Remarkable Content with Ian Faison

If you know Quentin Tarantino’s movies, it’s probably not a huge surprise that he’s a fan of Spaghetti Westerns.  Tarantino’s 2012 movie, Django Unchained , references Sergio Corbucci’s 1966 Spaghetti Western Django. But the tribute doesn’t stop there. There’s a scene in Django Unchained where a man asks Django how he spells his name. Django says, “The D is silent.” The man responds, “I know.”  Th...

What is the one thing that only your brand can bring to the table? Tapping into that thing is key to better messaging, better positioning, and better engagement. And here to help us sift out that marketing gold is our special guest, Content Marketing Manager at Varonis, Lexi Croisdale.  Together we’re talking about the podcast New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce .  Together, we’re pulling mark...

You may know Sex and the City as a massive hit and content machine - and the reason everyone was drinking cosmopolitans.  But you may not know that it started as an actual newspaper column. So let’s talk about how and why that one piece of content made a lasting mark on the cultural zeitgeist.  And what we can take from the show and apply to our own marketing. In this episode, we’re talking about...

It’s tempting to add some sauce to your content to give it flavor. But if the meat isn’t there, what’s the point?  You have to make sure there’s substance to your work before adding style. That’s one of the things we talk about with Caroline Van Dyke. In this episode, we’re taking marketing lessons from Hot Ones with Caroline’s help. She’s the Head of Content at Skilljar.  And together, we talk ab...

B2B content is often impersonal. It may be clean and polished and dialed in, much like an F1 race car. But as pretty as it is, it may blend into all the rest.  But if you let your audience under the hood, that’s how you win them over. You show them your personality, that there are real people behind the brand. That’s one of the things we’re talking about today as we take marketing lessons from Dri...

Have you ever predicted your next campaign’s success with uncanny accuracy? You will.  That’s because we’re bringing you marketing lessons this week from AT&T’s “You Will” campaign with the help of our special guest, Rokt CMO Doug Rozen. Together, we talk about demonstrating the future, using intrigue as a marketing tool, closing your copy strong, and increasing the frequency of your ads. About ou...

B2B marketers take themselves so seriously. A little self-deprecating humor wouldn’t go amiss.  It makes your brand more relatable, your content more shareable, and builds trust by acknowledging your brand’s imperfections.   That’s one of the things we’re talking about today with Reveal CMO Isaac Morehouse. Together, we’re taking marketing lessons from the Emmy-nominated show, Silicon Valley , inc...

There’s no shame in taking one good idea and reusing it. In continuing to improve and tweak it to get more juice for the squeeze. Especially when you’re struggling to come up with something new. That’s what J.R.R. Tolkien did in The Lord of the Rings. When asked for “more hobbits” by his publishers, Tolkien had to get crafty. Because he never meant for The Hobbit to have a sequel.  That’s one of t...

The fastest growing entertainment industry is not music and it’s not film. It’s video games. And they’re doing a lot of things right when it comes to marketing. Ever since arcades opened in the 1970s and Pong became popular, video games drew in a massive audience. So let’s talk about how the industry draws in all the eyes, ears, and thumbs.   In this episode, we’re chatting with the VP of Marketin...

In the early 2000s, showrunners Carter Bays and Craig Thomas were pitching ideas for sitcoms to CBS. And on only their second pitch, they struck gold. Why? Bays said, “It’s like the whole idea of ‘Write what you know.’ If you’re going to pitch someone and say, ‘Give me millions of dollars to write 100 or 200 episodes, you better have material. … Mine your life.” In this episode, we’re taking a loo...

Vanderpump Rules is proof that a spinoff can not only be hugely successful, but be its own Sexy Unique Content. Not only did the show capitalize on the success of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills , but on the star power of Lisa Vanderpump. Those are a few of the things we’re talking about today with the Senior Content & Communications Manager at UserGems, Amber Rhodes.  Together, we explore the ma...

In a world with lots of content noise, play to the silences. Let your messaging be simple and clear, and even short.  In this episode, we’re learning from the musician who let there be simplicity and space. Who played his trumpet in a sparse style so that each note was beautiful and carefully chosen. That’s Miles Davis. And with our special guest, Ben Lempert, Director of Content & Web at Heap, we...

