Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

There’s an alchemy to relationships, including the ones between co-founders. David Lester, co-founder at good-for-you-soda company, OLIPOP, first heard about his future business partner, Ben Goodwin, while he was quitting his 10-year job at global beverage giant Diageo. His then boss thought they’d work well together. The first meeting between entrepreneurs was memorable as Ben showed up with a bag of home-made soda. The pair went on to run a kefir beverage startup, followed by OLIPOP. Packed with healthy prebiotics and a tenth the sugar of regular, OLIPOP brilliantly markets taste, health and nostalgia while drawing 50% of revenues through online channels, just a few of Lester’s marketing feats.In this episode you’ll learn: Soda psychology is grounded in our earliest memories. Three-quarters of the population is trying to make healthy adjustments. When something seems stupid, that’s your cue to figure out a better way. That humility will take you from knowing nothing to expertise. Data science surrounds us, but your soul processes the insights Brought to you by Mekanism.

Shoestring marketing budgets are common at startups and create an environment of innovation. Andy Pearson, VP of Creative at the water brand Liquid Death jokes he was given a $0 initial ad budget to launch. He knew the name, along with the arresting skull-festooned cans, would have to do most of the talking. When the marketing money began to flow, Liquid Death bought Tony Hawk’s blood and his soul (and maybe yours) online. In this episode, Pearson, an ultra-marathoner and ad agency veteran, explains his process, where he takes a favorite playlist, and pen to paper to grasp an idea, which grow more on creativity than money.In this episode you’ll learn: If your 6th grade teacher says advertising is evil, it must be good. To trust your own sensibilities to know the right answer. The more you do, the more confident you’ll feel. A brand is a character, the protagonist of your business. Everybody takes everything so seriously, the moment you don't, you stand out. Brought to you by Mekanism.

Everette Taylor, the CMO of the online art-collector’s marketplace, Artsy, is “just a kid from the hood,” which is not the typical profile of a global art dealer. His fast-track career is not based on connections but on something far more valuable–inner drive, creative risk-taking and listening to mom. Taylor grew up in a neighborhood where many were trapped by a cycle of street life, drugs and prison, so his mom nudged him to interview for a marketing job, which he got at the age of 14, despite wanting to work at Chick-fil-A with his friends. A natural marketer was born and Taylor’s career has been ascendant ever since.In this episode you’ll learn: A first job is humbling, you learn you don’t know what you don’t know. It’s good business to democratize spaces for everyone. A CMO’s job is to build a team that is the shit. Stay at the job that gives you the most opportunities to grow. Ultimately, there will come a time for CMOs to go for CEO. Brought to you by Mekanism.

The creator economy has been valued at $100 billion, so it is easy to forget that a decade ago, it was dismissed by many as people listening to themselves talk on YouTube. Jim Louderback recognized what video technology and expression could become. He helped build VidCon, the professional conference and fan fest, into global preeminence and now chronicles it all through his weekly newsletter, Inside the Creator Economy. Louderback’s vision was evident early on, as he left a consulting career to capture the PC revolution at Ziff Davis, eventually putting “geeks like me” on camera for ZDTV/TechTV. He’s been ahead of the internet ever since.In this episode you’ll learn: To go on and answer the help-wanted ad. At start-ups, you spend 90% of your time building outward; big companies mean more managing inward. The metaverse is a new canvas for storytelling Like silents to talkies, not every creator will translate to the metaverse Brought to you by Mekanism.

Is Selena Gomez the next beauty billionaire, gliding along a path set by Rihanna, Kim and Kylie? That’s what Skinnygirl mogul turned TikTok beauty influencer, Bethenny Frankel, believes. Katie Welch, CMO at Gomez’s Rare Beauty, is helping build the brand along a purpose-driven platform that welcomes all and supports good mental health. Welch, who has marketed Bliss, Burt’s Bees and Hourglass Cosmetics, discovered beauty could be a career when she met a college classmate’s stepmother, who was an Estee Lauder exec. She moonlights as a TikTok influencer herself, with 80,000 following her marketing/career advice.In this episode you’ll learn: A brand narrative can shift a business forward. If you wake up at 5 a.m. to do something, you love it. It’s very easy to sell lipstick the same way over and over again, so don’t. Create a space where people feel welcome. Brought to you by Mekanism.

Lander Otegui, CMO of Proximo Spirits, discusses marketing Jose Cuervo tequila in the metaverse, sustainability efforts, and the evolution of the tequila market. He shares insights on transitioning from engineering to marketing, personalized tech-savvy approaches, and the importance of embracing intuition and convictions in marketing and creativity.

New Balance is not only “the shoe brand of choice for film stars, athletes and supermodels,” according to Urban Journal, it’s the brand for “the biggest, hype-inducing names on the street right now.” As CMO of the hotly resurgent brand, which was born in 1906, Chris Davis applies a risk/innovation model which puts 50% of the marketing budget into proven, demand-creation tactics, 30% into calculated risks (NFTs, for example) and 20% into purely experimental vehicles that may fail spectacularly or succeed later. Davis, who is also SVP Global Merchandising, says the only unacceptable risk is one that comprimes brand values. He tells us how to transform a 116-year-old product company into a world-class brand.Thank you, Chris, for joining me. Give it a listen, and fast forward your marketing mind in about 20 minutes.Brought to you by Mekanism.

Growing up, Ricky Engelberg loved both computers and playing baseball. While your basic 1990s high schooler would say the two sit on opposite sides of the cafeteria, it was the perfect mix for Nike, where Engelberg worked for almost 20 years after college. There at the dawn of the internet era, Engelberg helped Nike create digital products for athletes and sneakerheads alike, including Nike Plus Running, nurturing passionate communities. Today, as CMO at Vista (formerly VistaPrint), Engelberg is bringing a spirit of community among small business owners, who tackle marketing after regular business hours, helping them conquer pandemic-era digital transformations.In this episode you’ll learn: If you want to build a new line of business, go crack some eggs Community is a critical building block of brands today Be respectful of your consumers’ communities, realize you are a part of it Science plays a part, but ultimately, the future always involves a gut decision Brought to you by Mekanism.

Delve into the balance of intuition and analytics in marketing while embracing personal stories that enrich decision-making. Explore the integration of creativity and data, highlighting humor's role in a productive environment. Discover the emotional resonance in branding and the importance of cognitive diversity for innovative leadership. All this wisdom is woven together through heartfelt personal experiences that inspire resilience and loyalty, making for an insightful exploration of marketing's rich landscape.

Is success as seemingly simple as putting one foot in front of the other? Sam Parr, founder of The Hustle, one of the fastest-growing media companies, focusing on millennials, tech and culture, fueled his rise by curiosity, action and googling. Segueing from helping “American Pickers” Mike Wolfe set up a Nashville store to running a hot dog stand to feed the fans, Sam googled how to start an internet business and then did. He moved to Silicon Valley, started and sold a few ventures, then the self-proclaimed nobody started a blog which evolved into The Hustle. Sam’s career proves that hustle manifests success, more than degrees, connections and money.In this episode you’ll learn: Building a business is like writing a hit song About the benefits of a PhD in the school of life: Poor, hungry and driven. Throwing money at a new business can give an artificial sense of success How to hustle to bring your goals to life Thank you, Sam, for joining me. Give it a listen, and fast forward your marketing mind in about 20 minutes.Brought to you by Mekanism.