The Marketing Architects

Streaming now accounts for 47% of all TV viewing. Five of the top 10 most-streamed days ever happened in November 2025 alone. But TV isn't disappearing. It's just fragmented. 

This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by VP of Media Partnerships Nikki Erkkila to discuss the state of modern TV advertising. Together, they break down the biggest misconceptions about streaming versus linear TV, why hyper-targeting can actually limit growth, and how marketers should approach buying Connected TV without losing the power of broad reach. 

Topics covered: 
[04:00] How fragmented is the TV landscape really?
[10:00] Why CTV feels familiar to digital marketers
[16:00] The biggest mistake marketers make with CTV
[21:00] Should you buy linear or streaming? (Hint: It's not either/or)
[23:00] When is targeting worth the cost?
[29:00] How creative strategies can differ in streaming versus linear 

To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
2025 Nielson Report: https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2025/nielsens-the-gauge-broadcast-and-streaming-power-historic-month/

2026 Awful Announcing Article: https://awfulannouncing.com/streaming/strange-state-sports-fast-tv-tubi.html
 

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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 emotions, even ones unrelated to purchasing decisions, shape what people are willing to spend. They reveal that disgust suppresses value across the board, while sadness increases openness to new products by motivating a desire for change. 

Topics covered:   
[01:00] "Heart Strings and Purse Strings: Carryover Effects of Emotions on Economic Decisions"
[02:00] How disgust, sadness, and neutrality shift buying behavior
[03:00] The endowment effect and emotional influence
[05:00] Why specificity matters more than positive or negative
[06:00] Disgust in advertising: effective or repellent?
[08:00] Can annoyance drive brand recall? 

 

To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
Lerner, J. S., Small, D. A., & Loewenstein, G. (2004). Heart strings and purse strings: Carryover effects of emotions on economic decisions. Psychological Science, 15(5), 337–341. 
 

Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

44% of marketers say media fragmentation is one of their biggest concerns. But is it really threatening effectiveness—or just exposing weak planning?

This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob tackle the fragmentation debate head-on. They explore why reach hasn't disappeared, how creative consistency beats endless platform optimization, and why the smartest response to complexity is simplicity. Plus, hear why doubling down on what works might be better than chasing every new channel.

Topics covered: 
[01:00] Why 44% of marketers worry about media fragmentation
[05:00] Mass reach moments and the obsession with live sports
[09:00] Creative consistency across channels: IKEA as a model
[12:00] Why narrowing targeting actually shrinks growth potential
[15:00] Planning fundamentals that prevent fragmentation chaos
[18:00] The importance of reinforcement over reinvention 

To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
WARC Article: https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/warc-talks/staying-effective-in-a-lots-of-little-media-market/en-GB/159439?

 
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 how 84% of purchases are decided before shoppers even start looking... and why that changes everything about how you should invest in marketing.

Topics covered: 
[01:00] "How Humans Decide: What Drives Consumer Choice and How Brands Should Respond"
[02:00] The two stages of every purchase decision
[04:00] Why 84% of purchases are already decided
[06:00] Who's easy to influence (and who isn't)
[07:00] The touchpoints that actually change behavior
[08:00] Three moves to reach primed buyers 

 

To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
WPP Media & Oxford Saïd Business School, Marketing Faculty. (2025). How Humans Decide: What drives consumer choice, and how brands should respond. October 2025. 
 

Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

When brands try to stand out through purpose or activism, they often stumble into controversy. So what's driving these missteps? And how should brands respond when backlash strikes? 

This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob are joined by Professor Tyler Milfeld from Villanova School of Business to discuss the hidden risks of brand activism and repositioning. Tyler unpacks why high-profile rebrands fail, when purpose messaging actually works, and how brands should respond when they face backlash. Plus, learn why doing nothing might be better than apologizing. 

Topics covered: 
[04:00] Why most repositioning efforts fail
[09:00] The credibility gap in brand purpose
[12:00] When pro-social brands don't benefit from purpose ads
[18:00] How brand power changes the rules for activism
[21:00] The worst response to brand activism backlash
[29:00] Why great insights matter more than shiny objects
[32:00] Marketing communication needs more fun 

To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
2025 MediaPost Article:https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/411321/what-drives-brand-repositioning-and-why-do-these.html

Villanova University Page: https://www1.villanova.edu/university/business/faculty-and-research/faculty-by-department/[email protected]&xsl=bio_long

Tyler Milfeld’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-milfeld/
 

Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.