In this episode, host Jeff Barry interviews the founder and CEO of Apricot Law, based in Hawthorne, NY. Now what does this have to do with Marketing? Well, Apricot Law isn’t a law firm, but a company that specializes in web development and SEO specifically for law firms. He has some great insights into how the power of strong marketing can render dedicated sales teams as unnecessary.

Elevator Pitches are quick episodes featuring one of our beloved hosts opining on something that caught their attention in the marketing world. In our youthful video production days, filming weddings and other events, we all got elbowed out of the way by a territorial stills photographer every now and again. These days, though, that same stills photographer has been sidelined by the ubiquitous need for video. Victory is ours! But wait, argues host Jeff Barry, there’s still a place for stills, and though they may have shoved us aside at the last bar mitzvah we filmed back in 2002, we’re here to open our arms, and say there’s opportunities being missed by brands that are already ponying up for a production day, and not taking advantage of capturing beautiful photos alongside the (admittedly superior) video production. Seriously, we’re over it.

Elevator Pitches are quick episodes featuring one of our beloved hosts opining on something that caught their attention in the marketing world. When we went into lockdown, production ceased for months. How, then, were big brands going to hawk their wares? Many brands turned to a style of commercial that involved talent self-taping. A style already popular among influencers suddenly became mainstream. Host Jeff Barry unpacks the trend.

In our final installment of conversations from Neocon, we offer our unabridged conversation with Zenbooth, the company that offers premium privacy booths that are friendly for people, the planet, and your wallet. Founder Sam Johnson and Sales Marketing Lead Bex Hartke tell us about the formation of the company, their ethos, and how they try to think differently when it comes to their approach to traditional marketing models, as well as emerging technologies.

Check out their products at Zenbooth.net and follow them on Instagram @zenbooth.

It's another episode of our series within the series, where we explore the emotionally complex issue around the burgeoning technology of artificial intelligence. This time, instead of just Jeff and Ryan volleying ideas from the safety of their respective recording spaces, we're in the field, gathering the thoughts and insights from the marketers we spoke with at Neocon.

Big thanks again to everyone who took time to chat with us. Check them out!

Swatchbox

Zenbooth

Lifespan Fitness

Amazing Magnets

Hunter Douglas Architectural

9to5 Seating

Moss, Inc.

Jeff and Ryan find themselves in the Windy City, home to one of the biggest design expos in the U.S.: Neocon. We took the opportunity to chat with a few of the marketers that were in attendance, representing some pretty amazing organizations. We talk about whether exhibiting at trade shows is still viable and how they continue to preferred online platforms are

Big thanks to everyone who gave so generously of their time in the midst of a very hectic and lively event:

Swatchbox

Zenbooth

Lifespan Fitness

Amazing Magnets

Hunter Douglas Architectural

9to5 Seating

Moss, Inc.

This past Tuesday, Apple unveiled their first augmented/virtual reality headset, marching into the fray with companies like Meta and Sony Playstation. But for Ryan and Jeff, what sets this headset apart is that it's not just for gaming, or wandering around in virtual worlds; it's a workstation, entertainment arena, and, yes, also a gaming device. Is this something that, like the iPhone, is going to lead to new, more dynamic opportunities for marketers to reach their audience. Spoiler alert: Ryan is a hard-yes on this question.

Elevator Pitches are quick episodes featuring one of our beloved hosts opining on something that caught their attention in the marketing world. In this episode, host Jeff Barry explores the varied best practices when it comes to video runtimes, which tend to skew shorter on social media platforms and longer on YouTube, providing marketers a unique opportunity to distill more information to their target audiences.

The first in an ongoing series of discussions about the exciting/frightening emergence of artificial intelligence as it relates to the marketing industry. Jeff and Ryan give an overview of where AI is today, and explore the potential and the peril of this rapidly evolving technology. This episode focuses in on whether or not natural language processing tools, like ChatGPT, have the ability to replace copywriters, screenwriters, and other roles in the creative services arena.

On May 12th, Amazon Prime Video released the movie 'Air' on its streaming platform, following a brief theatrical run. The movie centers around Nike's efforts in 1984 to sign Michael Jordan to a sneaker deal that would ultimately net billions of dollars for everyone involved, and forever change the way athlete endorsement deals are forged. Jeff and Ryan compare that time period to today, and what inspiration can be drawn from the story as we continue to try to be innovative in our own marketing efforts.