes the case that the issue is rarely apathy. It is often a broken user experience, missing information, and a lack of belonging. We talk through how Be the Ones builds civic participation like a real community movement: hundreds of listening conversations, clear on-ramps to civic learning, and events that lead with joy through art, music, comedy, and even karaoke with legislators. Along the way, we unpack a marketing lesson that applies to every brand and mission-driven organization: attention is easy to buy, but trust takes time. If we want people to stay engaged after election season, we have to show up consistently, create dialogue, and give people meaningful roles. Cate also shares how her learning disabilities shaped her leadership style and became a creative advantage in making complex civic systems easier to understand. We dig into third spaces, the loss of everyday community, what younger generations need from leaders right now, and how South Carolina organizing efforts around fair maps and high-visibility community coordination reveal where real power lives. If you care about community building, nonprofit leadership, civic education, voter engagement, or marketing that actually earns trust, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who has civic fatigue, and leave a review with one thing you will do this week to help someone feel like they belong. How can Charleston businesses get noticed, found and chosen? The Charleston Marketing Podcast, brought to you by Charleston AMA and recorded at Charleston Media Solutions, answers the marketing and media questions local business owners are asking. We explore media buying, advertising budgets, radio, digital marketing, storytelling and the customer journey, with practical strategies for growing your business in today’s attention economy. CharlestonMediaSolutions.com South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) is a public, nonprofit organization that fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy by supporting technology-based startups, academic research, and industry partnerships. Through funding, coaching, and its investment arm SC Launch, SCRA helps early-stage companies grow, commercialize ideas, and scale within the state’s key innovation sectors. Support the show Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions Annual Sponsor: ‪SCRA; South Carolina Research Authority Quarterly Sponsor: King and Columbus CAMACast Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton, Rachel Backal, Tom Keppeler, Amanda Bunting Comen,  Silicon Harbor Hot Take Host: Stanfield Gray, https://digsouth.com Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse Score by:  The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase YouTube...

    How Be The Ones Turns Civic Life Into Community w/ Cate Mayer

  3. Jul 23

    Live at Dig South: Nonprofit Data That Raises More Money w/ John Seaman

    How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. A founder walks off a pitch stage and straight into the mic. We’re recording live from Dig South in Charleston when John Seaman from Datamoose.org joins us to unpack the high-stakes Wild Pitch, the push for a million-dollar prize, and the very real challenge his company is built to solve: nonprofits trying to raise more money while their donor data is scattered across disconnected systems. We get specific about what’s breaking and why it matters. Nonprofits face shifting funding, an aging donor base, and new expectations for how supporters want to be engaged. Yet many teams are stuck wrestling spreadsheets, exporting reports, and hunting for answers that should be simple. John explains how Datamoose.org centralizes data from tools like Salesforce, Blackbaud, Bloomerang, and DonorPerfect into a single source of truth that stays updated through APIs. Then we talk about Ask Moose, their AI agent designed to answer practical questions instantly, like who is up for renewal, who is at risk of churn, and where retention is slipping. One of the biggest takeaways: AI sitting on top of disconnected systems doesn’t create intelligence, it creates risk. We also zoom out to the Charleston startup ecosystem, including Harbor Entrepreneur Center and SCORE mentorship, and what that support looks like when you’re building a SaaS business. John shares traction in annual recurring revenue (ARR), why renewals prove real value, and what he needs most now: more awareness and more conversations with the right nonprofit leaders. If you work in nonprofit fundraising, donor management, CRM strategy, or marketing for mission-driven organizations, you’ll leave with a clearer picture of how modern data infrastructure powers smarter decisions and stronger giving. If you like what you hear, subscribe, share this with a nonprofit leader, and leave a review so more people can find the show. How can Charleston businesses get noticed, found and chosen? The Charleston Marketing Podcast, brought to you by Charleston AMA and recorded at Charleston Media Solutions, answers the marketing and media questions local business owners are asking. We explore media buying, advertising budgets, radio, digital marketing, storytelling and the customer journey, with practical strategies for growing your business in today’s attention economy. CharlestonMediaSolutions.com South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) is a public, nonprofit organization that fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy by supporting technology-based startups, academic research, and industry partnerships. Through funding, coaching, and its investment arm SC Launch, SCRA helps early-stage companies grow, commercialize ideas, and scale within the state’s key innovation sectors. Support the show Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions Annual Sponsor: ‪SCRA; South Carolina Research Authority Quarterly Sponsor: King and Columbus CAMACast Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton, Rachel Backal, Tom Keppeler, Amanda Bunting Comen,  Silicon Harbor Hot Take Host: Stanfield Gray, https://digsouth.com Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse Score by:  The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase YouTube...

