Ahead of the Game

• The Rise of Sustainable Marketing

  In this episode of the DMI podcast, host ⁠Will Francis⁠ speaks with ⁠Laura Costello⁠, Head of Sustainability and Planet Services at youth agency ⁠Thinkhouse⁠, as well as Ireland lead at ⁠Purpose Disruptors⁠. Starting with having Ben & Jerry's as her first client, Laura shares her deep understanding of how marketers can embrace sustainability, avoid greenwashing, and build authentic connections with, especially, younger audiences. She explores what B Corp really means, how brands can shift from consumer focus to community impact, and why storytelling is key to driving meaningful change. Laura’s top 3 tips:1. Sustainability starts with long-term thinking2. Storytelling should focus on values, not just products3. Avoid greenwashing by collaborating with other teams, including legal-----------ResourcesRead about Greenwashing on the DMI blogWARC - Future of EffectivenessThe Good Life campaignUN Pact for the FutureAdGreenClimate Communications--------Timestamps0:00:51 – What Laura is working on now0:03:51 – The meaning and challenges of B Corp certification0:08:30 – Why youth and sustainability are deeply connected0:11:26 – Embedding sustainability without tokenism0:15:30 – Changing consumer expectations and community building0:22:45 – Creative global campaigns that make an impact0:31:54 – Using social media to promote long-term behavior change0:36:06 – Making climate storytelling specific and relatable0:40:53 – Where to start with sustainability in your business0:44:56 – How to measure effectiveness and real impact0:47:25 – The future of responsible consumption marketing0:50:26 – Laura’s career path into climate communications0:52:30 – Lessons learned from the front lines of sustainable marketing-----------------------The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠.Check out the DMI’s extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, webinars, guides, templates, and more! ⁠⁠⁠Join for free today⁠⁠⁠.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so others can find us!

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• The Expert's Guide to Amazon Ads

  In this episode of the DMI podcast, host Will Francis⁠⁠ speaks with Elizabeth Greene, co-founder of Junglr, a specialist agency for Amazon advertising. As someone who works in a niche world of Amazon ads, Elizabeth breaks down how they actually function within the wider Amazon ecosystem, and provides insightful tactics on how to use them effectively for business growth on the platform.Elizabeth's top 3 tips:1. Focus on sponsored products2. Understand and master bid management3. Fit your products to the right relevancyTimestamps0:00:51 - What are Amazon Ads? 0:02:13 - Where do Amazon Ads Appear? 0:03:59 - How are Amazon Ads Unique? 0:10:24 - Order Velocity, Conversions, and Relevancy 0:13:38 - Trend Watching and Product Differentiation 0:23:48 - The Impact of TikTok Shop on Amazon 0:31:47 - The Perception of Amazon-Centric Businesses 0:38:04 - Scaling with Amazon Ads, with metrics like TACOS 0:43:48 - The Interplay of Ads and Organic Growth 0:49:25 - Consumer Behaviour and Search Specificity 0:55:54 - Top Three Tips for Amazon Advertising Beginners -----------------------The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.Check out the DMI’s extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, webinars, guides, templates, and more! ⁠⁠Join for free today⁠⁠.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so others can find us!

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  58:11
• Why Community Matters More than Followers

  In this episode of the DMI podcast, host ⁠Will Francis⁠ sits down with Kineta Kelsall, founder of School of Social and LinkedIn trainer, to dive into the art of building genuine communities in social media. Kineta challenges the traditional notion of brand-centric marketing, emphasizing that true community is about creating spaces where like-minded people can connect authentically.She shares insights on how brands can move beyond follower counts to create meaningful connections, highlighting the importance of understanding audience needs, providing value, and letting community members take the lead. 0:01:08 - Defining true community in social media0:13:11 - Changes in social media community building over the past decade0:22:19 - Examples of successful community building (Cleats Club, Lululemon)0:32:52 - Top 5 tips for building a community"It's not that we want to connect, it's that we need to connect. We want to be understood." -----------------------The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our ⁠website⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠, and ⁠YouTube⁠.Check out the DMI’s extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, webinars, guides, templates, and more! ⁠Join for free today⁠.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so others can find us!

