Remarkable Content with Ian Faison

When it comes to marketing, the boldest ideas often come from imagining a future no one else can see, then making it real.

That’s exactly what Stanley Kubrick achieved with 2001: A Space Odyssey, a film that married meticulous research with visionary storytelling to create the most realistic depiction of space the world had ever seen. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Josh Golden, CMO at Quad.

Together, we dive into how marketers can embrace risk, iterate through failure, compete on imagination rather than resources, and create experiences—both digital and physical—that deliver the elusive “wow” factor. All while staying relevant, resonant, and ready to invent the future.

About our guest, Josh Golden

As Chief Marketing Officer at Quad, Josh Golden is architecting the evolution of Quad as a marketing experience company. He leads a highly collaborative team that works with marketers around the world to clear the path for a frictionless solution to easily communicate with their optimal audience.

Quad’s clients are the lifeblood of its operations, driving the company’s evolution and influencing its every action. Josh is helping the company combine Quad’s history as a manufacturer and commercial printer with this marketer-obsessed philosophy to best support client growth and eliminate the interference that otherwise causes them to lose time, money, and customers.

Since assuming his role, Josh has defined the Quad brand narrative, developed the company’s “marketing experience” framing, implemented a new Quad design system and initiated brand and product marketing campaigns for key verticals.

With more than three decades of experience in marketing, branding, media, and content, Josh is one of the most prolific connectors in the marketing industry. Prior to joining Quad in 2021, Josh was President and Publisher of Ad Age where he spurred transformative growth for the venerable, 90-year trade publication and media brand. His passion for driving evolution was also on display as Vice President, Global Digital Marketing, at Xerox; Group Director of Digital Marketing at NBC Universal; Chief Digital Officer at Grey Group; Managing Director, Digital at Havas; and head of the first digital division at Young & Rubicam.

A self-proclaimed “professional groupie,” Josh avidly follows and cheers people who pursue their passions. He likes playing a little semi-aggressive tennis and makes a killer “cheater” banana bread. He lives in Westchester, NY with his wife and two teenage children.

Josh received his MBA from New York University and his B.S. in communications from Ithaca College.

What B2B Companies Can Learn From 2001: A Space Odyssey:

• Embrace the process, not just the end product. Kubrick went through a massive number of iterations before landing on the film we know and love today. Josh says, “There is not one singular moment; it’s a series of failures.” In marketing, abandoned ideas aren’t wasted. They’re the iterations that lead to something great. Like Kubrick, be willing to test, discard, and refine until you find the version that truly resonates. The process is the work.
• AI can execute, but humans inspire. Hal, the AI in 2001, could run the ship, but couldn’t imagine a better way forward. Josh says, “ Humans have the capacity to do the wow factor.” AI can give you the exact steps to execute a campaign, but it can’t create the unexpected spark that makes it unforgettable. Your job as a marketer is to deliver that human insight and surprise that AI can’t replicate.
• Inspiration doesn’t have to start from scratch.2001 began as a loose adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s short story The Sentinel, but evolved far beyond it. Josh reflects, “You’re ultimately gonna go rewrite it in your own way.” In marketing, you can take inspiration from existing ideas, but the magic comes from reshaping them into something uniquely yours.

Quote

“There’s moments that we all have as marketers where real ideas happen, and I celebrate those…but in truth…There is not one singular moment. It’s a series of failures…That inspiration is evident in the film, and it's evident that in the actual process of trying and failing and trying and failing and trying and failing, and then getting to a point where you're like, wow, this is actually kind of okay.’”

Time Stamps

[00:55] Meet Josh Golden, CMO at Quad

[01:27] The Role of CMO at Quad

[02:54] Overview of 2001: A Space Odyssey

[21:45] B2B Marketing Lessons from 2001: A Space Odyssey

[25:28] The AI Character and Its Implications

[26:42] AI vs. Human Creativity

[43:21] Final Thoughts & Takeaways

Links

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn

Learn more about Quad

About Remarkable!

Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. 

In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. 

Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When small-market teams face off against deep-pocketed competitors, winning means rewriting the rules of the game. 

That’s exactly what happened in Moneyball, where the Oakland A’s turned to unconventional metrics and overlooked talent to outsmart the league’s biggest spenders. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Scott Greenwald, CMO at Linedata.

Together, we dive into how B2B marketers can rethink the metrics that matter, compete asymmetrically against larger rivals, align teams around bold strategies, and tell stories that stick, all while staying credible, prepared, and ready to adapt.