    Live at Dig South: Nonprofit Data That Raises More Money w/ John Seaman

  4. Jul 23

    Live at Dig South: Wake Up And Win w/ Keynote Danelle Delgado

    How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. A multimillion dollar business can start with something as simple as a change of scenery. Recording live at Dig South in Charleston, we sit down with keynote speaker Danelle Delgado, CEO of the Alpha Group, to talk about why she came to Charleston years ago to sketch a business idea, and how that trip became the spark for a global training company focused on mindset, personal development, and employee growth. Danelle breaks down her keynote theme, “Wake Up and Win,” and the core principle behind it: people do life and business with those who increase their odds of winning. We unpack what that actually looks like day to day, from repairing the cracks in your mental and emotional foundation to taking the small actions that build real confidence over time. Her “gap of crap” vs “gap of greatness” framing is a blunt, useful gut check for anyone who knows what they want but keeps stalling. We also get practical about technology and the future of work. Danelle shares how she’s approaching AI as an accelerator, including a new partnership to build an AI app and agent that complements human training instead of replacing it. If you’re a founder, marketer, or young professional stepping into the workforce, you’ll leave with a clearer view of how to build trust, communicate value, and market yourself without slipping into hype or manipulation. If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend from work, and leave a review so more builders can find it. How can Charleston businesses get noticed, found and chosen? The Charleston Marketing Podcast, brought to you by Charleston AMA and recorded at Charleston Media Solutions, answers the marketing and media questions local business owners are asking. We explore media buying, advertising budgets, radio, digital marketing, storytelling and the customer journey, with practical strategies for growing your business in today’s attention economy. CharlestonMediaSolutions.com South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) is a public, nonprofit organization that fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy by supporting technology-based startups, academic research, and industry partnerships. Through funding, coaching, and its investment arm SC Launch, SCRA helps early-stage companies grow, commercialize ideas, and scale within the state’s key innovation sectors. Support the show Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions Annual Sponsor: ‪SCRA; South Carolina Research Authority Quarterly Sponsor: King and Columbus CAMACast Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton, Rachel Backal, Tom Keppeler, Amanda Bunting Comen,  Silicon Harbor Hot Take Host: Stanfield Gray, https://digsouth.com Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse Score by:  The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase YouTube...

    Live at Dig South: Wake Up And Win w/ Keynote Danelle Delgado

  5. Jul 16

    From Pulitzer Reporting To Public Libraries That Serve Everyone w/ Natalie Hauff

    How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. A Pulitzer Prize is rare. Turning that level of storytelling into day-to-day public service is even rarer. We’re joined by Natalie Hauff, deputy director of Charleston County Public Library, to talk about how a journalism career built her work ethic, her people skills, and her obsession with making information clear, useful, and human. We dig into what news really looks like behind the scenes, then zoom in on the investigative project that helped drive policy change in South Carolina by combining data reporting with lived experience. From there, Natalie breaks down the scary part many communicators face: leaving a career that feels like your identity and stepping into PR, marketing, and leadership without a perfect roadmap. Then we go deep on modern library marketing and community engagement, including CCPL’s website relaunch, the surprising list of free digital resources available with a library card, and creative branding wins like Albert the owl. Natalie also shares the story behind the Listening Booth, a retrofitted payphone that amplifies voices from the community through recorded storytelling, training, and thoughtful support. We close with sharp advice on personal branding, authenticity, TEDx prep, and why communications deserves a seat at the leadership table. Listen, share with a friend who cares about Charleston, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next. If you liked the conversation, leave a review and tell us: what’s one library service you wish more people knew about? How can Charleston businesses get noticed, found and chosen? The Charleston Marketing Podcast, brought to you by Charleston AMA and recorded at Charleston Media Solutions, answers the marketing and media questions local business owners are asking. We explore media buying, advertising budgets, radio, digital marketing, storytelling and the customer journey, with practical strategies for growing your business in today’s attention economy. CharlestonMediaSolutions.com South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) is a public, nonprofit organization that fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy by supporting technology-based startups, academic research, and industry partnerships. Through funding, coaching, and its investment arm SC Launch, SCRA helps early-stage companies grow, commercialize ideas, and scale within the state’s key innovation sectors. Support the show Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions Annual Sponsor: ‪SCRA; South Carolina Research Authority Quarterly Sponsor: King and Columbus CAMACast Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton, Rachel Backal, Tom Keppeler, Amanda Bunting Comen,  Silicon Harbor Hot Take Host: Stanfield Gray, https://digsouth.com Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse Score by:  The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase YouTube...

