Most marketers are still experimenting with AI. Today's guest didn't experiment. She transformed an entire business school around it. Poets and quants called it the most consequential AI transformation in business education. So what does that actually mean operationally? And what happens when a CMO decides AI isn't a tool, but infrastructure? Today, we're joined by Katya Papova, Chief Marketing Officer at the Kogod School of Business at American University.

We'll look at:

• What problem are you really being hired to solve as a CMO?
• What did managing 200-plus brands teach you about scale and discipline?
• What changes when you move from corporate marketing into higher education?
• What does AI transformation actually look like inside a marketing team?
• How do you integrate AI without breaking what already works?
• What are marketers getting wrong about LLM visibility?
• How should teams measure answer engine visibility?
• Where is the modern CMO role headed next?
• What is overhyped, and what are marketers still not paying enough attention to?
• Which AI tools are actually worth using right now?
• What skill or practice will matter most over the next 24 months?
• Final thoughts & key takeaways

Today we're taking a wide angled look at the state of higher education marketing, an industry under increasing pressure to drive enrollment, prove impact, and adapt to rapidly changing student expectations, all while navigating complex institutional realities. From how prospective students discover and evaluate schools, to how institutions balance brand, performance, and long-term growth, higher ed marketing is evolving fast, and marketing teams are being asked to deliver greater impact amid evolving expectations and constraints.

To unpack what's really changing, what's working, and where institutions need to evolve next, I'm joined by two leaders with deeply connected, but distinct perspectives. From the client side, we're excited to welcome Dave Gladson, Associate Vice President of Marketing at Point Loma Nazarene University. Dave has been leading PLNU's marketing evolution firsthand, balancing internal priorities, enrollment goals, and the shift toward more measurable digital-first strategies.

And joining us from Red Door Interactive is Mallory Collins, director of Brand Strategy and Creative. Mallory has partnered with higher education institutions across the country to help them navigate enrollment pressure, evolving student behavior, and the challenge of aligning performance marketing with long-term brand building. She's also the former business manager on the PLNU account, giving both her category wide perspective and firsthand institutional experience. Together we'll explore what's shifting in higher ed marketing, what institutions are getting right, and where real opportunity lies ahead.

Marketing is often confused with promotion, but really, it's about much more than that. Marketing is about knowing and understanding your customers so well that your product or service fits them and, ultimately, sells itself. In short, marketing is about insight above all else.    

In the spirit of those insights, we present our Meet the Marketer series, where we discuss the careers and tactics of marketers behind industry-leading brands.   

In this episode, we chat with Daniel Barba, Vice President of Marketing at Bob's Red Mill. A seasoned CPG expert, Daniel has built and revitalized brands across food & beverage, and entertainment. With leadership experience at Coca-Cola and Kellogg's, he has a proven ability to drive growth, optimize portfolios, and transform struggling brands into category leaders. We'll hear how Daniel's passion for market intelligence, consumer-focused strategy, and cultural change has shaped his leadership. 

Marketing is often confused with promotion, but really, it's about much more than that. Marketing is about knowing and understanding your customer so well that your product or service fits them and, ultimately, sells itself. In short, marketing is about insight above all else.    

 In the spirit of those insights, we present our Meet the Marketer series, where we discuss the careers and tactics of marketers behind industry-leading brands.   

In this episode, we sit down with David Miller, Chief Marketing Officer at the San Diego Zoo – an international, nonprofit conservation organization that integrates wildlife health and care, science, and education to develop sustainable conservation solutions.  

Tune in to discover how David's extensive experience in the entertainment industry, including impressive past roles at Universal Studios Hollywood and Los Angeles Philharmonic, has honed his exceptional marketing expertise. 

Marketing is often confused with promotion, but really, it's about much more than that. Marketing is about knowing and understanding your customers so well that your product or service fits them and, ultimately, sells itself. In short, marketing is about insight above all else.    

In the spirit of those insights, we present our Meet the Marketer series, where we discuss the careers and tactics of marketers behind industry-leading brands.   