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• Making Smarter Marketing Decisions with Clickstream Data

  How can marketers use data effectively without getting completely lost in the numbers?In this episode of the DMI podcast, host Will Francis sits down with Eli Goodman, CEO and founder of Datos, a company specializing in clickstream data. They discuss how anonymous, large-scale data can help marketers better understand consumer behavior, how marketing attribution is evolving, and why nonlinear customer journeys are often misunderstood.Eli also shares his founder journey, from launching Datos during the pandemic to its acquisition by Semrush in 2023. Datos is also the provider of data to SparkToro, run by Rand Fishkin who came on the podcast during 2024.What you'll learn:What clickstream data is and why it matters for marketersThe biggest misconceptions about marketing attributionHow brands can measure the real impact of their contentWhy nonlinear consumer journeys challenge traditional analyticsHow data-driven marketers should think about AIThe key lessons Eli learned from growing and selling a startupEli also shares insights on the future of data privacy, why marketers should think beyond last-click attribution, and how AI is reshaping both creativity and analytics in marketing.00:06 – Introduction00:40 – What is Datos and how does it use clickstream data?03:08 – Understanding consumer behavior through anonymized data06:17 – The challenge of marketing attribution and nonlinear journeys10:36 – Why correlation matters as much as causation14:01 – The biggest surprises marketers discover in their data19:21 – Data vs. creative decision-making in marketing24:04 – AI’s impact on both data analysis and creative work35:54 – Eli’s founder journey and the early days of Datos41:23 – From startup to acquisition: Lessons in scaling a business45:41 – Advice for marketers: Using data effectively without over-relying on it49:55 – Where to find Eli online------------------------The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.Check out the DMI’s extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, webinars, guides, templates, and more! Join for free today.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so others can find us!

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  57:13
• What Does a Fractional CMO Do?

  The word "fractional" gets bandied around a lot these days. But what does it really mean, and how can a CMO be fractional?In this episode of the DMI podcast, host Will Francis sits down with Peter Murphy Lewis of StrategicPete.com and a successful fractional CMO. Peter shares his journey from launching a travel business in South America to becoming a data-driven marketing strategist for a wide range of industries, including software, finance, media, and even zoos. 🔹 What you’ll learn: What a Fractional CMO is and why the role is booming Who actually needs a CMO, and who doesn’t The biggest marketing mistakes Peter made and what he learned The most in-demand digital marketing skills for 2025 Why LinkedIn newsletters and automation are underrated goldmines How and why Peter builds high-performing remote teams using global talentPeter also talks about the power of vulnerability in leadership, his intern-to-MVP framework, and why he believes AI is an opportunity, not a threat.Check out Peter's documentary on YouTube - People Worth Caring About------------------------- 00:06 – Introduction 00:54 – What is a Fractional CMO? 04:38 – Does Every Business Need a CMO? 06:49 – Peter’s Background & Path to Becoming a Fractional CMO 09:18 – Performance-Based Marketing Contracts: Pros & Cons 12:36 – Biggest Early Career Mistakes & Lessons Learned 16:05 – How Digital Marketing Has Changed in 15 Years 18:26 – Leveraging Global Talent for Growth 21:06 – Peter’s Internship Model: Training Future Marketers 23:32 – The Importance of Soft Skills in Digital Marketing 27:09 – Coaching, Feedback, and the Power of Vulnerability 33:42 – The Most In-Demand Marketing Skills for 2025 36:09 – The Role of AI in Marketing 42:50 – The Top Marketing Trends for 2025 46:46 – Advice for Young Marketers & Entrepreneurs 49:25 – Where to Find Peter Online-------------------------The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join for free today⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

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  51:45

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