    From Pulitzer Reporting To Public Libraries That Serve Everyone w/ Natalie Hauff

  6. Jul 2

    Real Connection Wins When Marketing Gets Noisy w/ LK Whitney

    How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. You can’t fake a great live experience, and you definitely can’t fake what people remember after they leave. We sit down with Laura Kate Whitney, founder and chief experience officer at Goodco, to talk about what it really takes to build experiences that feel personal, meaningful, and worth showing up for in Charleston and across the Southeast.  Laura Kate shares the behind-the-scenes story of her long relationship with the Charleston Wine and Food Festival and how the festival’s mission has grown from filling hotel rooms to shining a spotlight on hospitality pros and reinvesting in the next generation. We also unpack how event planning and experiential marketing changed after the 2008 financial crisis, the rise of social media, and COVID, and why more brands now want smaller, deeper moments instead of pure scale.  If you’re a marketer, founder, nonprofit leader, or anyone producing corporate events, you’ll love her framework for moving beyond impressions to create imprints, real touch points that leave a memory. She also gets practical about entrepreneurship: setting up a CRM, protecting cash flow when invoices run late, and using SCORE mentoring for accountability when you feel like quitting.  Plus, there are two wild crisis stories involving flood water, lost venues, and last-minute pivots that somehow still end in a win. Subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping Charleston, share this with a friend who plans events, and leave us a review with your biggest event lesson. How can Charleston businesses get noticed, found and chosen? The Charleston Marketing Podcast, brought to you by Charleston AMA and recorded at Charleston Media Solutions, answers the marketing and media questions local business owners are asking. We explore media buying, advertising budgets, radio, digital marketing, storytelling and the customer journey, with practical strategies for growing your business in today’s attention economy. CharlestonMediaSolutions.com South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) is a public, nonprofit organization that fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy by supporting technology-based startups, academic research, and industry partnerships. Through funding, coaching, and its investment arm SC Launch, SCRA helps early-stage companies grow, commercialize ideas, and scale within the state’s key innovation sectors. Support the show Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions Annual Sponsor: ‪SCRA; South Carolina Research Authority Quarterly Sponsor: King and Columbus CAMACast Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton, Rachel Backal, Tom Keppeler, Amanda Bunting Comen,  Silicon Harbor Hot Take Host: Stanfield Gray, https://digsouth.com Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse Score by:  The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase YouTube...