In this episode, we chat with Sharon Ayala, Vice President of Marketing at Abilene Christian University. ACU is a diverse, innovative private university whose alumni network includes best-selling authors, Pulitzer Prize winners, Hollywood producers, government leaders, missionaries, renowned researchers, and more. We'll hear how Sharon's marketing journey has helped her develop impactful marketing campaigns and effectively navigate the dynamic landscape of higher education marketing. 

As marketers, we're always looking for solutions that empower our teams to deliver more and deliver faster. With the digital landscape evolving at lightning speed, the ability to quickly iterate and bring ideas to life is no longer a luxury — it's a necessity. 

In this episode, we're diving into low-code and no-code websites that are changing the digital game. We'll explore how these platforms can streamline your website redesigns and provide real-time content development, giving marketers the agility to respond to market trends and customer needs without getting bogged down in technical details. 

Joining us today are Emily Lonetto, Webflow's Director of Community & Agency Marketing, and Candice Wyatt, Red Door's Sr. Director of Web & Platform Solutions, to share their firsthand experience and tips about how to harness these platforms for maximum impact. 

The Marketing Remix breaks down the latest trends and tactics in brand marketing in just 20 minutes, so you have the tools and insights you need to better navigate the ever-changing industry.   

Advertising influences our decisions and shapes our perceptions of the world around us. Thus, we must be aware of fair and inclusive advertising practices. 

In this episode, we hear more from Nmadinobi Chloé Nwangwu, widely known as The Brand Scientist™, and the Director of NobiWorks, a brand awareness consultancy supporting underrecognized social impact brands with methods driven by Brain Science.  

Listen in as we unpack her concept of Bias in Advertising, how to recognize it, and how to mitigate it in your marketing programs.  

In this episode, we chat with Cynthia Herrera, Chief Executive Officer at Sun Bum. Sun care essentials originally created for friends and family that evolved into a globally recognized brand. Today, Sun Bum maintains its essence of being a planet, animal and family-friendly, and simply good. Tune in to hear how Cynthia's experience in some of the biggest CPG companies like SC Johnson, Nestle, Pepperidge Farm, and Nabisco has helped shape her marketing knowledge throughout the years and prepared her for her role today.

In this episode, we chat with Cynthia Neiman, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer at CHOC Children's Hospital of Orange County. Yes, she's both the CMO and CXO, a trend that's quickly catching on. Under the CMO plus role, Cynthia leads a 30 person metrics driven marketing, patient and family experience, and employee experience team. Tune in for a deep dive into her day-to-day, the challenges of working in healthcare, and look into the future of the industry. Stick around for stops along her incredible career journey from introducing IKEA to the West Coast to leading Mattel's first digital efforts, and turning Barbie into pure social media gold.

In this episode, we chat with Jason Wells, Managing Director at CHARLY USA. If you are anywhere other than Mexico, you may not know the brand yet, but with the tagline LEAVE OUR MARK, the athletic apparel company is on a mission to do just that... here in the US. Charly is a household name in Mexico, having been in the footwear and apparel game for over 60 years and, more recently, sponsoring more than half of the Liga MX soccer teams.  

 Now, their eye is on the US market, and they're making their mark fast. With Wells at the helm, they've already struck a multi-year deal with the San Diego Loyal soccer team, their first in American Soccer, significantly expanded their national footprint through notable retail partners, and made great strides in increasing their notoriety beyond the Hispanic market.  

 Tune in to hear about his career trajectory as well as learn what other winning tactics are to the playbook he's building on the fly — inspired by his many years in footwear and apparel, including 13 years at ASICS, knowing what to use and what to throw out the door when approaching this unique challenge of bringing this Mexican brand to the US. 

Did you hear the good news from Google? They're doing away with Universal Analytics soon. If you're wondering how in the world is that a positive, read on. The tech giant has launched an even more powerful platform. One that works across your top channels, delivers predictive insights via machine learning, drives better results — and prioritizes user privacy. It's called Google Analytics 4, and in this episode, we'll tell you all about it, including how to pivot to the platform before the sun sets on Universal Analytics — and your data. 

