Marketer’s Alchemy: Turning Data Into Gold

Deluxe
  • 4.7 (23)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Marketing is an art. Data is a science. Together they create what we call “Marketer’s Alchemy.” Join us on our podcast, as we pull back the curtain on the world of data-driven marketing and explore how to turn data into marketing gold. Discover lessons from marketing leaders and data experts as we explore how to use data to get to market faster and create powerful campaigns that win in every industry. “Marketer’s Alchemy” - brought to you by the trailblazing data and marketing powerhouse, Deluxe. Find more information at https://www.deluxe.com/resources/marketers-alchemy/

  1. JAN 14

    What Happens When You Really Study Your Audience

    In this episode, Katherine Turnoff talks with Meg Douglass, VP of Marketing at Tonal, about brand as a living conversation shaped by audience signals. They discuss real-time data, experimentation, community-driven momentum, and why some “rules” should be broken.  Guest Quote: “ One of my old coworkers said that brand is a shared hallucination between a customer and a business, and really brand is everything in that conversation. All of the experiences, all of the touchpoints and all of the signals that you're getting from your audience about that brand evolves over time because of the audience, because of the usage, because of the signals they're getting. Brand is data to some degree.”     Episode Breakdown:[01:51] Alchemy Unveiled Brand is a conversation: Meg shares why brand is shaped by audience signals across experiences and touchpoints — and how resonance and stickiness show up beyond traditional metrics. [12:33] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold Break the rules to break through: A logo-placement experiment challenges “best practices,” reinforcing that storytelling and judgment sometimes matter more than rigid frameworks. [18:52] Gold Rush Round Signals that matter: Meg shares what she’s learning from social communities, what she’d automate to free up brainpower, and what member language signals real brand health. Links & Resources:Connect with Katherine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynturnoff/  Connect with Meg: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/megdouglass/  Learn more about Tonal: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonal-strong/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    23 min

  2. 12/17/2025

    The Holy Grail of Marketing: Right Person, Right Time, Right Message

    This episode. Kathryn discusses finding the right person, at the right time, with the right message with Greg Licciardi,  Professor of Marketing and Vice President of Partnerships at ANA. The discussion covers the impact of AI on marketing, useful tactics and innovative case studies from brands like Wendy's, e.l.f., and Harry's. Guest Quote:  ”Marketing is moving at breakneck speed with all the new technologies coming in and AI. Marketers need like a north star, a framework to guide them through this complex time we're in.”Episode Breakdown:  [02:21] Alchemy Unveiled: The Holy Grail of Marketing The Holy Grail of Marketing includes the five Rs: right person, right time, right message, right outcome, right environment.  [28:10] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold: Case Studies in Creative Targeting Greg shares a case study that demonstrates how small behavioral signals, testing in real time, and a willingness to pivot can turn early campaign learnings into breakthrough performance gains [35:55] Gold Rush! Reach is the most overrated marketing metric. Spray and pray is not the right approach.    Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn Connect with Greg Learn more about Deluxe Check out Holy Grail of Marketing Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    39 min

  3. 11/19/2025

    More Humanity, Less Noise: Rethinking Retail Experiences

    This episode, Kathryn digs into the art and science of customer experience with Bennett Fox-Glassman, SVP of Customer Journey at Macy’s. Together, they explore how listening, context, and authenticity shape memorable interactions in modern retail. Guest Quotes “One of our first focuses was taking stock of what was working and what wasn't. And in our CRM programs, when we looked at them, we believed we could actually get more by sending less, which was maybe counterintuitive at first, but in fact, we have. And so it used to be that it was Tuesday and so everybody got the coats email, and now we are much more attentive to where you are in your journey. So if you recently bought something at home, for example, we wanna be talking to you about how do you style it and how do you complete that room. And that becomes our priority over talking to you about the fact that it happens to be Tuesday.”Episode Breakdown [01:42] Alchemy Unveiled: Rewiring Around the Customer [14:13] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold: Power of Iconic Moments [21:00] Gold Rush Round: Bennett’s Bumper Sticker Wisdom Links & Resources: Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynturnoff/ Connect with Bennett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennettglassman/?skipRedirect=true  Learn more about Macy’s: https://www.linkedin.com/company/macy/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    24 min

