Website Expert: These Mistakes will Make or Break Your Entire 2026

The marketing teams winning with AI today are not the ones chasing every new model release. They are the ones who found the boring, repetitive tasks their teams hate and automated those first.Nir Pochter, Co-Founder and CMO at Lightricks, joins Stephanie Postles on Marketing Trends to break down what AI actually means for creative workflows and why most teams are still using it wrong.You’ll learn:- The "algebra problem" of AI adoption- How to save your design team 80% of their time- Why the gap between marketers who use AI well and those who don't is widening fast.- How to use an LLM scoring system to pre-review documents for you- The dangerous trend of "AI Marketer" job titles- What’s really in store for the future of video+AI Key Moments:00:00 — Why AI Hasn't Improved Creative Output Yet02:06 — The Algebra Problem: Tools vs. Knowing How to Use Them07:27 — Nir's Background: AI PhD to Lightricks and FaceTune09:46 — What Used to Take Weeks Now Takes Minutes13:35 — Why Automating Everything Failed Miserably16:38 — Start with What People Hate Doing20:08 — The LLM Scoring System: Nothing Gets Reviewed Without an 8521:43 — Train Your LLM to Be Mean, Not Nice23:32 — Building Custom GPTs with Company Guidelines26:30 — The Pitfall: Using AI to Please Leadership28:47 — From Toys to Tools: Why Text-to-Video Isn't Enough31:05 — Coca-Cola's 70,000 Prompts (Was It Worth It?)34:41 — AI Won't Replace Creatives, But This Will37:04 — The Two Critical Skills: Prompting and Curation37:55 — How AI Multiplies the Skills Gap (7 vs 10 Example)42:47 — What CMOs Should Be Asking Their Teams46:20 — Why "AI Marketer" Is LinkedIn Fluff This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise.  Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The websites that win today are not the ones with the most content. They are the ones that deliver a fast, clean experience in the very first second a visitor arrives.Josh Koenig, Co-Founder and SVP of Marketing at Pantheon, joins Stephanie Postles on Marketing Trends to break down what he is seeing across thousands of high-traffic sites and why most teams still miss the basics. He explains how the shift from search to ask is changing online discovery, what AI bots prioritize when they crawl a site, and why the fundamentals of clarity, structure, and speed now matter more than any growth hack.Josh also shares how teams are using Pantheon’s new Content Publisher to eliminate copy-and-paste workflows, why vibe coding is giving non-technical teams the ability to build richer digital experiences, and what the rise of AI-powered crawlers means for anyone trying to stand out on the modern web.Key Moments: 00:00 — The Two-Second Rule: Why Website Speed Kills Conversions04:30 — The Hidden Growth Killer Most Marketers Miss08:21 — AI Crawlers Gone Wild: The UFC Fight Night Story12:22 — Five Evergreen Website Tactics for the LLM Era16:13 — The Gated Content Dilemma: Lead Gen vs AI Indexing20:42 — Avoiding Artificial SEO: When Optimization Goes Too Far23:10 — The Generic Content Trap Poisoning AI Search Results26:00 — Content Publisher for Google Docs: Eliminating Copy-Paste31:53 — The CMO-CTO Partnership: Why This Relationship Unlocks Growth36:05 — Brokering Peace Between Marketing and IT Teams40:20 — Vibe Coding for Marketers: The Prototype Revolution44:06 — Next.js Explained: Open Source for Marketing Development48:17 — From Vibe Code to Production: The Last Mile Problem51:03 — Data Analysis Without the Wait: LLMs Democratizing Insights54:20 — The Entrepreneurial Marketer: Why Technical Fluency Is Required This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise.  Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The most future-ready marketing leaders aren’t the ones chasing trends… they’re the ones who can reinvent themselves every time the industry changes.Michelle Huff, Chief Marketing Officer at Alteryx, joins Marketing Trends to break down the mindset that kept her relevant through every major tech revolution, from Web1 to cloud, SaaS, PLG, and now AI. She explains how to balance curiosity with focus, why AI is really about automating judgment (not just tasks), and how she’s redesigning her marketing org around agents, automation, and new workflows.Michelle also shares early results from Alteryx’s AI experiments, how she’s rebuilding a 700,000-person community, and why great leaders still start with the end user even as their buyer audiences expand. Key Moments:  00:00 – How to Stay Relevant Through Every Tech Shift03:42 – A Career Spanning Web1, Cloud, SaaS, and AI06:58 – Curiosity Is the Ultimate Career Advantage10:12 – When Leaders Should Tinker and When to Delegate13:28 – Building a Marketing Culture That Experiments16:41 – Why AI Is About Judgment, Not Just Automation20:07 – Inside an AI-Powered SDR Outbound Workflow23:34 – Do AI Agents Replace People or Elevate Them26:58 – Upskilling Teams in an AI-Driven Organization30:17 – Why Most AI Content Fails to Break Through33:36 – How to Stand Out in a Noisy B2B Market36:52 – Why Enterprise Brands Lose Touch With End Users39:48 – How Alteryx Built a 700,000-Person Community43:06 – Turning Community Into Competition and Learning46:32 – Early AI Wins That Drive Real Pipeline Impact  This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise.  Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The strongest marketing leaders are not the ones with perfect plans. They are the ones who know how to lead through real life.And few people understand that better than Niki Hall and Dayle Hall.Niki, former CMO of Five9, and Dayle, CMO of SnapLogic, join Marketing Trends to share how they balance two big careers, raise a family, and approach marketing from completely different angles.They break down how they support each other through major job shifts, navigate brand versus demand debates, and build teams that can adapt to rapid change. They also explain how AI is reshaping customer experience, what metrics actually matter, and why modern leaders need both operational rigor and creative courage. Key Moments:00:00 Meeting the CMO Couple02:23 How They Met at Cisco05:08 Early Career Moments That Shaped Them08:16 When Their Marketing Paths Split10:11 Growing Up as Marketers Inside Cisco12:00 Balancing Two Big Careers and a Family13:40 The Realities of Career Timing and Tradeoffs15:56 Parenting, Travel, and Real-Life Leadership18:15 Why Community Matters for Working Parents20:38 Helping the Next Generation of Leaders23:20 Marketing in 2026 and the Impact of AI24:43 Brand vs Demand and How They Debate It31:17 What They Learned From Each Other’s Strengths32:00 Org Design and Building a Modern Marketing Team51:03 Career Pivots, Pressure, and Personal Growth1:12:54 Lightning Round and Final Takeaways  This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise.  Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The brands everyone talks about are not the safest ones. They are the bold ones.And few people understand that better than Nick Tran.The former TikTok Global Head of Marketing and current Diageo President and CMO joins Marketing Trends to break down how he built momentum inside fast moving environments, rebuilt brands under pressure, and helped TikTok become a cultural engine instead of just another app.Nick explains why the traditional marketing playbook is obsolete, how to create ideas that move culture instead of reacting to it, and what today’s fastest moving teams get wrong about attention, creativity, and risk. CHAPTERS / KEY MOMENTS00:00 Engineering a Viral Influencer02:20 What Bold Marketing Looks Like in 202604:20 Crisis Marketing at Taco Bell07:05 Lessons From Stance and Samsung09:30 Reinventing Hulu With Culture Marketing11:00 Why the Old Marketing Playbook Is Dead13:40 Inside TikTok’s Project Cheetah16:45 Making Creators Culturally Famous on Purpose19:35 Five Marketing Behaviors Leaders Must Unlearn22:20 The ROI Trap and Bad Marketing Metrics25:00 Why Modern CMOs Should Become CEOs26:00 The Ocean Spray x DogFace420 Breakout Moment29:10 The Rise of AI Influencers and Virtual Icons30:00 Worldbuilding: The Future of Brand Marketing33:00 Reinventing Ciroc Through Lifestyle Experiences37:00 Pickleball, Pop-Ups, and The New Experiential Playbook43:00 Out-of-Home Creative, Simplicity, and Cultural Signals This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise.  Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When everyone has access to the same AI tools, what separates the great from the forgettable is the human behind the screen.Fiverr’s VP of Global Brand Communications, Shiri Hellmann, joins Marketing Trends to break down how her team turns chaos into creativity. From producing the viral “Gary” campaign with real freelancers to writing a rom-com about avocados, Shiri reveals how Fiverr spots cultural moments early, takes smart risks, and proves that talent still beats the algorithm. CHAPTERS / KEY MOMENTS00:00 - The Weirdest Fiverr Requests Ever02:58 - How Fiverr Grew from Weird to Global Brand04:00 - Inside Fiverr’s Wildest Marketing Campaigns06:11 - Freelancers Behind Fiverr’s AI Ad "Gary"08:40 - How Fiverr Selects Top Creators10:00 - The Data-Driven Matchmaking Engine12:10 - Strategy Behind Creative Campaigns14:05 - From Vibe Coding to Avocado Apps16:20 - AI, Humans, and the Future of Creative Work18:55 - Taking Risks and Learning from Failures21:00 - The "F***-Up Night" and Courage Culture23:25 - Biggest Marketing Lesson: Marketers vs. Consumers26:30 - How Fiverr Stays Grounded and Human29:40 - Emerging Trends and The Future of Work33:10 - How Fiverr’s Culture Fuels Innovation37:25 - What’s Next for Fiverr and Freelancers41:00 - Shiri’s Advice for Marketers and Founders44:45 - Closing Reflections and Takeaways This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise.  Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brands don’t live in campaigns… they live in memory. In this episode of Marketing Trends, Ulli Appelbaum, Founder & CSO of First The Trousers Then The Shoes, joins Stephanie Postles to unpack how brand associations and mental availability determine what people choose long after the ad ends. From Geico’s 15%, Snickers’ hunger fix, and Nike’s evolution of “Just Do It,” to Salesforce’s AI rebrand and Harley-Davidson’s Jumpstart, Ulli reveals why the brands that last are the ones that refresh old memories instead of chasing new fads. Key Moments:  0:00 The Hidden Power of Brand Associations2:03 Ulli Appelbaum Explains the Science of Memorable Brands4:20 The Problem With Trendy Marketing Playbooks6:00 How Geico and Snickers Built Brand Memories8:10 Changing Brand Perception Is Hard11:00 How Nike Avoided a Rebranding Fail14:00 Three Elements Every Effective Campaign Needs18:00 Evidence-Based Marketing and Brand Association24:00 US Marketers Have Lost Their Edge30:20 Most Customer Journey Maps Waste Time33:00 The Touchpoint That Changes Customer Behavior37:00 Creative Problem Solving and Destructive Thinking47:30 The 95 Percent Rule for Balancing Brand With Sales  This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise.  Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do you market the experience of walking through rooms of illusion that flip reality on its head? In this episode, Stephanie Postles chats with Andy Levey, the mastermind CMO behind the Museum of Illusions, to discover how to craft unforgettable moments that captivate audiences. Learn how to apply these strategies to market brands that sell experiences - from local business, SaaS, B2B, and more. Key Moments:00:00 Andy Levey Turns Wonder Into Marketing Strategy02:00 Inside the World’s Most Photographed Museum04:00 From Wall Street to Vegas Viral Experiences07:30 Building the Biggest Brand No One’s Heard Of09:30 Cracking the Local Playbook for Global Growth14:14 Data and Science Behind Going Viral16:44 Marketing FOMO With Radio and Influencers19:00 Winning Local Search and the AI-Discoverability Game24:00 Bringing Emotion Back to B2B Marketing27:23 How to Make Customers Feel Your Product33:43 Lessons from Failed Launches38:10 Using AI to Scale Creative, Not Replace It45:00 The Best Marketing Campaigns51:00 Marketing Trends Outro This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise.  Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He became CMO of GoodRx in just five years, then started taking big swings: reviving nostalgic jingles, building an audio-first brand strategy, and proving that sound can punch through today’s visual overload.Ryan Sullivan joins Marketing Trends to share how he moved from performance marketer to CMO at record speed, why he’s betting on radio and podcasts, and how a singing prairie dog and memorable earworms can do serious brand-building work.Ryan and Stephanie dig into balancing art and science in measurement, evolving a beloved brand without throwing away equity, launching the “Savings Wrangler” platform largely in-house, and the PR and discoverability strategies built for an AI-driven search world. If you care about growth that lasts longer than a dashboard refresh, this conversation is for you.Listen for: how to rise to CMO in five years, making audio an advantage, crafting jingles that stick, designing a multi-horizon measurement system, and scaling brand salience without a costly rebrand. Key Moments: 00:00 Introduction to GoodRx’s Marketing Strategy01:37 How Ryan Sullivan Became a CMO in Five Years05:34 Measurement and Marketing Efficacy10:57 The Savings Wrangler Campaign29:50 Balancing B2C and B2B Marketing32:40 The Importance of Brand Consistency36:38 Contrarian Marketing Bets37:21 The Power of Audio in Marketing41:32 Leveraging Third Party Content for AI Brand Discovery45:15 Balancing Data and Intuition in Marketing51:26 Building a Robust Measurement System01:00:55 Lightning Round: Quickfire Questions For GoodRx’s CMO This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise.  Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Monster trucks, skeletons, and a CMO who doesn’t think about cost analysis very often. In this in-studio conversation, Torq CMO Don Jeter breaks down how brand-led world-building beats feature dumps, why entertainment now matters more than information on the trade show floor, and how a Monster Jam partnership and an episodic LinkedIn “junior intern” series created real pipeline by earning mental real estate long before buyers are in-market. We get into the 60-day rebrand sprints, showing up at Black Hat, aligning sales and product so bold creative actually converts, measuring what matters when attribution gets fuzzy, and using AI for brainstorming without shipping “AI slop.” Stick around to the lightning round where Don reveals his $10M marketing moonshot and the sacred marketing belief he thinks won’t age well. If you care about brand, demand, and breaking B2B sameness, watch through to the end and then queue it up on audio for the commute. Key Moments: 00:00: Brand > Features: Cold Open02:09: Rebrand to Stand Out (Not Blend In)03:53: Trade Show Strategy + Monster Jam Booth07:31: World-Building for B2B Brands10:02: Episodic LinkedIn: Meet “Intern Trevor”13:18: Do Bold Stunts Actually Drive Revenue?20:16: Brand x Product x Sales: Tight Alignment30:04: Polarizing on Purpose: Handling the Haters34:30: Collabs, Culture & Consistency (Beyond F1)38:52: AI for Ideas, Humans for Taste45:00: Hiring Creatives + Technical PMM Muscle48:03 Lightning Round (Super Bowl Ads, Hot Takes & More)  This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise.  Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.