As a marketer, you know the importance of creating customized content on your website. But it sure takes a lot of time and effort. Here's a shortcut: Kentico 13 MVC.

Equal parts powerful CMS and development framework, MVC delivers segmented content personalization, flexible page templates, and SEO improvements. Plus, it's easy to support and scale. Hello, better ROI. In this episode, our own Sr. Director of Web & Platform Solutions, Candice Wyatt, and SEO Strategist, David Lewallen, will guide you through upgrading to Kentico 13 and MVC technology with our innovative dual-site approach. 

What does it take to market a portfolio of premium spirits that spans legacy brands, celebrity partnerships, and global audiences? Today, we're joined by Susan Gibbons, head of marketing at Infinium Spirits to talk about how she leads a complex brand ecosystem and what it really means to be consumer obsessed in a rapidly shifting category. Whether you're a senior marketer or aiming for the CMO seat, you'll get a behind the scenes look at strategy, structure, and the signals that guide sharp decision making.

We all know what a great marketing campaign looks like. But for someone new to marketing, they may not know how those campaigns come together in the first place. As a marketing intern you have a front-row seat to the entire process. And while an internship provides a staging ground for young talent to expand their skillsets and learn the ropes of marketing (buzzwords and acronyms included), it's also a great way for companies to harness fresh perspectives from new team members who have their own innovative ideas to share.

Hear from the Red Door 2022 Summer Interns about their internship journeys, how they found a position that was right for them, ways to make valuable contributions as an intern, and what life is like as an intern at Red Door Interactive

Some of the brightest careers in marketing start with a summer internship. And while sometimes an internship means learning, growing, and then moving on to another opportunity, other times, the stars align and a company is able to provide an intern with a full-time role that offers room for growth and a chance to propel their career to the next level.  

Take a peek into Red Door's company culture, the challenges our former interns faced along the way, and some tips to help future interns make the most of their marketing internships. 

Nothing brings on the feeling of dread quite like hearing these five words: "We need a website redesign." It's usually a long, expensive, and stressful process. But, it doesn't have to be. Enter: GDD, aka Growth-Driven Design. With its marketer's mindset, this approach gives you a quick, agile website, based on data — not assumptions. In this episode, we'll explain how Red Door's own development team uses GDD to turn enterprise websites into digital marketing machines. 

It's no secret, the marketing industry is always changing. To highlight some of the changes and issues we see on the horizon, we present our Industry Mix episode series – where we challenge marketers to look and think about the road ahead. In this episode, Reid explores the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), its impact on consumer control, and the evolving role of the marketer. 

Marketing is often confused with promotion, but really, it's about much more than that. Marketing is about knowing and understanding your customer so well, that your product or service fits them and ultimately, sells itself. In short, marketing is about insight above all else.

In the spirit of those insights, we present our Meet the Marketer series, where we discuss the careers and tactics of marketers behind industry-leading brands.

In this episode, we chat with Aron North, Chief Marketing Officer at Mint Mobile. Sound familiar? You might remember the wireless company from their 2019 Super Bowl commercial "Chunky Style Milk." It went something like this: Premium wireless for $20 a month. It's right, all right, unlike chunky style milk. Fast forward two years, and Mint Mobile continues to change the wireless game. Just $15 a month. No contracts. No overages. And no BS. They've been able to give customers all of this, while keeping their ad-spend low. Like, low-low. What's their secret? We'll let Aron fill you in about this and more, including highlights from an illustrious career that features brand work for Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, among others.  

What's in your MarTech stack? If you're scratching your head, you're not alone. MarTech (aka Marketing Technology) is any tool marketers use to get work done. With more than 7,000+ out there, chances are, you're using one right now. And a stack is just fancy-talk for a "collection" of MarTech tools. In this episode, Ron Hadler, Red Door's VP of Data & Innovation, will explain why MarTech (and data science) are so important. Plus, he'll explain how to choose the best MarTech tools for your biz.  

