The Marketing Architects

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 presence and timing shape viewer memory. They reveal why showing your brand early and often for at least two-thirds of the ad is critical for recognition.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Brand Recognition in Television Advertising: The Influence of Brand Presence and Brand Introduction"[02:00] How brand presence affects recall[03:00] The cost of delayed brand introduction[04:00] The two-thirds rule for optimal recognition[05:00] Building memory structures through creative[06:00] Why storytelling techniques can backfire  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Gerber, C., Terblanche-Smit, M., & Crommelin, T. (2014). Brand recognition in television advertising: The influence of brand presence and brand introduction.Acta Commercii, 14(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v14i1.223  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

When your grandma starts asking ChatGPT for recommendations, you know search has fundamentally changed. Josh Blyskal from Profound tracks billions of real AI search queries, and his data reveals a massive shift in how consumers discover and evaluate brands.This week, Elena, Rob, and Jonathan sit down with Josh to discuss answer engine optimization (AEO) and what marketers need to know right now. Josh explains why traditional SEO tactics like domain authority matter less in AI search, how different engines cite content, and the surprising power of FAQs in product discovery. Plus, learn why SEOs have never had a better opportunity to become heroes in their marketing organizations.Topics covered: [04:00] When AI search shifted from novelty to cultural necessity[06:00] How ranking signals differ between ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity[09:00] Why domain authority matters less for AEO than traditional SEO[14:00] Tracking real user prompts across the marketing funnel[19:00] How instant checkout in ChatGPT changes brand visibility strategy[22:00] Why FAQs increased citations by 848% in top-performing domains[26:00] Why SEOs should lead the AEO charge at their companies To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2025 Profound Article: https://www.tryprofound.com/guides/what-is-answer-engine-optimizationProfound Website: https://www.tryprofound.com/Profound LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tryprofound/Josh Blyskal’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-blyskal/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Highly engaging music can double your return on media investment. Yet most brands treat music as an afterthought, leaving millions on the table.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Roscoe Williamson, Global Strategy Director at MassiveMusic. Together, they dig into groundbreaking research proving music is a tangible driver of marketing effectiveness. Roscoe shares findings from a study with the IPA that tested hundreds of UK TV ads and reveals which types of music increase brand fame, willingness to pay, and campaign ROI.Topics covered: [01:00] The history of music in advertising from jingles to sonic ecosystems[09:00] Why longer-form music has been a black hole in effectiveness research[14:00] How engaging music can double return on media investment[17:00] Examples of brands using music to drive effectiveness[23:00] Why CMOs should mandate music testing for campaigns over $1 million[27:00] The future of sonic branding and generative AI music  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: IPA & Massive Music Report: https://resources.massivemusic.com/sound-science-whitepaperRoscoe Williamson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roscoewilliamson/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Reach beats creative. That's the contrarian truth most marketers miss. A 2x better creative won't beat 100x greater reach. And yet brands keep choosing frequency over breadth, hyper-targeting over scale. This week, we're sharing a special recording from Brandweek. Angela is joined on-stage by Dale Harrison. Together, they dig into reach primacy: the idea that ongoing reach, not creative brilliance, drives share of market. They explore why brand recall at purchase matters more than top of mind awareness, how forgetting forces you into always on campaigns, and why light buyers fuel growth. Plus, learn how AI driven media buying slashes TV costs while expanding reach across linear and CTV. Topics covered: [01:00] Why reach is more powerful than creative effectiveness[03:00] Brand recall at purchase and the 95-5 rule[06:00] Reach as a rate, not a number[11:00] The danger of hyper-targeting on CTV[13:00] Why TV gets unfairly labeled as expensive[16:00] Using multiple measurement models to prove TV performance  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources:  Watch: The Math Behind Smarter TV Advertising: https://www.marketingarchitects.com/blog/watch-the-math-behind-smarter-tv-advertisingDale Harrison’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalewharrison/Angela Voss’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamvoss/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 gift-giving experiences shape emotions, relationships, and brand perception. They reveal why the best brands focus on creating memorable experiences rather than just selling products during the holidays. Topics covered:   [01:00] "Gift Experience in Marketing: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda"[03:00] What marketers get wrong about holiday gifting[05:00] The four key elements of gift exchanges[06:00] Three stages of gift-giving: gestation, presentation, and reformulation[07:00] Why experiential gifts outperform material ones[08:00] Making the giver the hero  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Tyagi, H., & Rahman, Z. (2025). Gift experience in marketing: A systematic review and future research agenda. Indian Institute of Technology.  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.