417 episodes

Alan Hart, marketer and advisor to the world's best marketers and companies, leads intimate conversations with the world's most dynamic chief marketing officers (CMOs) and business leaders. Alan goes further than other marketing podcasts to learn CMO strategies, tips, and advice. Alan and his guests reveal what makes a great brand, marketing campaign, or turnaround. Learn from the personal experience and rich stories of these marketing and business leaders so you can unleash your full potential.
Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday.



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Marketing Today with Alan Hart Alan B. Hart

    • Business
    • 5.0 • 493 Ratings

Alan Hart, marketer and advisor to the world's best marketers and companies, leads intimate conversations with the world's most dynamic chief marketing officers (CMOs) and business leaders. Alan goes further than other marketing podcasts to learn CMO strategies, tips, and advice. Alan and his guests reveal what makes a great brand, marketing campaign, or turnaround. Learn from the personal experience and rich stories of these marketing and business leaders so you can unleash your full potential.
Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    410: Circle has Community Building Down to a Science with Andy Guttormsen, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer

    410: Circle has Community Building Down to a Science with Andy Guttormsen, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer

    In this episode, Alan and Andy discuss his path to creating Circle, how to build community, best practices and takeaways for community builders, how to build a great member experience, how to find the right members for your community, and much more!
    Andy Guttormsen is the co-founder and chief revenue officer of Circle, an all-in-one community platform for professional creators and brands. He started his career on Wall Street, but quickly found that it wasn't the place for him. He attempted to start a couple of ultimately unsuccessful companies before he made his way to Teachable, where he had the idea for Circle and met his co-founder. Circle has community building down to a science, and they are kind enough to compile and share that science with us in their Community Benchmark Report. 
    To generate this report, Circle sent out a survey to their 10,000 customers, gathered their internal product data, and put together a report on premium “Platinum Communities” to identify how they differ from other communities. The full report is available online, but Andy outlines some of the key takeaways and best practices from those platinum communities that we can use to build our own strong communities, from encouraging member interaction to designing valuable signature gatherings. However, none of these community engagement strategies work without high-quality members in the community. Thankfully, Andy also shares tips and tricks from great community builders he has seen succeed in growing their membership base. No matter the membership numbers, each community has value, but for businesses, that value will look different based on their goals. Andy gives us several examples of what can make a community valuable to a business and how to identify and increase that unique value. 
    In this episode, you'll learn:
    Why Andy’s first founder attempt failed, and why Circle was differentThe idea behind Circle and how it came to beBest practices and key takeaways from the Circle Community Benchmark Report How to find the right members for your community and build a great member experience 
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    Key Highlights:
    [01:45] Why does Andy prioritize daily walks?[04:35] His path from Wall Street to co-founding Circle[10:30] Alan is in the Circle too.[12:05] Key takeaways from the Benchmark Report [14:40] What can we learn from Dr. Becky?[16:23] Examples of communities providing transformation for members [19:00] Circle vs. The Other Guys [22:40] What is a Signature Gathering?  [25:50] Get in the Hot Seat![27:30] Growing and finding the right members for your community[31:55] The value of community to a business[34:35] Valuable lessons learned through failure [36:25] What would he have done differently? [38:45] Adding predictability to the business [41:00] More creatives. More side hustles.[42:50] The AI portion of the show: bad copywriters beware
    Looking for more?
    Visit our website for links to resources mentioned in this episode and ways to connect with the guest!
    Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday.



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    • 45 min
    409: Offering Solo Travel as a Solution for Loneliness with Lee Thompson, Co-Founder & CMO of Flash Pack

    409: Offering Solo Travel as a Solution for Loneliness with Lee Thompson, Co-Founder & CMO of Flash Pack

