BONUS: An Ecommerce Brand’s Guide to TV that Performs

More from The Marketing Architects

1. 

   E173 · 21 Jul 2026 · 43 min

   Creating Future Demand with James Hurman

   84% of the time, buyers choose a brand that was already on their radar before they ever started shopping. So why do so many marketing budgets only chase the people ready to buy today? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob talk with brand strategist and author James Hurman about his new book, Future Demand . James breaks down why brands hit a growth ceiling when they lean too hard on performance marketing. He also explains why feelings outlast facts in memory, and why that changes which channels deserve your investment. Marketers will leave with a clearer case for building demand among tomorrow's…

2. 

   E116 · 16 Jul 2026 · 9 min

   Nerd Alert: When Personalized Ads Become Creepy

   Welcome 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 what triggers the personalization backfire effect and why the same ad can feel helpful one day and invasive the next. Topics covered:[01:20] "Triggering the Personalization Backfire Effect: The Moderating Role of Situational Privacy Concern" [02:45] How the study tested three levels of ad personalization [04:27] When more personal…

3. 

   E172 · 14 Jul 2026 · 42 min

   From the Archive: The Problem with "Purpose" with Nick Asbury

   This week, we're resharing a favorite episode from the archive. Enjoy, and we'll be back with new content next week! Our hosts are joined by Nick Asbury, creative writer and author of The Road to Hell: How Purposeful Business Leads to Bad Marketing and a Worse World. Nick challenges brand purpose, arguing it produces formulaic campaigns while the research supporting it is fundamentally flawed. Topics covered: [04:00] How the 2008 financial crash sparked the purpose movement [12:00] The real story behind Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign data [18:00] Why for-profit companies lack social license…

4. 

   E115 · 9 Jul 2026 · 10 min

   Nerd Alert: The Packaging Redesign Dilemma

   Welcome 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 why packaging redesigns so often backfire, and what actually drives shoppers to pick a product off the shelf. Topics covered: [01:21] "The Packaging Redesign Modernization Dilemma" [03:06] Why redesigns are an expensive, common gamble [05:35] Does looking more modern actually boost sales? [06:17] Why familiarity beats likability at…

5. 

   E171 · 7 Jul 2026 · 24 min

   How to Build a Media Mix That Actually Works

   Concern over short-termism has more than doubled in three years, from 25% of marketers calling it the biggest industry issue in 2022 to 55% in 2025. And yet, budget allocation has barely moved. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob dig into why the say-do gap persists in media planning and what it looks like to build a mix based on marketing effectiveness principles instead. They walk through the 60-40 rule and how to make it your own, what warning signs signal a brand is over-indexed on performance, and why channels like TV and audio earn a closer look when competitors are busy piling into the…

6. 

   E128 · 8 Oct 2026 · 10 minNew

   Nerd Alert: Pretesting with AI-Generated Ads

   Welcome 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 new research testing whether AI-generated ads can stand in for real production during pretesting. They cover what two studies found about recall, brand attitude, and brand choice, why disclosure didn't move the numbers, and the screening step marketers shouldn't skip. Topics covered: [02:10] "Pretesting with AI-Generated Static and…

7. 

   E184 · 6 Oct 2026 · 41 min

   The Physical Laws of Marketing with Joe McCambley, CMO of Saatva

   Saatva grew to more than $150 million on one channel: non-branded search. Then hundreds of competitors flooded the mattress category and costs skyrocketed. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Saatva CMO Joe McCambley to talk about what happened next. Joe explains the statistically significant relationships he tracks between channels, why $200,000 a month in podcast advertising moved branded search within weeks, and how a WARC-led curriculum got his board comfortable with upper funnel spend. Plus, hear why he'd rather blanket the universe than target individual consumers. Topics…

8. 

   E127 · 1 Oct 2026 · 9 min

   Nerd Alert: Making Effectiveness Work

   Welcome 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 why five analysts can hand you five different ROI numbers for the same campaign. They explain why averaging those numbers hides the truth, and how to match your measurement method to the size of the decision in front of you. Topics covered: [01:40] "Making Effectiveness Work" [02:20] Three ways to measure ad effectiveness [02:40]…

9. 

   30 Sep 2026 · 18 min

   BONUS: 5 Ways to Build a Challenger Brand that Consumers Trust

   73% of people think they should have an estate plan. But only 26% actually do. So how do you get consumers to act on something they'd rather avoid? Recorded live at Brandweek, CEO Angela Voss sits down with Trust & Will CMO Dale Sperling. They break down five ways the digital estate planning brand builds trust at scale, from TV's signaling power to warm, human creative and sonic branding. Plus, hear how sticking with one campaign helped drive an 89% lift in unaided awareness since 2023. Topics covered: [01:00] Why trust drives purchase decisions [04:00] How TV signals legitimacy [05:30]…

10. 

    E183 · 29 Sep 2026 · 31 min

    What's a Brand Actually Worth? with Professor Dave Reibstein

    Buy a brand, and it shows up on your balance sheet. Build one, and it doesn't. Wharton professor Dave Reibstein thinks that's backwards. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Dave Reibstein, the William S. Woodside Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School and co-author of Marketing Metrics. Dave explains how to put an actual number on brand value, whether you take it in price premium, volume, or some mix of both. He shares 10 years of research on how country branding shapes trade, tourism, and investment, plus why "Made in Italy" still sells shoes. Plus, hear the team pitch…

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