The Marketing Architects

The podcast episode discusses the challenges of measuring marketing effectiveness, including the limitations of last touch attribution and the importance of using multiple models. They explore measuring upper funnel marketing channels, particularly TV advertising, and the ongoing measurement challenges faced. Additionally, they highlight the significance of analyzing the impact of top-of-funnel marketing channels and understanding in-market consumers for future demand creation.

It’s a podcast takeover! In a special bonus episode, we’re sharing Elena’s conversation with Marc Binkley and Vassilis Douros of “The Sleeping Barber” and Conor Byrne of “That’s What I Call Marketing.” Together, they review their favorite marketing trends and campaigns of the year, plus what they’re looking forward to for marketers in 2024. The conversation explores Apple’s distinctive brand assets, how Spotify and Strava make the most of customer data, the potential impact of AI, what brand purpose looks like next year, and much, much more. Topics covered: [00:30] Introducing the podcasters for today’s episode[02:00] Top marketing campaigns from the last year[15:00] The resurgence of media mix modeling[18:30] How marketers should be testing AI in 2024[22:30] The growth of creativity in B2B marketing[27:00] Why brand purpose is on the decline[31:30] The death of hyper-personalization[38:00] Influencer marketing’s top challenges[43:00] Favorite marketing thought leaders To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: The Sleeping Barber: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sleeping-barber-a-business-and-marketing-podcast/id1609811324That’s What I Call Marketing: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-what-i-call-marketing/id1615415427?mt=2Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Forrester predicts “experience with generative AI” will be written into 20% of new CMO job descriptions next year. They also say brand purpose is out of style and highly practical, results-driven campaigns will soon be in vogue. In this wrap-up episode for the year, Elena, Angela, and Rob are sharing their own predictions for the biggest marketing trends in 2024. From a focus on effectiveness to the growth of traditional marketing channels to AI completely reimagining the ad industry, there’s a lot headed marketers’ way next year. The good news? Constant change is pretty normal in the industry. So if anyone’s prepared for 2024, it’s marketers. Topics covered: [01:30] Forrester’s 2024 marketing predictions[05:30] Why brand purpose is less popular[07:00] Marketing effectiveness in the US[16:00] What the move from AI to AGI means[20:00] Why marketers may reevaluate traditional channels[21:30] Predictions for 2024 To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 Forrester Report: https://www.forrester.com/blogs/predictions-2024-cmos-b2c-marketing/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

QR codes achieved mainstream status in 2020. But they're more than just a pandemic fad. In 2022, 83 million US smartphone users scanned the codes. And 3 in 4 consumers say they plan to scan the codes in the future. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Associate Director of Product Optimization Tilly DeNardo to talk about the future of QR codes in TV advertising. The team dives into Marketing Architects’ research on how consumers perceive the codes in advertising and how to create ads that make the most of their potential, from matching post-scan expectations to creative best practices. Topics covered: [01:30] The growth of shoppable TV ads [08:00] The history of QR codes [11:00] Why TV advertisers are excited about QR [14:30] How QR codes compare to other calls-to-action [17:30] How much do consumers trust QR codes? [21:30] Creative best practices for using QR codes To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 Adweek Article: https://www.adweek.com/convergent-tv/shoppable-ads-smart-tv-samsung-ads-kerv/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Exploring the rise of in-house agencies and the impact of AI on ad agencies. Discussing the advantages and disadvantages of working with external agencies. Exploring the future of ad agencies in the age of AI and the importance of blending storytelling with data.

