Ep. 139 - From Stage to Strategy: ABM Unlocked - Brianna Miller

In this episode, Vince Quinn sits down with Brianna Miller, Director of Demand Generation at Cohere Health, to break down what really makes ABM campaigns effective in long-cycle, high-stakes B2B healthcare. Brianna shares how she segments a tiny, complex market of health insurers, balances deep personalization with scalable strategy, and builds ABM programs that influence pipeline—without annoying decision-makers.They also dive into Brianna’s public speaking journey, why she believes in teaching what you love, and how being an adjunct professor has sharpened her skills on and off the stage.Guest BioBrianna Miller is the Director of Demand Generation at Cohere Health, a healthcare technology company focused on improving collaboration between payers and providers through AI-powered clinical intelligence. With over a decade of experience in healthcare tech and a specialty in account-based marketing (ABM), Brianna builds highly-targeted multi-channel campaigns that drive real engagement with key stakeholders in complex markets.She’s also an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where she teaches foundational marketing to undergraduates and shares her deep industry insights from the field to the classroom.TakeawaysABM is about precision: segment by tech stack, persona, and sales stage.One-to-few ABM balances personalization and efficiency.Cohere’s dual-audience model (payers buy, providers use) requires nuanced messaging.You don’t need the biggest budget—you need the right intent signals.Collaboration with sales is non-negotiable: shared dashboards and insights drive success.Public speaking is easier when you share what you love.Great content = something your audience can take home and use immediately.Chapters00:00 Intro: Meet Brianna Miller from Cohere Health 01:25 What Cohere Does and Its Unique Buyer/User Split 03:03 Brianna’s Multi-Channel ABM Playbook 04:18 Tools, Data Sources, and the "Know One Payer" Rule 06:23 Why Bad Personalization Is Worse Than None 07:10 What Is ABM? Brianna’s Definition 08:21 One-to-One vs. One-to-Few vs. One-to-Many 10:13 How to Execute One-to-Few Campaigns Step-by-Step 12:34 Measuring Account Engagement and Marketing Influence 13:11 Sales Collaboration: Account Picks, Messaging, and Dashboards 14:57 What Pipeline Influence Looks Like in Long Sales Cycles 16:29 From Stage to Classroom: Brianna’s Approach to Teaching 18:39 What Makes a Great Talk? Think Tangible Takeaways 20:25 Being Yourself on Stage = Content That Connects 22:27 Where to Find and Follow BriannaLinkedInFollow Brianna Miller on LinkedIn Check out her website: https://beingyourbrand.com Follow Vince Quinn on LinkedIn

In this episode, Vince Quinn chats with Wally Pinkard, Vice President of Marketing at the World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) in Baltimore, about how international business really happens — not just via websites but through deep networks, human connections and cultural fluency. Wally breaks down how his team helps local mid‑Atlantic businesses tap global opportunities, why soft skills and relationships matter in trade, and how you build a global outlook without losing local relevance.Guest BioWally Pinkard is the Vice President of Marketing at the World Trade Center Institute (WTCI), a nonprofit global business network based in Baltimore, Maryland. WTCI works with around 130 corporate members (and many more firms) to support international trade activity in the mid‑Atlantic region through events, fellowships, speaker series and connection‑making. Wally has been with WTCI for over 14 – 15 years, helping build its culture, programs and network. (Note: Wally also has a fun earlier career note — he created a hip‑hop song that got international distribution.)TakeawaysInternational business isn’t just about exporting goods or sourcing online — it’s about understanding legal, cultural and relational nuances.A strong local network + global perspective can give companies an edge: one connection you make today may pay off years later.Intentionality beats scale when building networks: smaller, highly connected groups often create deeper value.Culture and patience matter: slow, steady growth and purposeful relationship‑building beat rapid but shallow expansion.Non‑profit networks like WTCI thrive when members genuinely want to share knowledge (even with “competitors”) — and that spirit enables global good.Human conversations still beat generic online research when you’re trying to figure out “what to ask” in new markets.Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Wally Pinkard & WTCI 02:22 WTCI’s role in international business and the mid‑Atlantic region 04:26 Why soft, human connections matter more than just digital presence 06:14 Learning from others: avoiding costly international mistakes 07:16 The challenge (and advantage) of serving many industries and companies 09:28 Cross‑industry learning: e.g., defence industry learning from apparel industry 10:45 Building relationships intentionally — not just mass invites 12:23 The culture at WTCI that enables collaboration over competition 15:00 The value of incremental progress instead of rapid scaling 17:33 Keeping network intimacy while still driving impact 18:12 Wally’s earlier hip‑hop track “Land of the Gun” and its story 19:47 Where to find WTCI online and how to get involved 20:23 Closing and thanksLinkedInFollow Wally Pinkard on LinkedIn Follow Vince Quinn on LinkedIn Explore the World Trade Center Institute here:

In this episode, host Vince Quinn welcomes David Morse, CEO of DMo Worldwide, former Chief Revenue Officer of Cambridge Mobile Telematics, and author of The Heart of the Sale, to explore how marketing and sales should connect through the funnel. David explains why effective discovery is the foundation of complex enterprise sales, how marketing can deliver 80% of what sales needs (leaving the personalization to sales), and how “signal‑management” (market, account, person‑level signals) is critical in today’s data‑rich B2B environment. He also drops a surprise: he’s a comedian/rapper releasing an album called “Crowbars” that re‑imagines hip‑hop instrumentals with sales/marketing lyrics. A lively, insightful look at aligning marketing and sales in a modern enterprise world.Guest BioDavid Morse is the CEO of DMo Worldwide, a company that helps B2B organisations with pipeline development, aligning marketing and sales around discovery and pain‑based personalization. Previously, he was the Chief Revenue Officer at Cambridge Mobile Telematics, where he built global enterprise sales teams. He is the author of The Heart of the Sale, which grew out of his 20‑year career navigating complex, high‑value deals. On top of his business credentials, David is also a comedian and rapper, launching an album titled “Crowbars” with sales‑themed hip‑hop tracks—Demonstrating his unique blend of professional rigor and playful creativity.TakeawaysEffective discovery is the engine of enterprise sales: uncovering the real problem, the people behind it, the priorities, the business case, and the process drives higher close rates and more value.When marketing and sales collaborate deeply (particularly in Account Based Marketing + Sales setups), marketing should deliver ~80% of the funnel content (messages, tools, research) and sales should handle the final 20% personalization and relationship nuance.Marketing can deliver PSP‑POVs (Pain‑based, Specific, Personalized Points of View): messages that centre the customer’s pain not the product; that are specific to their situation; and that are personalized by persona or industry.Signal management is a vital discipline: monitor market‑level signals (e.g., regulatory shifts, industry dynamics), account‑level signals (firmographics, technographics, events, engagement) and person‑level signals (job changes, content downloads, social engagement). Use these to inform outreach and pipeline generation.The “poison the well” risk: if your outreach shows no understanding of the prospect, you may not only lose the deal—you may damage future referral or reputation chances.Injecting personality and creativity into professional domains (e.g., David’s rap project) can differentiate you and create memorable connections.Chapters00:00 – Introduction: Vince Quinn welcomes David Morse 00:44 – David introduces The Heart of the Sale and why he wrote it 02:19 – Challenges in enterprise sales: deals evaporating, inadequate discovery 03:26 – How marketing + sales should work together in complex enterprise deals 04:08 – The 80 / 20 rule: marketing delivers majority, sales customise the rest 05:34 – Deep dive into PSP‑POVs: Pain, Specificity, Personalization 07:22 – Importance of knowing the personas & industry context 09:04 – Discovery: what great salespeople do when they walk into a meeting 11:01 – Relating sales discovery to networking & relationship building 13:52 – Buyers are overwhelmed; you can’t afford to “poison the well” 14:17 – Signal management explained: market, account, person signals 18:48 – Surprise: David’s rap/album project “Crowbars” 21:24 – Where to find the book and music; closing remarksLinkedinFollow David Morse on LinkedIn Follow Vince Quinn on LinkedIn