  4. 10/22/2025

    Scaling Through Focus: Lessons from a DTC CMO

    In this episode, Kathryn sits down with Connor Swegle, CMO and Co-Founder of Priority Bicycles, to discuss how simplicity, authenticity, and gut instincts drive smarter marketing. Connor explains how his team strips data down to what truly matters, avoids the distractions of automated platforms, and builds meaningful customer connections—both online and on the road. From postcard campaigns to 190-mile bike rides with customers, he reveals why sometimes the best data is human experience. Guest Quotes:  We don't say, oh, well, the marketplace is $7 billion, so we just need a slice of that. No. What we want to be able to do is understand who are the people who are in a position to have desire to purchase. We don't think a lot about specific customer segments, and breaking down demos.  We'll use Google to really understand, where the customers are, who are interested. So a lot of that can just be looking at locations where weather favorable for cycling. We really believe that anybody from, you know, 18 years old until as late as you want to be active in life, could be a customer of ours. But we really try and focus our energies on the ones that we know would be in a position to buy. We don't really believe that we can just create demand for somebody to spend $2,000 on new bikes for their families out of nowhere. We really want to find those customers who are kind of in that funnel, in that interest set already, and then really focus on them.   Episode Breakdown: [02:34] Alchemy Unveiled: Simplifying Your Data SandBox Connor explains how Priority Bicycles moved from tracking endless metrics to focusing on the essentials—purchases and interest. [21:36] Nuggets to Campaign Gold: The Power of Simple Creative After running complex campaigns, Connor found that the simplest message—one bold image and tagline—outperformed everything else. The takeaway: clarity wins. [31:04] Gold Rush: Connor’s Bumper Sticker Advice “Keep it simple.” In a world of dashboards and data overload, Connor argues that clarity is the true competitive advantage.   Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynturnoff/ Connect with Connor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swegle/ Learn more about Priority Bicycles: https://www.prioritybicycles.com   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    34 min

  5. 10/01/2025

    David vs. Goliath: Precision Marketing with Telematics

    Kathryn sits down with Jill Kellett, VP of Product & Marketing and Annie Yang, Senior Director of Data Science of Root Inc. to unpack how a smaller player competes with giants. The dive into ditching the idea of campaigns, leveraging deep telematics, and precision targeting. Guest Quotes:  "Don't try to go head to head. If you know that you're in a saturated market and that everybody else is running Facebook ads, you're probably not gonna win, or you might win and it might be really cost prohibitive to win." - Jill  "We're not going to win on brand spend. We're not trying to target every customer or show an impression to every person in the U.S. We're much more about precision and discipline in our experimentation approach." - Annie Episode Breakdown: [04:20] Alchemy Unveiled Telematics and predictive data: Root leverages information on driver safety from their app and from third parties, to predict LTV of customers and adjust their pricing models.  [23:06] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold Scaling back can glean insights: If you have to turn off channels or partnerships, view it as an opportunity to expose which partners truly drove impact. [31:14] Gold Rush! Don’t play where you can’t win: if you’re a challenger, be strategic where and how you invest. You need to think differently.  Links & Resources Connect with Kathryn: LinkedInConnect with Jill: LinkedInConnect with Annie: LinkedInLearn more about Root: joinroot.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    38 min

  6. 09/17/2025

    Follow Your Instincts: Not All Data is The Right Data

    In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Sue Beckett, SVP of Marketing & eCommerce at Lovesac. Sue shares insights into how Lovesac leverages first-party data, customer satisfaction surveys, and third-party data to make informed marketing decisions. She also discusses omnichannel strategies and handling attribution challenges. Guest Quote: “It's not just using all parts of data that you have, it's actually what is the right data for what your end goal is? I think companies have just so much marketing data, but not all of it is relevant to what exactly you want to do. And I think in my past I have said to myself, okay, well, the data is just telling me this, so my gut might be telling me maybe that's not right, but let's just go with it. And there is a gut instinct to marketing and that's the art part of it. And I have made that mistake in my past.”Episode Breakdown:  [02:15] Alchemy Unveiled Negative customer feedback is an opportunity: Customers made Sue’s team aware that they didn’t have the information they needed after they completed their purchase. Sue’s team leveraged this to build a new website ecosystem that tripled customer account signups.  [18:09] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold Virality can’t be the initial goal: While virality is amazing, it can be the starting aim of your campaign. Customers can detect inauthentic and off-brand marketing from a mile away, and the intentions have to be authentic from the start.  [23:16] Gold Rush! Not all data is the right data: Consider your end goal and then determine the right metrics to watch. Don’t make the mistake of following the wrong metrics down a path that is aligned with the outcome you are working towards.   Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn Connect with Sue Learn more about Deluxe Learn more about Lovesac Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    29 min
  7. Mixed Media Modeling: Understanding the Full Picture