About our guest, Scott Greenwald

At Linedata, Scott’s tenure as Chief Marketing Officer has been marked by the successful leadership of a dynamic, multi-lingual team and the creation of transformative digital marketing strategies. Our efforts have resulted in a staggering 600% year-over-year increase in web traffic, contributing significantly to a 20% generation of the sales pipeline.

Scott’s role extends to overseeing the marketing budget and launching a new CRM and Marketing Automation tool, which has streamlined Linedata’s pipeline review process and accelerated the sales cycle. With a focus on driving market visibility and thought leadership, Scott’s strategic campaigns across key global markets have empowered Linedata to cement its presence in the competitive financial services industry.

What B2B Companies Can Learn From Moneyball:

• Focus on the outcomes that matter.  In Moneyball, the point wasn’t to sign the flashiest “five-tool” players; it was to score runs. The same is true in marketing. Scott says, “In the end, it’s how many of the MQLs turn into opportunities or new business? And that’s what we focus on.” Metrics that look good in a report mean nothing if they don’t turn into real pipeline and closed deals. In B2B, your scoreboard isn’t impressions or clicks, it’s revenue.
• Credibility over volume in content. AI makes it easy to crank out more content than ever before, but more isn’t always better. “If we suddenly increased our, our, our output fivefold, we, we would lose that credibility,” Scott says. His team uses AI to adapt and reformat high-quality core pieces, not flood the market with fluff. Your audience notices when your content is consistent, credible, and worth their time—and they notice just as fast when it’s not.
• Compete asymmetrically. The A’s couldn’t outspend the Yankees or Red Sox, so they had to outthink them. That meant challenging every “sacred cow” in baseball and finding value others overlooked. Scott explains, “You can’t come in here and say, I’m going to transform this marketing organization into what I had before… you have to assess the talent pool [and] review the best way of spending the marketing budgets you have.” In marketing, the same rule applies: when you can’t match your competitors’ budget, you win by rewriting the playbook.

Quote

“It is our responsibility as storytellers of not just giving the business what they want, but also giving the audience what they need to hear.”

Time Stamps

[00:55] Meet Scott Greenwal, CMO at Linedata

[01:04] Why Moneyball?

[06:45] Behind the Scenes of Moneyball

[10:00] B2B Marketing Lessons from Moneyball

[31:51] The Importance of Storytelling

[37:18] The Role of Communication in Change Management

[41:02] The Evolution of Marketing Automation

[45:30] Balancing Content Quality and Quantity

[47:00 Final Thoughts & Takeaways

Links

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn

Learn more about Linedata

About Remarkable!

Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. 

In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. 

Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a world full of polished content, authenticity is what truly cuts through.

That’s the secret behind Armchair Expert, the wildly popular podcast from Dax Shepard that mixes candid conversation with crowd-sourced chaos. In this episode, we unpack the marketing insights behind it with the help of our special guest Derek Weeks, Chief Marketing Officer at Katalon.

Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from building real connections, inviting community participation, and letting go of perfection to create content people genuinely trust and engage with.

About our guest, Derek Weeks

Derek Weeks is the Chief Marketing Officer at Katalon. He is a driven, results-oriented CMO with a proven ability to achieve multiple successful exits, build and execute bold go-to-market strategies for each stage of business growth, and demonstrate solid returns on marketing investments. Accomplished at building high-performing teams, driving quality marketing-sourced pipeline, developing massive communities, and collaborating with sales teams to meet business targets.

What B2B Companies Can Learn From the Armchair Expert Podcast:

• Vulnerability builds trust and attention. Derek Weeks emphasizes that Armchair Expert’s standout quality is its authentic vulnerability, which creates a powerful emotional connection with listeners. He explains, “It’s really about being human… It builds an emotional connection with your brand.” Derek draws a parallel to B2B marketing, highlighting that it’s crucial to showcase real people behind the brand to forge trust.
• Mix long-form and short-form content strategically. Armchair Expert masterfully balances 90-minute conversations with short, snackable segments like Armchair Anonymous. Derek believes this dual-format approach is essential for B2B marketing: “That kind of mix of long and short is something that you have to play into as a marketer and realize your audience expects different things at different times.” He stresses that marketers must go deep when it matters, but also repurpose content aggressively to cater to varied audience behaviors, especially across platforms like TikTok.
• Empower community-generated content. Derek praises Armchair Expert for its use of community-driven content through Armchair Anonymous, where listeners share personal stories weekly. He says, “They really don’t have to spend time creating content at all… believe in your community and the value that they create.” B2B marketers should harness their user-generated content to scale content creation far beyond the limits of a marketing budget.

