Marketing News Canada

Recorded live at SocialWest 2026 in Calgary, Charlie Grinnell, co-CEO of Rightmetric, joins host Lindsay Smith to explore why the data brands have been collecting about themselves is only half the story.Rightmetric helps North America's leading consumer brands harness external digital data across social, search, web, app, and ad spend to uncover what Charlie calls outsights: intelligence derived from how people actually behave online rather than what they say in a survey or focus group.Charlie breaks down why traditional segmentation falls short, how AI has turbocharged the ability to count and interpret behavioral signals at scale, and what it looks like when a brand finally sees the full picture of their audience rather than the one they assumed was there.Because there's a big difference between what people say they do and what they actually do.Edited and produced by Takt.

Recorded live at Calgary's SocialWest 2025, this episode of the Marketing News Canada podcast features guest host Laila Hobbs, Co-Founder of Social Launch Labs, in conversation with Hiba Amin, Co-Founder of Creative Little Planet.Hiba shares a candid look at navigating imposter syndrome throughout her marketing career, from being the sole marketer during a startup downturn to finding confidence through community, conversation, and lived experience. She also discusses the evolution of content creation, why authenticity resonates more than polished perfection, and how marketers can build meaningful connections with their audiences.The conversation dives into the responsible use of AI in content marketing, including where it can support creative work, where it falls short, and why strong foundational ideas must come before scale. Packed with thoughtful insights and real-world perspective, this episode is a must-listen for marketers navigating growth, creativity, and confidence in a rapidly changing industry.

Recorded live at the 2025 SocialWest Conference in Calgary, guest host Meredith McKeough sits down with Josephine Mary David, Communications and Partnerships Lead at Pedesting, for this episode of the Marketing News Canada podcast.Josephine shares how inclusive marketing helps brands move from being ignored to truly embraced by their audiences. Drawing from her background in business, social development, and accessibility-focused technology, she breaks down practical ways brands can make their marketing more accessible, culturally sensitive, and community-driven.The conversation covers purposeful messaging, accessible content design, amplified representation, resonant storytelling, and how small, thoughtful changes can help more people feel seen, included, and connected to your brand.

Recorded live in Calgary for SocialWest 2025, this episode of the Marketing News Canada podcast features guest host Meredith McKeough in conversation with Lisa Genovese, President of BottomLine, a marketing agency known for research-backed strategy and results. Lisa breaks down why so many brands skip the fundamentals and how that leads to shaky strategy, wasted spend, and misaligned messaging. The conversation explores how to use customer insight, competitive research, and data the right way, before jumping into tactics or creative, and why going back to basics often delivers the biggest impact. From practical ways to gather meaningful customer insight to common mistakes brands make across the buyer journey, this episode is packed with grounded advice for marketers, leaders, and teams looking to make smarter, more confident decisions.

Recorded live at SocialWest 2025 in Calgary, this special episode of the Marketing News Canada podcast features a conversation with Joshua Counsil, Co-Founder of Good Robot Brewing and guest host Meredith McKeough.Joshua shares candid lessons from building a multi-dimensional hospitality and beverage business spanning beer, non-alcoholic drinks, events, and co-packing for major retailers like Costco. The conversation explores why guest experience is one of the most powerful marketing tools available, how storytelling influences customers, employees, and even lenders, and why scrappy, generous marketing often outperforms big-budget campaigns.From navigating PR crises to designing small moments that create outsized word-of-mouth, this episode is packed with practical insights for marketers, founders, and brand leaders looking to build trust, loyalty, and long-term growth.

Recorded live at SocialWest 2025, this episode features Andrew Turnbull, Managing Director of UX and Product at Evans Hunt, in conversation with guest host Meredith McKeough. Together, they explore the growing problem of “hostile user design” and how large platforms are enshittification experiences in the name of growth.Andrew shares insights from over 15 years in UX, using the Sonos redesign as a cautionary tale of business decisions eroding user trust. The conversation moves from platform-level design trends to what smaller businesses can learn, and avoid. They dig into the systems thinking required to scale responsibly, how to balance growth with respect for your users, and why customer feedback is still your most powerful strategic asset.This episode captures the mood shift in 2025 toward more ethical, user-first digital strategies, and how marketers and designers alike can push back on enshittification by prioritizing clarity, consent, and long-term value.

The Alchemy of Effectiveness Report has just been released, making this the perfect time to visit Paul Tedesco's live conversation from SocialWest 2025.Recorded just weeks before Effie judging began, Paul, Head of Effectiveness at the ICA, shares the thinking that would go on to shape the 2025 awards. He and host Meredith McKeough dig into why marketers often confuse effectiveness with efficiency, how clear objectives drive stronger outcomes, and what really separates a cool campaign from an impactful one.This conversation now reads like a preview of what the data would later confirm: the most effective marketing doesn’t just look good, it works.

In this live SocialNext Toronto 2025 conversation, guest host Maddie Alvarez sits down with Lana Rogers, founder of Gentle Lion Communications, for a candid and tactical talk on media scarcity, creative burnout, and why PR isn't just about landing one big headline.Lana breaks down how the media landscape is shifting in real time and what brands and agencies can do to stay relevant, thoughtful, and audience-centered. From earned media realities to owned channel strategy, she outlines a smarter approach to storytelling, trust-building, and campaign planning in a noisy and fragmented landscape.If you're a marketer, comms lead, or founder still chasing the golden press hit, this episode will reset your thinking. Spoiler: that Globe and Mail article might not move the needle the way you think.