In this episode, host Vince Quinn welcomes Sam Piliero to explore how advertising strategy must evolve to serve today’s digital‑brands. Sam explains his agency’s focus on one‑to‑$10 million e‑commerce companies, how his three‑step “M3 Method” underpins their media buying and execution, and why spending ad budget on new customer acquisition (rather than over‑servicing existing/engaged audiences) is a critical shift. He also discusses how founder‑led content drives growth, how he built his agency culture to support performance, and how aligning content, strategy and operations pays off for both clients and team.Guest BioSam Piliero is the Founder and CEO of The Moonlighters, a performance‑marketing agency that specialises in Facebook and Google advertising for e‑commerce brands in the $1 million‑to‑$10 million revenue range. Previously he worked at VaynerMedia (on the e‑commerce team) and at BarkBox (helping scale the business). He built The Moonlighters around a senior‑only team and a growth‑director model, emphasizing profitability, customer acquisition, modular campaign structures, and founder‑driven content. TakeawaysFocusing the majority of ad spend on new customer acquisition rather than existing/engaged audiences can unlock growth and avoid diminishing returns from high‑frequency retargeting.The “M3 Method” (strategy/structure + “bet the fastest horse” + cost controls/caps) provides a simplified but actionable framework for scaling performance campaigns.A modular campaign structure (e.g., separating new customers vs. engaged vs. existing) improves clarity and performance — instead of simply “top‑mid‑bottom funnel.”Time‑of‑day and day‑of‑week analysis (“betting on the fastest horse”) remains a highly under‑leveraged lever in ad strategy: shifting spend into high‑conversion days/times can improve ROI without new creative.Founder‑led content creates authenticity, builds trust, and serves as a valuable lead‑generation engine when aligned with the business model (not chasing vanity metrics).Building a strong agency culture (paying above market, hiring senior people, giving them skin‑in‑the‑game) reduces churn and drives client results.Content strategy should prioritise value to the ideal audience, not just the highest view‑counts.Many “easy mode” advertising tactics (e.g., broad only audiences, 24/7 uniform spend, ignoring segmentation) still persist — but advanced performance requires going back to fundamentals.Chapters 00:00 Welcome & Intro 00:17 Background of The Moonlighters 01:14 Explanation of the M3 Method (Strategy Structure / Betting the Fastest Horse / Cost Controls) 02:05 Modular ad account structure: new customers vs engaged vs existing 03:05 Why many businesses overspend on existing/engaged audiences 04:34 Why audiences aren’t focusing enough on new customer acquisition 04:50 Sam’s background: media buying over the past 12+ years, VaynerMedia & BarkBox 06:44 How The Moonlighters built the team & culture (growth directors, senior staff) 08:38 Why culture and team matters for client performance 09:32 Client results: average 41% profit improvement in first 90 days 10:35 Sam’s content journey: YouTube, building an audience, leveraging his agency insight 11:48 Content strategy: focusing on value, not just views 13:30 Deep dive into M2 (“betting the fastest horse”) — day of week/time of day optimisation 15:36 Specific examples of power of shifting ad spend timing 16:12 Discussion of founder‑led content and alignment with business model 17:08 New one‑on‑one coaching program: demand from audience, pilot launch 18:50 Program launch / closing thoughts 19:38 How Sam balances agency leadership + content creation 21:32 Why content is the #1 focus (leads, education, positioning) 22:34 Closing: Where to find Sam & how to work with The MoonlightersLinkedIn Follow Sam Piliero on LinkedIn here: Follow Vince Quinn on LinkedIn here:

In this episode of Future Fuzz, Vince Quinn speaks with Stuart Jackson, Vice Chairman of L.E.K. Consulting, about the intersection of problem-solving and people skills in consulting. Stuart shares insights from his four-decade journey at L.E.K., from joining when it was a 10-person startup to helping it become a global force. He breaks down how L.E.K. identifies critical moments in a business, crafts tailored solutions, and fosters internal trust and collaboration. The episode also dives into L.E.K.'s unique approach to marketing professional services and why in-person connections still matter in the digital age.Guest BioStuart Jackson is Vice Chairman of L.E.K. Consulting, a global strategy consultancy that helps businesses tackle mission-critical decisions. With over 40 years at the firm, Stuart has held roles spanning from office leader to head of the U.S. and global managing partner. Under his leadership, L.E.K. tripled both revenue and profitability. He is the author of Predictable Winners, a book focused on what it takes for companies to consistently innovate successfully. Stuart is passionate about problem-solving, business diagnostics, and mentoring the next generation of consultants.TakeawaysThe hardest part of problem-solving is often figuring out the right question to ask.L.E.K. helps clients during “critical moments” like stalled growth or declining profitability.Deep client relationships and face-to-face interactions still matter—even in a digital world.L.E.K. transformed its business development by embedding structured outreach into its marketing operations.Trust across global offices enables seamless collaboration and high performance.Professional services must balance client delivery with proactive relationship management to avoid feast-or-famine cycles.Programs like international staff swaps build institutional knowledge and foster a “one firm” culture.Chapters00:00 Intro: Vince Quinn Welcomes Stuart Jackson 00:32 What L.E.K. Consulting Does and Stuart's Career Journey 02:37 Diagnosing Business Problems Like a Doctor 04:51 Growth Case Study: From $10M to $700M in Revenue 06:37 Profitability Case Study: Samsonite’s Global Restructuring 08:07 Why Consulting at L.E.K. Is Like Solving a Puzzle 10:28 How L.E.K. Approaches Marketing in Professional Services 12:50 Building Client Relationships Beyond Projects 14:12 The Power of FaceTime in Client Retention 15:27 A Hunting Trip that Built Deeper Client Trust 17:11 Referrals and Staying Top of Mind 18:21 How Global Collaboration Works at L.E.K. 19:45 The Swap Program and Cross-Office Learning 20:46 Where to Learn More About L.E.K.LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Stuart Jackson on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Vince Quinn on LinkedIn

In this episode of Future Fuzz, host Vince Quinn sits down with Vidya Drego (VP of Marketing at SmithRx) to explore how you create a new category in a highly regulated, complex industry. Vidya shares how SmithRx is positioning itself as the alternative to legacy pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs), how she transitioned from big‑company marketing roles to a smaller challenger brand, and how the marketing team is educating the market from scratch—starting with explaining problems people didn’t even know they had. Along the way you’ll learn how content, video, analogies and internal collaboration all drive the category‑creation process.Guest BioVidya Drego is the Vice President of Marketing at SmithRx, a modern pharmacy benefits manager focused on radical transparency and real cost savings in the PBM market. Prior to SmithRx, Vidya held leadership marketing roles at major tech and SaaS companies including HubSpot, LinkedIn, and Salesforce. Her diverse experience equips her with a deep marketing toolkit, which she now applies in a more entrepreneurial, category‑defining setting. (Vidya holds advanced academic credentials and has a track record of building marketing organizations from scratch.) At SmithRx, she leads strategy, content, brand development and demand generation to position the company not just as “another PBM” but as the modern alternative. TakeawaysYou’re not just competin — you’re recasting the conversation. Vidya emphasises that to create a category you must show your audience that the problem they thought they were solving is actually the wrong problem.Big‑company experience gives you tools, but smaller challenger brands give you freedom. Vidya shares how she moved from large organisations to SmithRx to “actually apply the toolkit” and run with bigger responsibility.Teaching the market matters when the category is novel. SmithRx’s team invests heavily in educational content, blog posts, videos and analogies (e.g., the “$12 milk vs $5 milk” discount analogy) to help people grasp the mis‑framed problem.Video and storytelling help simplify complexity. In a nuanced, technical industry like PBMs, visual and narrative tools help clarify the value proposition and cut through jargon.Metrics beyond clicks count. In their context, success isn’t just about big audience numbers—but about trust, thought‑leadership, and influencing decision‑makers in the market.Internal voices amplify external credibility. SmithRx intentionally involves team members from operations, contracting, pharmacy network etc to contribute their voices and drive authenticity in content.Chapters 00:00 – Intro and setting the scene 00:57 – What is SmithRx and the PBM business explained 02:32 – Vidya’s background: from HubSpot/LinkedIn to SmithRx 04:49 – Why she chose a smaller company and the gap she saw to fill 07:12 – The market problem: how legacy PBMs aren’t delivering as advertised 09:58 – How to start educating the market when they don’t know the problem 12:35 – Content strategy: blogs, newsletters, videos, internal voices 14:52 – The “milk price” analogy: reframing discount vs actual cost 17:19 – Video as a tool: PBM 101 series and brand style 19:44 – The role of short video, webinars and multi‑format storytelling 20:47 – Experimentation and aligning tactics to business model 22:10 – Where to follow SmithRx and Vidya on LinkedIn 22:35 – Closing remarksLinkedIn Follow Vidya Drego on LinkedIn (you’ll find her at SmithRx and content on modern PBMs).Company page: SmithRx on LinkedIn.Follow Vince Quinn

In this episode of Future Fuzz, Vince Quinn is joined by Arvindh Lalam, CEO of nCorium, to explore how digital twins are transforming airport experiences. From reducing passenger stress to helping operators optimize service flow, Arvindh shares how real-time data and sensor fusion technology are reshaping physical environments—starting with some of the world’s most complex spaces: airports.Discover how nCorium delivers predictive insights, enhances user journeys, and even guides passengers to the shortest Starbucks line. Whether you're designing large venues or just want to understand how digital twins can improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, this episode breaks it down in an engaging, human-centered way.Guest BioArvindh Lalam is the CEO of nCorium, a company pioneering the use of digital twins in airport environments. By blending real-time sensor data from LiDAR, cameras, and other inputs, nCorium creates live digital models of physical spaces, helping airports better manage traffic flows, reduce stress for passengers, and improve SLA compliance.With a background in software engineering and systems thinking, Arvindh leads a team dedicated to mapping real-world movement and enhancing experiences for both travelers and airport operators. Under his leadership, nCorium’s “Travel Companion” app and backend tools are already making waves across major international transit hubs.TakeawaysAirports are massive dynamic spaces—digital twins offer operators and passengers a new level of visibility.Real-time data allows proactive adjustments to avoid congestion and delays.Sensor fusion (cameras, LiDAR, etc.) powers detailed maps of people and vehicle movement.Wait-time estimates aren’t just about line length—they’re about processing efficiency.nCorium’s Travel Companion app acts like Google Maps for your airport journey.Staff efficiency, user routing, and spatial planning all improve with historical and real-time insights.Better facility flow = less travel stress + improved airport reputation.Chapters00:00 Intro to Arvindh Lalam & nCorium 01:30 What nCorium Does for Airports & Passengers 03:00 The Power of Sensor Fusion in Complex Spaces 06:00 Case Study: Picking the Best Starbucks in the Terminal 08:00 Rerouting Crowds and Preventing Congestion 09:30 “Shortest Line” Isn’t Always the Fastest 11:00 The Travel Companion App: Google Maps for Airports 13:40 Measuring Staff Efficiency & Improving Service Counters 16:00 Real-Time vs. 6-Month Flow Reports 19:30 Metrics that Truly Matter: Wait Times, Missed Flights 22:00 Enhancing Reputation Through Better Physical Experiences 24:30 Vision: A Digital Twin of the Entire Airport 25:40 How to Connect with Arvindh and EncoreumLinkedInFollow Arvindh on LinkedIn Follow Vince on LinkedIn

