Only 15% of brand assets are truly distinctive. And just 19% of logos achieve "gold" status in recognizability according to a study by Ipsos and JKR. So which marketing strategy matters more: differentiation or distinctiveness?

In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob debate whether brands should focus on meaningful differentiation or memorable distinctiveness. The hosts explore research showing that while differentiation plays a more limited role than traditionally assumed, distinctiveness is crucial for getting into consumers' consideration sets. They also examine how category dynamics impact which strategy dominates and share real-world examples of brands that excel at either approach. 

Topics covered: 

• [01:00] Research from Rob Myerson on Byron Sharp's distinctiveness claims
• [03:00] The case for focusing on distinctiveness in marketing
• [06:00] Why differentiation gives brands resilience and pricing power
• [09:00] How category dynamics impact strategy importance
• [12:30] The role of distinctiveness in TV advertising effectiveness
• [19:00] Examples of brands excelling at distinctiveness vs differentiation 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources:  
2021 WARC Article: https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/what-does-byron-sharps-research-really-tell-us-about-differentiation/en-gb/4314

 
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Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.

In this episode, Elena and Rob explore how sticking with the same creative platform drives better results. Based on research analyzing 4,000 ads, they reveal why consistency isn't boring—it's a powerful force that compounds over time.

Topics covered:   

• [01:00] "The Magic of Compound Creativity"
• [01:45] When brands should consider changing creative
• [03:00] How consistency impacts creative quality scores
• [04:35] Why creative elements get better with age
• [06:05] The business impact of creative consistency
• [08:40] The compounding effect of brand continuity 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
System1 & IPA (2024). The Magic of Compound Creativity: How consistency leads to creative quality, stronger brands and greater profits. With data from the IPA Effectiveness Databank 
 

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Only a third of agencies believe their clients provide a clear target audience in their briefs. So how can we build effective targeting strategies that drive real business growth?

In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob tackle the misunderstood world of targeting in marketing. They explore why defining your target audience isn't just a media decision but a foundational strategic choice. Plus they examine the flaws in third-party data targeting and provide practical advice for maximizing reach without wasting budget on ineffective targeting tactics.

Topics covered: 

• [01:00] Why marketers should be wary of "algorithmic hanky panky"
• [03:30] The misconception that brands grow through narrow audience targeting
• [07:00] How digital platforms introduce bias in AB testing
• [11:00] The major pitfalls of third-party data for targeting
• [14:00] Balancing targeting precision with cost-effectiveness
• [17:00] Top targeting strategies that deliver without sacrificing reach
• [20:00] The surprising success of broad targeting for brand growth 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources:  
2025 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/ritson-ignore-anyone-targeting/
 

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Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.

In this episode, Elena and Rob explore whether price promotions deliver more than just temporary sales spikes. They examine how different product categories respond to discounts and reveal when promotions might help or harm brand loyalty.

Topics covered:   

• [01:00] "The Long-Term Effects on Category Incidents"
• [02:00] How soup and yogurt categories respond to promotions
• [03:00] The short-term impact of discounts on sales
• [05:00] Premium brands and the "discount doom loop"
• [07:00] When promotions actually build customer retention
• [08:30] Using offers effectively for new TV advertisers 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
Pauwels, K., Hanssens, D. M., & Siddarth, S. (2002). The long-term effects of price promotions on category incidence, brand choice, and purchase quantity. Journal of Marketing Research, 39(4), 421–439. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.39.4.421.19114 
 

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A study from Les Binet and Peter Field found that for every 10-point increase in excess share of voice, brands see around a 0.5% annual market share growth on average. But does this marketing principle still hold true in today's fragmented media landscape?

This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by VP of Strategy Dan Cleveland to explore excess share of voice (ESOV) and its enduring relevance. They dive into how ESOV correlates with growth, why it's still a valuable planning tool, and what happens when brands let their share of voice slip below market share. Plus, discover why TV remains crucial for building the top-of-funnel awareness that drives long-term brand performance.

Topics covered: 

• [01:00] The history of share of voice and why it matters
• [03:30] How excess share of voice links to market share growth
• [08:00] When ESOV doesn't work (and what that reveals)
• [12:30] Using share of search as a real-time metric
• [16:00] Why top-of-funnel channels drive brand awareness
• [21:00] The risks of underspending compared to your share of market
• [27:00] Practical steps to apply ESOV to your strategy 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 


Resources:  
2023 IPA Article: https://ipa.co.uk/knowledge/ipa-blog/esov-an-excessive-focus-on-the-wrong-thing/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
 

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Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.

