The Laws of Story-First Marketing with Jessica Gioglio

How do you build a culture-led brand that stands out in an oversaturated market? Skullcandy CEO Brian Garofalow shares how brands like Igloo and Skullcandy thrive by merging counterculture with commerce, balancing operational discipline with creativity, and leaning into brand identity to punch above their weight in crowded market categories.

Does your brand marketing pass the "who cares?" test? In an age where attention is scarce and content is endless, the real challenge isn’t just telling a story—it’s telling one people actually care about. In this episode, Jessica Gioglio, author of The Laws of Brand Storytelling—unpacks the laws of story-first brand marketing, revealing what separates brands that blend in from those that lead.

When the world’s moving at warp speed, how do you stay relevant—especially with an audience that hates being marketed to? Just ask Adam Walden, VP of Brand & Corporate Marketing at GitHub. As AI rewrites the rules of software development, Walden shares how his team earns trust from skeptical developers by embedding marketing within product teams, embracing a “Possibility Mindset,” and crafting platform-native content that fits closed ecosystems. He also dives into how AI is reshaping both the developer experience and marketing execution—with AI agents poised to transform how teams build and run campaigns.

What if your brand was rated the worst company in America to work for? That's the challenge Kevin Miller faced when he became CMO of The Fresh Market grocery chain in 2020. In this episode, Kevin reveals the audacious vision and customer-centric strategy he used to transform the distressed brand into a beloved market leader in just two years. Discover how Kevin's team immersed themselves in customer insights, revamped the in-store experience to spark joy and anticipation, and leveraged AI and a new content engine to engage distinct buyer personas across touchpoints. You'll hear the creative ways they measured brand love, empowered employees as brand ambassadors, and achieved record ecommerce growth—ultimately taking the brand from worst to first. Whether you're in B2C or B2B, Kevin's fresh take on building brand love will challenge your assumptions and inspire you to reimagine what's possible when you put the customer at the center of your marketing.

Marketers are betting big on AI—but are they playing a losing hand? 75% of leaders say AI is a key differentiator for their business, yet only 15% are confident they're investing in the right areas. In this episode of Content Disrupted, Skyword’s Dan Baptiste sits down with HumanX Co-founder and CEO Stefan Weitz to uncover the massive gap between AI hype and real-world execution. They dive into the illusion of AI proficiency, the dangers of treating AI as a content machine rather than a strategic tool, and the key steps and mindset shift leaders must embrace to take meaningful advantage of AI. If you think you’re leveraging AI correctly, this episode might make you think again. And don’t miss: The next HumanX conference is coming up! Check out the details https://www.humanx.co/.

Everyone’s talking about AI—why aren’t more teams actually using it to grow? In this episode, Conor Grennan, Chief AI Architect at NYU Stern School of Business and founder of AI Mindset, reveals how leaders can overcome the real barriers to AI adoption: mindset and behavior. Learn how to reimagine workflows, navigate resistance, and unlock growth opportunities by fostering an AI mindset in your organization. If you’re serious about leading your team into the next generation of content marketing, this episode is your starting point.

What does it take to shape marketing for a tech giant like Salesforce? Amber Armstrong, CMO of Salesforce’s Sales Cloud division, shares insights into the company’s unique culture of speed and innovation. Learn how her team is driving sales and educating customers on the brand’s recent Agentforce technology, while building dynamic content and community platforms like the award-winning Salesblazer program. You’ll get inspired by Amber’s approach to empowering her team, educating the market, partnering with sales, and measuring success in new territory.

AI is a game-changing power tool for marketers, as transformative in business today as the web was decades ago. Is your marketing organization ready? Jeff Fleischman, Chief Marketing Officer at Altimetrik, shares how AI is unlocking a new era of strategic marketing leadership and uncovering opportunities no human could see. Drawing on his experience leading major digital transformations, Jeff shares lessons on strategic planning, building marketing credibility, measuring ROI, and fostering team growth.

In this episode, Kris Rudeegraap, co-founder and co-CEO at Sendoso, shares how businesses can foster meaningful customer connections in today’s hybrid and AI-driven landscape. He touches on leveraging data for hyper-personalization, bridging gaps in customer engagement, and leveraging gifting as a strategic tool. Kris also delves into how Sendoso evolved from a manual concept to a scalable solution that empowers sales and marketing teams to drive growth and build lasting relationships.

In this episode, Brett Hannath, Chief Marketing Officer at Intel, shares insights into leading marketing transformation during a critical period in tech, with a focus on leveraging AI innovation to drive growth. Brett discusses the complexities of balancing immediate business needs with long-term goals, building strategic partnerships, and creating agile marketing teams in a rapidly changing industry. He delves into Intel’s journey to differentiate itself in a crowded AI market, the importance of effective storytelling, and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation within his organization.