On this first episode of Season 8 of the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast host Lori Jones discusses the fatal flaw shared by far too many innovators, disruptors, and visionaries with big ideas: they devalue marketing and mistakenly believe that their product or service is so cool and innovative that it will sell itself. 

Tune in to hear why strategic marketing and research can differentiate in ways that help position early-stage companies for success, why some startups and growth-minded businesses fail, what those companies should look for when hiring a marketing director, and the three things you should do to gain more awareness when scaling for your company. 

Leaders need to get “outside the jar” to truly understand their customers. Learn more from guest Brand Consultant Marc Stoiber on this episode of the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast. Tune in as Marc shares with our listeners his approach to what he calls, “lazy marketing,” a strategy that is customer-first and people-centric. Listen in here.

It takes grit to rebrand. Tune in to this episode of the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast with host Lori Jones and her guest Melanie Crutchley of Creyos as they walk listeners through how they worked together on the rebrand of her company, including changing the company’s name. You can listen in here.

Hot trends in content creation for 2023 with TCA’s Chief Problem Solver and Lead Analyst, Cathy McKnight: personalization, artificial intelligence, machine learning, account-based marketing, events, Phygital, and more. Listen in to this episode of the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast to learn more.

Impactful messaging and positioning that becomes a magnet for customer acquisition with host Lori Jones and her guest Sandy Gerber of NEXT Marketing Agency on episode one of this two-part series on the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast.

Studies show that customer experience is THE brand differentiator, even above price and product. Join host Lori Jones and her guest Ben Baker of Your Brand Marketing on this episode of the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast to learn more.

Systemizing your processes and streamlining your internal team? Then this episode of the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast is for you! Tune in to listen in to host Lori Jones’ conversation with David Jenyns founder of SYSTEMology here

Powerful content strategies are the topic of this informative and thought-provoking episode of the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast with host Lori Jones and her guest James Scherer of Codeless.

What is “this thing called brand” and what is the definition that works best for small and mid-sized businesses? Tune in to this episode of the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast with host Lori Jones and her guest Karley Cunningham of Big Bold Brand to find out!

Lori Jones and Austin Jordan of Redwire Space discuss the core tenets of brand strategy on this episode of the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast.

Lori Jones and her guest Tim Parkin of Parkin Consulting discuss how marketing teams can increase collaboration and better share insights by creating their own Book of Knowledge on part two of his appearance on the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast.

“Finding new ways to be relevant is what we all have to do, especially in this climate.”

Listen & Learn:

• The eight simple steps to incorporating humor into your marketing strategies.
• Why some brands are afraid to use humor in their marketing.
• Where humor works well, and where it doesn’t.
• How all brands, not matter the industry or the product, can incorporate humor into its marketing strategies.
• Connecting to your customers with humor.
• How to find a comedy writer.

Maggie Scivicque joined arc Thrift Stores as the marketing director in 2012 from Papa John’s Pizza of Colorado/Minnesota. As vice president of marketing for arc Thrift Store, she is responsible for the marketing efforts that help drive the success of the nonprofit. She and her team manage the social media, coordinate the television buys, and conceive and deploy the creative that supports the 31 arc Thrift Stores and 15 donation stations across the Front Range and Western Slope of Colorado. She is a strategic thinker, devoted to driving customer traffic to the stores and to increasing the transactions and sales that financially support the noble mission of arc Thrift Stores. Maggie is also host of Get Thrifty, a fun and informative podcast that was named in the Top 20 of thrift podcasts in the U.S. She is dedicated to the arc mission and brings infectious energy and enthusiasm to the work she does.

Bold and brave impact doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg! Learn more from Lori Jones by calling today. 303-678-7102.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ARC THRIFT STORES, CLICK HERE.

TO FIND MAGGIE SCIVICQUE ON LINKEDIN, CLICK HERE.

“Placing yourself in the story you’re trying to tell is where marketers hit gold.”

Listen & Learn:

• The four tenets of strategic storytelling.
• The importance of people-first storytelling.
• The power of narrative.
• Why it’s never about what you make or why you make it.
• It’s not about selling a story; it’s about telling a story.
• Creating a compelling narrative for your brand from the beginning

Michael Ashford, director of marketing at The Receptionist, is a builder, a communicator, and a strategist. But his path has been anything but typical…from starting out as an engineering major to becoming a sportswriter and then on to project management and then ultimately the sales and marketing world, Michael considers his journey one that has prepared him for anything. He works best when demands for growth fall in the category of "it's never been done before." He enjoys being on the move, loves competition, and relies heavily on his intuition to make decisions that are then backed up by facts and data. He values authentic communication and making personal connections to better understand people and their needs.

We use the power of storytelling to build brands. Learn more from Lori Jones by calling today. 303-678-7102.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RECEPTIONIST, CLICK HERE.