Quotes

“ You have to think about what draws people to the next.  What did you do in that moment that got people to say, ‘This is worth following or paying attention to or coming back again?’  Figure out what's going to make people come back, not what makes people appear the first time.  The first time is kind of an easy win. The second time, or third time, or 10th time is the hard part.”

Time Stamps

[00:55]  Meet Derek Weeks, CMO at Katalon

[01:23]  Why Armchair Expert?

[03:01] Vulnerability and Trust in B2B

[08:58]  Don’t Build Campaigns, Build Conversations

[13:37] The Long-Form to Short-Form Pipeline

[19:05] Unfair Mindshare

[21:47] What Armchair Expert Gets Right

[24:01] Practical Ways to Bring Personality into B2B

[27:38] Final Thoughts & Takeaways

Links

Connect with Derek on LinkedIn

Learn more about Katalon

About Remarkable!

Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. 

In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. 

Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Turning into your parents might be your worst fear, or your biggest marketing opportunity.

That’s the brilliance of Progressive’s Dr. Rick campaign. It’s hilarious, deeply relatable, and sneakily strategic. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Keri McGhee, Chief Marketing Officer at Attentive.

Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from character-driven storytelling, embracing creative risk, and using humor and relatability to create campaigns that people actually want to talk about.

About our guest, Keri McGhee

Keri McGhee is the CMO at Attentive, the AI marketing platform for leading brands. She leads strategic global marketing to further build the Attentive brand, overseeing product marketing, revenue marketing, events, partner marketing, communications and content, and brand creative. Keri's past experiences include leading marketing at various start-ups and as a senior director at Zillow, where she led the B2B marketing team of 60+ people, responsible for strengthening partner loyalty and experience for 60,000+ real estate partners. She got her start in tech at Expedia, leading both consumer and corporate travel marketing teams.

What B2B Companies Can Learn From Progressive’s Dr. Rick Campaign:

• Take creative risks. Keri’s central message is clear: great brand moments come from taking chances. “We take ourselves way too seriously in B2B.  So I think my advice is to step outside of the comfort zone of what the CFO, and the COO, and the CEO say yes to. And do the work to get the customer validation to pitch in some new idea..” B2B marketers often play it safe, focusing on product features, ROI charts, or thought leadership. But real differentiation happens when you create something unexpected, emotional, or funny. The Dr. Rick campaign could’ve flopped. Instead, it became a cultural reference point.
• Make your audience feel seen. The best ads are mirrors, not megaphones. Progressive tapped into a deep, relatable insecurity, “Am I becoming my parents?” Keri shares, “It's incredibly memorable, which I think is the most important thing in marketing right now.” For B2B, this could mean identifying moments of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or job-related stress and playfully reflecting those back to the buyer.
• Build a fictional persona. A single viral hit is fleeting. A character-driven series builds long-term brand equity. Dr. Rick works because he’s a consistent, evolving character. He became a franchise. Most B2B brands invest in one-off videos or campaigns. But serialization keeps audiences coming back, like a show you binge-watch. Keri states, “  I can't think of any B2B that actually has been able to do that…Most of the true B2B play companies are not investing in brand in that way.”

Quotes

“What we find with B2B buyers is they make decisions as people, not as the companies for which they're spending money for. We undervalue that a lot in B2B marketing…And the reality is, the things that are impossible to measure are where we are starting to place bigger bets because it's the only way to drive differentiation.”

Time Stamps

[00:55] Meet Keri McGhee, Chief Marketing Officer at Katalon

[01:06] Why Dr. Rick?

[02:45] The Psychology of Being Seen

[04:02] Who Is Dr. Rick?

[11:26] Branding in a Commoditized Industry

[13:59] Flow vs. Dr. Rick: A Franchise Strategy

[15:26] Why B2B Doesn’t Do This

[22:14] Parents vs. Homeowners

[26:35] Keri’s Top B2B Takeaway

[28:30] Creating Content Around Insecurity

[31:20] Why Brands Don’t Take Risks

[40:56] Final Thoughts & Takeaways

Links

Connect with Keri on LinkedIn

Learn more about Attentive

About Remarkable!

Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. 

In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. 

Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When AI feels like old news, the most remarkable storytellers don’t just talk about it, they show you something you’ve never seen before.

That’s exactly what happens in Shell Game, the mind-bending podcast where journalist Evan Ratliff clones his voice and lets it interact with the world without anyone knowing it’s not really him. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Kelly Starman, Chief Marketing Officer at MasterControl.

Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from leading with curiosity, making space for creative risk, and crafting weird, emotional stories that people can’t help but talk about.

About our guest, Kelly Starman

Kelly Starman is a results-focused marketing executive with two decades of driving growth and leading high-performing teams. She has a strong track record in leading large-scale organizational change. Expertise in developing and implementing global go-to-market strategies in the healthcare and technology sectors, including positioning, branding & advertising, digital marketing, demand gen, and marketing automation. 

What B2B Companies Can Learn From Shell Game:

• Embrace the weird. Evan Ratliff’s podcast stands out because it dares to be different. In B2B, weird isn’t a liability—it’s an asset. “So much of B2B marketing is just boring,” Kelly says. “I love the idea of being weird… tapping into that and being memorable makes for great marketing.” If your content doesn’t break the pattern, it won’t break through.
• Lead with curiosity. Shell Game works because it starts with a single, captivating question: what happens when you clone your own voice and let it speak for you? For Kelly, that spirit of experimentation is essential in modern marketing. “I have not had more fun in my career than I've had in the past six months,” she says. “It has been incredible to really step back and think about what is possible with all this new technology.” Curiosity isn’t just a mindset, it’s a strategy for discovering what’s next before your competitors do.
• Curate, don’t just create. In a world of AI overload, audiences don’t want more content, they want better content. That’s where curation comes in. “I think there's just so much out there that I find myself really turning to like individuals that I trust,” Kelly says. As marketers, “How do you add value for your customers… where do you go for that curated content to stay as current as you can?” Being a trusted curator builds loyalty in a noisy market.

Quote

“So much of B2B marketing is just boring... I love the idea of being weird. I usually say like, I want this to be really bold. I want this to be really breakthrough and attention-grabbing."

Time Stamps

[0:55] Meet Kelly Starman, Chief Marketing Officer at MasterControl

[01:07] Why Shell Game?

[02:53] The Role of CMO at MasterControl

[04:33] What is Shell Game?

[12:39] Breaking Down the Content in Shell Game

[24:57] B2B Marketing Lessons from Shell Game

[28:20] Super Accelerated Learning Techniques

[41:28] Mastercontrol's Marketing Strategy

[44:38] Measuring ROI Strategically

[47:56] Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Links

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn

Learn more about MasterControl

About Remarkable!

Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. 

In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. 

Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When your audience thinks they already know your story, the boldest brands flip the script and earn their attention in the process. 

That’s exactly what happens in Wicked, the smash-hit film adaptation that reimagines one of pop culture’s most iconic villains. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Allison MacLeod, Chief Marketing Officer & GM of US Education at Flywire.

Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from reframing brand narratives, building fan-level community, and executing with bold, high-stakes detail that actually gets noticed.

About our guest, Allison Macleod

Allison Macleod currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer & Head of US Education at Flywire (Nasdaq: FLYW), a global payments enablement & software company. At Flywire, Allison leads global marketing and revenue operations, & US Education sales, relationship management & pre-sales. She played a key role in guiding Flywire to a successful IPO in May 2021.

Allison brings nearly 20 years of experience with a background spanning marketing and revenue-focused roles. Prior to Flywire, she spent seven years at Rapid7 (Nasdaq: RPD), where she played a pivotal role in building and scaling demand generation, business development, and analytics. Before that, she held various digital and field-based positions at Forrester, including launching the marketing function in EMEA.

Outside of work, Allison sits on the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council and serves as a strategic advisor to early-stage companies through F-Prime & Underscore VC.

What B2B Companies Can Learn From Wicked:

• Reframe what they think they know. Wicked works because it flips a legacy story on its head. The same power lies in brand repositioning. “How do you really reframe what people think they know about you and your brand,” Allison says. Whether it’s entering new markets or expanding product lines, your biggest unlock might come from telling your old story in a completely new way.
• Community is your flywheel. Wicked isn’t just a show, it’s a movement. Audiences don’t just watch it, they live it. That level of advocacy isn’t accidental. “How do you really cultivate that community, whether that's your clients, the advocacy, and make people… feel that deep passion for what you do,” Allison asks. In B2B, fandom might look like retention, referrals, or customer-led storytelling, but it starts with emotional connection.
• Be bold and unforgettable. Every production choice in Wicked is a masterclass in attention to detail. From the live vocals to the stunts, they took creative risks that resonated. “How do you be bold and unforgettable,” Allison says. The safest move in saturated categories? Standing out.

