The Marketing Architects

Over 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.

94% of pricing power comes from how meaningfully different a brand is perceived to be. So why are so many marketers playing it safe?This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob ditch the safe answers and eat progressively spicier hot wings while doing it. Inspired by the format of Hot Ones, each round brings hotter wings and bolder takes on the marketing strategies most people are afraid to question. From the real cost of over-targeting to why your first-party data obsession may be holding you back, these are the opinions your marketing team needs to hear, even if they sting a little.Topics covered:[01:00] Research on why playing it safe is the riskiest bet in marketing[04:00] Low CPMs on TV aren't a red flag[06:00] Retargeting is overrated and doesn't grow your business[08:00] Most marketers are over-targeting and overpaying for the illusion of precision[14:00] Digital attribution set marketers back a decade[19:00] First-party data obsession is preventing real growth[22:00] Brands should stop producing TV spots like it's 2006To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources:2025 Ad Age Article: https://adage.com/article/opinion/why-playing-it-safe-riskiest-bet-marketing/2603646/2025 WARC and Kantar Report: https://www.warc.com/SubscriberContent/article/warc-exclusive/playing-it-safe-is-not-safe-how-the-most-successful-brands-stand-out/en-gb/147826Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Trust isn't just a feel-good metric. According to an IPA Effectiveness Data Bank analysis of over 800 campaigns, 93% of campaigns that drive very large trust gains also deliver at least one major business effect. This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Catrina McAuliffe, SVP of Brand Strategy at Marketing Architects, to dig into what brand trust really means, how to measure it without turning your brand tracker into a "vibes recital," and what marketers get wrong when they try to advertise their way out of a trust deficit. Topics covered:[01:45] IPA data: trust-building campaigns and business impact[03:00] What a genuinely good brand measurement system looks like[06:00] Why brand health trackers become "vibes recitals"[09:00] How to measure trust in two layers — what people say and what they'll forgive[13:00] How newer brands vs. comeback brands should approach trust differently[18:00] TV as a trust legitimizer and amplifier[21:00] Can you advertise your way to trust?To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2024 MarketingWeek ArticleGet more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Personalized ads outperform generic ones. But the effect is smaller than most marketers expect, and the hidden costs can quietly undercut your brand.This episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob dig into a meta-analysis of 53 studies on ad personalization and what the research actually says about when it works. They're joined by Chief Analytics Officer Matt Hultgren and Director of AI Audio Josh Wilson to discuss the real tradeoffs of personalization and why a new tool called the Mass Customizer could change what's possible for TV advertisers.Topics covered:[01:00] What the meta-analysis reveals about personalization's modest impact[03:00] The reach trap and why narrowing audiences shrinks mental availability[06:00] Why marketers overestimate audience differences[09:00] How to test personalization cleanly using geography and control groups[14:00] Traditional roadblocks in TV production when scaling creative versions[18:00] How the Mass Customizer uses AI to swap voiceover and graphics at scale[21:00] Why CTV breaks the false choice between mass reach and customization To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Yeo, T. E. D., Chu, T. H., & Li, Q. (2025). How Persuasive Is Personalized Advertising? A Meta-Analytic Review of Experimental Evidence of the Effects of Personalization on Ad Effectiveness. Journal of Advertising Research, 65(4), 616–631. https://doi.org/10.1080/00218499.2025.2467763Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Many brands treat Connected TV like another form of digital advertising. That's a mistake.This week, we’re sharing a bonus episode with a special presentation from Shoptalk. Catherine Walstad, Chief Media Officer at Marketing Architects, breaks down the most common CTV myths and explains what smarter TV buying actually looks like. From frequency management to targeting accuracy to ad fraud, Catherine covers the traps brands fall into and the strategies that get results.Topics covered: [01:00] Why CTV is not just another digital channel [03:00] How frequency becomes waste faster than you think [04:00] Why premium inventory doesn’t guarantee better performance [05:00] Ad fraud, poor supply, and wasted CTV impressions [06:00] The limitations of IP-based targeting [07:00] Why CTV measurement produces conflicting answers To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Watch: TV Like Digital and Other CTV Myths Catherine’s LinkedIn

