Marketing Trends

Harmony Anderson didn’t wait 90 days to make an impact at Superhuman — she launched a major campaign in her first five weeks. Harmony Anderson, Head of Marketing and Growth Product at Superhuman, breaks down why moving fast (and strategically) matters more than playing it safe, especially in high-growth startups. We dig into what it really takes to scale from $20M to $200M ARR, how to enter the enterprise market without abandoning your early adopters, and why traditional attribution models are falling behind in the age of AI and influencers. If you're navigating go-to-market pivots, building modern marketing infrastructure, or just trying to avoid another forgettable brand campaign — this episode is packed with insights. And congratulations to the Superhuman team for being acquired by Grammarly!  Key Moments:  00:00 Harmony Anderson on Moving Upmarket and Scaling  01:35 Welcome to Marketing Trends  02:05 Harmony Anderson’s Career Journey  08:33 Fast-Paced Marketing Strategies  13:20 Navigating the Dark Funnel  15:59 Balancing Brand and Attribution  16:47 The Role of Influencers in Modern Marketing  19:27 Positioning in the AI Market  24:41 Moving Up Market: Challenges and Strategies  35:06 Vision Setting and Company Evolution  36:11 Superhuman's Ambitious Roadmap  37:02 Unified Productivity and AI Integration  44:18 Scaling Operations for Rapid Growth  48:09 Innovative Tools and Harmony's Tech Stack  51:13 AI in Content Creation and Marketing  56:02 The Resurgence of Webinars  01:02:14 Superhuman for Startups Program Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. [https://mission.org/]

What do you get when you mix a 70-year-old legacy brand, Gen Z tax filers, and a reality TV show called Responsibility Island? An absolute marketing fever dream. And Jill Cress — CMO of H&R Block — is the mastermind behind it. We unpack how she’s giving TurboTax-meets-Gen-Z realness. We’re talking Roblox integrations, bold brand storytelling, and what happens when you challenge a category that’s historically allergic to change. We cover: – How H&R Block turned tax season into a cultural moment – What marketers get wrong about Gen Z (and how to fix it) – Why AI is useful, but human empathy still pays the bills – The 4 E’s of customer experience (one of them might make you cry) This is legacy brand marketing with ✨main character energy.✨Press play. Take notes. Maybe even call your tax pro.   Key Moments: 00:00 Introduction to Jill Cress, CMO of H&R Block 01:49 H&R Block's Legacy and Innovation 13:03 Challenges and Surprises in Marketing 19:45 Responsibility Island: A Bold Marketing Move 25:41 Measuring Success and Future Plans 30:59 Differentiation and Brand Storytelling 33:15 Life Stage Stories and Customer Experience 38:21 The Role of Empathy in Customer Relationships 44:08 AI in Tax Assistance 51:33 The Future of Brand Storytelling 53:43 Advice for Young Marketers 57:02 Relevant or Irrelevant: Lightening Round Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. [https://mission.org/]