Quote

“I think that's sort of the lesson and the beauty in this, taking something that everyone already thought they knew, and they thought they knew the story… and completely reframing it. And I think that’s where you just think of us as businesses, us as consumers… there’s so much clutter. So the brands that stick out and do things differently, and even if it is trying the same channel but in a different way, there’s so much power in that."

Time Stamps

[0:55] Meet Allison MacLeod, Chief Marketing Officer & GM of US Education at Flywire

[01:05] Why Wicked?

[02:29] The Role of CMO at Flywire

[04:00] Breaking Down of Wicked

[09:22] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Wicked

[21:54] The Appeal of Villains and Taking Risks

[23:37] The Power of Visual Design in Branding

[24:54] Marketing Strategies for Global Brands

[29:26] Flywire's Unique Differentiation Approach

[40:03] Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Links

Connect with Allison on LinkedIn

Learn more about Flywire

About Remarkable!

Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. 

In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. 

Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When timeless advertising principles meet today’s AI-saturated landscape, something surprising happens: the old rules still work.

Especially when we’re talking about the father of advertising himself, David Ogilvy. In this episode, we dive into his iconic book, Ogilvy on Advertising, with the help of our special guest Eric Williamson, CMO at CallMiner.

Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from Ogilvy’s approach: why specificity beats slogans, how research powers emotional storytelling, and why writing for humans is the real differentiator.

About our guest, Eric Williamson

As CallMiner’s Chief Marketing Officer, Eric oversees all global marketing functions from brand and events to demand generation. Eric’s marketing team works very closely with channel and sales to drive pipeline and CallMiner’s explosive growth. Eric has over 20 years of experience in both technology and consumer products marketing from both the vendor and agency side. Before joining CallMiner, Eric was VP Brand & Digital Marketing at Acquia — an open DXP platform built around Drupal — where he led brand, creative services, webops, editorial, and demand generation. 

Prior to Acquia, Eric was on the agency side of marketing working as SVP Digital & Social at MullenLowe, and before that as VP Digital Strategy at The Martin Agency. During his career Eric has worked with a variety of B2C and B2B brands including Google, Microsoft, Intel, GEICO, Walmart, P&G, Pizza Hut, Acura, Royal Caribbean, and Hyatt. He earned his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University, and an MBA from The University of Texas at Dallas.

What B2B Companies Can Learn From Ogilvy on Advertising:

• Start with the line, not the logo. Great B2B brands don’t start with visuals, they start with voice. The sharpest creative begins on the page, not the mood board. “Copy first, research first, copy second, then worry about the visuals,” Eric says. In other words: write the line that earns attention before you pick the font.
• Write for humans. Most B2B copy dies in a sea of jargon. What buyers actually want is to feel seen. “It’s really easy to fall into a place for a technology company to talk about your tech, talk about your features… and there’s nothing emotional about that,” Eric says. The fix is to start by writing for humans. Emotion isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s your edge.
• Don’t guess, ask. You don’t need personas when you have real people. The best insights come from your customers, not your whiteboard. Eric says, “Just go talk to them…Why do they keep staying with you? What sort of thing that they worry about at night does this help solve for them?” The answers aren’t in your funnel. They’re in the field.

Quote

“ Write for humans because, ultimately, that's who you're selling to, that's who you're trying to influence. It’s really understanding their emotions. What are their fears, what are their desires? Even in the B2B world, it's easy to forget that.”

Time Stamps

[0:55] Meet Eric Williamson, Chief Marketing Officer at CallMiner

[00:58] Why Ogilvy On Advertising?

[02:49] The Role of CMO at CallMiner

[03:38] Origins of Ogilvy On Advertising

[06:56] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Ogilvy on Advertising

[21:29] Ogilvy's Predictions

[37:23] CallMiner's Marketing Strategies

[41:57] AI as a Solution

[44:20] Advice for Marketing Leaders

[45:38] Final Thoughts & Takeaways

Links

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn

Learn more about CallMiner

About Remarkable!

Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. 

In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. 

Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When playbooks go stale and everyone’s chasing the next big AI breakthrough, the standout B2B brands are doing something else entirely. They’re building immersive worlds and inviting their audience in.

That’s exactly what happens in Silo, the hit Apple TV+ show, where attention to detail creates a gripping, lived-in universe. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with the help of our special guest Karen Budell, Chief Strategy & Partnerships Officer at Totango.

Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from crafting immersive brand worlds, creating standout brand visuals, and building trust through curiosity and community.

About our guest, Karen Budell

Karen Budell is the Chief Strategy & Partnerships Officer at Totango, the industry-leading customer revenue suite that turns AI-powered intelligence into customer-led growth. She previously served as the company’s CMO, leading the marketing team responsible for brand and content, events, growth marketing, product marketing, and sales enablement. Budell is an active member of various CMO and GTM executive communities, including Pavilion, and serves on the G2 Executive Advisory Board. Budell previously held marketing leadership roles at SurveyMonkey, as Vice President, Brand Marketing, and Google.

During her four years with Google, Budell led a team responsible for narratives and brand building for YouTube Ads and was instrumental in launching Google Marketing Platform. Having found success working with businesses of all sizes, both private and public, Budell's 20-plus year career in brand building and leadership has been fueled by her roots in journalism and a passion for storytelling through integrated, content-fueled campaigns.

What B2B Companies Can Learn From Silo:

• Craft your world, don’t just explain it. Silo hits because it’s immersive. Every dusty set and muted tone pulls you deeper into its reality. That kind of worldbuilding isn’t just for TV. “You need to create a unique world for your company, for your customers,” Karen says. In a sea of same-sounding content, your world is your edge and your responsibility.
• Curiosity is your competitive advantage. In Silo, curiosity is dangerous, but it’s also how characters discover the truth. The same holds for marketers. “That is one of the most important traits of a good marketer… curiosity,” Karen says. It’s not about having all the answers; it’s about asking better questions and letting that inquiry shape your strategy.
• Emotion is in the details. Silo doesn’t rely on big exposition; it builds feeling through design. You don’t need to be told life underground is bleak. You feel it. “You feel claustrophobic as a viewer sitting at home watching this,” Karen says. “You feel like you’re underground with them and yearning for a glimpse of what’s outside.” In B2B, your content should do the same, evoke emotion through setting, tone, and texture, not just copy.

Quote

"We are in a great period of unlearning and relearning. I think that’s what’s exciting to me. Being curious. That’s your superpower these days.”

Time Stamps

[0:55] Meet Karen Budell, Chief Strategy & Partnerships Officer at Totango

[01:35] Why Silo?

[03:17] Understanding Silo

[07:51] B2B Marketing Lessons from Silo

[22:34] The Power of Asking Questions

[30:12] YouTube Strategy for B2B Brands

[33:50] The Rise of Video Content

[37:43] Totango’s Brand & Content Strategies 

[39:12] Events and Experiences in Marketing

[41:26] Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Links

Connect with Karen on LinkedIn

Learn more about Totango

About Remarkable!

Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. 

In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. 

Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When everyone's racing to launch big strategies, success takes more than smart tactics. It takes alignment, discipline, and deep cross-functional trust.

That’s how the heroes in Spidey and His Amazing Friends, the hit animated Marvel kids' show, defeat the villains. In this episode, we unpack marketing lessons from Spidey’s universe with the help of our special guest Emily Ferdinando, CMO at Bugcrowd.

Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from nailing ABM execution, building content grounded in community feedback, and turning shared goals into real, coordinated action.

About our guest, Emily Ferdinando

Emily Ferdinando is a go-to-market leader with a focus on pipeline and revenue growth. She brings 15 years of GTM leadership experience, specializing in optimizing operational processes and data-driven strategy. With a background in sales and operations, Emily brings a unique approach to Marketing focused on down-funnel impact and top-line growth. Emily joins Bugcrowd from Veracode where she most recently led the Growth Marketing organization. Her background includes leadership roles across the GTM engine, including Global Business Development, GTM Enablement, and Operational Strategy. While there, she led the team through multiple events and two successful exits. Emily lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two young children. She enjoys the outdoors and stretching her creative muscles through painting, fiction writing and guitar.

