Remarkable Content with Ian Faison

Some performances fade. Others stay with you for decades. Buena Vista Social Club is one of them. It isn’t just a musical—it’s a masterclass in resonance, memory, and experience. In this episode, we’re pulling B2B marketing lessons from that spirit of storytelling with the help of Dan Lowden, Chief Marketing Officer at Blackbird. AI. Together, we explore why content should come first, how honesty...

Some stories don’t need to be loud to leave a mark. Ordinary People is one of those films—a quiet, deeply human story that lingers long after the credits roll. It’s not flashy, but it’s unforgettable. In this episode, we’re pulling marketing lessons from Robert Redford’s directorial debut with the help of our special guest Ruth Zive, CMO of Voices. Together, they explore what B2B marketers can lea...

Polish doesn’t build trust—personality does. And no one understands that better than TikTok creators, who turn raw ideas into magnetic, shareable content every day. In this episode, we’re pulling marketing lessons from TikTok’s creative chaos with the help of Rhonda Hughes, award-winning B2B marketing leader. Together, they explore what B2B marketers can learn from leading with authenticity, embra...

What can a satirical HBO series teach you about building a scalable, high-impact B2B marketing engine? A lot—if you ask Manish Gupta. In this episode, 4-Time CMO Manish Gupta joins Caspian CEO Ian Faison to deconstruct the show Silicon Valley and extract lessons on marketing, storytelling, team dynamics, and startup chaos.  Together, they explore how to translate complex technology to engage your...

Going viral might get you noticed. But consistency is what makes you unforgettable. And no one proves that better than Alix Earle, a TikTok star who turned daily “Get Ready With Me” videos into a personal media empire. In this episode, we’re pulling marketing lessons from Alix’s rise with the help of Elizabeth Strickert, Director of Content Marketing at A-LIGN. Together, we explore what B2B market...

Scared marketing doesn’t stand out. Bold stories do. And no one knows that better than the team behind Animal , a new documentary that challenges everything you think you know about meat, health, and what drives people to change. In this episode, we’re pulling lessons from the film’s launch with the help of our special guest, Kevin Carter, Producer at H20 Studios. Together, we explore what B2B mar...

Cool features don’t make a story. Emotional stakes do. And no one knew that better than Knight Rider , a show where a talking car and a lone hero made 80s TV unforgettable. In this episode, we’re pulling lessons from that retro icon with the help of our special guest, Ashley Sasnett, Senior Director of Content Strategy at Equifax Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from classic arche...

Rational thinking might drive economics, but emotional behavior drives decisions. And no one understands that better than Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational , a book that’s reshaped our assumptions about how people make decisions. In this episode, we’re unpacking key lessons from Dan Ariely’s work with the help of our special guest, Leslie Alore, SVP of Marketing at Flexera. Together, we...

Adolescence isn’t your typical TV drama. It’s raw, immersive, and filmed in a single unbroken shot, forcing you to stay with every moment, no matter how uncomfortable. In this episode, we’re pulling lessons from that intensity with the help of our guest, Charlie Ungashick, CMO of Vimeo. Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from embracing creative risk, connecting across generations, a...

Since 2014, Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic newsletter has landed in inboxes every single morning, offering ancient wisdom in bite-size, highly clickable form. It’s also a masterclass in content marketing. In this episode, we’re unpacking what B2B marketers can learn from The Daily Stoic with the help of Amanda Dyson, VP, Head of Marketing at FourKites. Together, we explore how to break the marketi...

Reinvention beats repetition every time. In a crowded market, it’s reimagination that sets you apart. That’s the real lesson behind The New Look, a drama that follows Christian Dior as he rebuilds a whole new vision of fashion. In this episode, we’re taking inspiration from that spirit of transformation with the help of our special guest, Hrishi Kulkarni, Director of Customer Advocacy & Executive...

Escaping the underworld may not sound like a marketing strategy until you look at how Hades turned it into a blueprint for success. Developed by indie studio Supergiant Games, Hades isn’t just a video game, it’s a critically acclaimed masterpiece thanks to its iterative development, rich storytelling, and a fanbase that helped shape the game in real time. In this episode, we dive into the lessons...

