The Marketing Architects

A study from Les Binet and Peter Field found that for every 10-point increase in excess share of voice, brands see around a 0.5% annual market share growth on average. But does this marketing principle still hold true in today's fragmented media landscape? This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by VP of Strategy Dan Cleveland to explore excess share of voice (ESOV) and its enduring relevance...

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 creative advertisements can actually hurt the performance of regular ads shown alongside them. They discuss why brands with smaller...

Marketers only accurately predict the outcome of an A/B test 52% of the time. With today's viewers constantly multitasking, creative has seconds—not minutes—to make an impact. But many brands still rely on outdated approaches, leading to forgettable commercials. In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Chief Creative Officer Steve Babcock to discuss Marketing Architects' new report on...

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 emotions outweigh logic in advertising effectiveness. They discuss research showing emotional responses are nearly twice as powerful...

CTV ad revenue is projected to reach $28 billion this year, but 39% of advertisers still cite transparency in ad placements as a major concern. Is Connected TV delivering on its promises or falling short? This episode, Elena and Angela are joined by Chief Media Officer Catherine Walstad to discuss the state of CTV advertising. They explore the maturing optimism around streaming TV and share practi...

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 humor in advertising drives stronger brand recall and sales despite its 37% decline over the past two decades. They reveal why creat...

Only 90% of marketers see an ROI boost when they add brand building to performance marketing. Yet American marketers still struggle to prioritize effectiveness over efficiency, with many optimizing for lower costs rather than long-term business growth. This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Lexi Wolf, Head of Advisory at WARC North America, to explore how marketing effectiveness is gaining momentu...

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 uncover what design elements actually drive direct mail success. They explore research showing that opening and keeping mail require different s...

AI video tools have created lifelike Coca-Cola trucks, festive scenes, and even Angela's face in today's episode. These jaw-dropping demonstrations highlight how rapidly AI video has evolved and the debate this technology is creating. This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Seth Woodall, Director of AI Visual Arts at Misfits & Machines and creator of the viral "Pepperoni Hug Spot" commercial. T...

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 the Dirichlet model challenges common beliefs about brand loyalty. They reveal why most consumers aren't deeply loyal to specific br...

In Peter Field's article "Challenger Thinking is How Brands Drive Growth," he states that challenger brands aren't born just from unique founders or lucky circumstances. Challenger thinking is actually how brands grow. This week, Elena and Angela are joined by Marketing Architects founder Chuck Hengel to talk about marketing like a challenger brand. Chuck shares stories from creating and 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 explore why the brand versus performance debate misses the point. They discover that integrating both approaches creates a powerful multiplier e...

Stories capture human attention like nothing else. The best advertising doesn't just explain features, it creates emotional connections that make your message stick. When brands tell compelling stories, they're perceived as more trustworthy than those relying on straightforward product messaging. Elena, Angela, and Rob explore the science behind storytelling in marketing, from neurological engagem...

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 brand salience differs from simple awareness. They reveal why connecting your brand to multiple buying situations matters more than...

A recent study comparing AI-driven research to traditional focus groups found synthetic research is faster, more efficient, and better at spotting trends in massive datasets than human-to-human methods. Elena, Angela, and Rob explore how synthetic audiences are revolutionizing market research, from creative pretesting to consumer behavior prediction. Learn how Marketing Architects developed Script...

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 last-touch attribution leads marketers to overvalue certain ads and make poor bidding decisions. They reveal why having no attribut...

When consumers deliberately avoid buying situations to cut costs, brands risk losing their mental connection with shoppers. The key to staying relevant? Defending existing category entry points while creating new ones. Elena, Angela, and Rob explore what makes category entry points effective and how brands can build them. They discuss different types of CEPs, from needs-based to emotional triggers...

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 new research that challenges how marketers approach media mix planning. They reveal why optimizing for reach alone leaves significant br...

According to the World Federation of Advertisers, digital ad fraud may become the second largest source of criminal income in the world after drug trafficking. For marketers spending billions on digital ads, this isn't just concerning—it's a crisis. This week, Elena and Rob are joined by "The Ad Contrarian" Bob Hoffman. As a former agency CEO turned industry critic, Bob shares his unfiltered persp...

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 boring advertising drains marketing budgets and hinders brand growth. They reveal the staggering cost of dull ads and which industri...

Only half of marketers believe they understand marketing effectiveness principles according to WARC. Even worse, many US marketers lag their global peers in applying these proven frameworks for growth. Elena, Angela, and Rob break down the most important marketing effectiveness principles every marketer should know. They examine why these principles work, how to apply them to your brand, and what...

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 drives ROI for Super Bowl advertisers by examining six years of sales data across nearly 200 media markets. They reveal why some br...

A 30-second Super Bowl spot now costs over $7 million—a 337% increase since 1999. But does this massive investment drive real results? And what separates the memorable ads from the forgettable ones? Elena, Angela, and Rob explore what makes Super Bowl ads effective, from creative principles to strategic considerations. Drawing from both successful and failed campaigns, the team shares what markete...

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 traditional advertising, display ads, and paid search impact brand value during mergers and acquisitions. Their discussion reveals s...

Since 2010, the efficiency of highly creative campaigns has halved according to research by Peter Field. And the cost of dull advertising? U.S. brands would need to spend an additional $189 billion annually to make underperforming ads as effective as top performers. Elena, Angela, and Rob examine what's driving this creative crisis and how marketers can produce more effective campaigns. From the i...