The Marketing Stir

Matt Collins, Chief Marketing Officer at Calix, explains why it’s important to keep your commercial strategy grounded in your value proposition, as well as the benefits of making collaboration a top priority. He also shares with the guys why he gets up at 4:30 every morning. Ajay has plans for a t-shirt and Vincent brings back an old nickname.

Derek Pando, Head of International Marketing, Partner Marketing and Localization at Zoom, discusses what made Zoom stand out among the competition, and the importance of helping people have fun even though they’re apart. He also tells an amazing story about being a Scoutmaster in San Francisco. Ajay had a good meeting and Vincent wears ear warmers.

Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, discusses his podcast, Hawke Talk, as well as how he thrives on a lack of consistency. He also tells the guys about the time he was a top-ranked World of Warcraft player. Ajay revels in the San Antonio snow, and Vincent wishes he was more entertaining.

Matt Staudt, President & CEO of VDC and the new Chief Strategy Officer at Stirista, discusses the nature of the new partnership between the two companies, as well as the current state of the alternative data space. He also gives a rundown of his favorite binge watches. Ajay reminisces, and Vincent gets bagels from Costco.

Sam Huston, Chief Strategy Officer at 3Q Digital, discusses the importance of client diversification, as well as the push for authenticity in marketing. He also delves into why false urgency is a bad tactic. Ajay gets another nickname and Vincent mails some socks.

Sebastian Opperman, Vice President of Marketing at IONIS, discusses the expansive responsibilities of his role as VP for the cloud service provider. He also offers insight on the differences between privacy standards in the EU and the U.S. Ajay is still great at tennis, and Vincent steals some thunder.

Gerry Marrone, Chief Revenue Officer at SPAR Group, discusses his childhood paper route, and how it carved out his path into marketing. He goes into detail about innovations in queue-line and curbside marketing strategies. They also delve into his passion for soccer. Ajay tries some whiskey, and Vincent decorates the house.

Andrew Koenig, President at CITY Furniture, tells the story of how his father and uncle’s waterbed-selling endeavor evolved into south Florida’s number one furniture retailer. He also goes in-depth about the company’s supply chain, as well as the rebirth of the waterbed. Ajay is just waking up, and Vincent loves to party.

Andrew Almendras, Vice President of Global Creative Marketing at IMAX, explores what the power of creativity, design and storytelling looks like in his role, and how that contributes to the brand’s evolved identity. He and Vincent also share their experiences with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Ajay gets a custom pair of socks, and Vincent continues his nicknaming streak.

Michael McLaren, Global CEO - B2B Group at Merkle, explores the transformation B2B has experienced the last few years and how Merkle works to build best-in-breed solutions for their clients. He also discusses the “book club” he started with his wife. Ajay puts up some impressive email numbers, and Vincent loves plants.