Budget explains 89% of profit variation in award-winning campaigns. ROI? Just 11%. Yet 65% of senior marketers still believe ROI is the biggest contributor to success.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob discuss new research from Les Binet and Will Davis that reveals a major misunderstanding at the heart of modern marketing. For years, marketers have obsessed over efficiency: optimizing clicks, proving short-term ROI, and doing more with less. The team breaks down why budget and reach matter more than most realize, how to escape the "death spiral" of shrinking investments, and what it means to go big or go home with your marketing plan.Topics covered: [01:00] Why budget is 8x more important than ROI for driving profit[03:00] Defining marketing efficiency vs marketing effectiveness[11:00] Making the case internally for bigger budgets and broader reach[13:00] How this research should change your channel planning[19:00] Balancing efficiency and effectiveness in your marketing mix[21:00] What creativity at scale really looks like To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2025 IPA Effectiveness Conference Article: https://ipa.co.uk/news/go-big-or-go-home/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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28:58
Nerd Alert: When Sports Advertising Works
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 reveal why advertising during major sporting events often backfires. Clutter and distraction crush ad effectiveness before and during events. The sweet spot? Right after, when buzz lingers but noise clears.Topics covered: [01:00] "Going for Gold: Investigating the (Non)sense of Increased Advertising Around Major Sport Events"[01:40] Does ramping up ad spend during events actually work?[03:00] How researchers measured advertising effectiveness around events[04:00] Short-term sales impact drops over 50% during events[05:00] The only way to break through: dominate share of voice[06:00] What does "after the event" advertising actually mean? To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Gijsenberg, M. J. (2014). Going for gold: Investigating the (non)sense of increased advertising around major sports events. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 31(1), 2-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2013.09 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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9:17
So You Think You're Distinctive?
Less than half of ads are correctly attributed to the right brand after viewing. And it takes two to three years of consistent investment before a brand asset truly feels like it belongs to you.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob explore what it actually means to build distinctive brand assets. They dig into Mark Ritson's latest column for Marketing Week, break down the research on what makes assets memorable, and share why most marketers quit way too soon. Plus, test your own knowledge with a distinctive assets quiz.Topics covered: [01:00] What distinctiveness actually means for your brand[04:00] Why creativity and distinctiveness aren't the same thing[09:00] Why you need seven brand cues to boost recall to 100%[14:00] Brands that nailed distinctiveness over decades[18:00] Balancing creative freshness with brand consistency[22:00] How to measure if your assets are truly distinctive To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2025 The Drum Article: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2025/10/06/mark-ritson-we-know-what-distinctive-marketing-looks-now-let-s-agree-what-call-it Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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28:02
Nerd Alert: When Ads Hit Their Breaking Point
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 consumer response to advertising behaves more like a phase transition than a smooth curve. They discuss saturation points, tipping points, and why some channels scale differently than others.Topics covered: [01:00] "Symmetry Scaling Laws and Phase Transitions in Consumer Advertising Response"[03:00] Three parameters: marketing effectiveness, response sensitivity, and behavioral sensitivity[04:00] Which parameter matters most for TV?[05:00] Testing against traditional models[06:00] Network effects and audience clustering To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Marín, J. (2024). Symmetries, scaling laws and phase transitions in consumer advertising response [Preprint]. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2404.02175 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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8:42
Why AI Won't Kill "Brand"
OpenAI just launched its first global brand campaign. And instead of using algorithms or AI-driven stunts, they turned to the most old-school playbook of all: TV ads. Shot on film. With human directors. Real actors. 30-second spots about everyday moments tied back to ChatGPT.This episode, Elena and Rob break down OpenAI's new TV campaign and what it reveals about the enduring power of brand in an AI-driven world. They discuss why even the most advanced tech companies still need emotional storytelling and broad reach to grow, how AI is already transforming marketing workflows, and what separates strong brand strategy from ineffective branding. Plus, hear their takes on which brands are crushing it today.Topics covered: [02:00] Breaking down OpenAI's new TV ads[10:00] Why tech companies struggle with branding and naming[15:00] Ways AI is already giving marketers superpowers[20:00] Why brand will become even more important as AI advances[28:00] Google's brand strategy and compelling storytelling[34:00] How to keep your brand strong in the age of AI To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2025 The Drum Article:https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2025/09/30/mark-ritson-chatgpt-s-new-ads-show-even-ai-can-t-deny-the-brand-building-power-tv Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Introducing a research-first podcast that builds revenue, not condos.Answer questions on the biggest marketing trends and news with discussions based in marketing, psychology and economics research. Along the way, learn about marketing accountability, category leadership, brand-building and much more.Featuring a team of experienced marketers whose blueprints for success are marketing strategies actually proven to work.
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