The Marketing Architects

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 brand betrayal triggers actual psychological pain and revenge-seeking behavior, making betrayed customers far more dangerous than merely dissatisfied ones.Topics covered:  [01:00] "Insights into the Experience of Brand Betrayal: From What People Say and What The Brain Reveals"[02:00] When brands don't disappoint but actually betray[03:00] Brand betrayal creates deep psychological loss[05:00] Brain scans reveal betrayal activates pain centers[07:00] How Domino's recovered from brand betrayal To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Reimann, M., MacInnis, D. J., Folkes, V. S., Uhalde, A., & Pol, G. (2018). Insights into the experience of brand betrayal: From what people say and what the brain reveals. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 3(2), 240–254. https://doi.org/10.1086/697077 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

At any given time, 95% of potential B2B buyers aren't in-market for your product. Only 5% are actively shopping. Most people your ads reach won't buy anytime soon.This week, 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 the fundamental principle 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: John Dawes: The 95:5 Rule: https://johndawes.info/the-955-rule/ Tyrona Heath: Why You Should Follow The 95-5 Rule: https://tyronaheath.com/2022/08/11/why-you-should-follow-the-95-5-rule/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This talk dives into the surprising performance of dynamic retargeting ads versus generic brand ads, revealing that timing and customer readiness outweigh personalization. The hosts share personal anecdotes, discussing how certain online ads can lead to impulsive purchases. They explore customer journey signals that are indicative of ad effectiveness and analyze how high-intent indicators, like review site visits, play a crucial role. Ultimately, they highlight key strategies for engaging potential customers at pivotal moments in the buying process.

Most B2B marketers completely misunderstand what brand advertising is supposed to do. They conflate brand narrative with brand advertising, trying to make one execution do both jobs. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Matt Maynard, VP of Global Brand and Advertising at Asana. Matt shares how he went from journalism to marketing thought leadership without taking a single marketing class. He digs into the dangerous defaults B2B marketers fall into, from pipeline obsession to customer story overuse. Plus, learn why brand advertising and brand narrative are two completely different things that most companies wrongly conflate. Topics covered: [02:00] Matt's journey from journalism to self-taught marketer[08:00] Why brand marketing is having an identity crisis in B2B[13:00] Translating marketing effectiveness theory into practice[18:00] Managing product-led and sales-led growth motions[22:00] Reframing the 95-5 rule as increasing your odds[25:00] What "responsible reach" means for brand marketing[31:00] Why customer stories don't belong in brand advertising[35:00] The difference between brand narrative and brand advertising  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2024 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/ritson-applicable-b2b-marketing/Matt Maynard’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmaynard/Asana: https://asana.com/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 attention metrics reveal the true value of media platforms. They discover that not all impressions deliver equal attention and learn why excess share of voice works best when paired with high-attention media placement.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Attention and Effectiveness to ESOV and Beyond, Part Two"[02:00] Not all media impressions are created equal[04:00] How attention varies by platform and pricing gaps[05:00] Active vs. passive attention and the 2.5-second rule[07:00] Attention elasticity amplifies creative performance[08:00] ESOV still works, but placement matters  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Brittain, R., & Field, P. (2023). Attention and Effectiveness: To ESOV and Beyond Part II. Advertising Council Australia. https://advertisingcouncil.org.au  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Research shows brands that over-invest in short-term performance marketing alone can cut their ROI by 20-50%. But when they shift to a balanced strategy with 40-60% brand building, ROI jumps by an average of 90%.In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob tackle how marketers can implement effectiveness principles without massive budgets. They explore how Dollar Shave Club drove 12,000 subscriptions with a $4,500 video, discuss the ideal channel mix for limited funds, and share practical tools making creativity more accessible than ever. Plus, discover which marketing tactics to protect when budgets get tight.Topics covered: [01:00] Brand and performance balance research[02:30] Dollar Shave Club's $4,500 success[05:20] Optimizing a $1 million media budget[09:00] AI tools for creative production[15:45] Convincing CFOs to invest in brand[29:00] Marketing budget showdown game  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  2025 The Australian Article: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/growth-agenda/brand-and-performance-ads-create-multiplier-effect-for-business-growth/news-story/4cd2d4896b58020979384f2b57a74122 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 the paradox between consumers' stated privacy concerns and their willingness to share data for small incentives, revealing how privacy regulations affect the entire advertising ecosystem.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Privacy and Consumer Empowerment in Online Advertising"[02:00] GDPR's impact on ad platforms and consumer behavior[04:00] How data sharing affects product pricing[05:00] The privacy paradox explained[07:00] New privacy-friendly ad models[10:00] Balancing personalization with cultural imprinting  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Choi, W. J., & Jerath, K. (2021). Privacy and Consumer Empowerment in Online Advertising. Forthcoming in Foundations and Trends in Marketing. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4017940   Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jordan Rossler, VP of Media Analytics at Marketing Architects, shares his expertise on TV advertising and cost efficiency. He introduces the "Everything Works at Zero" principle, arguing that a single impression can be the most effective. The discussion delves into the surprising impact of pricing structures in linear vs. streaming TV and the hidden costs of targeted ads. Rossler also challenges common beliefs about frequency and highlights how using cost-efficient buys can outperform premium ones. A must-listen for anyone interested in maximizing ROI!

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 platform design influences marketing outcomes, revealing that each digital ecosystem creates unique challenges and opportunities that impact advertising effectiveness.Topics covered: [01:00] "Platform Research in Marketing"[04:00] How network effects shape platform economics[05:10] The interaction between organic and paid content[06:45] The impact of reviews and platform manipulation[07:15] Self-preferencing and the ethics of content labeling[09:30] Platform-specific insights for marketers  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Sen, A., Lambrecht, A., & Newby, J. (2025). Platform Research in Marketing. Carnegie Mellon University and London Business School.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Think of brand as a turbocharger for your paid ads. It warms people up before they meet your call to action or come into market. But when is the right time to start investing in brand building over pure performance marketing, especially as a digital-first company?This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob explore when performance marketing reaches diminishing returns and why it's so difficult for marketers to shift budget toward brand. Plus, they share real client examples of how brand investment transformed businesses, including Old Spice's reinvention that increased sales 125% in just three months, and outline metrics beyond traditional brand studies that prove brand's impact on your business.Topics covered: [01:00] Research on brand equity's impact on ecommerce[03:30] Signs your performance marketing is reaching diminishing returns[09:00] How brand acts as a turbocharger for paid advertising[15:00] Client success stories from brand investment[20:00] Old Spice's brand reinvention that increased sales 125%[28:00] Better ways to measure brand impact beyond brand studies  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  Mokha, Anupreet. (2021). Brand Equity, Brand Satisfaction, and Brand Loyalty: A Study of Select E-Commerce Industry. International Journal of Online Marketing. 11. 34-50. 10.4018/IJOM.2021070103.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.