MarTech Podcast // Marketing + Technology = Business Growth
Episode Overview: "The best data source to understand what is popular in B2B media"
Air Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Benjamin Shapiro
Guest: Charlie Grinnell, Co-CEO of RightMetric

Episode Theme:

Demystifying Data Sources for B2B Media Trends

This episode spotlights the most effective data sources for understanding what’s trending in B2B (Business-to-Business) media. Benjamin Shapiro interviews Charlie Grinnell, a leading expert in external data signals used in marketing analytics and AI. Their conversation unpacks the nuances of aggregating actionable, granular data for B2B media, compares major analytics platforms, and highlights the role of video intelligence in shaping modern marketing strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. No Single “Best” Data Source, but Clear Front-runners

• [01:49] “What is the best data source to understand what's popular in B2B media?”
  • Charlie Grinnell: There’s no silver bullet; however, SparkToro stands out for mapping audience behaviors across various content types.

    Quote [01:56]:
    “I like SparkToro because it shows what specific audiences are reading, watching and listening to. I think that is the gateway for B2B.” — Charlie Grinnell

2. How SparkToro Is Different

• [02:06] Contextualizing SparkToro vs. conventional sources:
  • Charlie Grinnell: SparkToro aggregates data from podcasts, content, social channels, and influential creators. It even segments by niche job titles—delivering granular, at-scale intelligence crucial for B2B.

    Quote [02:28]:
    “That level of granularity at scale right now is quite hard to find. And I think the sum of the parts starts to paint a really good picture of where does that audience spend its attention.” — Charlie Grinnell

3. “Deep Cuts”: Platform Comparisons and Preferences

• [03:03] Benjamin asks for lesser-known tools (“deep cuts”):
  • Charlie Grinnell:
    • SimilarWeb for web traffic data — Grinnell prefers it over Global Web Index due to innovation and team expertise.

      Quote [03:11]:
      “We like SimilarWeb. We think that their team is really advanced. The stuff that they’re building, they’re shipping really quickly. Their data is good.” — Charlie Grinnell

    • Tubular Labs for video intelligence — Tubular’s early mover advantage and unrestricted API access across major social platforms provides unmatched video data.
    • Video’s increasing dominance necessitates specialized tools for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch.

4. The Rise of Video Intelligence in B2B Trends

• [04:03] Video’s expanding role:
  • Platforms like YouTube are now the "world's largest streaming platform," making video data central to B2B trend analysis.

    Quote [04:03]:
    “If we think about, you know, YouTube being the world's largest streaming platform, there's a lot that we can learn from what’s actually driving views there, what’s being produced over time, what creators are really leading things, who's growing, who's shrinking, etc.” — Charlie Grinnell

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:56] Charlie Grinnell on SparkToro:

  “I like SparkToro because it shows what specific audiences are reading, watching and listening to. I think that is the gateway for B2B.”

• [02:28] On the uniqueness of SparkToro:

  “That level of granularity at scale right now is quite hard to find...where does that audience spend its attention.” — Charlie Grinnell

• [03:11] On web data sources:

  “We like SimilarWeb. We think that their team is really advanced...their data is good.” — Charlie Grinnell

• [04:03] On video intelligence and its growing importance:

  “If we think about, you know, YouTube being the world's largest streaming platform, there's a lot that we can learn from what’s actually driving views there...” — Charlie Grinnell

Timeline of Key Segments

• 00:25 – Opening remarks (skip)
• 01:15 – Introduction of Charlie Grinnell and the episode’s topic
• 01:49 – SparkToro’s unique value for understanding B2B popularity
• 02:06–02:28 – Detail on SparkToro’s multi-faceted, granular approach
• 03:03 – Other platforms: SimilarWeb (web), Tubular Labs (video)
• 04:03 – Discussion on video data and social platform insights
• 04:27 – Wrap-up and where to find more from Charlie Grinnell

Takeaways

• Modern B2B media trend analysis requires multi-source, aggregated data—no single tool alone is sufficient.
• SparkToro is especially valuable due to its audience-level granularity, spanning social, content, podcasts, and job titles.
• Web traffic and video data tools (SimilarWeb, Tubular Labs) are essential for a holistic media intelligence workflow.
• As video content booms, specialized analytics like those from Tubular are crucial for understanding what’s actually popular and performant in B2B media spaces.

For full details, actionable insights, and links to Charlie Grinnell’s newsletter or RightMetric, see the show notes at martechpod.com.