Like peanut butter and jelly, some things are just better together. Search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search advertising are no exception. Think about it: SEO itself can be virtually cost-free, yet the results can take some time. And, while paid search gets you immediate results, it's expensive. But together, you hit that sweet spot of better outcomes and insights — for fewer dollars. In this episode, we'll show you how combining SEO and paid search strategies can make for marketing magic. All in just 20 minutes. 

When you know your audience deeply, good things happen. You can create more personalized content, which helps build brand trust. You can more easily turn leads into customers. And (here's the best part), you boost your bottom line. But how exactly do you better understand your audience? The answer is simple: first-party data. In this episode, we'll dive into the benefits of first-party data — and highlight the differences between first-, second-, and third-party data.  

As the marketing industry – and the world at large – continues to experience its own digital transformation, marketers have seen an explosion of channels, platforms, and of course, data. To better understand the reality of today's marketing landscape, and the tools at our disposal, we present our Tools of the Trade series.

In this episode, we sit down with Per Sjofors, Founder of Atenga Insights – a data-driven, predictive pricing service that combines market research with proprietary, AI-enabled analysis to measure and determine the prices customers are willing to pay.

Would you ever ask someone to marry you on the first date? Probably not. Like most romantic relationships, a customer typically needs nurturing before they're ready to make a purchase – this is especially true when it comes to life's most important decisions – whether it be buying a car, home, or maybe even an engagement ring. For marketers, the process of lead nurturing means delivering relevant information to a target consumer at each stage of their buyer journey – and when successful, expediting their path to a purchase decision. In this episode, we'll discuss the process of lead nurturing, common tactics, the power of optimization and more.

Marketing is often confused with promotion, but really it's about much more than that. Marketing is about knowing and understanding your customers so well that your product or service fits them and ultimately sells itself. In short, marketing is about insight above all else.

In the spirit of those insights, we present our Meet the Marketer series, where we discuss the careers and tactics of marketers behind industry-leading brands. 

Today we're joined by Madhav Bhandari, VP of Marketing at Storylane, where he is helped grow the company from $2 million to over 10 million in ARR in just two years. But that's only one chapter, he's also scaled revenue and marketing engines at Hubstaff, Close, and Bonsai.

We'll unpack how Madhav's marketing philosophy, anchored in insight, creativity, and disruption, has helped SaaS companies like Storylane, Hubstaff, and Bonsai scale from early traction to eight-figure growth. You'll hear how he applies "pattern interrupts" to rethink go-to-market strategy, align marketing with product and sales, and build momentum through bold experimentation. 

In this episode, we sit down with Jackson Jeyanayagam, Vice President and General Manager of the Nutranext Direct-to-Consumer business at The Clorox Company.

 As a seasoned brand marketer, Jackson has held a variety of positions during his illustrious 20-year career. Like many marketers, Jackson's career started on the agency side, where he held a variety of roles and worked with brands such as Microsoft, T-Mobile, Old Spice, Dentyne, P&G, Jordan Brand, and NASCAR, among many others. Jackson then transitioned in-house, becoming the Head of Digital for Chipotle, followed by a CMO position at Boxed, where he was named to the Forbes CMO Next 2018 list – identifying the 50 CMO's redefining the role and shaping the future. In his current role at Clorox, Jackson is using his vast marketing and digital technology experience to help grow Nutranext's direct-to-consumer business within the fast-growing health and wellness category.

It's no secret, the marketing industry is always changing. To highlight some of the changes and issues we see on the horizon, we present our Industry Mix episode series – where we challenge marketers to look and think about the road ahead. In this episode, Reid explores the concept of influencers, the difference between micro-influencers and macro-influencers, and how he thinks the landscape will change in the near future. 

In this episode, we sit down with Ben Widseth, Vice President of Marketing at Green Flash Brewing Co. – a trailblazing craft brewery, headquartered in San Diego, CA. 

