Creative: everyone's got an opinion, but no one seems to have a framework. Until now.In this episode of Lab Grown Marketing, Jon and Peter pull back the curtain on what makes creative actually effective—not just award-worthy. Spoiler: most award-winning ads are terribly branded.They cover Coca-Cola’s AI-generated holiday ad (spoiler: creative directors hate it, the AI loves it), and walk us through the ABLE Framework—a financial formula for creative effectiveness that's as brutal as it is helpful. Finally, they use lab grown research to test IBM's most famous taglines through the ABLE lens and reveal which one actually drives business results (hint: it’s not “Let’s Build a Smarter Planet”).Creative may be art—but it turns out, it’s also math.01:54 - From the Feed – Coca-Cola’s AI Ad: Good, Bad, or Just Too Branded?14:49 - Million Dollar Data – Which IBM Tagline Actually Works?24:39 - Synthetic Salon with Pocket Professor
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27:29
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27:29
If No One Remembers Your Brand, Did It Ever Really Exist?
If you aren’t standing out, you’re blending into the competition.So, how can you ensure you’re creating distinctive brand assets that stay top-of-mind in buyers everywhere? Jon and Peter break down the data behind what makes brands memorable— and explain how to analyze the numbers to guarantee your assets leave a lasting impression. Why are brands like McDonald's, Liberty Mutual, and Apple so successful at what they do? And what are the top mistakes your creative team is probably making when it comes to branding?Then, the guys chat with the Pocket Professor to glean some foolproof tactics to measure and manage your distinctive brand assets before getting into the weeds about which specific parts of a brand consumers actually remember most. And hint: it’s not what you think. 02:06 From the Feed- Art Imitates Life (and Distinctive Branding)04:57 Mental Model- Distinctive Brand Assets12:25 Synthetic Salon- What Makes a Brand Memorable? 21:08 Million Dollar Data- AI and the Future of Brand Marketing
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31:17
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31:17
Think Like a Buyer, Not a Brand
What do champagne and cloud servers have in common? Absolutely nothing — unless you’re thinking like a marketer.This week, Jon and Peter take a deep dive into category entry points and explain how those magical money moments — like when someone suddenly decides they do need to buy that $200 bottle of Dom Pérignon at the club — happen. Why is the brand that comes to mind first the brand that gets bought? And why does staying top of mind in the ol’ brain search engine outpace anything SEO optimization can do?Then, the guys unpack their latest synthetic research findings to discover what motivates people to enter a buying category. Whether they’re popping bottles in the club or panicking over performance alerts at 2 a.m. — what triggers a purchase? And how do category entry points differ for B2B and B2C?Plus, Erica from IT is stressed out about her job… and she’s not even real. Find out if Peter and Jon can give this overworked and underpaid cloud storage shopper one decent weekend without having to extinguish a server fire. 01:18 From the Feed - What are Category Entry Points?10:20 Billion Dollar Data – Entry Points for B2C and B2B20:02 Synthetic Salon – Erica from IT
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25:06
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25:06
Amazon, Market Research, and the Case for Being Average
The customer is always right… right?Bezos knows they are. And if Jeffrey thinks it, you should probably pay attention.In this week’s episode, the guys explain why the king of Amazon keeps an empty chair in his meeting rooms at all times (we swear — it’s not a creepy billionaire thing) before exploring the importance of everybody’s least favorite topic — market research.How is it possible that B2B is a complete sampling desert while B2C is drowning in customer data, yet both can be completely parched of any kind of wisdom? With a little help from their synthetic friends, Jon and Peter suck the real truth out of just how often (or how little) B2C and B2B really survey their customers — and Houston, we’ve got a problem.Plus, was synthetic research cooked before it even got started? LinkedIn influencer Tom Goodwin recently called out all artificial intelligence insights as mid (*ok, shots fired*)….but Jon and Peter play devil’s advocate and explain why being average is actually a good thing. Pacers, it might just be your lucky year.00:24 Benefits and Barriers of Market Research01:48 Mental Model: Market Research10:05 Million Dollar Data: Is Synthetic Research Mid?15:55 The Synthetic Salon: NOT Jeff Bezos
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25:36
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25:36
Brand is Dead (LOL)
With so much rage bait in the world, sometimes you just can’t resist clapping back. This week, consider us sufficiently rage baited because we’re taking on Scott Galloway’s latest remarks and marking him as public enemy #1. Galloway recently went on a podcast to claim that “brand is dead.” But Jon and Peter wonder if he’s actually just brain-dead or just taking a note from the Elon Musk playbook of how to get attention (and piss people off). They break down Galloway’s ridiculous comments, explain how brand is more alive than ever, and commiserate over the overtly obvious attention signaling.Peter and Jon also explain why the 60-40 rule of lead generation is outdated. They reveal how only 5% (not 40%) of buyers are in the market to buy at any given time and use their million-dollar data to show why it’s time to revise the rule. And later, they explain why memory generation is the #1 thing you can do to generate leads.Plus, in this week’s synthetic salon, Jon and Peter consult their dear artificial friend, Barren Wuffet*, to see if brand is actually dead. Spoiler alert: It’s not. *Our legal team would like to note that any likeness to Warren Buffet is purely coincidental.
What if you could conduct smarter, faster, and more cost-effective consumer research without alarming your budget-conscious finance team? Forget outdated advice about CTR and MQLs—what you need are evidence-backed strategies.
For over a decade, we’ve partnered with LinkedIn's experts to uncover key B2B marketing principles. Now, we’re using those insights and cutting-edge research tech to break down what really drives growth.
Join Peter Weinberg and Jon Lombardo each week as we explore proven, lab-backed tactics to help marketers thrive in today’s landscape.
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