    09/03/2025

    Mixed Media Modeling: Understanding the Full Picture

    In this episode, Kathryn mixes marketing magic with Jennifer Warren, VP of Global Brand Marketing and Creative at Indeed. They discuss the intersection of brand and performance marketing, the challenge of proving the value of brand efforts and Indeed’s experiments with social listening.  Guest Quote:   “ One of the things that we have done to help build faith in things like media mix modeling is calibrate the model based on different information. So whether it's experiments, clean room experiments that we're doing or using last click data, we use that to look at what we're learning from our model, for example, and say, ‘okay, this is like out of line. So that means we should probe a little bit more on this channel and what the model is telling us’. Last click is a lot simpler to measure, so it's a lot easier to put your faith in that. When I think about performance marketing, that was for a long time the way everything was measured. But as the world has become more complicated,  I've had to really work hard at trying to demonstrate that brand and performance are things that work together.’Episode Breakdown:  [03:02] Alchemy Unveiled Attribution and proving the value of brand: While last click may be easier to measure, it doesn’t tell the full picture. There is huge value in brand initiatives, even if it is harder to calculate.  [17:34] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold Listen to the market: Indeed experimented with social listening tools that allowed them to better position and educate their customers, avoiding costly mistakes.  [24:24] Gold Rush! Brandformance is the way to go: Brand versus performance is a false dichotomy. The two functions should be in lock-step with each other, driving impact together.    Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynturnoff/ Connect with Jennifer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferstilleywarren/ Learn more about Deluxe: https://www.deluxe.com/ Learn more about Indeed: https://www.linkedin.com/company/indeed-com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    27 min

  8. 08/20/2025

    Resurrecting Partnerships: Turning Dormancy into $3M in Revenue

    In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Joshua Brost, VP of Marketing at Pie Insurance. They discuss managing dual B2B and B2C marketing strategies, highlighting key data metrics and innovative campaigns used to resurrect partners and retarget abandoned carts.  Guest Quote: “ We can acquire partners all we want. But eventually some subset of partners, and often not a small subset, go completely dormant. They stop sending business our way. And we wanted to figure out a way to understand, one, why are you not submitting business anymore? And then two, to resurrect the dead. And so we built this campaign that starts with an embedded survey in an email that gives them a very easy way to click, 'Hey, why have you stopped submitting business with us?' And then depending on that answer, they get put into unique content tracks to help get them active again. Including, uh, in, in certain tracks, uh, a meeting with our BD team to go over whatever concerns or whatever issues they've had.It's been running for, I'd say roughly a year and we've already generated over $3 million in premium from formerly dead agencies.”Episode Breakdown:  [02:06] Alchemy Unveiled When brand is done right, all boats rise: Brand attribution is challenging, but if you come into a company that hasn’t invested in brand, it is worth adjusting your strategy. [16:57] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold Resurrecting dead leads: When prospects go cold, you can find success in leveraging e-commerce strategies to retarget and re-engage.  [29:54] Gold Rush! You can’t fake caring. Authenticity, and true investment in your customers is the only path forward.    Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynturnoff/ Connect with Joshua: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrost/ Learn more about Deluxe: https://www.deluxe.com/ Learn more about Pie Insurance: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pieinsurance/ Marketer's Alchemy Website: https://www.deluxe.com/resources/marketers-alchemy/

    26 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Marketing is an art. Data is a science. Together they create what we call “Marketer’s Alchemy.” Join us on our podcast, as we pull back the curtain on the world of data-driven marketing and explore how to turn data into marketing gold. Discover lessons from marketing leaders and data experts as we explore how to use data to get to market faster and create powerful campaigns that win in every industry. “Marketer’s Alchemy” - brought to you by the trailblazing data and marketing powerhouse, Deluxe. Find more information at https://www.deluxe.com/resources/marketers-alchemy/

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