TO FIND MICHAEL ASHFORD ON LINKEDIN, CLICK HERE.

“People are looking for trustworthy content to guide their decision making.”

Listen & Learn:

• Where marketers are getting wrong, and where they are getting it right when it comes to leveraging the power of SEO, AI, and content.
• How to think about content with AI in mind.
• How marketers can benefit from a more “human-sounding” approach to content and SEO marketing.
• Use data to find out what is most important to your audience.
• Technological advancements, like GPT-3.
• Building and owning your audience with powerful content and SEO strategies.

Ryo Chiba is co-founder of Topic. He was born in Japan but came to the U.S. at an early age. While in college at USC, he co-founded a marketing technology company called TINT. It was a great success, as they grew to 40 full-time employees, millions in annual recurring revenue, and 1,000+ customers in 172 countries. During those six years, Ryo alternated between CTO and head of marketing, and learned a great deal about software development, business operations, recruiting, management, leadership, and marketing. In 2018  the company was sold to Filestack. Today, Ryo is working on his next venture, Topic, with his business partner, Nik. Topic's software is designed to help writers create higher quality content faster. Topic’s AI analyzes the top results in Google, extracts key topics to cover, and provides an interactive editor to allow writers to grade their work.

Take your content marketing and competitive SEO to the next level. Learn more from Lori Jones by calling today. 303-678-7102.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TOPIC, CLICK HERE.

TO FIND RYO CHIBA ON LINKEDIN, CLICK HERE.

“The reason why companies fail is NOT because of the product or the technology. It’s because they fail to understand that…they have to engineer their marketing.”

Listen & Learn:

• The essence of category design.
• Why some brands make the mistake of leading with parity.
• The role of marketing in demand generation.
• Understanding the buyer’s journey.
• How the buyer’s journey impacts the marketing funnel.
• Building touchpoints along the buyer’s journey.

Mark Donnigan is a startup trailblazer and a go-to-market engineer. He designs and executes marketing playbooks that produce real business results for early and growth-stage technology startup companies. He is well-versed in SaaS, software licensing, wholesale, and retail sales models, and builds nimble, highly efficient marketing teams that routinely outperform larger organizations. With his 20+ years of experience as a transformative B2B and enterprise marketing and business leader, Mark understands how to succeed in today’s winner-takes-all market.

Creating emotional epiphanies so your brand doesn’t drown in a sea of sameness. Call LORI JONES today to learn more. 303-678-7102.

TO FIND MARK DONNIGAN ON LINKEDIN, CLICK HERE.

“Don’t do PR in a silo.”

Listen & Learn:

• How PR and earned media strategies should be part of your integrated marketing approach.
• The credibility of third-party endorsement.
• Why you need to incorporate influencers into your PR strategy.
• Milestone releases.
• What would make an editor or producer ignore a release?
• Why it’s important to be humble and to take ego out of your news releases.

Mickie Kennedy is the founder and president of eReleases, the small business leader for press release distribution, now celebrating 22 years in business. He is an expert at helping small businesses, authors, and startups increase their visibility and credibility. Mickie founded eReleases after realizing that small businesses desperately need a press release service they can afford. eReleases gives small businesses access to the media and to a national newswire – all with a personal touch. Through eReleases works with big names now, the spirit of Mickie’s original intent has not changed. eReleases delivers personal service and exceptional value to every customer, with every press release, at every price point of the process.

Strategic earned media strategies help drive sales. Call LORI JONES today to learn more. 303-678-7102.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ERELEASES, CLICK HERE.

TO FIND MICKIE KENNEDY ON LINKEDIN, CLICK HERE.

“Your home page isn’t your home page anymore. The first page of your branded search is your home page.”

Listen & Learn:

• Why what shows up in a search is just as important as what’s NOT showing up.
• The importance of creating positive content and assets that show up on the SEO side.
• Tips to easily out-pace and out-weigh any of the competitors or anyone out there wanting to sabotage you online.
• Tips for boosting your ranking on Google on this episode.
• Three steps for using SEO to find out what your brand reputation looks like.
• How to optimize your branded terms to boost your market penetration and help you sell more

Bryan Phelps has a reputation of trusted expertise with little fanfare. As founder and CEO of Big Leap, he has built a company that provides all the flexibility and communication of a boutique agency combined with the scale and accountability of a global firm. With a clear focus on four core services - SEO, content, social media, and marketing automation - Bryan is known for his expertise, ethics, and excellence. Big Leap has earned its place on the Inc. 5000, UV50 Fastest Growing Companies, MWCN Utah100, and has achieved a “Best Company to Work For” award. Built on “The Core Four” digitals services (SEO, social, automation, and reputation management), Big Leap is known as a straightforward-thinking digital agency that is transparent and achieves results.