What B2B Companies Can Learn From Spidey and His Amazing Friends:

• Alignment over silos. In one episode, Spidey, Ghosty, and Miles all chase Rhino with their own plans, each using their powers, none working together. The mission falls apart. “We can say we have the same goal all day, but if we’re not aligned on how we get there… that’s what it’s gonna look like,” Emily says. In marketing and in superhero teams, the difference between success and disaster isn’t talent, it’s coordination.
• One-size-fits-all content fits no one. Spidey’s world works because it’s made for everyone. Each with different powers, personalities, backgrounds, and their own story. That same inclusive mindset should guide your content. “Many people did not fit squarely into one piece,” Emily says. “If we ran our strategy that way, they were missing exposure to a lot of content that was really relevant to them.” Real impact comes from serving the overlaps, not the edges.
• Simple stories stick. Spidey and His Amazing Friends makes complex ideas—like teamwork, trust, and problem-solving—land through bright colors and clear stakes. For marketers, that’s the goal too. “Making internal assumptions without pressure testing with the people who are going to be receiving the output of your team, it's a huge miss,” Emily says. Whether you’re leading kids or customers, never assume they’re on board. Ask, listen, and build with them.

Quote

“Spidey and His Amazing Friends, they really teach you what actual in practice, collaboration is supposed to look like and not look like. And it's really as simple as…you step back. We all know what we're supposed to do. It's just really hard in practice sometimes, and sometimes you can learn from the kids' shows. You just step back and go, we know what to do, we just need to do it.”

Time Stamps

[0:55] Meet Emily Ferdinando, CMO at Bugcrowd

[01:00] Why Spidey and His Amazing Friends?

[02:20] The Role of a CMO at Bugcrowd

[03:00] Origins of Spidey and His Amazing Friends

[19:38] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Spidey and His Amazing Friends

[29:21] Bugcrowd's ABM Launch

[33:30] Repackaging Content for Better Engagement

[40:13] Bugcrowd's Content Strategy and Community Engagement

[47:20] Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Links

Connect with Emily on LinkedIn

Learn more about Bugcrowd

About Remarkable!

Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. 

In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. 

Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When you're outgunned, under-resourced, and facing giants, success takes more than speed. It takes teamwork, message discipline, and relentless coordination.

That’s how the Rebel Alliance defeats the Galactic Empire, and it’s how great B2B marketing teams win in the real world. In this episode, we unpack marketing lessons from the Star Wars saga with the help of our special guest Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat.

Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from thinking like a startup, aligning cross-functional teams, and building content strategies that deliver across every touchpoint.

About our guest, Eric Herzog

Eric Herzog is the Chief Marketing Officer at Infinidat. Prior to joining Infinidat, Herzog was CMO and VP of Global Storage Channels at IBM Storage Solutions. His executive leadership experience also includes: CMO and Senior VP of Alliances for all-flash storage provider Violin Memory, and Senior Vice President of Product Management and Product Marketing for EMC’s Enterprise & Mid-range Systems Division.

What B2B Companies Can Learn From Star Wars:

• Business is a team sport. Great marketing doesn’t happen in silos. Whether you’re a startup or a global enterprise, success depends on alignment across every function. Eric says, “In marketing, having all kinds of people running around with different functions is wrong. They all need to work together in what I call a completely vertically integrated marketing.” Your message, your content, your sales strategy. it all has to move as one.
• Message discipline wins hearts and minds. When you can’t outspend the competition, out-message them. A clear, consistent story can be your greatest weapon. “You need to win the hearts of the minds of your customers, and your prospects, and your channel, and your sales team,” Eric says. If your message isn’t aligned, neither is your market.
• Think like a startup (no matter your size). Speed, focus, and adaptability aren’t just startup traits; they’re must-haves for any marketing team. Eric explains, “ The most successful big companies in overall functions, as well as in their marketing function, try to act like a startup.” Whether you’re leading a lean team or navigating a Fortune 500 org, it’s that startup mindset that helps you outmaneuver slower, more bureaucratic competitors.

Quote

“Business is a team sport, and a subteam of marketing as part of the business is a team sport too. If you don’t work as a team, the empire will crush you. You need to be like the Rebel Alliance and all work together.”

Time Stamps

[0:55] Meet Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat

[01:08] Why Star Wars?

[01:54] Role of CMO at Infinidat

[03:03] Origins of Star Wars

[08:52] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Star Wars

[30:04] Infinidat's Content Strategy

[33:39] Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Links

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn

Learn more about Infinidat

About Remarkable!

Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. 

In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. 

Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.