Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

If you live on the East Coast, you may have seen Oishii strawberries for sale at Whole Foods or a smaller specialty food retailer. If not, you’ve definitely seen them online. We did a taste test in the Mekanism office and they were amazing. Today, I’m speaking with Lesia Dallimore, the VP of Brand Marketing at Oishii. A passionate storyteller with a diverse background and extensive expertise in the field of marketing luxury goods, including lululemon, Lunya, and Erewhon. What is it that makes Oishii strawberries so special and how do you communicate that story thru marketing? In this episode, you’ll learn: The most important aspect of marketing a luxury brand is the same regardless of the product– whether it’s a strawberry or a pair of expensive leggings– and it happens at the intersection of product and experience Storytelling and brand mission are key when it comes to reaching critical mass Never underestimate the power of a good partnership. If you want to get your brand on everyone’s minds, you need to create a symbiotic relationship with influencers and other brands. Brought to you by Mekanism.

Have you ever wondered how Grammy-winning singers get so good at what they do? Most of them have a great teacher helping them along the way. Today I’m speaking with Wendy Parr, acclaimed holistic artist coach and founder of The Parr Method. Wendy has spent more than 20 years helping artists develop their authentic voice with Grammy and Academy Award Winning results. In this episode you’ll learn: The importance of stepping outside your discipline Whether data should be a main influence in your creative process Some methods Wendy uses to help artists discover and cultivate their personal brand Brought to you by Mekanism.

This week, we’re talking with Ross von Metzke, Director of Communications & Public Relations at It Gets Better. It all started more than a decade ago in 2010, when more than 70,000 people took to social media to share their stories and provide hope and encouragement to young LGBTQ+ people.Today, It Gets Better is a non-profit that reaches millions of young people all over the world through inspiring media programming, educational resources, and more. Ross is a communications and PR specialist with over 12 years experience working in the non-profit and multimedia space. He co-created and ran ITMFA, which raised more than $1 million for Planned Parenthood, ACLU and the International Refugee Assistance Project. We’ll let you look up ITMFA to see what those letters stand for. And Ross has been published in Newsweek, The LA Times, The Advocate, Entertainment Weekly, and even Seventeen magazine.In this episode, you’ll learn: How a non-profit like It Gets Better measures success, considering some of the recent anti-LGBTQ+ state measures and Pride month backlash That if allyship was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be so important. If you want to support the queer community, don’t bail at the first sign of controversy. About some of It Gets Better’s most successful campaigns, plus who they reached and why they worked Practical advice on how to reach the LGBTQ+ community in an authentic way Brought to you by Mekanism.

You’ve probably seen Peace Out Skincare at Sephora, it’s hard to miss. And their most well-known product is their pimple patches. Today, I’m talking with Co-founder and CMO Junior Pence and Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Amanda Knapmann about the founding of the brand and their commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Over the past 20 years, Junior has worked for or with inspiring companies and people across the fashion, eyewear, entertainment and music space. Amanda has a passion for puzzles and people, and has worked with brands like COVERGIRL, Max Factor, and Skinfix.In this episode, you’ll learn: How vision and process can complement each other to create a truly effective brand voice You’ll learn how and why you can build a strong community around your brand and leverage customer loyalty to reach new people And you’ll get a reminder to listen more. Not only just in business, but in all aspects of your life. Brought to you by Mekanism.

In celebration of Pride month, we’re taking some time to focus on brands that both address and uplift the LGBTQ+ community. Maybe the most inclusive dating app out there is OkCupid. Michael Kaye is the Director of Brand Marketing & Communications at OkCupid and now Archer, which you’ll learn about today, both under the Match Group umbrella. Michael leads communications, influencer marketing and social media. And since being there, he has secured more press for the brand than any other year since it launched in 2004, and got OkCupid data mentioned in a White House press briefing. Michael is a true dating app success story. And in this episode, you’ll learn: When marketing to the LGBTQ+ community, there’s no room for a one-size-fits-all approach How effective storytelling is at the heart of OkCupid’s success Rather than shying away from taboo or controversial topics, lean in and show your customers that you’re the real deal Brought to you by Mekanism.