Nerd Alert: What 100 Studies Taught Us About Marketing 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 synthesize findings from 100 Nerd Alert episodes to surface the principles that consistently show up across the research and what they mean for how marketers should think about creative, reach, promotions and measurement. Topics covered: [00:55] “What 100 Studies Taught Us About Marketing”[02:00] Marketing works through memory[03:00] Why creative is a strategic multiplier, not a subjective choice[04:30] Brand growth comes from reach, not loyalty[05:30] Promotions create spikes, not growth[06:00] Why measurement often misleads strategy To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 celebrate 100 episodes by flipping the script. Rob takes the lead to break down How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp, exploring why penetration beats loyalty, why light buyers matter more than most marketers think, and how distinctiveness drives brand growth. Topics covered: [01:20] "How Brands Grow" by Byron Sharp[02:45] The Law of Double Jeopardy[06:15] Why light buyers drive growth[08:00] Mental and physical availability[10:00] Differentiation vs. distinctiveness[12:15] Four takeaways marketers can apply today To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Sharp, B. (2010). How brands grow: What marketers don’t know. Oxford University Press. Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 challenge the widely held belief that small brands survive on loyal, niche audiences. They reveal why reach, not loyalty, is the real driver of growth for tiny brands.Topics covered: [01:20] "Tiny Brands, Big Challenges: The Limits of Loyalty and the Role of Penetration in Driving Growth"[02:10] What counts as a tiny brand?[04:20] Do tiny brands actually have more loyal customers?[06:10] What growing tiny brands have in common[07:20] Why loyalty follows growth, not the other way around[08:00] Why tiny brands need to compete for the whole category To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Barker-Trowse, A., Dunn, S., Graham, C., Sharp, B., & Corsi, A. M. (2026). Tiny brands, big challenges: The limits of loyalty and the role of penetration in driving growth. Journal of Business Research, 204, 115864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115864 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 happens when people feel bombarded by ads on social media and why the real threat to engagement isn't a bad ad. It's platform fatigue.Topics covered: [01:05] "The Impact of Ad Overload Perception and Social Media on Ad Avoidance Behavior"[02:10] The two theories behind why ads push people away[03:45] How researchers measured ad clutter, fatigue and avoidance[05:55] Why fatigue, not the ad itself, drives avoidance[06:45] Three key takeaways for marketers[08:00] Why TV advertising sidesteps the ad overload problem To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Essa Tayeb, M., Chebbi, T., Badawi, A., Ali Toumi, J., & Louail, B. (2024). The impact of ad overloads perception in social media on ad avoidance behavior: The mediating effect of social media fatigue and goal impediment. Management, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.58691/man/197329 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 sustainability advertising is so hard to get right and what brands can do to close the gap between what consumers say they value and what they actually buy.Topics covered: [00:55] "Sustainability Advertising: A Literature Review and Framework for Future Research"[01:50] The gap between sustainable intent and action[04:00] The three levers of sustainability advertising: ad context, source characteristics, and message design[05:30] Why consumers don't trust sustainability claims and when third-party cues help[06:15] The sustainability liability: when "eco-friendly" hurts perceived performance[07:40] What brands can do to make sustainability messaging actually work To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Rathee, S., & Milfeld, T. (2023). Sustainability advertising: Literature review and framework for future research. International Journal of Advertising. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2023.2175300 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 narrative ads work even when they say little about the product. The answer lies in image fluency. How easily a story can be pictured shapes how much people like the ad and the brand behind it.Topics covered: [01:05] "Image Fluency and Narrative Advertising Effects"[01:55] The four steps of ad processing[03:00] How matching visuals change brand attitudes[03:55] Familiar vs. unfamiliar story scenarios[04:35] How to make your ads easier to imagine[05:00] Why clarity matters more than originality To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Chang, C. (2013). Imagery fluency and narrative advertising effects. Journal of Advertising, 42(1), 54–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2012.749087 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 how privacy first advertising changes digital marketing. They reveal that when individual tracking disappears, platforms must rely on user groups instead. This shifts advertising toward probabilistic targeting, like how TV has always worked. Topics covered: [01:00] "Reach, Measurement, Optimization and Frequency Capping and Targeted Online Advertising Under K Anonymity"[01:45] Privacy forces less tracking, more thinking[02:50] How K Anonymity groups users by shared traits[04:35] Simulating the trade-off between privacy and performance[06:00] Privacy pushes reach-first thinking To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Gao, Y., & Qiao, M. (2025). Reach measurement, optimization and frequency capping in targeted online advertising under k-anonymity. arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.04882. Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 makes ads memorable over time, not just minutes after viewing. They reveal how emotion, brand relevance, and AI are reshaping how marketers should think about ad recall and creative testing. Topics covered: [01:00] "Long-Term Ad Memorability: Understanding and Generating Memorable Ads"[02:00] Why short-term recall is a poor proxy for advertising effectiveness[04:00] Emotion as the strongest driver of long-term memory[05:00] How brand relevance affects ad memorability[06:00] AI model Henry predicts and generates more memorable ads[07:00] Practical takeaways for marketers on creative testing To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Khosla, A., Ranjan, A., Torralba, A., Oliva, A., & colleagues. (2024). Long-term ad memorability: Understanding and generating memorable ads. Adobe Research and collaborating universities. Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.