Marketing research is a vital tool in any marketer’s kit, and today’s guest has created a research firm unlike any other. Duane Varan, founder of MediaScience, has invested every penny of profit back into the business, creating a company that rivals, and often surpasses, the amount of research being done by top universities around the world. In total, the team at MediaScience has authored more than 100 academic publications, a staggering amount for a non-academic institution. Duane explained the role neuroscience plays in his research, discussed the company’s latest venture, HARK Connect, and shared some fascinating facts about one of his favorite subjects: Chicago crime boss Al Capone.

Third-party cookies may be sticking around for a while longer, but the writing is on the wall for digital marketers—their world is about to change. However, while tech giants like Facebook and Google determine what the future of digital advertising will look like, marketers don’t have to wait on the sidelines. Stephanie Bohn, Global Chief Brand Officer at VidMob, joined the podcast to discuss the company’s latest report – “The Essential Guide to Signal Loss for Digital Marketers.” This report acts as both an explainer for what’s happening in the world of digital consumer tracking, and an introduction to a new kind of first-party data: Creative Data.

Moving onto a new social platform can be a harrowing experience for any brand. A lack of understanding of the platform, inauthentic messaging, or plain tone deafness can spell disaster for a business looking to reach their consumers in these spaces. So, when Nerf took the plunge and joined Tik Tok, they knew they had a challenge ahead of them. Teaming with Tik Tok advertising maestros, Movers+Shakers, Nerf set out to find someone native to the platform to lead the way for them; in other words, their very own Chief Tik Tok officer.

Joseph Jaffe, host of Joseph Jaffe is Not Famous, returns for part II of our very special episode of the Marketing Futures podcast. In it, Joe discusses how he’s leveraging cryptocurrency to deepen engagement with his digital community, and what marketers could learn from this burgeoning technology space. Finally, he explains why diversity, equity, and inclusion is the path to the future for businesses and people alike.

Joseph Jaffe is an author, CEO, futurist, disruptor, and now, a late-night talk show host. During the pandemic, he launched “Corona TV” to give himself—and the marketing world—something to do. Now, over 150 episodes later, the newly rebranded “Joseph Jaffe is Not Famous” is a show about hope, positivity, optimism, and, if there’s time for it, marketing. This jack of all trades discussed the creator economy, streaming, cryptocurrency, diversity, and more in a special two-part series of the Futures Podcast.

Personalization in marketing is nothing new; since the dawn of the internet, brands have been able to customize messaging to specific groups or even individuals. However, we haven’t always used this engagement superpower for good. Many brands have been guilty of getting a little too personal and creeping out their customers in the process. But today’s guest says there’s a bright future for personalization as a cornerstone to modern marketing. Mike Barclay of MoEngage joined the pod to discuss the highs and lows of personalization, and what brands born before the dawn of the internet can do to get in on the personalization game.

In 2020, upwards of 845,000 weddings were canceled due to COVID-19. However, many brave couples decided their love couldn't wait, even if their friends and families couldn't be there with them to celebrate. Jared the Galleria of Jewelry stepped up to help these of couples make their dreams come true with a seamless and personalized virtual wedding platform, complete with customizable invitations, streaming, and celebrity advice and officiants. Alan Gravely, VP of Marketing and eCommerce for Signet Jewelers, took us behind the scenes and explained how the platform and campaign came together within a matter of days.

It’s safe to say that 2020 was a surreal year for everyone, but for Dave Mering, founder of the Mering Agency, a Shipyard company, that doesn’t begin to describe it. His agency works almost exclusively with brands in the travel and tourism industry, and as the world began to shut down due to COVID 19, 100 percent of his clients pulled all advertising, as consumers were asked to stay home. Dave and his agency faced massive challenges, but with agile operation and innovative thinking, they were able to create compelling work that kept tourist destinations top of mind without actually encouraging them to travel.

Today’s guest is Erich Joachimsthaler, CEO and author of The Interaction Field (among others). Since his time at university, Erich has spent his career chasing the intangible value of a brand, far beyond sentimentality and logo recognition. In his latest book, Erich lays out the true intangible value brands can leverage — new digital business models that go beyond delivering great products and services. He shared why brands must enter into a new “Customer Contract” with consumers, one in which they work to solve problems faced by society, not the market.

Our industry has a diversity problem. The lack of equity and inclusion on marketing teams – particularly leadership – is why today’s guest stopped waiting for a seat at a table and built her own. Selle Evans is the founder and CEO of Masterly Business Solutions, a marketing agency focused on leveraging personalization to grow brands. Selle and Mike discussed the power of personalization, common mistakes companies make in their early stages, and the romantic power of Mix CDs.