Chief Advertiser

Samir Balwani
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Welcome to another episode of Chief Advertiser, the podcast for marketing leaders navigating the rapidly evolving world of advertising. Join us as we dive deep into the insights of some of the smartest minds in marketing, uncovering lessons they've learned, strategies that drive their success, and innovations they're most excited about for the future.

  1. 09/15/2025

    How the Customer Experience Shapes Brand Loyalty and Growth

    Samantha Gagliardi is the Senior Customer Experience Manager at Rhoback, a performance activewear brand that designs high-quality apparel. With experience in CX strategy and leadership, she shapes Rhoback's customer interactions and retention practices. Before Rhoback, Samantha was a Customer Experience Manager at Business and Pleasure Co. and JAXXON. In this episode… Customer experience can make or break a brand's perception. From marketing to product delivery, every interaction shapes loyalty and trust. How can you ensure every touchpoint reflects the same consistent brand voice? According to customer experience driver Samantha Gagliardi, consistency starts with defining a clear brand "law": a framework that guides how teams interact with customers across channels. She emphasizes the importance of leveraging customer data, reviews, and sentiment analysis to identify gaps between brand identity and customer perception. Beyond data, Samantha recommends leveraging tools like customer advisory panels and surveys to deepen engagement and uncover authentic insights. These approaches align marketing, operations, and customer service while building long-term loyalty. In this episode of Chief Advertiser, Samir Balwani talks with Samantha Gagliardi, Senior Customer Experience Manager, about the intersection between brand voice and the customer experience. Samantha explains why data and reviews are essential for alignment, the role of surveys and advisory panels in refining brand strategy, and the importance of cross-team collaboration to deliver on customer expectations.

    24 min

  2. 09/08/2025

    Scaling Consumer Brands Without Discounts: Messaging, Creative Testing, and Growth Strategies

    Ankur Goyal is the SVP of Growth at Coterie, a modern premium baby care brand. He has held multiple positions at Coterie, including VP of Growth and Head of Growth. Ankur is also a Strategic Advisor at GrapevineAI, which raises money to provide brands with on-demand creator content. Before Coterie, he co-founded TableTip Analytics, a data-science startup for the restaurant industry. In this episode… How can you take a brand in a crowded consumer market and scale it profitably without relying on constant discounts? Many companies chase short-term wins with flashy offers, only to erode brand value and stall long-term growth. What does it take to build a brand that persuades customers and keeps them coming back? According to growth leader Ankur Goyal, brands must build persuasive messaging rooted in customer feedback. Studying reviews and customer experience data can uncover messaging pillars, which drive customer acquisition. Ankur maintains that avoiding discount-based advertising forces brands to create compelling, performance-driven campaigns and that structured yet flexible creative testing cycles keep campaigns fresh. By focusing on practical insights, you can grow profitably while strengthening relationships with customers. In this episode of Chief Advertiser, Samir Balwani sits down with Ankur Goyal, SVP of Growth at Coterie, to talk about scaling consumer brands with smart messaging and creative testing. Ankur discusses why persuasive messaging beats ad structure tweaks, how customer feedback uncovers alternative messaging, and what it takes to run effective creative experiments at scale.

    27 min

  3. 06/30/2025

    Conveying a Brand Story That Grows With Your Audience

    Tyler Milakis is the Head of Brand Marketing at Charlotte's Web, a leading producer of hemp-derived wellness products. In his role, he spearheaded a full rebrand, go-to-market launches, and performance campaigns for flagship wellness products. With over a decade of experience in DTC marketing, Tyler has helped brands sharpen their voice, expand their presence, and own their markets. In this episode… Brands with rich origin stories may struggle to evolve without alienating their loyal customer base. As consumer expectations shift and competition intensifies, companies must modernize their brand while remaining true to their core values. How can brands grow, innovate, and stay relevant without losing the essence that built their trust? According to brand marketing leader Tyler Milakis, brand evolution starts with intention and internal alignment. He advises embedding your values across every touchpoint — from packaging to messaging — and aligning your team by hosting brand days, creating guides, and maintaining consistent communication. Rather than chasing novelty or trends, innovation should solve consumer problems and remain rooted in your brand's purpose. In this episode of Chief Advertiser, Samir Balwani hosts Tyler Milakis, Head of Brand Marketing at Charlotte's Web, to talk about guiding a legacy brand through evolution and innovation. Tyler explains how to convey an authentic brand story, remain culturally relevant, and maintain consistency in marketing efforts.

