Certain strategic processes require you to rely less on data and more on qualitative observations. Influence mapping is one of them. Because concepts like influence and opinion are hard to quantify, the team debates which parts of influence mapping are art, and which parts are science. The discussion will help you master all aspects of this important strategy tool.

Today's 24/7 news cycle has combined with the relative informality and popularity of social media to create opportunities — and dangers — for brands. Listen in as the team shows marketers the keys to evaluating news-driven trends and knowing when to leverage or ignore them. The discussion covers specific, scientific steps that can be taken to capture opportunity and eliminate missteps.

Our season on the art and science of marketing continues with a deep dive into data analysis. Trying to find strategic insight simply by looking at data alone often leads to "analysis paralysis." Learn how marketers can use specific approaches to determine which data is helpful and which can be ignored. The techniques and tips shared will help anyone, regardless of their analytical skills, become more data-driven.

Our new season on the art and science of marketing continues this week with a focus on science. Specifically: which parts of a marketers job require a more scientific — vs. artistic — approach? Surprisingly, the team comes to the conclusion that scientific marketing is only partly about leveraging data. Using a scientific process to develop marketing plans may be even more important.

Our new season tackles an often-heard question: is marketing an art or a science? Certain parts of a marketing strategy require more science than art, while other pieces of a plan are the opposite. Knowing when you need to dial up the science, and when artistic instincts should lead the way is a key to success. The team breaks down the bigger picture and provides helpful analogies – including why science and art in marketing is like an Oreo cookie!

There are many advantages to creating a new category, but it doesn't solve all of your marketing problems. In this episode, we look at the issues that a smoking cessation product team faced — and overcame. See how these innovative marketers changed strategies to effectively address a formidable competitor and reap the full rewards of creating a new category.

Expanding your marketing to reach a new set of stakeholders can have an effect similar to creating a new category. These new stakeholders may help you position your product or service in an entirely new way. Mary, Tom and Sean discuss how Wyeth Nutrition, a premium-priced infant formula maker, successfully expanded their stakeholder focus in a way that ultimately led Nestle to purchase them for several multiples of Wyeth's annual sales.

Companies entering a new category are often intimidated by their more experienced competitors. This episode highlights how being naive to a category can become a competitive advantage. The team describes the significant lessons that B2Bs can apply in many category creation situations. You'll also hear how segmentation can be used to make rapid inroads even if you are competing in an existing category that's new to your firm.

Our season on category creation continues with some of our best advice for doing it! A discussion that starts off by looking at newly-created categories of food items leads to interesting case studies that show how to re-position any type of product. Listen in as the team highlights the circumstances that are conducive to category creation. You'll learn some key principles and strategies that companies have used in industries as wide-ranging as food, commodities and pharmaceuticals.

We kickoff a new season on category creation by looking at a common B2B marketing problem: your analysis tells you that your product should be performing better than it is. What is going wrong? Listen to a deep discussion into the top three reasons this could be happening — viewed through the lens of the smoking cessation product Chantix. If you are in a similar situation, you can apply their learnings and unlock the promise of your products. You may even gain enough confidence to create a new category of your own.