Reviving vinyl in the digital age sounded impossible until the creation of Record Store Day changed everything. Launched with Metallica at a San Francisco record shop in 2008, it became a global celebration of indie music culture and a blueprint for building real human connections. In this episode, we drop the needle on what marketers can learn from vinyl’s resurgence with special guest Robert McC...

A man crashes through walls. A woman joins him. Together, they run straight into the sky. No dialogue. Just music, motion, and a pair of Levi’s jeans. This is Odyssey , the Levi’s ad that changed how we think about brand storytelling. In this episode, we're unpacking its marketing lessons with our special guest, Paula Vivas, Head of US Marketing at Freepik. Together, we explore why storytelling is...

Marketing isn’t just about tactics, it’s about strategy. And most times, the smartest move is playing the long game. That’s the strategy behind Settlers of Catan , a board game built on resource trading, calculated risks, and thinking three steps ahead. In this episode, we’re drawing inspiration from its gameplay with our special guest, Jen Grant, Chief Marketing Officer at Dialpad. Together, we e...

Polished is out. Grit is in. If you want your brand to cut through the noise, it might be time to take a cue from the underground music scene. In this episode, we’re taking lessons from 90s indie rock with special guest Scott Rayburn, CMO of DataArt.  Together, we talk about how brands can market with meaning, stay relevant in the digital age, and create content that hits like your favorite song....

At 83 years old, Martha Stewart is still as relevant as ever, and she just released a new documentary to prove it. Martha takes us through the highs, lows, and reinventions of her iconic career. In this episode, we’re diving into the world of Martha and the power of documentaries with our special guest, Amy Holtzman, Chief Marketing Officer at CHEQ. Together, we’re exploring what B2B marketers can...

Playing it safe doesn’t cut it anymore. If you want to grab eyeballs, you need to be bold, unexpected, maybe even a little chaotic. That’s the magic of Taskmaster , a competition show where thinking sideways often beats playing it straight. And in this episode, we’re taking a page from its playbook with the help of our special guest, Vanessa Hope Schneider, Head of Brand at Descript. Together, we...

Simon Sinek says that a lot of organizations can talk about what they do and how they do it. But he says, “Very few organizations know why they do what they do.”  And it’s the ‘why’ that is the most important.  In this episode, we’re taking this lesson and more from Simon Sinek with the help of our special guest, Guru Sundar. Together, we talk about finding your ‘why’, looking for inspiration in u...

AI is changing so much about how we create content.  So we thought we’d bring in the founders of a brand new tool for making rich, interactive 3D content using AI. We’re talking with Co-Founders Charles Migos and Bharat Vasan. And together, we talk about how to make the most out of AI tools, including mocking up ideas, iterating quickly and taking risks. About our guests, Charles Migos and Bharat...

You would never send a postcard instead of an email, create a zine instead of a white paper, or take polaroids instead of digital headshots.  But that’s why you, the digital marketer, should do it. There’s an appeal to all of these lo-fi, analog mediums that call back to yesteryear. A nostalgia. A deliberate denial of modernity.  Not only would it surprise your audience, it would lure them right i...

A fly fisherman goes to part of the river where the trout are feeding, uses a fly that mimics the insect hatching at that time, and times their cast to land just-so. A marketer goes where their target audience is, posts content in-sync with what’s trending, and times their campaign to land just-so.  It’s that same idea of tuning into the media landscape and knowing your audience that will land you...

Over 85 million people play Pokemon Go every month.*  They’re out there, wandering the real world, finding, catching and battling with their cute little virtual creatures.  But the experience is real and the people they play with are real. You could say it’s one of the most successful in-person activations ever.  Pokemon Go is proof that in-person activations act as an extremely effective marketin...

Not all remakes are created equal.  The Dune of 2021 is not the Dune of 1984. Maybe we should say not all “retellings” are created equal.  Because both movies are based on the 1965 book. But film critic Roger Ebert scathingly called the first one "an incomprehensible, ugly, unstructured, pointless excursion." Ouch. The second one - the one we’re talking about today - is a different story. It’s bee...

Everyone loves getting the insider view. It’s like getting let in on a secret. There’s an exclusivity to it that’s all too appealing.  So why not lure your audience in with the chance to be a fly on the wall in your story? That’s one of the things we’re talking about today with the help of our special guest, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at CSG, David Pendery.  Together, we’re taking ma...