In Clear Focus

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Cairo Kenan Marsh, founder of Tokyo-based marketing consultancy relativ* , explores evolving consumer loyalty trends and relationship-driven marketing strategies. Drawing from his experience with Fortune 500 companies and independent brands, Cairo discusses the shift from transactional marketing to authentic brand relationships. He shares insights on balancing data science with cre...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: In this week's episode, Carolyn Lowe, the founder and CEO of ROI Swift , shares practical Amazon marketplace strategies for brand success. Drawing from her own experience managing a $2B division at Dell and advising established e-commerce businesses and startups, Carolyn discusses profitability tactics, advertising approaches, and emerging opportunities on the platform. Learn how b...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Kian Bakhtiari, the author of December's Bigeye Book Club selection, " Marketing for Social Change ," discusses how brands can drive meaningful social impact. Kian explores moving beyond performative activism to authentic change, strategies for maintaining momentum, and the evolution of marketing from driving consumption to creating positive social outcomes. He shares practical ins...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: A conversation with Simon Kingsnorth, the author of November's Bigeye Book Club selection, " Marketing in Web 3.0 ." Discover how AI, the metaverse, and Web 3.0 are reshaping marketing strategies. Simon shares insights on effective AI implementation, community building in decentralized platforms, and practical steps for brands entering virtual environments. Hear why human creativit...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Northwestern University professor and former Baxter International Chairman and CEO Harry M. Kramer, Jr. discusses his new book " Your Values-Based Legacy ," examining how legacy building is a lifelong journey. Drawing from executive and academic experience, Harry shares how connections, community, and choices shape meaningful impact. The conversation explores generational approache...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Benjamin Johnson, CEO of Particle41 , discusses technology optimization for business growth. From a periodic table of business tools to application modernization, Ben shares insights from his 20+ years of experience, including tech stack assessment, custom solutions versus off-the-shelf software, fractional CTO services, and practical approaches to legacy system updates. The conver...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Kyle Roof, noted SEO expert and creator of Page Optimizer Pro , discusses the science of SEO. We hear his journey from attorney to SEO innovator, including his "Lorem Ipsum" experiment. Kyle discusses insights from 400+ tests, emphasizing SEO's mathematical nature and balancing technical optimization with quality content. We examine his testing methods, findings on grammar and link...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Swag.com co-founder Jeremy Parker has transformed the promotional products industry. We explore his entrepreneurial journey, Swag.com's growth strategies, and insights on market research and product curation. Jeremy shares how he adapted his marketing approaches and used customer feedback. We also discuss how Swag.com grew to $40 million in sales and his new venture, Swag. Space. J...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: In the first episode of our seventeenth season, guest Stefan F. Dieffenbacher discusses innovation strategies for business growth. With 90 percent of innovation initiatives failing, Stefan shares insights from his book, " How To Create Innovation " and introduces us to the UNITE framework. We learn why Stefan favors the Jobs To Be Done approach over traditional Buyer Personas, how...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Jason Greenwood of Greenwood Consulting discusses B2B e-commerce, highlighting its complexities compared to B2C. He notes many B2B brands lag behind in digital capabilities, facing challenges like outdated data management and internal resistance. Jason shares a case study that illustrates how streamlining processes can improve efficiency. Hear why Jason predicts rapid B2B e-commerc...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Tom Burgess, president of SnippMedia , discusses how financial media networks (FMNs) leverage banks' first-party data to present targeted offers within banking apps, creating unique advertising opportunities. Tom explains SnippMedia's campaign process and performance metrics, sharing insights on targeting capabilities and A/B testing. He also explores the future of FMNs, encouragin...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Brett Townsend, SVP of Strategy at Quester and co-author of " Insights on the Brink ," discusses today's consumer research. He emphasizes the need to evolve beyond academic approaches, improve storytelling, and leverage emotional data. Brett advocates for better collaboration between insights professionals and agency teams, and shares strategies for capturing consumer narratives, i...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Xenia Muntean, CEO of Planable , discusses effective strategies for streamlining content review and marketing collaboration. She explores common challenges in social media management, the importance of accurate content previews, and effective workflow solutions. Xenia shares insights on entrepreneurship and the integration of AI in marketing tools. Fresh perspectives for marketers,...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Michael Begg, CEO of AMZ Advisers , discusses effective strategies for launching and scaling brands on Amazon. He explores common challenges brands face, the importance of setting appropriate budgets for advertising, and effective pricing strategies. Mike shares insights on international expansion, particularly into Latin American markets, and the complexities of multi-platform e-c...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Greg Brooks, CMO at SearchTides , explores SEO's future in the AI era. He discusses evolving strategies, AI's impact on content and search, and the importance of expert-driven material. We examine e-commerce SEO challenges, social search trends, and the rise of AI-powered small firms. Greg also offers fresh insights on adapting to algorithm changes and using AI to stay competitive....