With a well-established passion for marketing, Ben holds both agency and in-house experience. After starting his career with Ford Motor Co.'s dedicated agency Team Detroit (formerly known as GTB), Ben spent several years at Leo Burnett, working on both the Kellogg's and McDonald's accounts, before moving on to in-house marketing for Ally Financial, and then Anheuser Busch InBev, where he concentrated on brands such as Stella Artois and Shock Top. Now with Green Flash, Ben is focused on keeping craft beer fans thirsty for more, as their brand continues to innovate with experimental, limited-edition and seasonal offerings, in addition to their renowned lineup of long-time favorites.

It's probably no surprise to hear that brand marketers love to sponsor events – last year, an estimated $24.2 billion was spent on event sponsorships in North America. On a global scale, that number grows to $65.8 billion in sponsorship spending.

The benefits for brands are obvious: event sponsorships provide increased brand exposure and an opportunity to connect with new customers. But often times, the return on investment associated with an event sponsorship comes down to the sponsor's ability to promote their involvement – before, during, and after the event. In this episode, we'll explore the fundamentals of live event marketing, including planning, developing a content strategy, and more. 

On January 1, 2020, Californians will ring in the 'new year' with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The data privacy law is the latest in an alphabet soup of legislation – GDPR, anyone? – that governs the use of consumer data. But before the requirements go into effect, qualifying businesses need to make their data protection and user privacy policies compliant — or risk paying the high price of negligence. In this episode, we explore how the shifting landscape of data handling, consumer privacy, and CCPA will affect the modern marketer.

Marketing is often confused with promotion, but really, it's about much more than that. Marketing is about knowing and understanding your customer so well, that your product or service fits them and ultimately, sells itself. In short, marketing is about insight above all else.

In the spirit of those insights, we present our Meet the Marketer series, where we discuss the careers and tactics of marketers behind industry leading brands.  

In this episode, we sit down with Jeremy Stone, Director of Marketing at Titleist Vokey Wedges – a leader in the wedge category, and one of six categories of clubs by the golf brand Titleist.

An effective digital marketing strategy is one that is always relevant, up-to-date, and ready to evolve with the pace of industry change. Your website (and its CMS) is no different. A Content Management System, or CMS, is a software-based platform that enables you to create and manage your website's design, content, code and so on. But like the content on your site, which requires regular updates to stay fresh, it's important you keep your CMS up-to-date as part of routine website maintenance. In this episode, we'll discuss the role of the CMS, the benefits of updates (as well as upgrades), and more. 

"Listen before you speak." As individuals, we (should) understand the importance of listening and thoughtful communication. As marketers, we haven't always had the strategies or tools to do so, at least at scale. Enter social listening – which allows you to track, analyze, and respond to conversations about your brand and industry online, in real time. In this episode, we explore social listening, its impact on audience research, ways to incorporate the tactic into your social media strategy, and more.

The marketing landscape is a busy and crowded place – so, standing out requires big thinking from both the agency and the client. But if agencies want to push their best ideas forward, then they must appreciate the environment in which their clients operate. This means taking into consideration not only the risks involved with those ideas, but the tools, content, data, and perspective required to get buy-in. In this episode, we'll discuss the agency-client dynamic, balancing brand and performance, and more.

In this episode, we sit down with David Kahan, Chief Executive Officer at Birkenstock Americas – a footwear brand dedicated to crafting quality products and improving the lifestyles of its customers, since 1774.  Much like any heritage brand, Birkenstock's popularity has come in waves – in the '60s, '70s, '90s and today, it is once again, acclaimed by outdoors enthusiasts, celebrities, models – and now influencers – alike. This is due in part to a renewed strategy that Kahan has put in place in his time with the company, and a philosophy of maintaining the heritage of the brand, while finding new and innovative ways to create excitement with consumers.

As the marketing industry – and the world at large – continues to experience its own digital transformation, marketers have seen an explosion of channels, platforms, and of course, data. To better understand the reality of today's marketing landscape, and the tools at our disposal, we present our Tools of the Trade episode series.

