Advertise on podcast: Digital Marketing Musings

This is part 2 of Gaming Creative, where guests Dave Meeker, Head of Design & Innovation Practice for Dentsu Creative Service Line, and Zach Debord, Executive Innovation Director for Isobar U.S., continue to talk with Gaia about the future of storytelling and gaming. With more than 30 years of experience between them, Dave and Zach explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and personalization with gaming can play into the commerce experience, from digital 3D try-ons to customized commercials. Get answers to questions like: • How has the digital customer experience evolved over the last 20 years? • Why must privacy encryption rise to the challenge of the evolution of data? • What about product interaction is meaningful to consumers? • How can gaming allow storytelling to take on a whole new role in CX? • Why shouldn’t businesses jump into gaming creative with both feet? Resources: • Three Reasons Ethical AI Needs to Be On Your Roadmap • Get to Know Reverse ETL: A Modern Way to Activate Your Customer Data • Simplifying Data Collection with Adobe Web SDK • Aligning Data Strategies by Treating Experiences Like Products – The Drum • Are You Ready for the ‘Digital Genesis’? – Forbes Listen to Gaming Creative, Part 1 here.

In part 1 of Gaming Creative, Gaia and Andreah interview Dave Meeker, Head of Design & Innovation Practice for Dentsu Creative Service Line and Zach Debord, Executive Innovation Director for Isobar U.S. These gaming creative experts help brands navigate the ecosystem of virtual production – building exceptional experiences for clients from virtual breweries to VR music videos. Listen for a dynamic conversation on the future of reality + virtual content. Highlights include: • How have marketing-based games changed over time? • What’s new with commerce and gaming? • When is the new wave of immersive technology coming? • Why do brands need to know their best channels to invest in? • How are games and movie making converging? Resources: • How Marketers Can Fully Leverage the Power of Video • Rebuilding Your Digital Messaging Strategy • What is Ethical AI? • 3 Ways to Digitize the In-Store Shopping Experience • Q1 2022 Digital Marketing Report • An Introduction to Blockchain, the Future of Web 3.0 Marketing – Advertising Week

In this episode, Gaia and Andreah talk inflation with Chris Wayman, promotion, loyalty & messaging business leader at Merkle, and Michela Baxter, a Merkle Commerce & Experience team VP. Our guests ask the question, why is this inflationary period the perfect time to build value-based bonds with consumers? Listen to find out how inflation is affecting your customers. Highlights include: • Which world events are currently affecting inflation? • How is inflation affecting brand loyalty? • Why should transparency be a top concern for brands? • What can your brand be doing to support your customers? • Why are promotions and loyalty programs important right now? • How will Web3 and new privacy regulations affect loyalty efforts? Resources: • Inflation Resilience Dashboard • What Marketers Want and How Promotions Can Help • 7 Reasons CMOs Care About Promotions • 3 Levels for Reaching Today’s Consumers with Your Messaging Strategy • Who Eats the Cost of High Food? – NPR (Article mentioned at 7:30) • Celebrate Plant Earth with New Starbucks Earth Month Game, Odyssey Blend, and Merchandise – Starbucks (Promotion mentioned at 13:25)

The gaming series continues as Gaia and Andreah interview Mike Liu, Head of Innovation at dentsu, and Kevin Villatoro, a Web 3.0 subject matter expert with Global Partnerships at dentsu. Listen to learn what a non-fungible token (NFT) is and why they matter. Highlights include: • Why should marketers and brands care about NFTs? • What is a smart contract? • How do you know how much an NFT is worth? • Why should brands use NFTs to reward loyal customers with exclusive opportunities? • How can brands use NFTs to bridge their physical and digital presence? Resources: • NFTs Beyond the Hype: How to Put Non-Fungible Tokens to Work for Your Brand • What the Metaverse Means for B2B Companies – Inc. • How Will the Metaverse Fortify Customer Journey Analytics? – Advertising Week • What Do Consumers Think About Personalized Experiences? • Digital Marketing Musings: The Evolution of Web 3.0 & the Metaverse, Part 2

In part 2 of The Evolution of Web 3.0 & the Metaverse, Gaia Read and Andreah McCartney meet again with Sergio Barrientos, SVP Cultural Fluency, and Mike Liu, Head of Innovation at dentsu, to discuss how brands should approach digital transformation and the metaverse. Highlights include: • The principle of Web 3.0: new ways for us to connect • Why brands need to provide value to enter the space • The different levels of immersion in the metaverse • How brands should approach digital opportunities Resources: • What the Metaverse Means for B2B Companies – Inc. • Engaging Gamified Experiences Begin with Emotions – Advertising Week • NFTs Beyond the Hype: How to Put Non-Fungible Tokens to Work for Your Brand – Merkle • Digital Marketing Musings: The Evolution of Web 3.0 & the Metaverse, Part 1