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Gordon Glenister, the author of " Influencer Marketing Strategy ," discusses the evolution of this dynamic field. He shares effective campaign development tactics, success stories, and legal considerations. Gordon examines employee advocacy as an emerging trend and offers insights on leveraging internal talent as influencers. Learn how brands can navigate the influencer landscape,...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Barbara Wardell and Ernesto Cullari discuss geofencing advertising for small and medium-sized businesses. They explain practical applications, benefits, and misconceptions of GPS-based targeting. Barbara and Ernesto share their insights on foot traffic studies, ad creative importance, and effectiveness metrics - offering tips for successful pilot projects. Expert perspectives on le...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Jeff Umbro, CEO of The Podglomerate , discusses podcast marketing for brands and businesses. He explores advertising strategies, host-read ads, and branded podcasts. Jeff shares insights on audience growth, measuring success, and cross-promotion. He also addresses common mistakes, thought leadership, and AI's impact on podcasting. Listen for fresh perspectives on maximizing podcast...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Michael Beach, CEO of Cross Screen Media and author of " Screen Wars ," discusses the evolution of convergent TV advertising. He explains the shift from linear to streaming, audience-based planning, and the role data analytics plays in convergent TV. Michael also shares practical advice for maximizing reach and data-driven insights that point to the future of TV consumption. Valuab...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Caroline Florence, author of our featured book " Data Storytelling in Marketing ," discusses transforming data into compelling narratives. She outlines a five-step roadmap for effective data storytelling, emphasizing emotion's role in persuasion. Caroline offers advice for marketers to enhance their skills, sharing a De Beers case study to illustrate data-driven insights' impact. L...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Mitch Duckler, Managing Partner at FullSurge, discusses his book " The Future-Ready Brand ." He explores how CMOs navigate societal trends and emerging technologies, including brand purpose, wellness shifts, and Gen Z marketing. We discuss AI in marketing, extended reality, and Web3 opportunities. Mitch emphasizes the need for CMOs to experiment with new technologies and adapt to r...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Praveen Nara, CEO of Tech.us , explores AI's impact on retail marketing and advertising. Praveen discusses leveraging AI for personalized consumer experiences, ethical use guidelines, and AI's future in marketing. He shares insights on hyper-personalization strategies for retailers, AI's role in engaging different generations, and its broader societal impact. A conversation bridgin...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Dr. Sachiko Scheuing, Acxiom's European Privacy Officer and author of our featured book, " How to Use Customer Data ," discusses effectively balancing data protection and marketing. Sachiko shares insights on navigating complex privacy laws, implementing robust data security, and fostering collaboration. Sachiko introduces the MaRCS protection check and recommendations for thriving...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: To celebrate Global Focus Group Day , an interview with consumer behavior strategist Jeanne Corrigan. Jeanne discusses focus groups' history and their enduring relevance in brand strategy and advertising research. We explore how technology and COVID-19 have transformed qualitative research, and Jeanne considers the role AI will play in shaping market research's future. Jeanne also...

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Our guest this week is Nick Asbury, one of the UK's most-awarded copywriters, discussing his new book, " The Road to Hell: How Purposeful Business Leads to Bad Marketing and a Worse World ." We explore the history of purpose in business, its detrimental impact on advertising effectiveness over the past 15 years, and the potential risks for brands aligning with causes. Nick shares f...