    Real Connection Wins When Marketing Gets Noisy w/ LK Whitney

  7. Jun 18

    How Tipsy Lady Turns Heritage Into A Premium RTD w/ Toni Gilliard

    How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. A great drink story is never just about what’s in the can. We’re joined by serial entrepreneur and attorney Toni Gilliard, the founder behind Tipsy Lady, a Caribbean-inspired ready-to-drink canned cocktail line built from her own recipes and backed by a clean-ingredient mindset. We talk about what it really takes to turn a 20-year rum punch tradition into a premium RTD brand at 12% ABV, why that alcohol volume changes everything from grocery eligibility to state-by-state strategy, and how packaging choices like a 200 ml can fit the real moments people drink: on the boat, on the course, or at an outdoor event.  Then we get into the unglamorous truth of beverage entrepreneurship and alcohol distribution. Tony breaks down the gatekeeping power of distributors, what happens when that middle layer changes overnight, and why supply chain control matters when your formula has 13 readable ingredients sourced from around the world. We also dig into the role of tasting and sampling, award credibility, and how earned media can move a brand when ad budgets are limited. If you care about CPG marketing, spirits industry rules, or how founders build traction, you’ll get a clear look at the playbook and the pressure.  We also go beyond cocktails. Toni shares why she launched Resort Beverage Company, an all-natural mixer line designed for cocktails and mocktails, including pairing options for THC spirits, and why the non-alcohol market is not a trend but a long-term shift. Finally, she introduces Re-Entry OS, her recidivism prevention and re-entry tech concept that uses AI and workflow tools to help people transition from incarceration, build resumes, and stay compliant. If you like founder stories with real numbers, real obstacles, and real ambition, hit play, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people find the show. How can Charleston businesses get noticed, found and chosen? The Charleston Marketing Podcast, brought to you by Charleston AMA and recorded at Charleston Media Solutions, answers the marketing and media questions local business owners are asking. We explore media buying, advertising budgets, radio, digital marketing, storytelling and the customer journey, with practical strategies for growing your business in today’s attention economy. CharlestonMediaSolutions.com South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) is a public, nonprofit organization that fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy by supporting technology-based startups, academic research, and industry partnerships. Through funding, coaching, and its investment arm SC Launch, SCRA helps early-stage companies grow, commercialize ideas, and scale within the state’s key innovation sectors. Support the show Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions Annual Sponsor: ‪SCRA; South Carolina Research Authority Quarterly Sponsor: King and Columbus CAMACast Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton, Rachel Backal, Tom Keppeler, Amanda Bunting Comen,  Silicon Harbor Hot Take Host: Stanfield Gray, https://digsouth.com Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse Score by:  The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase YouTube...

    How Tipsy Lady Turns Heritage Into A Premium RTD w/ Toni Gilliard

  8. May 22

    How The Drop In Turns Movement Into Belonging w/ Gillian Zettler

    How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. Most workouts promise a better body. We’re more interested in what happens when movement gives you your people. We sit down with Gillian Zettler, co-founder of The Drop In, to talk about building a Charleston wellness studio that treats connection as the mission. Gillian shares how the loneliness epidemic and the “transactional” feel of many gyms pushed her and co-founder Chandler Frisbee to design joyful, movement-based spaces where newcomers feel brave enough to walk in, even if they’ve never touched a spin bike, a yoga mat, or a dance floor. We also unpack the origin of their first big pop-up, why they launched in January, and how a clear purpose can beat fancy branding when you’re starting from scratch. Gillian brings hard-won insight from leading the Charleston Wine and Food Festival and from early career years in scrappy radio promotions. We get practical about brand building, partnerships, and intentional community, plus the tough stuff founders don’t always say out loud: financial insecurity, identity shifts after a big job, and the pressure to “keep climbing.” She also draws a sharp line between real wellness and the snake oil that’s flooding the market, emphasizing trust, expertise, and human-scale hospitality. If you care about wellness marketing, experiential marketing, and building community in Charleston, you’ll leave with ideas you can actually use. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a third place, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway. How can Charleston businesses get noticed, found and chosen? The Charleston Marketing Podcast, brought to you by Charleston AMA and recorded at Charleston Media Solutions, answers the marketing and media questions local business owners are asking. We explore media buying, advertising budgets, radio, digital marketing, storytelling and the customer journey, with practical strategies for growing your business in today’s attention economy. CharlestonMediaSolutions.com South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) is a public, nonprofit organization that fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy by supporting technology-based startups, academic research, and industry partnerships. Through funding, coaching, and its investment arm SC Launch, SCRA helps early-stage companies grow, commercialize ideas, and scale within the state’s key innovation sectors. Support the show Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions Annual Sponsor: ‪SCRA; South Carolina Research Authority Quarterly Sponsor: King and Columbus CAMACast Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton, Rachel Backal, Tom Keppeler, Amanda Bunting Comen,  Silicon Harbor Hot Take Host: Stanfield Gray, https://digsouth.com Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse Score by:  The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase YouTube...

    How The Drop In Turns Movement Into Belonging w/ Gillian Zettler
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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Charleston Marketing Podcast, the podcast that dives deep into the world of marketing, with a specific focus on the vibrant city of Charleston. Join us as we explore the strategies, trends, and success stories that shape the marketing landscape in this historic and captivating coastal city. Each episode of The Charleston Marketing Podcast brings you exclusive interviews with local marketing experts, industry thought leaders and Charleston entrepreneurs who have harnessed the power of effective marketing in the Lowcountry and beyond. From strategic communication, social media, PR, digital strategy and everything in between, we uncover valuable insights and actionable tips for our listeners.

Information

  • Creator
    Charleston AMA
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    97
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Charleston Marketing Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Charleston Marketing Podcast