Jenny Lewis is the Chief Marketing Officer and President at The Knot Worldwide, where she leads all Marketing, Insights, and Editorial initiatives for the company and its 19 global brands across 16 Countries. With expertise in scaling two-sided marketplaces and growing and advancing the visibility and impact of well-known brands, Jenny was the Head of US and Canada Marketing for Uber and UberEats prior to joining The Knot Worldwide. As one of Uber’s earliest marketing hires, she helped transform the start-up into an iconic household name, and was the driving force behind a number of product and brand-defining initiatives, including UberPOOL and the brand’s COVID-19 response campaign. You’ve likely heard of The Knot as being a hugely popular website for wedding planning. But today you’ll see there’s much more to the brand than that. In this episode you’ll learn: How Jenny has harnessed the power of being a generalist in her marketing career Why it’s so important to engage in active conversation with your customer base in order to stay authentic and current in the space How they acknowledge FOMO’s meaner cousin FOMU – or Fear of Messing Up in their products, visual language, and brand voice Brought to you by Mekanism.

Jeff MacDonald, Social Strategy Director at Mekanism and recognized by Business Insider as a leader in generative AI, dives into the transformative power of AI in marketing. He discusses how merging data with human creativity can enhance audience engagement. Jeff shares insights on innovative projects, including a live streaming event and an augmented reality filter. The conversation touches on the democratization of AI tools, ethical challenges, and the need for a balance between automation and human touch in creative processes.

Julia Perez, CMO at OWYN, is a New York born, Miami-based marketing executive with a deep understanding of high-growth, healthier-for-you food and beverage startups. With more than 10 years of experience working for brands like Red Bull, Hain Celestial, RSP Nutrition, and CORE Water, it’s actually kind of her superpower. Her continued success in the health and wellness space led her to the role of Chief Marketing Officer at OWYN, which stands for Only What You Need, a plant-based nutrition company best known for its ready-to-drink protein shakes. OWYN is currently the #1 best selling plant protein shake in the US. In this episode you’ll learn: How OWYN is cleaning up the sports nutrition industry with transparency, education, and an empowering message Where Julia stands on the Ozempic trend and how OWYN fits in Why you shouldn’t forget about the big picture when looking at segmented data The value of being an early adopter and in love with your industry Brought to you by Mekanism.

Lisane Basquiat is an entrepreneur and growth champion in addition to being the older sister of artist Jean Michel Basquiat. After a successful corporate career in staffing and operations at financial institutions like American Express and Prudential, she decided to pivot her experience into helping shape individuals’ personal growth. She’s now the Founder and CEO of Shaping Freedom, a personal growth company that trains individuals to strengthen and amplify their personal power through internal congruence. With her family, she recently developed the King Pleasure exhibit, a retrospective on her brother’s art, which opened in Los Angeles after a successful run in New York City. In this episode you’ll learn: How maintaining the personal and professional balance is key to personal health The importance of organic team-building exercises to rebuild and internally scale an organization How to best handle a career pivot and transition to potentially see your personal growth How she brought personal reflection, remembrance, and insight to the process of honoring her brother, Jean Michel Basquiat, through the new King Pleasure exhibit Brought to you by Mekanism.

David Mogensen, VP of Marketing at Uber, oversees a global team of marketers responsible for building the Uber and Uber Eats brands across more than 70 countries. Before Uber, David held leadership positions at Google, YouTube, and BMW, giving him extraordinary insight into marketing, brand positioning, and advertising, which he shared with us. In this episode you’ll learn: In marketing, good communication is key. And internal communication is at least as important as external communication. Know the user, know the magic, and connect the two. It’s a Google mantra, but it works across the board. Good management is ultimately planned obsolescence. Set your team up to work so well, that they don’t even need you. Brought to you by Mekanism.