What if the next big wave in marketing isn’t about targeting people at all—but impressing their AI agents instead? Abhay Parasnis, CEO of Typeface and former CTO at Adobe, joins us to explain why the future of brand discovery is less “search bar” and more “autonomous agents doing your shopping.” Abhay makes a bold case that most traditional marketing (think SEO strategies, AB tests, and static brand books) is already becoming obsolete. Instead, the brands that win will be the ones building content systems smart enough to speak directly to intelligent agents that buy and sell on our behalf. But this conversation doesn’t stop at marketing disruption. Abhay pulls back the curtain on Typeface’s meteoric rise, driven in large part by early, strategic partnerships with companies like Microsoft, Salesforce, and Google. He argues that AI startups don’t need to outcompete the giants… they need to build what the giants can’t, and then let those giants bring them customers. It’s a refreshing take on B2B growth that flips the usual “go it alone” startup myth on its head. From identifying watermelon metrics to replacing agency workflows with AI copilots, Abhay brings sharp insight, grounded optimism, and just enough heresy to keep it interesting. If you’re trying to navigate the chaos of modern marketing, or just wondering what comes after search, this episode is your map.   Key Moments: 00:00 Abhay Parasnis: CEO of Typeface & Ex-Adobe CTO 06:48 Typeface’s Vision and Genesis 14:03 The Role of AI in Brand Management 17:29 The Future of Agencies in an AI-Driven World 25:06 Change Management and the Adoption of AI 37:46 AI in Campaign Creation and Performance Measurement 40:34 The Future of Search and SEO 46:53 Identifying High-Quality Content in AI-Driven Marketing 48:16 Offline Relationships and Physical Experiences 50:47 The Future of Partnerships in Tech 59:45 Transformation in the C-Suite 01:04:15 Relevant or Not Relevant: Quick Takes 01:05:49 The Future of Digital Content Marketing in an AI-Driven World Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. [https://mission.org/]

Think LinkedIn is the place to reach technical buyers? Auvik CMO Susanne Rodriguez breaks down how her team built an insanely effective Reddit and Facebook strategy — yes, Facebook — to reach IT pros who dodge sales emails like it's their job (because it is). We’re talking memes that convert, subreddits that slap, and how to avoid getting flamed by Reddit mods who smell B2B fluff from a mile away. You’ll also hear how Auvik got dragged for a meme, owned it publicly, and came out stronger — a.k.a. how to market like a human. If you’ve ever uttered the words “we need more MQLs” while ignoring your company’s meme game… this one's for you. 🎯 Watch till the end — because the last 5 minutes might make you rethink your entire ABM budget.   KEY MOMENTS:  * 00:00 Who Is Suzanne Rodriguez, CMO at Auvik? * 02:50 Reddit Marketing for IT Pros: Painful, Petty, Perfect * 08:33 Meme Wars and Raspberry Pis: A Campaign Autopsy * 25:02 The Great Content Tug-of-War: Entertainment vs. Conversion * 27:38 Direct Traffic, Zero Conversions, and the Website that Won’t Work * 34:47 Getting Found in the AI Age: Search Visibility in a ChatGPT World * 36:13 Instagram and Facebook for IT Pros? Apparently, Yes * 37:29 No Faking It: Building Trust Through Realness * 43:36 Radical Candor and Proving the CMO Wrong * 50:13 Hiring for Grit, Curiosity, and a Love of Data * 58:21 Hot Takes, Hard Truths, and Lightning Round Wisdom Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. [https://mission.org/]

You’re still optimizing for Google? That’s cute…   Marcus Sheridan, author of They Ask, You Answer, joins us for a high-energy episode, he joins host Stephanie Postles to break down why the playbook most B2B marketers are still running is dangerously outdated.   They dive deep into the collapse of traditional SEO, the rise of AI-generated answers, and why brands that aren’t building trust through video, transparency, and self-service tools are already falling behind. Marcus shares tactical examples from the likes of Liquid Death, Shasta Pools, and his own viral pool pricing content that generated $35M+ in sales. He also drops a bold prediction: your YouTube channel will soon matter more than your website.   Whether you’re a CMO tired of playing it safe or a marketer trying to sell bold ideas up the chain, this episode is your permission slip to think (and market) differently.   Key Moments:   00:00: Is Google Dead? Marcus Sheridan On Why Search Is Breaking for Marketers 00:23: Why Your YouTube Channel Will Soon Outrank Your Website 14:50: The #1 Interview Question CMOs Should Be Asking 16:39: The Big 5 Content Topics Buyers Actually Care About 29:03: Self-Service Tools: The Secret Weapon for Modern Marketers 40:55: How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Radical Transparency 43:15: Why SaaS Pricing Pages Are Failing the Modern Buyer 46:37: Will Websites Matter in 5 Years? AI Is Changing the Game Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. [https://mission.org/]