Optimize your brand’s online reputation with strategic SEO. Learn more from LORI JONES today by calling 303-678-7102.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BIG LEAP, CLICK HERE.

TO FIND BRYAN PHELPS ON LINKEDIN, CLICK HERE.

“You have to build trust from the very first moment you meet.”

Listen & Learn:

• How to ensure that an agency you hire is a true strategic partner.
• Tips for negotiating media pricing with an agency.
• Accountability, trust, and transparency: essential elements when engaging an agency.
• Why it’s important to know if there are any conflicts of interest.
• What agencies need to know about GDPR compliance.
• Tips for onboarding an agency.

Mike Krass is the CEO of MKG Marketing, a digital marketing agency that gets tech and healthcare brands found online through transparent, measurable digital marketing. Over the last ten years, Mike has grown MKG Marketing into a seven-figure business not only by specializing in data and analytics but by embracing a “people first” philosophy that promotes a strong work-life balance while systematically holding employees as well as clients accountable. Mike takes this philosophy with him as he sits on the board of directors of the global Entrepreneur’s Organization, as well as mentoring other businesses through organizations such as Idea Village and General Assembly. Realizing the importance of analytics, Mike and his business partner, Kerry Guard, set out to found an agency that could both perform creatively and provide hard numbers in order to quash the frustration that companies can often feel when navigating the digital marketing landscape.

Your trusted strategic partner to help build your brand and impact your bottom line. Call LORI JONES today at 303-678-7102 to learn more!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MKG MARKETING, CLICK HERE.

TO FIND MIKE KRASS ON LINKEDIN, CLICK HERE.

“Every brand was started from a human being; that fundamental human truth needs to carry over for your purpose to resonate.”

Jacqueline Lieberman is the founder of the brand strategy consultancy, BrandCrudo. She’s honed her no-B.S.-approach to marketing strategy over the years guided by one belief – when you make brands more human, you connect them to more people. Throughout her career, she has developed a narrative-based approach to traditional strategic planning to uncover the brand truth that resonates with audiences. She has worked with many brands, most notably for many of Unilever's iconic brands, Beech-Nut, General Mills, and most recently with Happy Family Brands and fintech disrupter, the Alternative Investment Exchange. Jacqueline applies both art and science to understanding human insight and to interpreting findings in order to unearth the real reason people should care about your brand. For Jacqueline, it’s all about finding a brand's raw truth and making it matter.

Listen & Learn:

• The differences between mission, vision, and purpose statements.
• Finding the DNA of your brand.
• The building blocks for humanizing your brand.
• Why customers just want honesty from brands.
• Defining your brand’s points of parity and points of differentiation.
• Practical advice for thinking about your brand as human.

 Let us help you define your brand’s purpose and humanize it in order to truly connect with your key audiences. Call LORI JONES today at 303-678-7102 to learn more!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BRAND CRUDO, CLICK HERE.

TO FIND JACQUELINE LIEBERMAN ON LINKEDIN, CLICK HERE.

“eCommerce and Amazon might be the only channel that is actually performing for some brands and keeping the rest of the business afloat.”

Kiri Masters is the founder and CEO of Bobsled Marketing, which helps consumer product brands grow their sales on Amazon. Kiri is also a contributor to Forbes, the host of the Ecommerce Braintrust podcast, and the author of two books, The Amazon Expansion Plan and Amazon for CMOs. Recently, Kiri and the Marketplace Institute team have launched the "Amazon Hotline," where members can get on-demand, real-time answers to critical questions, and join a mastermind of peers to workshop issues and opportunities as a small group.

Listen & Learn:

• Tips on what every marketer should do when they are putting a product on Amazon.
• Why brands need to take advantage of Amazon’s full-channel capabilities.
• During the COVID pandemic, how can businesses use the Amazon marketplace to keep their brands active and relevant?
• 15% of all sales are eCommerce, and 50% of those come from Amazon. How has your brand integrated an Amazon strategy into your marketing mix?
• How buying habits have been fast-forwarded because of COVID-19.
• The difference between “exploring and picking” when customers are buying online.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BOBSLED MARKETING, CLICK HERE.

TO FIND KIRI MASTERS ON LINKEDIN, CLICK HERE.

“Brand recovery is a journey. Be alert and mindful of customer sentiment and speak from the heart.”

Brands that acknowledge and embrace change through their communications strategies and recovery planning can win customers’ hearts and minds. Learn more on this edition of the Integrate & Ignite podcast mini-series.

Listen & Learn:  

• How to launch marketing campaigns that reengage stakeholders.
• The importance of providing your customers straight talk, reassurance, and consistency as we transition into the New Normal.
• Why it’s important to reassess messaging every couple of weeks.
• The importance of understanding buyer sentiment.