    Lee Thompson is the co-founder and CMO of Flash Pack, a travel brand dedicated to small group adventures rooted in friendship that he founded with his now wife and CEO, Radha Vyas. Lee’s career merged with his passion for adventure as a self-employed photojournalist. He met Radha on a chance first date between gigs, and they immediately started planning what became Flash Pack. By 2016, they were married, had both quit their jobs, and were starting their new adventure as business owners. Initially, they successfully bootstrapped their business, but COVID and closed borders had other ideas. The pandemic was in full swing, they had a one-year-old baby, all of their investors wanted refunds, and by November 2020, they had filed for bankruptcy and lost everything. Thanks to teamwork, creative problem-solving, and dedication, Lee and Radha were able to relaunch in November 2021 and are in a better place today than ever before. Now, he is using the storytelling skills he learned through photojournalism to tell the story of Flash Pack, a story of friendship.
    In this episode, Alan and Lee discuss who Flash Pack is for, the unique experiences they offer their customers, and why they are all in on marketing friendship. Flash Pack is a London-based start-up, but with a large American user base, they are beginning the transition to become a US-based company with several existing US-based employees and an upcoming family move to the States. They have over 75 employees in 12 different countries, and revenue is higher than it ever was pre-pandemic. Lee says business is booming due to an increase in loneliness and awareness of the damage it can do. That is why all Flash Pack marketing is centered around friendship forged through adventure.
    In this episode, you'll learn:
    How Lee’s photojournalism skills serve him as a CMOThe solo travel market and why Flash Pack marketing is all friendship-basedWhat Lee has learned from failure and predicts for the future of marketing
    Key Highlights:
    [01:45] Historic adventures in photojournalism[04:40] The art of storytelling through photos and marketing efforts[05:25] From the first date to founding a company[07:40] Building a life together is the greatest adventure.[09:00] What is a Flash Pack?[11:35] Everything was great until COVID hit.[15:45] Starting a Business: Part 2[18:40] The market for solo travel[21:00] Friendship forged through adventure[21:55] Flash Pack across the Pond[23:55] Generating buzz about friendship on the streets of New York[27:15] The next big thing to target is isolation on the streets of New York.[28:55] Learning how to fail early on[30:00] Advice to his younger self[32:05] Marketing is not just the marketer's job.[34:20] User-generated content[35:55] The opportunity for diversity and the threat of getting lazy
    Looking for more?
    Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!
    Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday.



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    • 37 min
    408: David’s Bridal is Innovating Retail Brand Experiences with Kelly Cook, President of Marketing, IT & Finance

    408: David’s Bridal is Innovating Retail Brand Experiences with Kelly Cook, President of Marketing, IT & Finance

    Kelly Cook does it all! She is a mother of five who plays the drums AND serves as President of Marketing, IT, and Finance at David’s Bridal. Her love of learning and trying new things can be seen in her impressive and varied work history. From Continental Airlines, to Waste Management, Inc. to DSW, Pier One, Sears, Kmart, and now David’s Bridal, Kelly tells us she learned a lot about herself and her craft by challenging herself in new industries and encourages other marketers to try the same.
    In this episode, Alan and Kelly discuss her unique role combining brand, tech, and finance and what those three aspects may mean for the future of brand experiences at retailers. Kelly also tells us how David’s Bridal views their role in the wedding planning process, as well as how their unique omnichannel approach and crowdfunded loyalty programs help them connect with brides on a deeper level.
    David’s Bridal sells 1 out of every 4 bridal gowns in the US, so they know brides, and they know brides are stressed out. That is why David’s Bridal is on a mission to make every step of the process as easy as possible, expand its scope to fill gaps in the market, add more value for its brides, and help them keep costs down. It was the creativity of the brides they serve and the dedication of their employees through COVID that inspired David’s Bridal's new “The Things We Do for Love” campaign. Even with the rise of AI, automation, and neuromarketing, Kelly and her team at David’s Bridal know the in-store human connection is a part of their business that will never be replaced.
    In this episode, you'll learn:
    How is David’s Bridal blending brand, technology, and finance to prepare for the future of retail brand experiences?How do they structure their unique omnichannel approach and crowdfunded loyalty programs?What inspired the “The Things We Do for Love” campaign?
    Key Highlights:
    [02:00] A mom of five on the drums[03:10] Her start and the stops along the way[04:05] Growing intellectually by switching industries[05:55] Brand, and technology, and finance, oh my![07:35] David’s Bridal market share and value prop[10:20] Keeping wedding costs down[11:25] The omnichannel approach to being there when brides need them[14:40] A loyalty program? Like, for repeat weddings?[19:05] “The Things We Do for Love."[24:40] Mentorship in prioritization, communication, and paying it forward[31:05] Advice to her younger self[33:05] How to not lose humanity in technology[35:35] Brand-on-brand social interactions[37:30] We are often our own worst enemies.
    Looking for more?
    Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!
    Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday.



