How Does Advertising Actually Work?

Does advertising nudge your memory? Change your mind? Or make you feel something? The answer isn't as simple as you think.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob examine five leading theories of how advertising works. They debate memory nudging versus persuasion models, explore why emotional ads outperform rational ones, and reveal which approaches actually drive business results.Topics covered: [02:00] Memory nudging theory and mental availability from Ehrenberg-Bass[08:00] When persuasion models change consumer minds[13:00] Why emotional priming outperforms rational advertising[18:00] Cultural branding and why most brands can't pull it off[21:00] Signaling theory and how expensive media builds credibility[24:00] Which advertising theory each host likes most[26:00] Mandela Effect game connecting memory to brand recall To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources: 2020 Ehrenberg-Bass Institute Study: https://marketingscience.info/what-is-the-effect-of-advertising-on-mental-market-share/  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

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 reveal the true cost of turning off advertising spend. They explore research across 365 US brands showing market share declines by 10% after one year, 20% after two years, and 30% after four years of going dark.Topics covered: [01:00] "When Brands Go Dark: A Replication and Extension"[02:00] Market share drops 10% after one year of going dark[04:00] Brand size and trajectory predict decline severity[05:00] Low frequency categories suffer most without advertising[06:00] Light buyers are first to forget your brand[07:00] Mental availability matters more than shelf availability  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Phua, P., Hartnett, N., Beal, V., Trinh, G., & Kennedy, R. (2023). When brands go dark: A replication and extension. Journal of Advertising Research, 63(2), 172–184. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-2023-009  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.  

AI agents heavily rely on structured data like pricing and star ratings while largely ignoring flashy visuals or banners. Traditional SEO strategies may actually harm your chances of being recommended by AI systems.This week, Elena and Rob are joined by Jonathan Elfreich, Head AI Architect at Misfits and Machines, to explore how AI is changing marketing. From SEO to GEO optimization to AI-driven TV advertising, learn what marketers need to know about preparing for a world where machines make purchasing decisions.Topics covered: [04:00] How AI differs from automation and learns from data [09:00] Why traditional SEO strategies harm AI citation results [14:00] Building brand memories in AI systems like ChatGPT [18:00] How well-known brands have advantages in AI recommendations [21:00] Short-term changes happening in TV advertising with AI [24:00] Long-term vision for personalized, generated TV content [28:00] The importance of targeting and mass customization  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. Resources:  2025 AdExchanger Article: https://www.adexchanger.com/data-driven-thinking/marketing-to-machines-a-new-performance-strategy-in-the-age-of-ai-agents/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

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 why animal images consistently create more favorable attitudes toward ads and brands than human models. They reveal how biophilia, pet love, and trust drive effectiveness. Plus learn when using animals can backfire.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Effectiveness of Animal Images and Advertising"[02:00] Biophilia drives receptiveness to animal ads[03:00] Pet lovers smile more at animal advertisements[04:00] Baby animals trigger caretaking reflexes[06:00] Animals project trustworthiness onto brands[08:00] When animals backfire as consumer stand-ins To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Keller, B., & Gierl, H. (2020).Effectiveness of animal images in advertising. Marketing ZFP–Journal of Research and Management, 42(1), 3–32. https://doi.org/10.15358/0344-1369-2020-1-3  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

This week, we’re resharing a top episode from the archive. Originally recorded a year ago, this episode features the one and only Mark Ritson and remains one of our most popular episodes to-date. Enjoy, and we’ll be back with new content next week!This episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by professor, consultant, and columnist Dr. Mark Ritson. Based on his experience as both a marketing academic and practitioner, Mark shares his thoughts on the state of marketing effectiveness in the US, what we can learn from the history of marketing, and the importance of balancing research with active testing to discover marketing strategies that really work.Topics covered:   [04:30] What is marketing effectiveness?[07:30] Why Mark created the Mini MBA[15:00] How AI will change the future of advertising[17:15] Why marketers undervalue TV advertising[21:00] The differences between effectiveness and marketing science[29:30] Marketing fundamentals don’t change To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2023 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/effectiveness-ignorance-american-marketing/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

