The Marketing Meeting with Itir Eraslan

Do you struggle with distraction and multitasking? Do you have trouble setting goals? Do everyone else's lives just seem cooler than yours on social media? In a departure from the usual marketing-related content, Itir welcomes her sister Defne Eraslan, a psychiatrist, for an in-depth exploration of mental health. The episode offers an intimate conversation about understanding psychological challenges, debunking myths surrounding mental disorders, and navigating modern psychological pressures. Defne provides professional insights into ADHD, social media's impact on mental health, and the complexities of psychiatric diagnoses, delivering a refreshingly personal and informative discussion. And stick around till the end for some good-natured sibling rivalry! Defne's favorite cafe in Germany is Blumen Beetz: https://www.blumenbeetzshop.de/ Her recommended reads are Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention by Johann Hari (https://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Focus-Attention-Think-Deeply/dp/0593138511) and Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will by Robert Sapolsky (https://www.amazon.com/Determined-Science-Life-without-Free/dp/0525560971/). Connect with Defne Eraslan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/defne-eraslan-a967691b5/ If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this podcast, Itir Eraslan, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itireraslan/

Tom Denford joins Itir to discuss the challenges and opportunities marketers face in working with media agencies, focusing on transparency, trust, and long-term strategy. They cover the complexities of the buyer-seller roles within agencies, the shift toward in-house media capabilities, and practical advice for smaller brands looking to work with the right agency. A key takeaway is the importance of not cutting corners on media investments, as the cheapest option often comes at the expense of quality and effectiveness. Whether you’re starting out or refining your approach, this conversation offers valuable insights for building strong media partnerships, understanding the importance of media quality in advertising, and how to unlock growth with the right media investments. Tom is a leading advisor with over 20 years of experience in media and advertising, known for his strategic insights and thought leadership. Before co-founding ID Comms in 2009 with David Indo, he gained experience in media agencies and client-side marketing. ID Comms, which helps major brands like Walmart, T-Mobile, and Meta navigate digital transformation and optimize media investments, is recognized as the #1 Media Advisor by the World Federation of Advertisers and the #1 Best Place to Work in Marketing and Advertising. Tom is also an active mentor, contributor to industry publications, and conference speaker. Tom is looking forward to having a coffee at a plaza in Paris or Italy next summer. His book recommendations include: The Data Deluge: Making Marketing Work for Brands and People by Arun C. Kumar (https://www.amazon.com/Data-Deluge-Making-Marketing-Brands/dp/B0CRNC65BY) Quantum Marketing: Mastering the New Marketing Mindset for Tomorrow's Consumers by Raja Rajamannar (https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Marketing-Mastering-Tomorrows-Consumers/dp/1400223954) A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising: Transparency, Metrics, and Money by Shailin Dhar and Scott Thomson (https://www.amazon.com/Marketers-Guide-Digital-Advertising-Transparency/dp/1398609668) Connect with Tom Denford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdenford If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this podcast, Itir Eraslan, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itireraslan/

In this episode, Allan Dib, founder of Lean Marketing and author of two bestsellers, shares his approach to setting loose goals and tight systems for continual progress—including how traditional goal-setting frameworks fall short. He explains the fundamentals of the lean marketing approach, and argues that today's marketers need to niche down—way down. Allan is the founder of Lean Marketing, a marketing accelerator that helps individuals and organizations learn and implement marketing best practices in-house. He is best known as the author of The 1-Page Marketing Plan and Lean Marketing (almost a million copies sold). Allan recommends Via Battisti coffee in Melbourne: https://www.viabattisti.com His book recommendation is The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Mountain-David-Brooks/dp/0812993268 Connect with Allan Dib on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allandib/ If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this podcast, Itir Eraslan, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itireraslan/

In this episode, Itir chats with Chris Do, an Emmy-winning designer and founder of Blind and The Futur. They touch on Chris's pivot from brand design to education, and dig into his practical advice for new entrepreneurs. Chris highlights the importance of staying financially secure before starting a business, finding market gaps that fit your skills, and offering free or low-cost services to build your experience. They also dive into client engagement tips, the pros and cons of project-based pricing, and the essentials of personal branding in today's digital world. Chris Do is an Emmy award-winning designer, director, CEO and Chief Strategist of Blind and the founder of The Futur—an online education platform with the mission of teaching 1 billion people how to make a living doing what they love. He currently serves as the chairman of the board for the SPJA, and as an advisor to Saleshood. He has also served as: advisory board member for AIGA/LA, Emmys Motion & Title Design Peer Group, Otis Board of Governors, Santa Monica College and Woodbury University. Chris doesn't drink coffee, but he likes the matcha latte at Sunright Tea Studio (various locations, including southern California): https://www.snrtea.com/location-category/southern-california/ His book recommendation is 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness: Power Ideas from America's Foremost Business Philosopher, by Jim Rohn: https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Wealth-Happiness-Americas-Philosopher/dp/0761506160 Connect with Chris Do on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this podcast, Itir Eraslan, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itireraslan/

