Why Marketing Is First to Get Cut

Hey, have a topic for us?Most companies don't have an event ROI problem. They have a data structure problem around events.Casper and Kasper unpack why event ROI is almost always calculated wrong: short-term attribution on a long-term influence channel. You scan 300 badges, follow up on all of them, convert almost none, and call it brand. Both Caspers have done it. Neither recommends it.The fix isn't more leads. It's qualified presence. Pre-event planning around target accounts. CRM discipline that captures real conversations, not tote-bag handoffs. And a 48-hour follow-up window for the 5% who are actually in-market.There's also a swag tip involving LED glasses, the Adobe Summit bash, and 25 people swarming a booth at midnight. That part is free.

Hey, have a topic for us?Adobe Summit just dropped a wave of AI announcements - CX Enterprise, the new CX Analytics umbrella, the CX coworker, MCP servers, agents shipping in weeks rather than quarters. The keynote-friendly version is exciting.The honest version is more boring: none of it works without a data foundation. And most companies still don't have one.In this episode, Casper and Kasper recap what was actually announced, what it will likely cost, and why the same data-quality conversation keeps showing up — only now the stakes are higher, because GDPR, IT alignment, and AI training rights all sit on top of it.If you came home from Summit with a wishlist, this is the episode about turning it into a checklist.Blogpost mentioned in episode: https://accrease.com/articles/adobe-summit-2026-what-cmos-actually-need-to-know/ 

Hey, have a topic for us?Recorded live from Adobe Summit in Las Vegas. Three interviews, one clear signal: Adobe is shipping MCP servers and agents across the stack - and the timeline is weeks, not quarters.Caitlin Foster (Adobe) on Experience League: the most underused asset in the Adobe ecosystem, why most customers still don't engage with it, and what to do about it.Derek Tangren (Adobe Analytics & CJA) on what's coming: MCP servers connecting Claude, Cursor and ChatGPT directly to Adobe Analytics and CJA data, plus Data Insights Agent 2.0 - both shipping within weeks of Summit.Jason Hickey (Journey Optimizer) on Journey Agent moving from chat-bot to always-on co-pilot, the new MCP server for AJO and Target, and AJO Loyalty - a new product gamifying progress for banks, wealth managers and industries far outside retail.The thread running through all three: practitioners are becoming builders, and Adobe is moving fast to meet them where they actually work.Plus: why we keep flying to Vegas for this one.

Hey, have a topic for us?Laurence Paquette, VP of Marketing at Vestas, had a rough 2024. Divorce, losing a best friend, burnout — and 35,000 colleagues watching. She still went to work. And at some point, she told her team.This episode is about what happens when leaders actually do the thing they tell others to do — be vulnerable, be human, be present. Not as a culture initiative. As survival.We also get into the unusual world of industrial B2B marketing: no leads, ~300 customers, deals worth hundreds of millions, and a TikTok account featuring cows next to wind turbines. Laurence makes the case that even in that world, people buy on emotion — and that marketers who won't accept that are still making PDF brochures nobody reads.One thread runs through all of it: the cost of pretending everything is fine.

Hey, have a topic for us?In this episode, we talk about Adobe Summit — what it really is, and how to get value from it.Because let’s be honest…It’s not just about sessions.We break down: Why we go (hint: it’s not for the slides)  How to actually get value from events like Summit  The importance of meeting customers and partners face-to-face  Why some of the best conversations happen outside the agenda  And yes… the unofficial competition: who has the best swagWhether you're attending or just curious what all the hype is about — this episode gives you a practical take on what actually matters.And if you’re going to Summit… we might see you there 👀

Hey, have a topic for us?AI isn’t the real problem.Marketing is.In this episode, we talk about a growing trend: Mass layoffs in marketing — driven by AI.But here’s the uncomfortable truth:AI isn’t replacing marketing teams. It’s exposing them.Because when marketing is seen as a workflow… it can be automated.We break down: Why marketing is often first in line for budget cuts  Why AI is accelerating a problem that’s been there for years  And why most teams still struggle to prove real business impact The key question:👉 Are you building a marketing function… or just running workflows?Because if you can’t prove value to the business — someone (or something) else will do it cheaper.

Hey, have a topic for us?Marketing isn’t underperforming.It’s just not trusted.In this episode, we unpack a striking insight: 90% of CEOs don’t trust marketing to report commercial impact.Not because marketing isn’t delivering results — but because the way we report doesn’t connect to the business.We break down: Why marketing focuses on channels instead of business impact Why CFOs win the argument (almost every time)  And how this has become a structural problem — not a performance problemPlus, we share a simple 3-step approach we’re seeing work across companies: Move from platform reporting → holistic reporting Take true data ownership Align marketing with what the CFO actually cares aboutBecause until marketing can prove impact in business terms… it will never be the most trusted voice in the room.

Hey, have a topic for us?In this episode, we dig into one of the most honest conversations in consulting: what does it really mean to build a great team when the talent pool is small, the tools are niche, and your best people are always in demand?We talk about:Why Adobe talent is so hard to find — and why the same people keep circling the same companiesJunior vs. senior: what's the right split — and why you need to map the team before you post the jobThe stepping stone philosophy — building a company where people grow, even if they eventually leaveCulture over control — why the 9-to-5 office empties the second the clock hits, and what to do insteadThe boomerang effect — why celebrating departures is actually good for businessBecause if no one wants to hire your people, that's the real problem.

Hey, have a topic for us?Most companies don’t have a data problem — they have a trust problem.In this episode, we break down a simple leadership framework we’re seeing across enterprises that are winning right now:Align data to business outcomes (start with the questions, not the tools)Establish data ownership (who owns definitions, standards, and quality?)Build marketing data confidence (not perfect data — trusted data leaders can act on)Because when leadership doesn’t trust marketing numbers, you get the usual loop: endless dashboards, constant explanation, and decisions made on gut feel — while AI gets trained on noise.If you want faster decisions, better budget allocation, and fewer “prove it” conversations… this is the place to start.

Hey, have a topic for us?We’re back — welcome to Season 2.In this kickoff episode, we reflect on what we learned from Season 1: why most podcasts die before episode 3 (and how we cheated the odds), what we’re changing in our recording setup, and why publishing consistently matters more than having the “perfect” production.We also zoom out: AI is accelerating marketing and decision-making — and that only works if the data foundation is actually solid. Tools are important, but the real shift we’re seeing is organizations focusing on data, people, and outcomes (not just technology).Plus: stress, breathing exercises, and a cliffhanger dad joke for next episode.