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 brand betrayal triggers actual psychological pain and revenge-seeking behavior, making betrayed customers far more dangerous than merely dissatisfied ones.Topics covered:  [01:00] "Insights into the Experience of Brand Betrayal: From What People Say and What The Brain Reveals"[02:00] When brands don't disappoint but actually betray[03:00] Brand betrayal creates deep psychological loss[05:00] Brain scans reveal betrayal activates pain centers[07:00] How Domino's recovered from brand betrayal To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Reimann, M., MacInnis, D. J., Folkes, V. S., Uhalde, A., & Pol, G. (2018). Insights into the experience of brand betrayal: From what people say and what the brain reveals. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 3(2), 240–254. https://doi.org/10.1086/697077 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

At any given time, 95% of potential B2B buyers aren't in-market for your product. Only 5% are actively shopping. Most people your ads reach won't buy anytime soon.This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob explore the 95/5 rule introduced by professor John Dawes in 2021. They discuss how this principle contradicts the familiar 80/20 rule, why the fundamental principle applies beyond B2B categories, and how brands can shift from "hunter" to "farmer" mindsets. The team also covers creative strategies for reaching the 95% who aren't ready to buy yet and why mental availability matters more than immediate conversion. Topics covered: [01:00] Origins of the 95/5 rule and how it contradicts 80/20 thinking[04:00] Why the rule makes sense for B2B but challenges B2C assumptions[07:00] How modern marketing overemphasizes tracking immediate conversions[09:00] Calculating the 95/5 rule for your specific category[12:00] Creative strategies that build memory structures for future buyers[14:00] Shifting from hunter to farmer mentality in advertising strategy[17:00] Brand versus performance marketing balance under this rule  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: John Dawes: The 95:5 Rule: https://johndawes.info/the-955-rule/ Tyrona Heath: Why You Should Follow The 95-5 Rule: https://tyronaheath.com/2022/08/11/why-you-should-follow-the-95-5-rule/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

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 dynamic retargeting ads often underperform generic brand ads. They discover that timing and customer readiness matter more than personalization.Topics covered:   [01:00] "When Does Retargeting Work? Information Specificity in Online Advertising"[04:00] Why personalized ads can underperform generic ones[05:00] Customer journey signals that predict ad effectiveness[06:00] Review site visits as high-intent indicators[09:00] Broad reach versus moment marketing strategies[11:00] Lab study confirms field experiment results  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Lambrecht, A., & Tucker, C. (2013). When does retargeting work? Information specificity in online advertising. Journal of Marketing Research, 50(5), 561–576. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.11.0503  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Most B2B marketers completely misunderstand what brand advertising is supposed to do. They conflate brand narrative with brand advertising, trying to make one execution do both jobs. This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Matt Maynard, VP of Global Brand and Advertising at Asana. Matt shares how he went from journalism to marketing thought leadership without taking a single marketing class. He digs into the dangerous defaults B2B marketers fall into, from pipeline obsession to customer story overuse. Plus, learn why brand advertising and brand narrative are two completely different things that most companies wrongly conflate. Topics covered: [02:00] Matt's journey from journalism to self-taught marketer[08:00] Why brand marketing is having an identity crisis in B2B[13:00] Translating marketing effectiveness theory into practice[18:00] Managing product-led and sales-led growth motions[22:00] Reframing the 95-5 rule as increasing your odds[25:00] What "responsible reach" means for brand marketing[31:00] Why customer stories don't belong in brand advertising[35:00] The difference between brand narrative and brand advertising  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: 2024 MarketingWeek Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/ritson-applicable-b2b-marketing/Matt Maynard’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmaynard/Asana: https://asana.com/ Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

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 attention metrics reveal the true value of media platforms. They discover that not all impressions deliver equal attention and learn why excess share of voice works best when paired with high-attention media placement.Topics covered:   [01:00] "Attention and Effectiveness to ESOV and Beyond, Part Two"[02:00] Not all media impressions are created equal[04:00] How attention varies by platform and pricing gaps[05:00] Active vs. passive attention and the 2.5-second rule[07:00] Attention elasticity amplifies creative performance[08:00] ESOV still works, but placement matters  To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.  Resources: Brittain, R., & Field, P. (2023). Attention and Effectiveness: To ESOV and Beyond Part II. Advertising Council Australia. https://advertisingcouncil.org.au  Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.