In this episode, Elena and Rob explore how creative advertisements can actually hurt the performance of regular ads shown alongside them. They discuss why brands with smaller budgets should still prioritize creativity to avoid getting lost in the mix.

Topics covered:   

• [01:00] "The Power of Creative Advertising: Creative Ads Impair Recall and Attitudes Towards Other Ads"
• [03:00] How creative ads affect surrounding regular ads
• [04:35] The dramatic drop in recall when creative ads are repeated
• [05:10] Why regular ads are judged more harshly after creative ones
• [06:30] The "Super Bowl effect" and competitive ad environments
• [07:00] Creating memorable ads on smaller budgets 

To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
Jin, H. S., Kerr, G., Suh, J., Kim, H. J., & Sheehan, B. (2022). The power of creative advertising: Creative ads impair recall and attitudes toward other ads. International Journal of Advertising, 41(3), 1-21. 
 

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Marketers only accurately predict the outcome of an A/B test 52% of the time. With today's viewers constantly multitasking, creative has seconds—not minutes—to make an impact. But many brands still rely on outdated approaches, leading to forgettable commercials.

In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Chief Creative Officer Steve Babcock to discuss Marketing Architects' new report on TV creative effectiveness. They explore why strategy must come first, why pretesting is no longer optional, storytelling lessons from marketing effectiveness research, and how AI is enhancing (not replacing) human creativity.

Topics covered: 

• [01:00] New research on what makes TV creative effective in 2025
• [05:00] Why the old creative playbook no longer works
• [08:00] Finding the "elephant in the room" for strategic development
• [13:00] How AI-powered pretesting is changing creative development
• [21:00] The cost of "dull" advertising that evokes no emotion
• [25:00] Using AI as a creative engineering tool
• [36:00] The future of "shootless" video production 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources:  
2025 Marketing Architects Report: https://www.marketingarchitects.com/NewRules
 

Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.

In this episode, Elena and Rob explore how emotions outweigh logic in advertising effectiveness. They discuss research showing emotional responses are nearly twice as powerful as cognitive factors in driving purchase intent across nearly all product categories.

Topics covered:   

• [01:00] "The Power of Effect: Predicting Intention"
• [02:00] Rational vs. emotional decision-making
• [03:00] The AdSAM non-verbal research tool
• [05:00] Where emotion dominates across product categories
• [06:45] The one category where logic outperforms emotion
• [09:30] Creating ads that evoke the right feelings 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
Morris, J. D., Woo, C., Geason, J. A., & Kim, J. (2002). The power of affect: Predicting intention.Journal of Advertising Research, 42(3), 7-17. 
 

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CTV ad revenue is projected to reach $28 billion this year, but 39% of advertisers still cite transparency in ad placements as a major concern. Is Connected TV delivering on its promises or falling short?

This episode, Elena and Angela are joined by Chief Media Officer Catherine Walstad to discuss the state of CTV advertising. They explore the maturing optimism around streaming TV and share practical advice for navigating this complex but essential channel. Learn why CTV shouldn't be viewed as either brand or performance marketing, but as a powerful complement to linear TV.

Topics covered: 

• [01:00] CTV usage and ad spend projections through 2026
• [03:30] Current marketing sentiment around CTV advertising
• [06:00] Defining CTV, OTT, and streaming terminology
• [09:00] Is CTV delivering on its ROI promises?
• [11:00] CTV's role in both brand and performance marketing
• [18:00] Why CTV advertising has high CPMs and hidden costs
• [21:00] CTV measurement challenges and solutions
• [27:00] How fragmentation impacts advertisers and viewers
• [29:30] Emerging CTV trends like shoppable and interactive ads 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
2025 eMarketer Article: https://www.emarketer.com/content/5-things-know-about-ctv-advertising-platforms
2025 Ad Exchanger Article: https://www.adexchanger.com/tv/buyers-say-ctvs-transparency-problem-remains-a-roadblock-to-investment/
 


Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.

In this episode, Elena and Rob explore how humor in advertising drives stronger brand recall and sales despite its 37% decline over the past two decades. They reveal why creating memorable, relatable comedy leads to measurable business results.

Topics covered:   

• [01:00] "What's Working in Humorous Advertising"
• [02:30] The decline of humor in modern advertising
• [03:45] Data proving funny ads outperform competitors
• [05:10] How humor magnifies brand memories
• [06:05] Why humor drives brand fame
• [07:20] Balancing humor with brand connection 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
WARC. (2025). What’s Working in Humorous Advertising. WARC Strategy. Retrieved from WARC. 
 

Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.