    24 min

  4. 06/23/2025

    How Growth Marketers Can Balance Brand Equity and Performance Metrics

    Jerel Blades is the Head of Growth at TUSHY, which provides best-in-class bidet attachments for toilet seats. As a growth marketer, he was the VP of Growth at GOAT Foods, where he led growth for Licorice, Pretzels, Caramels, and Chocolate. Jerel began his career as an intern in fashion brand management.  In this episode… In today's consumer-led digital landscape, growth marketers must drive short-term performance without sacrificing long-term brand equity. As paid media becomes increasingly competitive and attribution becomes unclear, marketers must demonstrate their value while aligning with broader business objectives. How can growth teams build scalable strategies that protect and enhance brand value? With a background in fashion branding and performance marketing, Jerel Blades maintains that curiosity, business acumen, and a deep understanding of customers are foundational traits for any high-performing growth team. He stresses the importance of aligning brand and performance KPIs, using shared tools and frameworks to promote cross-functional collaboration. Post-purchase surveys and consumer insights can also address skepticism around unfamiliar products and shape more effective, empathetic marketing campaigns.  In this week's episode of Chief Advertiser, Jerel Blades, Head of Growth at TUSHY, joins Samir Balwani for a discussion about building performance programs that support long-term brand strategy. Jerel explains how to create alignment between growth and brand teams, strategies for educating consumers in a high-consideration category, and the ideal characteristics of growth marketers.

    31 min

  5. 06/16/2025

    The Key to Social Commerce: Why Community Comes Before Sales

    Helen Christoni is the Senior Vice President of Ideal Living, where she leads the growth of AirDoctor and AquaTru, two of the nation's leading clean air and water solutions brands. With over 20 years of experience in health and wellness, she specializes in building mission-driven brands through influencer partnerships, education, and community engagement. Helen has completed the Boston Marathon five times and three 100-mile ultramarathons. In this episode… Social commerce holds untapped potential for growth, but where can brands begin? Companies often focus on driving sales and ROI first without building a loyal community or a clear brand voice. How can businesses create an authentic social commerce strategy that balances education, relationships, and long-term growth? According to marketing strategist and influencer-driven commerce expert Helen Christoni, social commerce begins with prioritizing community over immediate conversions. She emphasizes immersing yourself in industry conversations, defining ideal brand partners, and investing time in education before launching campaigns. Seeding products, building relationships organically, and hosting educational webinars have helped her create lasting partnerships and drive meaningful engagement. In this week's episode of Chief Advertiser, Samir Balwani sits down with Helen Christoni, SVP of AirDoctor and AquaTru at Ideal Living, to talk about scaling social commerce through education and community-building. Helen discusses managing rapid growth, overcoming tech challenges, and preparing for AI in commerce.

