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 creative advertisements can actually hurt the performance of regular ads shown alongside them. They discuss why brands with smaller budgets should still prioritize creativity to avoid getting lost in the mix.Topics covered: [01:00] "The Power of Creative Advertising: Creative Ads Impair Recall and Attitudes Towards Other Ads"[03:00] How creative ads affect surrounding regular ads[04:35] The dramatic drop in recall when creative ads are repeated[05:10] Why regular ads are judged more harshly after creative ones[06:30] The "Super Bowl effect" and competitive ad environments[07:00] Creating memorable ads on smaller budgets To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Jin, H. S., Kerr, G., Suh, J., Kim, H. J., & Sheehan, B. (2022). The power of creative advertising: Creative ads impair recall and attitudes toward other ads. International Journal of Advertising, 41(3), 1-21. 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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The New Rules of Great Video Creative with Steve Babcock
Marketers only accurately predict the outcome of an A/B test 52% of the time. With today's viewers constantly multitasking, creative has seconds—not minutes—to make an impact. But many brands still rely on outdated approaches, leading to forgettable commercials.In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Chief Creative Officer Steve Babcock to discuss Marketing Architects' new report on TV creative effectiveness. They explore why strategy must come first, why pretesting is no longer optional, storytelling lessons from marketing effectiveness research, and how AI is enhancing (not replacing) human creativity.Topics covered: [01:00] New research on what makes TV creative effective in 2025[05:00] Why the old creative playbook no longer works[08:00] Finding the "elephant in the room" for strategic development[13:00] How AI-powered pretesting is changing creative development[21:00] The cost of "dull" advertising that evokes no emotion[25:00] Using AI as a creative engineering tool[36:00] The future of "shootless" video production To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2025 Marketing Architects Report: https://www.marketingarchitects.com/NewRules 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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41:48
Nerd Alert: The Science Behind Emotional Advertising
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 emotions outweigh logic in advertising effectiveness. They discuss research showing emotional responses are nearly twice as powerful as cognitive factors in driving purchase intent across nearly all product categories.Topics covered: [01:00] "The Power of Effect: Predicting Intention"[02:00] Rational vs. emotional decision-making[03:00] The AdSAM non-verbal research tool[05:00] Where emotion dominates across product categories[06:45] The one category where logic outperforms emotion[09:30] Creating ads that evoke the right feelings To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: Morris, J. D., Woo, C., Geason, J. A., & Kim, J. (2002). The power of affect: Predicting intention.Journal of Advertising Research, 42(3), 7-17. 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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12:19
The CTV Hype Cycle: Separating Fact from Fiction
CTV ad revenue is projected to reach $28 billion this year, but 39% of advertisers still cite transparency in ad placements as a major concern. Is Connected TV delivering on its promises or falling short?This episode, Elena and Angela are joined by Chief Media Officer Catherine Walstad to discuss the state of CTV advertising. They explore the maturing optimism around streaming TV and share practical advice for navigating this complex but essential channel. Learn why CTV shouldn't be viewed as either brand or performance marketing, but as a powerful complement to linear TV.Topics covered: [01:00] CTV usage and ad spend projections through 2026[03:30] Current marketing sentiment around CTV advertising[06:00] Defining CTV, OTT, and streaming terminology[09:00] Is CTV delivering on its ROI promises?[11:00] CTV's role in both brand and performance marketing[18:00] Why CTV advertising has high CPMs and hidden costs[21:00] CTV measurement challenges and solutions[27:00] How fragmentation impacts advertisers and viewers[29:30] Emerging CTV trends like shoppable and interactive ads To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2025 eMarketer Article: https://www.emarketer.com/content/5-things-know-about-ctv-advertising-platforms2025 Ad Exchanger Article: https://www.adexchanger.com/tv/buyers-say-ctvs-transparency-problem-remains-a-roadblock-to-investment/ 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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36:23
Nerd Alert: Why Humor Wins in Advertising
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 humor in advertising drives stronger brand recall and sales despite its 37% decline over the past two decades. They reveal why creating memorable, relatable comedy leads to measurable business results.Topics covered: [01:00] "What's Working in Humorous Advertising"[02:30] The decline of humor in modern advertising[03:45] Data proving funny ads outperform competitors[05:10] How humor magnifies brand memories[06:05] Why humor drives brand fame[07:20] Balancing humor with brand connection To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: WARC. (2025). What’s Working in Humorous Advertising. WARC Strategy. Retrieved from WARC. 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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