Marketing Against The Grain

Ep. 260 Are you ready for AI to revolutionize your go-to-market strategy by 2025?  Kipp and Kieran dive into how you can leverage HubSpot’s cutting-edge AI tools to stay ahead in the rapidly changing marketing landscape. Learn more on AI-driven custom email marketing to boost your conversion rates by over 80%, the game-changing potential of virtual business development representatives, and the tra...

Ep. 259 Want to build a web app in minutes with zero coding skills? Kipp and Kieran dive into how you can leverage GPT Engineer to create powerful web applications without writing a single line of code. Learn more on how to turn your creative ideas into functional web apps, the game-changing capabilities of AI tools like GPT Engineer, and how the democratization of coding can revolutionize marketi...

Ep. 258 Is traditional management holding your business back?  Kipp and Kieran dive into the transformative concept of Founder Mode and how it redefines effective leadership for modern businesses. Learn more on the importance of leaders being hands-on and managing work instead of teams, why focusing on customer needs trumps peer opinions, and how to hire based on growth mindset and problem-solving...

Ep. 257 Are you ready to unlock the secrets of AI agents and revolutionize your career?  Kipp and Kieran dive into an engaging conversation with HubSpot Co-Founder Dharmesh Shah about AI agents, content creation, and career growth. Learn more on how Agent AI operates and its real-world applications, the vision behind creating efficient markets, and the evolution of software development in the age...

Ep. 256 "How do you build a $1 billion creator business from scratch?" Kipp, Kieran, and Morning Brew’s co-founder Alex Lieberman dive into the playbook for building massive creator-led ventures in today's digital landscape. Learn more on leveraging the immense power of trusted distribution networks, overcoming the inefficiencies in influencer marketing, and why the best creator-led businesses thr...

Ep. 255 Why is customer service the number one brand technique you need to master? Kipp and Kieran dive into the groundbreaking ways AI tools are transforming brand awareness and customer perception. Learn more on how HubSpot’s new AI search grader reveals what the Internet really says about your brand, the shift from traditional search engines to Large Language Models, and practical steps to impr...

Ep. 254 What if you could automate the most mundane parts of your sales job and get promoted for it? Kipp and Kieran are joined by Ethan Dewaal, and dive into how AI is revolutionizing sales practices and boosting productivity. You will learn more on automating product questions with AI chatbots, developing a four-part roadmap for advanced AI use, and the significant impact of AI on the sales cycl...

Ep. 253 Can old IP give shut-down businesses a new lease on life? Kipp and Kieran explore how reviving dormant brands might just be the next big trend in marketing. They are joined by Morning Brew’s co-founder Alex Lieberman to delve into the concept of leveraging old intellectual property to reignite business success. This episode will have you learning more on the potential of marketplaces for b...

Ep. 252 AI images are now so realistic that even AI experts can't tell what's real anymore. Kipp and Kieran dive into the dramatic advancements in AI image generation with the release of Flux. Learn more on how Flux works, whether you can still spot fake images, and the top marketing use cases for AI-generated images in advertising, email campaigns, and website conversion optimization. Mentions Gr...

Ep. 251 Are Google ads overrated?  Kipp and guest, Omer Shai, CMO of Wix, examine the evolving landscape of search and the secret sauce behind Wix's success. Kipp and Omer dive into marketing lessons from one of the industry's most resilient companies. Learn more on the future of search and its fragmentation, the untapped potential of influencer marketing, and the balance between brand and direct...

Ep. 250 Can you survive the AI wave in content creation?  Kipp and Kieran dive into the strategies and skills you need to thrive in the age of AI-driven marketing. Learn more on navigating the transition from traditional content playbooks to personality-led growth, the impact of AI on search-driven traffic, and tips for hiring and leveraging in-house influencers to create engaging, authentic conte...

Ep. 249 "Is putting all your eggs in the ROAS basket stunting your growth?" Kipp and Kieran dive into why relying solely on Return on Ad Spend might not be the smartest move for marketers aiming for long-term success. Every marketer needs to understand the significance of building their own audience, the true impact of paid advertising, and navigating the complex world of marketing metrics. Mentio...