In this episode of Future Fuzz, host Vince Quinn sits down with Megan McDonagh, Director of Revenue Marketing at Celigo, to unpack how virtual touchpoints, like webinars, newsletters, and gated content, can drive serious revenue when used right. Megan shares Celigo’s unique approach to planning and scaling content, how they repurpose webinars into multi-channel assets, and why it’s essential to understand the full customer journey rather than just the final click. Packed with real-life tactics, tech stack insights, and content strategy gold, this conversation is a must-listen for digital marketers aiming to do more with less.Guest BioMegan McDonagh is the Director of Revenue Marketing at Celigo, an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) company that helps businesses automate and connect their cloud applications. With deep expertise in campaign strategy, data-driven content planning, and revenue-focused marketing, Megan leads Celigo’s efforts to transform digital engagement into pipeline. She’s especially passionate about building repeatable frameworks for scaling content, leveraging tools like Goldcast, CalibreMind, and HubSpot, to drive better outcomes across the funnel.TakeawaysDon’t treat webinars as one-off events, design them to be repurposed across formats and channels.Your best content should live across email, social, blogs, and more, because different audiences consume in different ways.Use tools like CalibreMind to understand multi-touch attribution and buyer journeys, not just last-click conversions.Content that doesn’t perform organically won’t perform when repurposed. Test before you scale.“Collaboration with control” between IT and marketing creates autonomy without sacrificing governance.A well-designed series page with multi-registration boosts webinar sign-ups and reduces email fatigue.Chapters 00:00 Intro , Vince gets warmed up 00:28 Welcome Megan McDonagh from Celigo 01:10 What is Celigo and what is iPaaS? 02:01 The beauty of automation and integration 03:15 HubSpot + Salesforce: A common integration headache 03:29 The luxury, and challenge, of a tool-rich marketing team 04:36 Managing tech overwhelm and staying focused 05:05 Webinars: Where Celigo’s content strategy starts 05:36 Campaign planning across B2B, B2C, and NetSuite 06:10 Why Goldcast is Megan’s favorite platform 07:30 Building AI agent webinars into a live content series 08:32 The hidden cost of poor webinar UX 10:07 Goldcast content pages as resource hubs 11:08 Don’t judge content by downloads alone 12:00 Show up everywhere: gated, ungated, AI platforms, social 13:04 Weekly “Program Pulse” meetings to guide planning 13:44 Why multi-touch attribution matters more than ever 15:11 Understanding buyer journeys across multiple platforms 16:11 Stay top of mind through smart repurposing 17:36 Use only content that works organically 18:00 Test, iterate, and get honest feedback 19:46 Newsletter spotlight: “Integration Bits” on LinkedIn 21:00 Builders Hub: Quick-hit content for technical audiences 22:41 Wrap-up and where to connect with MeganLinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Megan on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Vince on LinkedIn Follow Celigo on LinkedIn

In this episode of Future Fuzz, we dive deep into marketing attribution with Scott Desgrosseilliers, Founder and CEO of Wicked Reports. With over a decade of experience and billions in ad spend analyzed, Scott reveals how most marketers are relying on broken data, and what to do about it. He introduces the Five Forces Framework, explains why ad platforms over-credit themselves, and breaks down his practical “Scale, Chill, or Kill” methodology to guide data-driven decisions that fuel real growth.If you’ve ever felt uncertain about which channels are actually driving your ROI, this episode is a must-listen.Guest BioScott Desgrosseilliers is the Founder and CEO of Wicked Reports, a leading first-party marketing attribution platform built for high-growth e-commerce brands. With more than 10 years in the attribution space, Scott has helped marketers track real customer journeys across platforms and channels, enabling smarter decisions and stronger returns. He’s known for making complex data actionable through frameworks like Scale, Chill, Kill and the Five Forces of Attribution. Scott is also a frequent speaker and advocate for measuring what matters, new customer growth.TakeawaysMost ad platforms over-inflate their contributions, especially at the bottom of the funnel.