    29 min

  6. 06/09/2025

    How To Market Seasonal Products With Long Purchase Cycles

    Morgan Decker is the Director of Global Marketing at Andie, a women-led DTC swimwear brand. In her role, she spearheaded initiatives that increased customer acquisition by 25% and improved retention by 18%. With over a decade of experience spanning startups to Fortune 500 companies, Morgan blends creativity with data-driven strategies to drive sustainable growth and customer engagement. She is also a Founding Member of CartStars, an e-commerce platform that streamlines online sales operations for businesses. In this episode… Marketing high-consideration, low-frequency products like swimwear presents unique challenges, especially when customer purchases are seasonal, brand loyalty is elusive, and acquisition costs are high. With long purchase cycles and limited buying triggers, how can brands stay top-of-mind and drive consistent growth in a crowded fashion landscape? Experienced DTC marketer Morgan Decker focuses on brand positioning, generational loyalty, and cross-functional alignment. She emphasizes understanding and controlling consumers' purchasing triggers and targeting future buyers through mobile app advertising. Morgan also prioritizes data sharing with product teams to inform inventory and creative strategies while operating within a lean and agile marketing structure.  In the latest episode of Chief Advertiser, Samir Balwani sits down with Morgan Decker, Director of Global Marketing at Andie, to talk about navigating the fashion marketing landscape. Morgan discusses how to manage purchase latency, the importance of marketing–product collaboration, and her approach to testing emerging AI platforms.

    22 min

  7. 05/12/2025

    How Zero-Party Data and AI Are Transforming Ecommerce Pop-Ups

    Shaan Arora is the Co-founder and CEO of Alia, an e-commerce pop-up alternative for Shopify brands. He founded the company to help brands convey their stories and value to online shoppers. In 2023, Shaan was recognized on BostInno's 25 Under 25 list. In this episode… Pop-ups are everywhere in e-commerce, but they often feel intrusive, ineffective, or poorly optimized for customer engagement. It can be challenging to capture useful customer data while maintaining a seamless user experience. How can businesses design pop-ups that collect valuable insights and drive higher opt-ins and conversions? With a specialty in customer engagement strategies and zero-party data collection, young entrepreneur Shaan Arora advises using micro-commitment techniques, such as starting pop-ups with a simple poll question to increase participation. Brands can leverage three key strategies to design effective pop-ups, including implementing a five-second delay before displaying the pop-up, using a full-screen format to boost visibility, and offering a mystery discount to incentivize sign-ups. By combining these tactics with zero-party data collection like A/B testing and customer segmentation, you can enhance personalization and conversion rates. In the latest episode of Chief Advertiser, Samir Balwani interviews Shaan Arora, Co-founder and CEO of Alia, about building high-performing e-commerce pop-ups. Shaan explains how to improve email flows, increase opt-in rates, and leverage data insights to guide product strategy.

    16 min

  8. 05/05/2025

    Optimizing Product Strategy for Maximum ROI

    Kareem Elgendy is the CEO of Veiled, a modest fashion brand for women. He has grown Veiled into an eight-figure brand, achieving over 70% year-over-year growth through data-driven strategies and analytics. Before Veiled, Kareem was the Head of Marketing at Baked Boutique and the Director of Quality Assurance at Frank Seta & Associates. In this episode… Many e-commerce brands stagnate when scaling their marketing efforts, only to realize that the problem isn't their ads; it's their product catalog. When top-performing items go out of stock or merchandising isn't aligned with audience demand, conversion rates plummet, and ad performance tanks. How can brands align inventory and analytics to drive consistent, profitable growth? Performance marketing and merchandising analytics expert Kareem Elgendy recommends aligning product availability with your marketing strategy. This entails tracking the number of units sold per day for in-stock items and using that data to optimize product assortment by style, color, and size. Kareem has developed a forecasting framework to guide inventory decisions based on past performance, urging brands to align those insights with dynamic ad campaigns to boost ROI. Additionally, maintaining centralized collaboration across merchandising, analytics, and design teams enables faster, more accurate adjustments. Join Samir Balwani in today's episode of Chief Advertiser as he interviews Kareem Elgendy, CEO of Veiled, about data-driven product strategies for marketing. Kareem talks about the pitfalls of running out of top-selling products, how to diagnose advertising campaign issues, and how to optimize your inventory to promote top-selling products.

    26 min
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About

Welcome to another episode of Chief Advertiser, the podcast for marketing leaders navigating the rapidly evolving world of advertising. Join us as we dive deep into the insights of some of the smartest minds in marketing, uncovering lessons they've learned, strategies that drive their success, and innovations they're most excited about for the future.

Information

  • Creator
    Samir Balwani
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Chief Advertiser (c) Year
  • Show Website
    Chief Advertiser