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    • 39 min
    407: Does Your Career Align with Your Values? with Regina Lawless, Author of Do You: A Journey of Success, Loss and Learning to Live a More MeaningFULL Life

    407: Does Your Career Align with Your Values? with Regina Lawless, Author of Do You: A Journey of Success, Loss and Learning to Live a More MeaningFULL Life

    Regina Lawless is an inspiration. She is a recent empty nester, founder of Bossy & Blissful, a community for black women executives and business owners, and author of Do You: A Journey of Success, Loss and Learning to Live a More MeaningFULL Life.
    After graduating with her BA in communications from California State University-Sacramento, Regina got her first job in human resources at Target. After about 8 years in retail HR, she did a stint in banking, then moved to the airline industry, and in 2016 she pivoted to tech. This led her to Meta, where in 2020 she became the head of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Instagram. About 6 months into that role, her husband of 21 years, Al, passed away unexpectedly. This life-changing loss set her on a journey of healing and rediscovery inspired by her late husband’s last text message to her: “Do you, babe. Don’t worry about anything else.”
    Through that journey, she realized that she had learned some lessons the hard way that could really help others. So, in 2023, she left corporate America, launched the community she was looking for, Bossy & Blissful, and wrote her first book that outlines a five-part framework she has developed to help you live a “MeaningFULL Life".
    In this episode, Alan and Regina discuss why she wrote the book, what she hopes people get out of it, the state of DEI today, and what life is like on the other side of corporate America. Regina also talks about how her childhood impacts the work she is doing today, the double-edged knife of constant connectivity without real community, the way Gen Z is rolling back the clock, and what the loneliness epidemic could mean for employers. 
    In this episode, you'll learn:
    How the death of her husband changed everything in Regina’s lifePractical ways to navigate grief and start finding yourself againWhat the loneliness epidemic could mean for employers
    Key Highlights:
    [01:55] Thriving as a new empty nester[03:15] Regina path[05:05] What inspired “Do You”?[06:25] Tips for grieving[09:10] How do you “do you”?[12:50] Navigating fear around making the leap[16:50] What’s it like to leave corporate America?[20:50] The current state of DEI[25:05] From NoCal to the Burbs[29:00] Don’t be afraid to “do you."[30:30] The AI portion of the show[31:40] Back to flip phones![34:15] The loneliness epidemic
    Looking for more?
    Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!
    Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday.



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    • 37 min
    406: The Punk Rock Innovation Strategy with Paul Stonick, VP of SCADpro at Savannah College of Art and Design

    406: The Punk Rock Innovation Strategy with Paul Stonick, VP of SCADpro at Savannah College of Art and Design

    Paul Stonick is a punk. Like, an “opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers before they were cool” kind of punk. He started in web design in the mid-90s, then pivoted to UX in 2012. With 18 years in e-commerce, fashion, beauty, home improvement, and automotive, as well as 15 years in executive design leadership roles, he has over two decades of “tra-digital” experience in brand creative, visual, and UX design. Now, in the third act of his career as Vice President of SCADpro at Savannah College of Art and Design, Paul tells us it's the opportunity to develop the next generation of design leaders as they work to integrate design innovation and overcome old-school obstructionism that inspires him. 
    Savannah College of Art and Design is not an art school. They are a creative university, preparing students for their creative professions. SCAD was founded in 1978, and today they have over 17,500 students, over 100 different majors and minors, and a 99% rate of employment after graduation. SCADpro, Paul's department, is the university's collaborative innovation studio. He tells us they sit at the intersection of art design and business by generating business solutions for the world's most influential brands, like Google, Amazon, Apple, NASA, Delta, BMW, Volvo, Uber, Mayo Clinic, The Home Depot, P&G, and Chick-fil-A.
    In this episode, Alan and Paul discuss the new book he contributed to, his early brushes with punk royalty, and what makes Savannah College of Art and Design more than just an “art school." They talk about what SCADpro is doing, some of the partnerships they have developed, and what type of work they have done to date. Paul also tells us why design has to be integrated into the top ranks of businesses, what he is teaching students about navigating corporate obstruction and finding like-minded people, and how the punks are taking over corporate America.
    “Some of my greatest work will never appear in my portfolio.”
    In this episode, you'll learn:
    Why Savannah College of Art and Design is NOT just an “art school”The Chick-fil-A drive-through and other SCADpro projectsHow the punks are taking over corporate America 
    Key Highlights:
    [02:20] A lover of music, maybe even INXS[03:40] Opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers?! [05:15] From Anthony Kiedis to the next generation of design leaders[07:20] Savannah College of Art and Design is not an art school.[08:00] SCADpro: the university's collaborative innovation studio[09:00] The BDR side of SCADpro[09:45] Love the Chick-fil-A drive-through? Thank SCADpro![12:10] “Innovation” is being abused.[13:25] Show the math![15:05] Navigating corporate obstruction and finding like-minded people[18:05] Punks and Pinstripes [21:40] Be unconventional[23:45] “The data will set you free.”[24:50] It’s all about the Gen Z mindset.[25:45] No, really, it’s all about the Gen Z mindset (and AI).
    Looking for more?
    Visit our website for links to resources mentioned in this episode and ways to connect with the guest!
    Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday.



