The Marketing Architects

• Nerd Alert: Rituals as Brand Strategy

  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 small rituals before consuming products can dramatically enhance enjoyment and make experiences more memorable. They reveal why structured, meaningful movements work better than random gestures and how brands like Jeep, Oreo, and Apple have mastered the art of ritual-driven engagement.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Rituals Enhanced Consumption" [02:00] The Jeep Wrangler ducking ritual and community building [03:00] Four experiments on chocolate bars, carrots, and lemonade [04:00] Why delay after rituals increases anticipation and enjoyment [05:00] Personal involvement: doing versus watching rituals [06:00] Brand examples: Oreos, Starbucks, Disney, and Guinness [07:00] Apple's unboxing experience as the ultimate ritual  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Vohs, K. D., Wang, Y., Gino, F., & Norton, M. I. (2013). Rituals enhance consumption. Psychological Science, 24(9), 1714–1721. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613478949  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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• How Does Advertising Actually Work?

  Does advertising nudge your memory? Change your mind? Or make you feel something? The answer isn't as simple as you think.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob examine five leading theories of how advertising works. They debate memory nudging versus persuasion models, explore why emotional ads outperform rational ones, and reveal which approaches actually drive business results.Topics covered: [02:00] Memory nudging theory and mental availability from Ehrenberg-Bass[08:00] When persuasion models change consumer minds[13:00] Why emotional priming outperforms rational advertising[18:00] Cultural branding and why most brands can't pull it off[21:00] Signaling theory and how expensive media builds credibility[24:00] Which advertising theory each host likes most[26:00] Mandela Effect game connecting memory to brand recall To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2020 Ehrenberg-Bass Institute Study: https://marketingscience.info/what-is-the-effect-of-advertising-on-mental-market-share/  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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• Nerd Alert: The Cost of Going Dark

  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 the true cost of turning off advertising spend. They explore research across 365 US brands showing market share declines by 10% after one year, 20% after two years, and 30% after four years of going dark.Topics covered: [01:00] "When Brands Go Dark: A Replication and Extension"[02:00] Market share drops 10% after one year of going dark[04:00] Brand size and trajectory predict decline severity[05:00] Low frequency categories suffer most without advertising[06:00] Light buyers are first to forget your brand[07:00] Mental availability matters more than shelf availability  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Phua, P., Hartnett, N., Beal, V., Trinh, G., & Kennedy, R. (2023). When brands go dark: A replication and extension. Journal of Advertising Research, 63(2), 172–184. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-2023-009  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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• When AI is Your Buyer with Jonathan Elfreich

  AI agents heavily rely on structured data like pricing and star ratings while largely ignoring flashy visuals or banners. Traditional SEO strategies may actually harm your chances of being recommended by AI systems.This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Jonathan Elfreich, Head AI Architect at Misfits and Machines, to explore how AI is changing marketing. From SEO to GEO optimization to AI-driven TV advertising, learn what marketers need to know about preparing for a world where machines make purchasing decisions.Topics covered: [04:00] How AI differs from automation and learns from data [09:00] Why traditional SEO strategies harm AI citation results [14:00] Building brand memories in AI systems like ChatGPT [18:00] How well-known brands have advantages in AI recommendations [21:00] Short-term changes happening in TV advertising with AI [24:00] Long-term vision for personalized, generated TV content [28:00] The importance of targeting and mass customization  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources:  2025 AdExchanger Article: https://www.adexchanger.com/data-driven-thinking/marketing-to-machines-a-new-performance-strategy-in-the-age-of-ai-agents/ 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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• Nerd Alert: Why Animals Work in Ads

  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 why animal images consistently create more favorable attitudes toward ads and brands than human models. They reveal how biophilia, pet love, and trust drive effectiveness. Plus learn when using animals can backfire.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Effectiveness of Animal Images and Advertising"[02:00] Biophilia drives receptiveness to animal ads[03:00] Pet lovers smile more at animal advertisements[04:00] Baby animals trigger caretaking reflexes[06:00] Animals project trustworthiness onto brands[08:00] When animals backfire as consumer stand-ins To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Keller, B., & Gierl, H. (2020).Effectiveness of animal images in advertising. Marketing ZFP–Journal of Research and Management, 42(1), 3–32. https://doi.org/10.15358/0344-1369-2020-1-3  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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