Basis Technologies unifies planning, buying, optimization, and reporting so leaders get faster decisions and clearer accountability. In this partner spotlight, we talk with Leslie Johnson about how the RDI × Basis approach reduces operational drag, standardizes governance, and turns CTV/retail media investments into measurable outcomes—without adding headcount.

As the marketing industry – and the world at large – continues to experience its own digital transformation, marketers have seen an explosion of channels, platforms, and of course, data. To better understand the reality of today's marketing landscape, and the tools at our disposal – look no further than Google Marketing Platform, Google's unified advertising and analytics platform, built for smarter marketing and better results. In this episode, we'll explore an integral part of the Google Marketing Platform, Analytics 360 – a suite of analytics products that allow enterprise marketers to analyze consumer behavior, develop relevant insights, and deliver a more engaging brand experience.

In our last episode, we talked about the arrival of the "voice-first" movement, covering the current landscape for voice technology and some of the immediate implications for marketers. In ​Part 2 of this series, ​we shift our focus to the future. In this episode, we'll discuss the future of voice technology, the impact of voice-commerce, ways to future-proof your website –  and finally, answer the question "will voice kill the website?"

Can you imagine a world without websites? How about life without a keyboard? While the arrival of voice technology hasn't reshaped our landscape to this extent (yet) – it is ​ ​here to stay. ​Currently, voice search ​makes ​up ​35% ​of ​all ​web ​searches; that number ​is ​expected ​to ​reach ​50% ​by ​2020. ​Are ​your ​users ​finding ​your ​website ​when ​they ​ask ​for ​your ​business ​by ​name? ​Is ​your ​website ​able ​to ​deliver ​the ​right ​answers ​to ​spoken ​questions from buyers? ​In ​this ​episode, ​we'll ​discuss the current landscape for voice technology, ​ways ​to ​update ​your ​website ​to ​handle ​voice ​interactions, and more. 

With choices ranging from beer, to wine, to liquor, and back again, consumers are afforded bottomless options when it comes to their purchase of alcoholic products. To help marketers better understand these shoppers, we present our In the Buyer's Head episode series, where we answer the question: "Why do people shop where they shop?" In this episode, we'll discuss where shoppers are buying beer, wine and spirits, how they discover new alcohol brands and products, the impact of Amazon, and how alcohol brands can improve their digital shopping experiences.

From PPC and CRM to KPIs and CRO, marketers love their acronyms. But here's one acronym you might not be familiar with: WCAG, also known as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Like the name implies, WCAG is a step-by-step set of technical requirements allow your website accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. In other words, if your brand has a website or an app, then the rules of WCAG affect you. In this episode, we'll discuss the impact of WCAG, the basic principles of online accessibility, its design implications and more.

Who doesn't love the feel of a new pair of shoes? While footwear remains one of our most beloved retail purchases, few industries experience more frequent shifts in consumer behaviors, preferences, and demands. To help marketers better understand these shoppers, we present our In the Buyer's Head episode series, where we answer the question: "Why do people shop where they shop?" In this episode, we'll discuss where shoppers are buying their footwear, the impact of e-commerce, and how footwear brands can improve their digital shopping experiences.

When you hear the word search, you probably think of Google. But what if we told you that Amazon has become the king of (product) searches? While consumers once relied on search engines (such as Google) for product info, price comparisons, and so on – more than 50% of consumers now find themselves heading directly to Amazon for all of the above. What's more, roughly 90% of product views on Amazon come from searches on the platform, rather than search engine referrals. In this episode, we'll discuss what goes into ranking for search on Amazon, what Google is doing to even the score, and more.

To compete in today's fast paced landscape, brands know they need to be better from the inside out. In the past (see Mad Men era), the old model for brands meant developing an external brand image to influence its consumers. Since then, the art of creating a brand has evolved from logo design and ad placements to a much more complex endeavor. Within this new model, a company's true values replace its external brand image – meaning, looking good simply isn't enough. In this episode, we'll discuss what it means to develop a brand culture, how your brand can illuminate the DNA of your organization, and more.