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    • 28 min
    405: How to Be Your CFO’s Best Friend with Thumbtack CMO, Llibert Argerich

    405: How to Be Your CFO’s Best Friend with Thumbtack CMO, Llibert Argerich

    Llibert Argerich is a hardworking triathlete from Andorra, one of the smallest countries in the world. At 11, Llibert lost his father and learned his work ethic firsthand as he watched his mother raise three children on her own as a waitress. His desire to expand his worldview beyond the valley has led him to live in five different countries on two continents over the last 20 years. After completing his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Toulouse in France, Llibert started doing market research for a small start-up, but it didn't take long for him to fall in love with marketing. After moving to London to learn English, he got his “lucky break” by faking it until he was making it and got hired on at Expedia. From there, he went to work for eBay, where he was able to achieve his 16-year-long goal of moving to the US. Most recently, Llibert served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Udemy before he was hired as Chief Marketing Officer at Thumbtack in August 2023.
    In this episode, Alan and Llibert discuss how he approached his first 100 days at Thumbtack, his view on integrating brand and performance, what is and is not working in marketing today, and how to become your CFO’s best friend. Llibert also outlines the guiding principles and operating philosophy that Thumbtack implements based on data and testing to determine how they spend marketing dollars.
    Thumbtack is a platform that connects homeowners to professionals in the home service area, making it a dual-sided marketplace. As CMO, Llibert oversees the entirety of the marketing and communications platform, and he is also the DIR (Directly Responsible Individual) for the consumers and all company metrics that link to the homeowners (the demand-side consumer). Llibert tells us he and his team have found a more functional synergy by leveraging the Directly Responsible Individual structure rather than breaking the team into supply and demand sides. Marketers are often unfairly categorized as either performance experts or brand experts when in reality, they should be fluent in both languages. Llibert believes that true success will come from a 360-degree approach that leverages various channels to meet consumers where they are and can measure impact and performance across the whole spectrum.
    In this episode, you'll learn:
    Llibert's approach to his first 30, 60, 90, and 100 days in his new roleStructuring marketing to benefit both sides of a dual-sided marketplaceThumbtack's guiding principles and operating philosophy that drive brand and performance
    Key Highlights:
    [02:00] Growing up in one of the smallest (and oldest) countries in the world[05:30] “The right path is the hard path.”[10:15] What is Thumbtack?[16:00] First 30, 60, 90, and 100 days in a new role[20:00] Structuring marketing with a dual-sided marketplace[23:15] Directly Responsible Individuals[23:50] Getting brand and performance to work together[28:30] The gaps in marketing[32:10] How to befriend your CFO[34:45] Teamwork makes the dream work.[35:30] The impact of losing his father at a young age[37:10] Advice to his younger self[38:30] The Gen AI portion of the show[41:37] Trends in fashion and sports marketing[42:40] The dangers or false sense of marketing precision
    Looking for more?
    Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!
    Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday.



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    • 44 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
493 Ratings

493 Ratings

jnjnmkkakakkakaamsksms ,

Diverse range of guests

Although this podcast is focused on Marketing, Alan does a great job bringing on guests with different backgrounds to share unique perspectives. Alan is also a great interviewer. I enjoy the show!

squash97 ,

The Perfect Podcast for Marketers, Companies, and Business Leaders Alike!

Marketing Today with Alan Hart is the perfect podcast for any marketing professional wanting to stay up to date on the latest marketing techniques and trends from a wide variety of industries. Alan is a fantastic host who really does his research and asks questions that his audience wants to know. I can’t wait to learn what guests/topics Alan will cover next!

Nathan Burke (Axonius) ,

Always Be Learning

I love this podcast because I’m a learning junkie. Hearing others give their perspectives always keeps me on my toes and takes me out of my echo chamber. Love it.

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