In Clear Focus

In Clear Focus: Eric Ortiz, EVP at Magical Brands, shares how his marketing team navigates domestic regulations around cannabis, CBD, and hemp-based products on a state-by-state basis. Eric speaks candidly about the practical challenges facing the industry, and the importance of the MORE Act, which would decriminalize marijuana at a federal level. Eric offers practical advice for cannabis and CBD brands looking to engage consumers and remain compliant with social platforms' advertising rules.

In Clear Focus: Emotions are central to human decision-making, but research has traditionally lacked the tools to accurately capture and assess them. Building on her experience as a quantitative researcher, and studies in neuroscience, Lana Novikova has developed a tool that decodes human emotions from unstructured data. In this week's podcast, we hear how Heartbeat AI provides marketing researchers with unique insights that can be applied to the creative development of advertising campaigns.

In Clear Focus: Bigeye discusses the growth of payment technology company Fattmerchant with the company's VP of Marketing, Mason Dorner. Sharing some of the tactics that have made Fattmerchant a poster child for Central Florida's tech community, Mason outlines his team's structure, marketing technology stack, and his personal philosophy for keeping ahead in a highly competitive industry. Mason also reflects on differences between performance and brand campaigns for high-growth companies.

In Clear Focus: Female entrepreneurship in the US has increased by over 30 percent since 2007. In this episode, five female entrepreneurs leading flourishing businesses share their founding stories. We hear from a direct-to-consumer pioneer who created a top-ranked cat subscription box, a beauty industry professional creating a CBD line, an Influencer-turned-CEO, a journalist who found a new creative outlet in podcasting, and an advertising matchmaker connecting podcast producers to sponsors. 

In Clear Focus this week: As millions of views of "unboxing" videos on social media demonstrate, packaging is an important part of the customer experience. Industry expert Brandon Frank explains how evolving consumer attitudes are leading brands to embrace sustainable packaging solutions. Brandon shares the inside story of innovative packaging his company, Pacific Packaging Components, developed for premium beauty brand Drunk Elephant, and his role as a member of Credo's Clean Beauty Council. 

In Clear Focus this week: Direct-to-consumer multivitamin brand Ritual's Senior Director of Marketing, Claire Knebl, discusses the evolution of the company. Claire explains how her previous role with Glossier has influenced the way she approaches building the Ritual brand. Sharing the challenges of managing a distributed team during the pandemic, Claire reveals lessons learned in 2020 and offers practical advice for students and recent graduates seeking to secure their first marketing role.  

In Clear Focus this week: Bigeye discusses the results of a Market Research Society report with its author, Dr. Marie-Claude Gervais. Co-founder of Versiti in London, UK, Dr. Gervais conducts research with traditionally underrepresented groups in society. She explains the roots of many market researchers' unconscious biases, the benefits of engaging with minority audiences, and suggests practical steps we can take to ensure consumer research is truly diverse, inclusive, and representative.

In Clear Focus this week: Bigeye celebrates the first decade of Orlando-based consumer lifestyle and hydration brand Corkcicle. The podcast features Amanda Nelson, Corkcicle's VP of Ecommerce, and Morgan Jenkins, Director of Content Marketing. We learn what led to the company's founding, how Corkcicle develops new products, and the structure of its MarTech stack. In Clear Focus listeners can use the code BIGEYE20 to receive 20 percent off an order at Corkcicle.com. Offer valid through 12/31.

In Clear Focus this week: Audio branding experts Jon Rhuff and Yeosh Bendayan of Push Button Productions in Orlando invite us to be the first to record a show in their new, dedicated podcast studio. Jon and Yeosh discuss how they work with clients and share some case studies. We learn the neuroscience of why jingles are so memorable and how COVID-19 inspired Push Button's innovative "Studio in a Box." Plus, Jon and Yeosh offer tips for agencies to ensure successful, creative audio projects.

In Clear Focus this week: Some of the secrets of successful podcast advertising are revealed by industry expert Heather Osgood, the host of The Podcast Advertising Playbook and founder of True Native Media. With the medium seeing a boost in listenership this year, Heather explains how her company connects podcast producers with advertisers, why she is excited about Spotify's big investments in podcasting, and offers practical tips for media planners looking to add podcast ads to their buys.