The Marketing Meeting with Itir Eraslan

Welcome to my channel. The Marketing Meeting is where I explore the questions behind brands, marketing, and growth with founders, brand leaders, and marketing experts. I started this podcast in 2021 because I had questions. For 18 years at Nike, I was inside a global brand and had access to many of those answers. But after leaving and building my own brand consulting business, I found myself askin...

If AI makes knowledge abundant, what becomes scarce? In this episode, we explore Chris Walker's idea that we are leaving the Information Era and entering what he calls The Frequency Era. Chris argues that as AI makes information, knowledge accumulation, and credentials increasingly abundant, the real value begins to move elsewhere: toward clarity, discernment, creativity, adaptability, self-trust,...

What is really happening with the new consumer in 2026, beyond headlines and survey data? In this episode, we look at consumer behavior, spending habits, and emerging brand trends with Dan Frommer, founder of The New Consumer. We discuss the gap between what consumers say and what they actually do, why inflation concerns can coexist with strong spending, and what it means that many Americans are n...

How is the global sports industry evolving after the extraordinary growth of the pandemic years? In this episode, we look at the sportswear market through the lens of long-time retail analyst Matt Powell. We discuss how consumer behavior is shifting away from hype-driven drops toward more inclusive, consumer-led trends, and why smaller brands are finding new opportunities in today's market. Matt e...

How do brands actually grow beyond performance marketing and short-term tactics? In this episode, we talk about brand-led growth in practice: the difference between marketing and branding, what "Capital-B Brand" really means, and why strong brand foundations matter. We explore how brand-led organizations operate, the role of a brand muse, and why growth is often an outcome of brand rather than a g...

It's 2026, and Clay Ostrom joins the show to kick things off with a great conversation about the importance of brand positioning in an age of copycats and technological parity. If you want to stand out this year and beyond, you need to look past product features and get to the heart of what drives your customers. Clay and Itir cover a lot of ground, including: how AI and increased competition are...

In this special episode on brand building, Itir sits down with Talia Tutak, founder and head baker of Sixteen Mill Bakeshop, a beloved Brooklyn bakery that's completely vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Talia shares her journey from baking sourdough bread in a tiny Midwood apartment to building a recognizable brand in New York's competitive bakery scene—all without formal baking training...

The Marketing Meeting is back! In her return to the podcast after a brief layoff, Itir is joined by Marty Neumeyer, to discuss the core principles of branding. Marty is the branding expert who famously said, "Your brand isn't what you  say it is. It's what  they say it is." Marty and Itir dissect common misconceptions about branding, emphasizing that a brand is fundamentally the customer's percept...

In this episode, Itir is joined by Kevin Indig, a growth advisor and SEO expert with a rich history of leading SEO and growth at Shopify. Kevin shares his insights into the evolution of SEO, from the early days of keyword stuffing to today's sophisticated AI-driven approaches. They discuss how trust and user experience have become essential in search optimization, the impact of AI on search behavi...

Nuri Cankaya, the Vice President of Commercial Marketing at Intel and author of AI in Marketing , joins the show to discuss the transformative impacts of AI on various marketing functions, particularly product and partner marketing, as well as how to implement AI effectively within teams and organizations. Also in this episode: the importance of AI assessment, implementation, and measurement, alon...

Totem cofounder and CEO Carter Fowler shares how he transformed a simple idea—a device that helps find friends at festivals without cell service—into a viral sensation and thriving brand. By focusing on founder-market fit, designing for organic sharing, and developing unique brand language, Totem created something people don't just buy, but buy into. Carter reveals how intentional branding from da...

In this candid conversation, Louis Grenier breaks down his book  Stand the F*ck Out  and shares his practical four-part marketing framework: insight foraging, unique positioning, distinctive branding, and continuous reach. While tools and tactics evolve, he argues that marketing fundamentals remain unchanged. Grenier passionately challenges marketing myths (especially the idea of "category creatio...

Are you a seasoned marketing expert who's interested in becoming a fractional CMO? What does a fractional CMO even do? In this illuminating conversation, Duct Tape Marketing founder John Jantsch makes the concept of fractional CMO leadership approachable. Exploring the nuances of strategic marketing for small to mid-sized businesses, Jantsch reveals how fractional CMOs can provide high-impact lead...

