Marketer’s Alchemy: Turning Data Into Gold

In this episode, Kathryn talks with Mary Ann Donaghy, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer of ZIPS Cleaners, discussing marketing in a franchise business and understanding the mindset of your customer. Mary Ann shares how they have leveraged a consumer research project to better understand customer demographics and behavior, highlighting the significance of consumer insights. She also covers strategies for opening new fr...

In this episode, Kathryn talks with Ari Sheinkin, CMO, IBM Consulting, discussing how data and testing unleashes creative potential. Ari dives into the 'data first' principle at IBM, the importance of understanding customers through data, and how this approach impacts marketing decisions. He also talks about an exciting campaign at Grand Central Station and how AI is improving campaigns. 

Guest Quote:

• So a lot of the data science...

In 2024, Marketer’s Alchemy welcomed some of the most brilliant pioneers in their fields - leaders from Nationwide, Meta, PepsiCo, and many more.

As we often say on this show: marketing is an art, and data is a science. Our guests embodied that philosophy, sharing what’s top of mind for them, the successes and challenges of their campaigns, and their visions for the future.

In this special episode, we’re bringing you the highlights -...

In this episode, Kathryn talks with Alejandra Denda, CMO of The Federal Savings Bank, discussing the importance of data in marketing and strategic modernization of traditional brands. She shares insightful experiences from her time at CPG brands like Huggies and underscores the necessity for educational outreach and a holistic consumer experience in home lending. Alejandra also talks about what she’s currently teaching her students...

In this episode, Kathryn sits down with Jasper Martens, CMO at PensionBee. They talk about the challenges of making unexciting products more compelling, the importance of data-driven insights and use cases, and the success of PensionBee’s unique, customer-centric campaigns.

Guest Quote:

“So that's when we started to realize that emotion plays a big part in what we offer. We started to remove the product more and more from our advert...

In this episode, Kathryn chats with Natalia Lumpkin, VP of Consumer Insights at PepsiCo. Natalia shares her inspiring career journey from studying law and political science in Poland to landing her current role in the US. They discuss the critical role of data analysis, balancing intuition with concrete data, and ever-evolving consumer behaviors, especially focusing on Gen Z. Natalia also covers the integration of digital and in-st...

In this episode, Kathryn sits down with Tiffany Grinstead, VP of Personal Lines Marketing at Nationwide. Tiffany provides insights into innovative ways Nationwide is using data to improve customer experience and prevent losses and shares a behind the scenes look at their first-party, third-party, and zero-party data. She also talks about  how to create personalized customer journeys, why balancing data with qualitative research is ...

In this episode, Kathryn chats with Llibert Argerich, CMO at Thumbtack. They discuss Thumbtack's mission to connect homeowners with professionals, how the company leverages vast data resources to enhance user experience, the use of AI for personalized customer interactions, the importance of data governance, and the benefits of symbiotic partnerships with brands. Llibert also emphasizes the need for marketers to embrace change and ...

In this episode, Kathryn chats with Dan Westhues, Executive VP of Central Bank. They discuss Dan's career journey, the evolution of technology in banking, and how Central Bank leverages data for better customer experiences. They also explore Central Bank's marketing strategies, including the use of sports partnerships, the importance of personalization, and how primacy is everything.

Guest Quote:

“ Primacy for us is everything…Most ...

In this episode, we’re joined by Rachel Sterling, CMO at Identity Digital. Rachel shares her fascinating and varied career path, from production to marketing, discusses the impact of empathy in marketing, and provides insightful examples of how her unique experiences have shaped her professional approach. She also shares some fascinating insights from recent campaigns, the advantages of non-traditional domain names like .bio versus...

In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Villarreal, Global Director of Wearables at Meta, who shares his career journey and insights into the evolving world of smart glasses. Chris provides an in-depth look into marketing strategies, the importance of data in driving decisions, and how wearables Meta are pushing the boundaries in technology and customer education. The discussion also highlights the role of content creators, the syne...

In this episode, we're joined by Heather Teskey, VP of Marketing at Andersen Windows & Doors. Heather shares her extensive career journey from her beginnings in advertising to her current role, and they delve into effective marketing strategies, the importance of understanding customer needs, and leveraging data for impactful decision-making in B2B and B2C markets. Heather also provides insights into Andersen's innovation initiativ...

In this episode, we’re joined by Clare Dorrian, CMO at SugarCRM. Clare shares with us how Sugar is navigating the AI landscape, marrying insights and intent signals, and how they’re listening to their customers to serve up better data. Clare also discusses the importance of starting with data and supplementing with human beings to drive impact.

Guest Quote:

“So are there signals out there in the market, in these accounts that are go...

In this episode, we’re joined by Michael Freeman, VP of Marketing at Airbase. Michael discusses how Airbase aims to deliver greater value and differentiation in the market, emphasizing the importance of listening directly to customers and the role of clear positioning. He also highlights the necessity of asking the right questions about your data and how those insights can lead to increased customer success.

Guest Quote:

“People jus...

In this episode, we’re joined by Andrew Fujii, Director of Digital Marketing & Sales at Legal & General America. Andrew shares specific techniques for getting it right with targeted ads, experiments LGA has conducted to reach their audience in different life stages, and why it’s important not to assume you’re always right. 

Guest Quote:

“Trigger marketing for life insurance is really about life events. And so whether it is an individ...

We sat down with Isabel Rittenberg, CMO of Marble. Marble is a "wallet for your insurance," allowing users to manage all their insurance policies in one place. 

Isabel shares with Kathryn her career journey from ed tech to FinTech to her current role at Marble. She discusses Marble's data-driven approach to target customers throughout their insurance lifecycle and shares insights into their data organization and processing methods.

I...

On today’s episode, we sit down with Alec Hanson, CMO of LoanDepot. Alec, a brand evangelist and content creator for lenders, shares insights from his 13-year journey. He delves into the evolution of marketing, blending his extensive sales background with emerging digital strategies, including social media and video content creation. Alec's humorous approach and dedication to authenticity shine through as he discusses his path to b...

Today’s marketing frontier exists at the intersection of art and science - a realm where marketers have the power to turn their data into pure marketing gold.

Welcome to "Marketer's Alchemy," the podcast that unravels the mysteries and nuances that lead to transformational data-driven marketing. 

Within each episode, we will shine a light on the synergy between creativity, innovation, and analytics - revealing the alchemy that will e...