There’s a lot of great content out there. So why not find inspiration there? Sample it, remix it and make it your own. In this episode, we’re turning to one of the greats when it comes to sampling: the late rapper and producer J Dilla.  Together with the help of our guest, Head of Marketing at Crowdcube, John Hills, we’re talking about borrowing from content that’s already out there, building your...

We knew this day would come. The day where we finally talk about the one tech company all others look up to: Apple.  The truth is that the behemoth has endured ups and downs to become one of the greatest brands of all time, and all under the leadership of Steve Jobs.  So in this episode, we’re taking marketing lessons from Steve Jobs based on his biography by Walter Isaacson with the help of our g...

Every B2B brand voice sounds the same. Let’s mix in some drama, a bit of comedy, maybe even suspense.  We’re here to convince you to blend genres and create something new, unique and attention grabbing. We’re taking notes from author Dan Simmons and his book The Terror with the help of our guest, JumpCloud CMO Micha Hershman. Together, we talk about mixing genres, using persuasion, and basing your...

If you don’t have a map, you’re lost. How do you know where you’re going or even what the next step is?  This is true whether you’re navigating Middle Earth or content creation. We’re here to help you get oriented. In this episode, we’re taking marketing lessons from The Hobbit with the help of our special guest, CMO at ChurnZero, Hunter Montgomery. Together, we talk about drawing a map, finding a...

Leslie Knope once said, “We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third.” And we agree, waffles are important. But we’re here today to talk about friends. Because making marketing friends is key to supporting your growth and content production. That’s one of the lessons we’re taking away from Parks and Recreation w...

There’s a very real shift in mindset between making a single piece of content and making a long-standing series.  But that shift in mindset launches a content machine that can fill your calendar, grow a dedicated audience, and build a name for your brand. And in this episode, we’re learning from one of the biggest content machines in reality TV: Survivor .  We’re looking at the show that’s been ru...

Making content that’s truly original is something all content marketers want to do. But then why does so much B2B content look and feel the same?  Today, we’re giving you permission to express yourself in content like you might express yourself in art.  In this episode, we’re taking lessons from the Japanese collective of ultra-technologists known as teamLab.  Together, with the help of our guest,...

It’s every marketer’s dream to inspire a cult-like following, but that term is usually used for B2C brands. Until you use the tips from this episode in your marketing. We’re pulling inspiration from the leather bag brand that brought in $128M in sales last year, Portland Leather Goods. With the help of our guest, Head of Marketing Production at Boomi, Danalynne Menegus, we’re talking about buildin...

Director Christopher Nolan once said: “You have to do something that really excites you. It’s the things that you can bring to what you’re doing that maybe not everyone else is doing. That’s what’s going to distinguish the thing.” That's the energy we’re taking into this episode of Remarkable.  Guided by our guest this week, Jellyfish CMO Kyle Lacy, we’re taking marketing lessons from the Oscar-wi...

Marketing is really lovely underneath it all. Sometimes you just need a little inspiration. And this week, we’re bringing you marketing lessons from the Grammy-winning and diamond-certified album holders, No Doubt.  Together, with the help of the Director of Product Marketing at GetResponse, we’re talking about going pop with your content, sharing the good with the bad, and so much more. About our...

When do you put together a campaign and think, “This is my masterpiece”?  You probably just need some inspiration. And today, that inspiration is coming from Francis Ford Coppola who created his masterpiece in 1972.  So in this episode, we’re gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse. We’re bringing you marketing lessons from The Godfather with the help of our guest, Director of Content, Digital Ma...

You can control your content. But you can’t control who sees it. That’s why you need to write both for your niche audience and the general public. Though writing for both is tricky, in this episode, we’re learning from the masters. We’re talking about Monty Python and the Holy Grail with the help of our guest, Emmanuel “Manu” Cohen, VP of Marketing at Walnut.io. Together, we talk about making your...

What do you want your audience to understand about your brand?  Ask this question with every piece of content you create. Because you want to drive home a specific message.  If it’s not doing the job, you need to synthesize the information for your audience. Distill your message to show the value and benefits of your product.  It’s how you cut through the noise and capture the attention of your au...