Video marketing pro Juma Bannister breaks down what really works when it comes to video content in 2025 landscape. From debunking the myth that "scrappy" videos are always better to sharing practical tips on lighting and sound, the conversation covers all the bases you need to know to succeed with video this year. Bannister explains why it's not enough to just slap a video on your website anymore—...

If you want to be a successful consultant, you need to focus on process—on creating "a set of pipes only you can play," as world-renowned consulting expert Alan Weiss puts it. In this episode, Alan shares hard-won insights from his decades of experience, including why successful consulting means being a good marketer, why presentations and pitches are midcentury relics, and why value-based pricing...

Marketing scientist Carl Driesener joins the show for a mini-masterclass on brand growth based on research insights from the Ehrenberg Bass Institute, where he is an associate professor. He and Itir cover how brand equity should be measured through consumer research and category entry points, the benefits of the "pick any" method for measuring brand image, why brand loyalty is often overstated, an...

In the final episode of 2024, LinkedIn expert and B2B Growth Co founder Michelle J Raymond shares her thoughts on what shifts to expect on the platform next year, and how brands can prepare. On tap in today's discussion are the shift toward a pay-to-play model, the growing influence of Gen Z users, the downside of relying on AI for your LinkedIn content, and a lot more. Michelle emphasizes the nee...

Brand strategist Massimo Giunco rejoins the podcast to share his rare perspective on the current state and future of marketing. Drawing from his extensive 25-year experience at Nike, Giunco explores critical challenges facing the industry in 2024 and beyond, including the pervasiveness of the "too big to fail" digital marketing ecosystem, increasingly intrusive data extraction, and the immense pow...

Do you struggle with distraction and multitasking? Do you have trouble setting goals? Do everyone else's lives just seem cooler than yours on social media? In a departure from the usual marketing-related content, Itir welcomes her sister Defne Eraslan, a psychiatrist, for an in-depth exploration of mental health. The episode offers an intimate conversation about understanding psychological challen...

Tom Denford joins Itir to discuss the challenges and opportunities marketers face in working with media agencies, focusing on transparency, trust, and long-term strategy. They cover the complexities of the buyer-seller roles within agencies, the shift toward in-house media capabilities, and practical advice for smaller brands looking to work with the right agency. A key takeaway is the importance...

In this episode, Allan Dib, founder of Lean Marketing and author of two bestsellers, shares his approach to setting loose goals and tight systems for continual progress—including how traditional goal-setting frameworks fall short. He explains the fundamentals of the lean marketing approach, and argues that today's marketers need to niche down— way down. Allan is the founder of Lean Marketing, a ma...

In this episode, Itir chats with Chris Do, an Emmy-winning designer and founder of Blind and The Futur. They touch on Chris's pivot from brand design to education, and dig into his practical advice for new entrepreneurs. Chris highlights the importance of staying financially secure before starting a business, finding market gaps that fit your skills, and offering free or low-cost services to build...

Professor Anindya Ghose discusses his upcoming book on AI and wellbeing, explaining the "House of AI" framework that corporate leaders can use to build an AI-driven organization and its applications in marketing. He covers topics like data engineering, marketing mix modeling, and the future of mobile advertising. He also shares insights on maintaining traditional marketing principles while embraci...

Dr. Jeffrey Funk offers a balanced perspective on AI hype, discussing the importance of understanding processes, evaluating technological progress, and critically assessing market signals. He emphasizes the need to look beyond superficial claims, like the idea that AI will replace 95 percent of marketers' workload. He also highlights potential pitfalls in AI adoption, and provides insights on avoi...

Ashley Gross, AI marketing strategist and founder of the Prompt community, discusses how entrepreneurs can leverage AI to build businesses rapidly. She shares insights on overcoming challenges, creating personalized marketing campaigns on a budget, and using specialized AI tools. Ashley also details her journey from corporate marketer to AI-empowered entrepreneur. Ashley is an AI marketing strateg...