“Scale, Chill, Kill” helps marketers make fast, confident budget decisions.The Five Forces framework aligns strategy, intention, measurement, and optimization.Attribution is about people, not just clicks, track real customer journeys with first-party data.You can't improve what you can't measure accurately.Don’t just trust ROAS dashboards, verify with neutral, consistent data.AI is helpful, but attribution still requires human intelligence and context.New customer acquisition must be measured differently than repeat sales.Chapters00:00 - Intro: Why Attribution Matters 01:46 - What Wicked Reports Actually Does 02:30 - The Problems with Ad Platform Reporting 03:15 - Measuring, Signaling, and Acting on Data 04:10 - “Scale, Chill, Kill” Simplified 05:30 - Attribution vs. Strategy: Why Most Marketers Miss It 07:00 - How Bad Attribution Hurts Real Growth 08:00 - The Patriots vs. Eagles Scoreboard Analogy 09:40 - The Five Forces Framework Overview 11:00 - Why Intention Must Come Before Measurement 12:30 - Setting Expectations with “Zones” 14:00 - Why the Chill Zone Saves Time and Sanity 15:20 - Pride vs. Results: Knowing When to Kill a Campaign 16:00 - From Outcome to Optimization 17:30 - Fishing in the Right Ad Sets 18:30 - Dealing with Platform Changes and AI Shifts 20:00 - First-Party Data is Your Lifeline 21:45 - Building Content and Long-Term Attribution Assets 23:00 - Where to Find Scott and Wicked ReportsLinkedIn⁠Follow Scott on LinkedIn ⁠Follow Vince on LinkedIn

In this episode of Future Fuzz, host Vince Quinn sits down with Rich Kahn, CEO and Co‑Founder of Anura.io — a leading ad‑fraud detection platform. Rich walks us through how ad fraud works (bots, malware, human fraud farms), the sheer scale of the problem (up to ~22% of digital ad spend is fraud), how marketing teams should recognise when they’re under attack, and practical steps to protect campaigns and restore clean data. A crucial listen for any marketer buying digital media who needs to get ahead of invisible waste.Guest BioRich Kahn is the CEO and Co‑Founder of Anura.io, a specialist ad‑fraud detection solution that emerged from his earlier experience running an ad‑network. After observing the damage fraud was doing in‑house, he built an anti‑fraud platform and spun it out in 2017. eMarketing Association+2ForthRight People+2 Rich boasts nearly three decades in digital advertising and tech, and his mission is to ensure marketers aren’t paying for traffic that isn’t real.TakeawaysAd fraud isn’t niche, across digital marketing, the average loss is ~20‑25% of ad spend (i.e., more than 1 in every 5 dollars) reclaimed by fraudsters. (Rich cites ~$140B stolen from ~$700B spent).Fraud takes many forms: bot‑clicking ads, malware on devices chewing data & battery, human fraud farms clicking/ad farming, competitor attacks (clicking your ads to exhaust budget)Blocking IP addresses alone no longer works: fraud networks exploit residential proxy networks, large pools of IPs refreshed constantly.Channel matters for exposure: search ads ~10‑15% fraud, social ~8‑10%, native/affiliate ~20‑30%, programmatic can hit ~50%.If you’re doing paid digital marketing, you have fraud (it’s not optional) , what matters is how much and what you do about it.The upside: reducing fraud cleans up your data, improves ROI, clears wasted spend, and gives you more confidence in campaign performance.For marketers working on tighter budgets (esp. bootstrapped companies), content marketing and appearing on podcasts (like this one!) are effective channels because you’re reaching new audiences rather than just retargeting the same crowd.Chapters00:00 – Welcome & Intro to Rich Kahn 00:21 – What is ad fraud and what does Anura do 01:21 – Who are the fraudsters and how do they operate 02:33 – Case example: malware on phones drawing data & battery 03:35 – Competitor fraud: clicking rivals’ ads to drive them off budget 06:44 – Why IP‑blocking is outdated — discussion of proxy networks 11:00 – How to figure out how much fraud you have (free scans, analytics) 13:06 – From ad‑network to anti‑fraud spin‑out (Rich’s origin story) 18:08 – Safest traffic: organic/earned, but still has some fraud 19:42 – The ROI of cleaning your ad‑traffic: how big the gains can be 21:54 – Fraud rates by channel (search, social, affiliate, programmatic) 24:08 – Why Rich uses podcasting & content marketing for growth 26:06 – How to follow Rich and Anura for more resources 26:35 – Closing remarksLinkedIn– Follow Rich Kahn on LinkedIn – Connect with Anura.io → https://www.anura.io/Follow Vince Quinn