Podcast
The Marketing Architects
Hosted by Marketing Architects · EN
Introducing a research-first podcast that builds revenue, not condos.
Answer questions on the biggest marketing trends and news with discussions based in marketing, psychology and economics research. Along the way, learn about marketing accountability, category leadership, brand-building and much more.
Featuring a team of experienced marketers whose blueprints for success are marketing strategies actually proven to work.
Answer questions on the biggest marketing trends and news with discussions based in marketing, psychology and economics research. Along the way, learn about marketing accountability, category leadership, brand-building and much more.
Featuring a team of experienced marketers whose blueprints for success are marketing strategies actually proven to work.
160episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Nerd Alert: Your Strongest Distinctive Brand Asset
Today00:08:49Summary readyWelcome 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 first large-scale benchmarking study of distinctive brand assets, and the results challenge some long-held assumptions about which assets actually stick in consumer memory. Topics covered:[01:35] "Shape-Based Assets Are Strongest: Benchmarking Distinctive Brand Asset Performance Across Industries"[02:55] What is a distinctive brand asset?[03:30] Fame vs. uniqueness: the two dimensions of distinctiveness[04:15] Why color is the weakest asset type[05:35] The bizarreness effect[06:00] When narrative assets outperform visual onesTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast Resources: Phua, P., Bali, L., Anesbury, Z., & Sharp, B. (2026). Shape-based assets are strongest: Benchmarking distinctive brand asset performance across industries. International Journal of Advertising. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2026.2637295 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Summary
Two-Thirds of American Marketers Would Fail a Basic Marketing Test with Mark Ritson
2d ago00:39:36Summary readyMore than 40% of American marketers can't define positioning. And 84% of those same marketers rate themselves as above average. Both can't be right.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Mark Ritson, marketing professor, consultant, and creator of the Mini MBA. Mark walks through his new research with Ipsos on US marketing knowledge, explains why formal training is the single biggest predictor of marketing competence, and shares the one concept every marketer should prioritize. The conversation also covers market orientation, how AI is reshaping marketing careers, and what it takes to stay relevant in the years ahead.Topics covered:• [01:00] Ipsos study reveals the US marketing knowledge gap• [04:00] Why formal education is the top predictor of marketing success• [08:00] Where marketers can find good training today• [13:00] Market orientation as the most important concept to learn• [17:00] How AI will reshape marketing careers and roles• [24:00] Byron Sharp and Mark Ritson's upcoming Cannes Lions session• [27:00] What the rise of AI means for the agency worldTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.Resources:2025 Adweek Article: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/two-thirds-of-american-marketers-would-fail-a-basic-marketing-test/Mark Ritson's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markritson/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
SummaryNerd Alert: But AI Told Me So!
1w ago00:07:33Summary readyWelcome 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 examine how large language models like ChatGPT recommend vendors. They unpack why visibility in AI-generated lists doesn't always mean credibility, and what marketers can do about it. Topics covered:[01:00] "Visibility is Not Equal to Credibility: Self-Promotion Bias in LLM Generated Recommendations"[02:30] Three patterns brands use to game AI rankings[03:50] What ChatGPT admitted when pushed for sources[04:30] Can better prompts fix the problem?[04:50] Takeaways for marketers and brands[05:30] The talent show analogyTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast Resources: Sangra, T. (2026). Visibility is not equal to credibility: Self-promotion bias in LLM-generated recommendations. She Innovates AI Research. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6598718 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Summary
The Psychology Marketers are Missing with Phill Agnew
1w ago00:47:58Summary readyTelling people not to listen drove three times more podcast listeners than telling them why they should. That's behavioral science at work, and most marketers are barely scratching the surface of it.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Phill Agnew, host of "Nudge," the UK's number one marketing podcast. Phill breaks down the hidden psychology that shapes how consumers think and buy, from why visible effort makes your brand more valuable to how scarcity can be applied in ways that go far beyond a "limited time offer." You'll walk away with principles you can apply immediately... and a few that might change how you think about advertising altogether.Topics covered:• [03:00] The labor illusion: why showing your work increases perceived value• [05:00] What System 1 vs. System 2 thinking means for marketers• [12:00] Costly signaling and why TV advertising commands trust• [17:00] The mere exposure effect• [24:00] Distinctiveness vs. differentiation and how to stand out• [33:00] Scarcity done right: the KFC Australia example.• [40:00] The Pratfall Effect and why admitting weakness builds brand likability.To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.Resources:Buell, R. W., & Norton, M. I. (2011). The labor illusion: How operational transparency increases perceived value. Management Science, 57(9), 1564–1579. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1110.1376 2018 The Choice Factory Book: https://www.richardshotton.com/the-choice-factory Behavioral Business Book by Richard Chataway: https://www.amazon.com/Behaviour-Business-behavioural-science-business/dp/0857197347 Phill Agnew’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
SummaryNerd Alert: Ad Wearout...Wearout