Professor Anindya Ghose discusses his upcoming book on AI and wellbeing, explaining the "House of AI" framework that corporate leaders can use to build an AI-driven organization and its applications in marketing. He covers topics like data engineering, marketing mix modeling, and the future of mobile advertising. He also shares insights on maintaining traditional marketing principles while embracing AI technologies, and why human creativity and intuition aren't going anywhere in the age of AI. Anindya Ghose is the Heinz Riehl Chair Professor at NYU Stern, specializing in quantitative marketing and tech economics. Recognized as a Top 40 Under 40, and Thinkers50, he authored the best-selling and award winning book TAP: Unlocking the Mobile Economy and the upcoming release Thrive: Maximizing Well-Being in the Age of AI. He has been interviewed and his research has been profiled numerous times in the BBC, Bloomberg TV, CNBC, The Economist, Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere. You can pre-order his new book, (with Ravi Bapna), THRIVE: Maximizing Well-Being in The Age of AI: https://www.amazon.com/Thrive-Maximizing-Well-Being-Age-AI/dp/0262049317 Anindya's preferred coffee spot in New York City is Blue Bottle Coffee: https://bluebottlecoffee.com/cafes His favorite book is No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs with David Roberts: https://www.amazon.com/No-Shortcuts-Top-Climbing-Highest/dp/0767924711 Connect with Anindya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jeffrey-funk-a979435 Anindya's personal website: https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~aghose/contents/bio.html If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this channel, Itir Eraslan, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itireraslan/

Dr. Jeffrey Funk offers a balanced perspective on AI hype, discussing the importance of understanding processes, evaluating technological progress, and critically assessing market signals. He emphasizes the need to look beyond superficial claims, like the idea that AI will replace 95 percent of marketers' workload. He also highlights potential pitfalls in AI adoption, and provides insights on avoiding investment bubbles in the tech industry. Jeffrey's recommended book is Emmanuel Maggiori's Siliconned: How the tech industry solves fake problems, hoards idle workers, and makes doomed bets with other people's money: https://www.amazon.com/Siliconned-industry-problems-workers-peoples-ebook/dp/B0D7MRG775 He doesn't drink coffee, but likes to meet people at Tiong Bahru bakery near his home in Singapore: https://www.tiongbahrubakery.com/ Connect with Dr. Jeffrey Funk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jeffrey-funk-a979435 If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this channel, Itir Eraslan, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itireraslan/  

Ashley Gross, AI marketing strategist and founder of the Prompt community, discusses how entrepreneurs can leverage AI to build businesses rapidly. She shares insights on overcoming challenges, creating personalized marketing campaigns on a budget, and using specialized AI tools. Ashley also details her journey from corporate marketer to AI-empowered entrepreneur. Ashley is an AI marketing strategist and entrepreneur with ten years of marketing experience and four years of expertise in AI-driven strategies. She is the founder of a company dedicated to making AI education affordable and accessible, bridging the gap in AI literacy. Ashley's favorite coffee spot is A Place at the Table, the first pay-what-you-can café in Raleigh, NC. Her book choice is Brené Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection. Connect with Ashley Gross on LinkedIn. If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this channel, Itir Eraslan, on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Itır talks to Irit Levi, founder of Day by Day, about how marketers can optimize software selection and automation. Irit introduces the "Three Ps"—Purpose, Process, and People—framework for choosing software and stresses the need for automation to follow defined processes. They discuss ethical email list building, choosing email marketing platforms, and the importance of maintaining ownership when outsourcing. Irit also emphasizes the benefits of specialized tools like Zapier and Airtable for automation and data management, and provides insights on balancing free and paid software options. Irit Levi helps coaches, creatives, and consultants scale their businesses with process, strategy, software, and automation. She has provided 13,697+ software recommendations over the years. But at her core, she's about SCALABILITY, not software. Her approach is different because she believes technology is just a tool. It's only as valuable as it is helpful. Irit enjoys the coffee and sandwiches her son makes for her at home. She's currently appreciating The Home We Build Together, Recreating Society by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Find Irit on LinkedIn. If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this channel, Itir Eraslan, on LinkedIn.

Harvard professor Iavor Bojinov joins the show to discuss how businesses should experiment to learn how AI can best support their efforts. The conversation also touches on how AI models are developed, the importance of trust, and the fundamental shift in marketers' roles in the AI era. Iavor is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration and the Richard Hodgson Fellow at Harvard Business School. He is the co-PI of the AI and Data Science Operations Lab. Iavor's favorite coffee spot in Boston is Intelligentsia. His recommended read is Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World by Marco Iansiti and Karim Lakhani. Connect with Iavor Bojinov on LinkedIn. If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this channel, Itir Eraslan, on LinkedIn.

Reid Robinson, Lead AI Product Manager at Zapier, delves into the impact of AI on marketing, emphasizing personalization, content repurposing, and internal process streamlining. He highlights the importance of context for AI models and warns against letting AI handle all social media content. The discussion touches on optimizing marketing workflows with AI, incorporating human touch to stand out, and using AI for creativity and idea generation.