Content marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) are integral parts of the modern marketing mix, yet they often operate as separate services, achieving different goals, with their own sets of KPIs. The reality is, content marketing and SEO don't function in a silo, but instead should complement one another to build a robust, results-focused marketing strategy. In this episode, we'll discuss what it takes to integrate the two tactics, our process for creating relevant consumer content that also drives qualified search traffic to your channels, the importance of search intent vs. keyword ranking, and more.

In marketing today, the term "content" encompasses anything in any medium. So, what exactly is "content marketing"? While, content presents itself in various forms, whether it be product content, sales content, user-generated content and so on, content marketing concerns itself with a strategic solution to a strategic problem – it's about delivering a consistent customer experience (i.e. content) across the buyer's journey, and using content to specifically support top-of-funnel marketing activities (i.e. content marketing). In this episode, we'll discuss "content", its relationship to other marketing tactics and how it benefits the marketer and the consumer.

AI is not just accelerating paid media—it's redefining it. From automating campaign creation to predicting budget allocations and dynamically personalizing creative, AI is forcing media teams to rethink how they build, launch, and measure success. But with so many tools promising "optimization," what actually delivers? And where does human strategy still matter most? 

In this episode we'll tackle the biggest questions marketing teams are asking: 
How should we be using AI in paid media today? What metrics actually matter in an AI-augmented landscape? And how do we maintain control, clarity, and creativity when machines are making more decisions?

In today's marketing landscape, marketers rely on data and technology more than ever before. While marketing technology allow us to gather data, it also provides the ability to automate and optimize nearly every phase of the digital marketing lifecycle. Enter marketing optimization – the process by which a brand or organization improves their marketing efforts, and ultimately, maximizes their desired business outcomes. In this episode, we'll discuss optimization, it's impact on today's marketing tactics and how its reshaping marketing strategies as a whole.

Marketing is often confused with promotion, but really, it's about much more than that.  Marketing is about knowing and understanding your customer so well, that your product or service fits them and ultimately, sells itself. In short, marketing is about insight above all else. In that spirit, we present our Meet the Marketer series, where we discuss the careers and tactics of marketers behind industry leading brands.  

In this episode, we sit down with Nathan Schmidt, EVP of Brand Strategy and Digital Channels at San Diego County Credit Union, also known as SDCCU. During Nathan's time at SDCCU, the company has become a top credit union in the nation and deeply rooted itself within in the local community, as San Diego's largest locally-owned financial institution with over $8.4 billion in assets. Nathan's career accolades include being named 2017 Marketing Professional of the Year by the CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council, Credit Union Rock Star (also by CUNA), Brand Professional of the Year by SDX, San Diego's premiere marketing association, "40 Under 40" by SD Metro Magazine, a "Trailblazer 40 Below" by the Credit Union Times and more. 

Under the right circumstances, influencer marketing can be an effective avenue for brands to interact and connect with their consumers. While a variety of components make for a successful influencer campaign strategy  – solid "brand alignment" between brands and influencers, authentic and meaningful engagement, and so on –  some marketers are now taking a more transactional approach to influencers. This mindset has given rise to influencer-focused agencies that center their services around drafting deals, producing content, and ensuring basic compliance with the law. However, what's lost in this business-driven (and somewhat impersonal) approach are the foundational values from which a brand's relationship with influencers should be built upon. In this episode, we're talking influencers: who they are, what they do, and how to build relationships that maximize their effect. 

Efficiency. Automation. Pricing. Since it started selling books in 1997, Amazon has used those same principles to enter and/or disrupt market after market. Now, they're hoping to do the same to the advertising industry. Despite competition from Facebook and Google, Amazon is ready to enter the programmatic space, aggressively expanding infrastructure and hoping brands will ultimately buy ad space on its websites and through its platform. How can eCommerce brands position themselves to navigate, purchase and scale within Amazon's ad platform? In this episode, we'll discuss Amazon's expansion into the ad buying space and what it means for marketers.