2w ago00:09:55Summary readyWelcome 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 whether the annoyance caused by overexposed ads actually fades over time and what that means for when and how brands should measure campaign effectiveness. Topics covered:[01:20] "Ad Wearout...Wearout: How Time Can Reverse the Negative Effect of Frequent Advertising Repetition on Brand Preference"[02:40] What happens when people see your ad too many times?[03:30] Halloween spiders and a field experiment on frequency[04:00] Memory vs. annoyance: which one lasts longer?[05:30] Why being "in market" changes everything[06:20] What this means for brands with long purchase cyclesTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcastResources:Kronrod, A., & Huber, J. (2019). Ad wearout wearout: How time can reverse the negative effect of frequent advertising repetition on brand preference. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 36(2), 306–324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2018.11.008Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Summary
Changing Brand Perception with Kim Storin, CMO of Zoom
2w ago00:34:02Summary readyZoom has incredibly high brand awareness. But that's actually part of the problem. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob sit down with Kim Storin, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Zoom, to dig into one of marketing's most counterintuitive challenges: too much awareness for the wrong thing. Kim shares how she diagnosed Zoom's perception problem, rebuilt the brand's health measurement from scratch, and launched a campaign strategy rooted in category thinking, humor, and hard data. Topics covered: [02:30] Mental availability vs. awareness [06:00] Reinventing brand health measurement to track new buying cohorts [08:30] "Brand to demand" and why Kim refuses to separate the two [11:00] Marketing in the dark funnel and the shift toward a zero-click world [15:00] Building a new category narrative around Zoom [19:00] The thinking behind the "Take Back Lunch" and Zuma Head campaigns [24:00] How AI-driven B2B search is changing citation strategy, content and credibility To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2011 Byron Sharp Article: https://byronsharp.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/mental-availability-is-not-awareness-brand-salience-is-not-awareness/Kim’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlystorin/
SummaryNerd Alert: When Creative Advertising Actually Works
3w ago00:11:09Summary readyWelcome 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 dig into a sweeping meta-analysis on advertising creativity. Together, they go over what it really means, when it moves the needle most, and why chasing memorability may be the wrong goal.Topics covered:• [01:20] "A Meta-Analysis of When and How Advertising Creativity Works"• [02:45] Originality alone isn't enough• [04:55] High involvement vs. low involvement: where creativity doubles in power• [06:55] The three theories behind why creative ads work• [08:00] Why consumer judges outperform award shows at predicting brand outcomesTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcastResources: Rosengren, S., Eisend, M., Koslow, S., & Dahlen, M. (2020). A meta-analysis of when and how advertising creativity works. Journal of Marketing, 84(6), 39–56. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242920929288Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
SummaryFrom the Archive: The Effectiveness Principles You Need To Know
3w ago00:27:55Summary readyThis week, we're sharing one of our top episodes from the archive. Enjoy, and we'll be back with new content next week!Only half of marketers believe they understand marketing effectiveness principles according to WARC. Even worse, many US marketers lag their global peers in applying these proven frameworks for growth. Elena, Angela, and Rob break down the most important marketing effectiveness principles every marketer should know. They examine why these principles work, how to apply them to your brand, and what happens when marketers ignore them. Plus, learn why broad reach and brand building still matter, even in today's digital-first world.Topics covered:• [01:00] How one healthcare CMO used marketing effectiveness to secure record budgets• [04:00] Why broad reach matters more than narrow targeting• [07:00] The science behind distinctive brand assets• [10:00] Why light buyers drive more growth than loyal customers• [14:00] The truth about the 60/40 brand building rule• [19:00] How excess share of voice predicts market share growth• [22:00] Mental and physical availability's impact on salesTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.Resources:2023 MI3 Article: https://www.mi-3.com.au/17-04-2023/how-ex-pg-us-marketer-ditched-cohorts-personas-and-restrictive-segmentation-blended-0Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
SummaryNerd Alert: What Is Your AI Agent Buying?
4w ago00:12:56Summary readyWelcome 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 AI shopping agents make purchase decisions and what the results mean for brands that aren't optimized to be found, chosen, or endorsed by an AI. Topics covered: [01:45] "What Is Your AI Agent Buying? Evaluation, Biases, Model Dependence, and Emerging Implications for Agentic E-Commerce"[05:30] AI agents pile onto winner products and ignore everyone else[07:00] Which AI model does the shopping changes everything[08:00] How models respond differently to product position on the page[09:00] Why "Overall Pick" badges dramatically boost selection rates[09:45] How rewriting a product title drove market share from 0% to 41% To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast Resources: Allouah, A., Besbes, O., Figueroa, J. D., Kanoria, Y., & Kumar, A. (2025). What is your AI agent buying? Evaluation, biases, model dependence, & emerging implications for agentic E-commerce. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2508.02630 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
SummaryDoes Targeting Work on Mass Marketing Channels?
May 500:22:53Summary readyOver half of marketers are targeting sub-segments rather than all potential buyers. And 62% aren't even targeting people over 45, a group that accounts for 50% of consumer spending.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob tackle one of the most debated questions in marketing: how do you actually reach the right people on mass channels like TV? They dig into why narrow targeting can quietly shrink your business, how creative can do more of the targeting work than your media buy, and what it really looks like to transition from performance digital to TV. Topics covered:• [01:00] Les Binet and Will Davis research on budget vs. ROI• [03:00] Why narrow targeting creates a "death spiral"• [06:00] Why TV's business impact has increased as media fragmented• [08:00] How creative can target more effectively than media selection• [10:00] How a linear TV buy actually works• [14:00] Brand building vs. activation• [17:00] How to transition from performance digital to TVTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.Resources:2025 IPA Article: https://ipa.co.uk/news/go-big-or-go-homeGet more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Summary