Only 22% of CMOs feel they have a collaborative relationship with their CFO. And only 39% of financial directors have confidence their marketing team will make smart commercial decisions. The numbers, well, aren’t great. To uncover the reason for this disconnect, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by CFO Brent Longval. Together, they explore why marketing and finance can end up at opposite ends of the table and how learning to speak the same language can close the gap. There’s work to do on both sides, but it’s worth it... 87% of marketers who do have a collaborative relationship with finance are happy with their ability to measure marketing performance. Topics covered: [01:30] The state of the CMO/CFO relationship[05:00] Why finance often sees marketing as another expense[10:30] Does your CFO have a finance or accounting background?[12:00] Why finance and marketing can easily clash[16:30] Building a collaborative partnership with finance[21:00] Learning finance’s language[24:30] Investing in relationship-building and trustTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/cmo-council-cfo-relationship/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This summer, consumers dug into their wallets to attend concerts, watch movies in theaters, and enjoy sporting events in person. But as economic concerns grow, can the summer’s spending keep up for retailers’ crucial holiday sales season? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Strategy Director Kyle Lewis to discuss the trends retailers can expect during the holiday shopping season and how they can cultivate positive experiences to support sales going into 2024. Starting with the fact that the real holiday shopping season began months ago. Topics covered: [01:30] Economic predictions for the holidays[03:30] Recapping last year’s holiday shopping trends[06:00] Consumer intent is high for spending this year[09:30] The shopping season started earlier than ever[19:00] The importance of simplifying customer experiences[21:30] How Marketing Architects sold a child’s toy during the holidaysTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 CNN Business Article: https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/21/economy/consumer-spending-winter-outlook/index.htmlGet more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Do digital ads have your attention, really? What about your audience’s attention? Marketers have shifted from traditional channels to digital ones—but the long-term returns of TV, radio, and print have been difficult to replicate. According to Data2Decisions and DDB, digital attribution techniques overestimate the business effects of search by a factor of two and underestimate the impact of TV by a factor of 10. In this week’s episode, Rob, Angela, and Elena discuss digital advertising’s effectiveness, profitability, and greatest pitfalls. Conversations range from the dominance of Google, Meta, and Amazon to tactical advice for creating digital ads that capture and retain viewer attention. Topics covered: [01:00] Reviewing WARC’s “The Third Age of Effectiveness”[04:30] How much do marketers spend on digital advertising?[07:30] How effective is display advertising?[10:00] Digital advertising’s greatest challenges[13:00] Creative best practices for memorable digital ads[16:00] How traditional channels like TV boost digital effectivenessTo 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.

In 2023, Google will rake in $57 billion from search. Their dominance in the market has left marketers heavily dependent on Google’s platform even as prices rise, making it both necessary for success online... and a massive headache. This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Director of Analytics Jordan Rossler to discuss how marketers can improve the effectiveness of their SEM investment—while reducing their dependence on Google. Because no brand that wants to compete online can fully avoid Google. But they can level the playing field. Topics covered: [01:20] Recapping Google’s antitrust trial[03:00] Marketing Architects’ history with Google in radio[05:00] The FTC’s case against Amazon[08:00] Why is search so important for marketers?[13:30] How branded keywords save money[18:30] How unique calls-to-action in TV affect searchTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 ABC News Article: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/amazon-antitrust-lawsuit-long-arduous-journey-ftc-1038621492023 Reuters Article: https://www.reuters.com/technology/five-things-know-about-google-antitrust-trial-it-hits-halfway-mark-2023-10-12/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Despite a surplus of data and advanced targeting capabilities, marketers aren't targeting as well as we think we are. And it’s hurting performance. IJRM recently found many targeted campaigns have to double their click-through rate to outperform untargeted ones. Another study from Truthset discovered nearly half of data used for ad targeting is incorrect. So is targeting really what marketers have been promised? This week, Angela, Elena, and Rob dig into the classic targeting vs reach debate to explore the most cost-effective ways to engage your audience. Topics covered: [01:30] Reviewing studies from IJRM and Truthset[06:00] How low-quality data affects marketing performance[09:00] The history of targeted advertising[12:00] Defining targeting vs hypertargeting[16:00] How leaning into reach can alleviate targeting’s challenges[17:30] Mass customization and the future of targetingTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast. Resources: 2023 Ad Age Article: https://adage.com/article/measurement/nearly-half-data-used-ad-targeting-wrong-truthset-study/25211362023 WARC Article: https://www.warc.com/content/feed/Targeted_online_ad_campaigns_face_profitability_problem/8660Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.