In this episode, Sergio Barrientos, SVP Cultural Fluency at dentsu, and Michael Liu, Head of Innovation at dentsu, join Gaia Read and Andreah McCartney to discuss the evolution of Web 3.0 and what the future has in store. Highlights include: User ownership in the Metaverse The promises and goals of Web 3.0 New ways of thinking for brands with Web 3.0 Reshaping the current infrastructure of the internet The value of NFTs Blockchain and consumer privacy Resources: Report: Q2 2022 Media Insights Report Articles: Will the metaverse revolutionize customer experiences? – The Drum How will the metaverse fortify customer journey analytics? – Advertising Week Why B2B marketers must attack the metaverse right now – The Drum

In this episode, Gaia and Andreah chat with Neal Pedersen, Director of Strategy, MKTG Canada and Alex Li, Strategist, MKTG about the ins and outs of brands’ place in esports from sponsorship to advertising. As experts in the union of esports and marketing, Neal and Alex will discuss: • The difference between esports and gaming • Why brands don’t have to be endemic to be powerful players • The power of the younger esports audience and the next generation of consumers • Why brands don’t have to improve gameplay with messaging • How esports leagues are created and function • The different ways brands can get involved with esports teams • How brands can build a deeper connection with esports fans

Gaia and Andreah are joined by Associate Director of Marketing Communications Melissa Reilly and Associate Director of Digital Strategy Rachel Monfre in this episode as they discuss Merkle’s Q4 Digital Marketing Report and Q2 Media Insights Report. Listen to learn more about navigating these insights and trends: • Year over year changes in holiday shopping, travel, and CPC and CPM • Growth in Q4 with Tik Tok and streaming • Supply chain challenges • Predictions for summer travel in 2022 • Personalization with third-party cookie deprecation • Influencer marketing Resources: • Whitepaper: Q4 2021 Digital Marketing Report • Blog: Why Didn’t CPC and CPM Growth in Digital Marketing Keep Pace in Q4?

In this episode, Gaia and Andreah talk about the broad spectrum of gaming opportunities for brands with Sarah Stringer, EVP of US Media Partnerships at dentsu and Tommy Huthansel, Solutions Development Director with the newly launched dentsu gaming. From candy to toilet paper, listen for examples of how brands have done well breaking into the gaming sphere. This episode discusses: • Gaming across generations • Creating an authentic presence for your audience • Turnkey ways for brands to get involved • Brand safety and content suitability • Luxury and accessibility Resources: • Webpage: dentsu gaming • Podcast episode: Using Gamification to Drive User Engagement • Article: What Advertisers Stepping Into the Gaming Arena Should Know

In this episode, Gaia and Andreah chat with Merkle’s Michela Baxter, Senior Director of Experience & Commerce, to understand gamification and its essential role in customer loyalty strategies. This episode tackles questions that include: • What is gamification? • What elements drive engagement, and how can brands incorporate them? • How do game mechanics interact with engagement drivers to achieve positive outcomes? • Why is gamification important for brands facing the deprecation of third-party cookies? Resources: • Blog post: Two Key Elements of a Gamified Experience • Whitepaper: Two Essential Elements of a Gamified Experience • Podcast: Get Personal with Email Marketing Strategy

In this episode, Gaia and Andreah meet with Carly French and Phil Marsalona from Merkle’s technology strategy team to dig into the impact of digital privacy changes in email on the entire marketing ecosystem. This episode tackles questions that include: • What are the “hide my email” and mail privacy protection updates? • How do these changes impact campaign measurement and optimization? • How can marketers adjust their email strategy to thrive in this new environment? Resources: • Blog post: What is Apple’s New “Hide My Email” Feature? • Blog post: Implications of Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) • Podcast: Get Personal with Email Marketing Strategy

In this episode, Gaia and Andreah chat about the fundamentals of email marketing with Sara Caldwell, Senior Relationship Strategist for DEG Digital, a Merkle company. This episode tackles questions such as: What is email marketing? How can brands best manage their email programs? What are the most important KPIs for email management? Is email dead? How can other channels successfully work alongside email?