The Marketing Stir

Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, discusses his podcast, Hawke Talk, as well as how he thrives on a lack of consistency. He also tells the guys about the time he was a top-ranked World of Warcraft player. Ajay revels in the San Antonio snow, and Vincent wishes he was more entertaining.

Matt Staudt, President & CEO of VDC and the new Chief Strategy Officer at Stirista, discusses the nature of the new partnership between the two companies, as well as the current state of the alternative data space. He also gives a rundown of his favorite binge watches. Ajay reminisces, and Vincent gets bagels from Costco.

Sam Huston, Chief Strategy Officer at 3Q Digital, discusses the importance of client diversification, as well as the push for authenticity in marketing. He also delves into why false urgency is a bad tactic. Ajay gets another nickname and Vincent mails some socks.

Sebastian Opperman, Vice President of Marketing at IONIS, discusses the expansive responsibilities of his role as VP for the cloud service provider. He also offers insight on the differences between privacy standards in the EU and the U.S. Ajay is still great at tennis, and Vincent steals some thunder.

Gerry Marrone, Chief Revenue Officer at SPAR Group, discusses his childhood paper route, and how it carved out his path into marketing. He goes into detail about innovations in queue-line and curbside marketing strategies. They also delve into his passion for soccer. Ajay tries some whiskey, and Vincent decorates the house.

Andrew Koenig, President at CITY Furniture, tells the story of how his father and uncle’s waterbed-selling endeavor evolved into south Florida’s number one furniture retailer. He also goes in-depth about the company’s supply chain, as well as the rebirth of the waterbed. Ajay is just waking up, and Vincent loves to party.

Andrew Almendras, Vice President of Global Creative Marketing at IMAX, explores what the power of creativity, design and storytelling looks like in his role, and how that contributes to the brand’s evolved identity. He and Vincent also share their experiences with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Ajay gets a custom pair of socks, and Vincent continues his nicknaming streak.

Michael McLaren, Global CEO - B2B Group at Merkle, explores the transformation B2B has experienced the last few years and how Merkle works to build best-in-breed solutions for their clients. He also discusses the “book club” he started with his wife. Ajay puts up some impressive email numbers, and Vincent loves plants.

Franck Ardourel, Senior Marketing Principal Workforce Strategy Innovation at Amazon, discusses how the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence impacts marketing, but also how his role in recruitment is people-focused. He also shares a story about meeting Mark Zuckerberg. Ajay loves to travel and Vincent has a good day at work.

Greg Simpson, VP Head of Marketing for Saama, explains how they help accelerate clinical trials, and how the close-knit relationship between sales and marketing achieves this. He also shares a story about something he’s done in every state in the U.S. Ajay is back on the tennis court, and Vincent discovers the wonders of modern medicine.

Roe Palermo, former Vice President of Brand Experience and Visual Merchandising at Stein Mart, explores her role with the department store brand, and how she viewed herself as a matchmaker for brands and stores. She also goes into great detail about how she finds inspiration everywhere she goes. Ajay gives a lecture about driving cars and Vincent learns that Bloody Marys are everywhere.

Tom Stein, Chairman and Chief Client Officer at Stein IAS, explains how his role is about advancing the company’s presence in the world, and offers up a list of their impressive clientele. He also goes into detail about how he introduced the “entrepreneurial spirit” into his family. Ajay takes one for the tennis team, and Vincent is worried about sneezing.

Nancy Giordano, Founder and Strategic Futurist at Play Big, spells out what it means to be a strategic futurist, as well as the work that goes into identifying and addressing systemic injustices. She also discusses the power of saying thank you. Ajay is a boy genius, and Vincent has his eye on a silver apple.

Miriam Kendall, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Makespace, explores the wide-ranging role she has with the brand, as well as her time at Under Armour. She also discusses her involvement with the non-profit Play Like a Girl. Ajay ponders a turtleneck, and Vincent wears a nice suit jacket for once.

Nick Panayi, Chief Marketing Officer at Amelia, discusses the practical uses of conversational AI, as well as his own career evolution. He also explains how he sees account-based marketing as a discipline, and not just a marketing strategy. Ajay loves Mondays and Vincent needs more coffee.

Christina Carey Dunleavy, Vice President Portfolio Integrated Marketing and Partnerships at Discovery, discusses Discovery’s new streaming service as well as the brand’s reputation for authentic storytelling. She also shares a couple of other career aspirations she had as a first grader. Vincent is wearing pink again and Ajay needs to do his laundry.

In our 50th episode, Doug Zarkin, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Pearle Vision, discusses the importance of understanding people and how their roles impact the larger mission with a brand. He also delves into why he prefers passion over expertise when it comes to hiring. Ajay shares that he was a latecomer to turkey, and Vincent eats a bacon egg and cheese on a roll.

Eduardo Amaral, Growth Marketing Analyst at Brooklinen, spells out his role with the company and how starting his own business at the age of 17 helped him to get there. He also explains what an internship at Disney World taught him about empathy. Ajay is wearing Batman pajamas and Vincent is wearing a pink sweater.

Jens Nicolaysen, Co-founder and CMO at Shinesty, discusses the irreverent nature of their brand, as well as the strategy involved with advertising offbeat product lines. They also dive into the origins of Jens’ first business selling skateboard wax. Ajay has trouble sleeping, and Vincent receives an unusual email.

Nick Jordan, Founder of Narrative, explains how being in the weeds isn’t always a bad thing and how his work is like a middle-school dance. He also explains the nontraditional way he became a Mets fan. Ajay is fun and upbeat, and Vincent reminisces about a first date.

Amin Makhani, Vice President of Growth at Bento Box, explains what exactly it means to be a vice president of growth and how search has become a powerful factor in identifying clientele. Vincent and Amin discuss their shared standup comedy endeavours. Ajay celebrates an anniversary, and Vincent rides shotgun.

Ken Thewes, Chief Marketing Officer at Regal Cinemas, offers up firsthand how their theaters have continued to serve both consumer and B2B audiences during a challenging time for the industry. He also shares what the movies Grease and The Hunchback of Notre Dame have in common for him. Ajay gets some sleep, and Vincent makes a figure skating reference.

Sasha Mircov, Vice President of Operations at AdColony, explores rewarded video, privacy and other elements of the future of mobile marketing. He also explains the nuances of being a gamer. Ajay has his hands full and Vincent is curious about Flag Day.

Louise Pritchard, CMO at Shopii, goes in-depth about the ever-changing challenges of the grocery industry, and how Shopii works to foster a seamless shopping journey. She also offers up her experience with the obstacles and wins that come with being a woman in tech. Ajay takes a couple naps and Vincent runs out of dad shirts.

Katie Kirschner, Vice President of Brand Content and Digital Marketing at NCR, explains how ubiquitous NCR’s software offerings are, and explains in depth the importance of developing a robust content strategy. She also offers a rundown of the seven languages she speaks. Ajay’s happy and jolly, and Vincent has nothing to do with it. Give it a listen.