Ep. 248 What are the 3 marketing ideas that took Chess.com to $150M? Kieran Flanagan dives into the strategic steps Erik Allebest and his team took to dominate the online chess world and build a thriving community-led business. Learn more about the early recognition and promotion of chess streaming, winning over both casual and professional players by enhancing user experience and hosting prize ev...

Ep. 247 Is the current agency landscape broken and misaligned with client interests? Kipp, Kieran, and Gary Vaynerchuk (VaynerX) dive into the misaligned incentives of agencies and how they hinder marketing success. This is a revisit of their episode with Gary in May. Learn more on why traditional agency models fail, the importance of relevance at scale, and actionable insights for marketers looki...

Ep. 246 Are you telling stories that truly resonate with your customers or just following the status quo?  Kipp and Kieran dive into the crucial role of narrative in marketing and how founders can be their company’s best marketer. Learn more about the importance of deeply understanding your customer, hiring the right marketing leaders at different startup stages, and investing in a scalable distri...

Ep. 245 Why should you be a Claude super fan? Kipp and Kieran dive into the game-changing world of Claude apps and how anyone can build web apps in no time. Learn more on how Claude's new features empower you to create and publish lightweight apps effortlessly, real-life examples of innovative use cases, and the mind-blowing potential for profitability and customization with Claude's intuitive too...

Ep. 244 "Is AI really the future of marketing?"  Kipp, Kieran, and guest Andrew Chen (Andreessen Horowitz) dive into the transformative impact of AI on marketing channels, consumer engagement, and startup strategies. Learn more on how AI is changing search results and video production, the rise of niche app businesses, and marketing tricks for the AI-powered era. Mentions Andrew Chen https://andre...

Ep. 243 Ever wondered how AI can amplify your creativity? Kipp and Kieran dive into the power of AI for content creation and how to craft viral LinkedIn and X posts using Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Learn more about creating style guides for different platforms, understanding the impact of well-prepared training documents on content output, and distinguishing between average and great marketers by refining...

Ep. 242 Can AI assistants really turn raw data into insightful dashboards in under a minute?  Kipp and Kieran dive into how tools like Claude are revolutionizing content and data visualization in business. Learn more on why interactive content such as apps and dashboards are catching investor attention, how AI-powered tools are shifting the focus from traditional data visualization to effective da...

Ep. 241 How important is video for your website? Kipp and Chris Savage (CEO and co-founder of Wistia) dive into the transformative dynamics of video marketing in 2024 and how to master every aspect of it. Learn more on leveraging AI-generated personalization and automation, maximizing engagement on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, and the essential tools and strategies you need to ensure your...

Ep. 240 Is distribution the undefeated catalyst in marketing?  Kipp and Kieran dive into some of the best episodes they’ve recorded on Marketing Against the Grain. Learn more on the critical importance of micro consumer segmentations, the value of combining brand and growth strategies, and the often misunderstood role of product marketing. In this episode, Kipp and Kieran spotlight invaluable insi...

Ep. 239 Are you ready to 10x your views on LinkedIn using AI?  Kieran and Kipp dive into the GPT-4o prompts that can transform your social media game. Learn more on understanding the role of hallucination in AI as a feature, leveraging verifiers and active inference for accurate results, and effective methods to teach AI what "good" content really means. In this episode, get ready for practical in...

Ep. 238 Are you tired of spending your advertising budget on the same stale channels?  Kipp and Kieran dive into the untapped marketing channels that pro marketers are leveraging to gain a competitive edge. Learn more on the potential of working with creators, the overlooked benefits of YouTube ads, and the power of point-of-need advertising to reach your audience in high-engagement moments. Disco...

Ep. 237 How do we create the new marketing playbook of the AI era? Kipp and Kieran dive into the evolving landscape of marketing and how AI is setting the stage for the next big shift. Learn more on how to leverage AI integrations with HubSpot and other tools to stay competitive, understand the balance between new approaches and tried-and-true strategies, and get insights into the experimental yet...

Ep. 236 "Is marketing facing a crisis of faith today?"  Kipp and Kieran dive into the shifting landscape of modern marketing and how to navigate it successfully in 2024. Learn more about achieving tangible outcomes with limited budgets, managing CEO expectations to gain trust and support, and balancing quantitative and qualitative metrics to prove your strategic impact. Mentions Phil Stutz https:/...