In Clear Focus
Podcasts
IN CLEAR FOCUS is a weekly podcast offering fresh perspectives on marketing and advertising from experienced practitioners and notable thought leaders. With topics relevant to B2C and B2B marketers, we discuss strategy, branding, media, creative, and analytics. And there's a monthly book club featuring exclusive interviews with authors and discounts on featured titles. Level up your marketing with IN CLEAR FOCUS. New episodes every Tuesday, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Podcasts
Description:
IN CLEAR FOCUS is a weekly podcast offering fresh perspectives on marketing and advertising from experienced practitioners and notable thought leaders. With topics relevant to B2C and B2B marketers, we discuss strategy, branding, media, creative, and analytics. And there's a monthly book club featuring exclusive interviews with authors and discounts on featured titles. Level up your marketing with IN CLEAR FOCUS. New episodes every Tuesday, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Language:
English
Contact:
407.720.3328
Email:
info@bigeyeagency.com
Episodes
In Clear Focus: Retail Marketing with Sarah Montano
2/3/2026
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Professor Sarah Montano discusses her new book, "Retail Marketing: Contemporary Approaches to Retailing in the Digital and Experience Economy." Sarah explains why brands must master "phygital" experiences and third place community building to survive. She explores the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, ethical consumption challenges, and success stories like Jellycat. Learn how to navigate the digital and experience economy while maintaining authentic human connections.
Duration:00:32:16
In Clear Focus: Customer Reviews as Strategic Intelligence with George Swetlitz
1/27/2026
IN CLEAR FOCUS: George Swetlitz, co-founder of RightResponse AI, reveals why more people read consumer reviews than visit websites. He discusses utilizing AI-powered reputation management to transform unstructured data into strategic intelligence that outperforms simple star ratings. Learn how personalized automation can triple review conversions, optimize multi-location operations, why "fake personalization" fails, and how to transform customer reviews into actionable marketing strategies.
Duration:00:28:14
In Clear Focus: The Future of Agency Leadership with Chantal Sagnes
1/20/2026
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Strategic advertising executive Chantal Sagnes discusses the future of advertising and marketing agency leadership and her career spanning top agencies like GSD&M. She shares insights on transitioning from independent shops to global holding companies, the nuances of running high-stakes pitches, and her current role as a fractional Managing Director. Chantal also explores the "pitch crew" model and offers advice for aspiring leaders navigating the evolving industry.
Duration:00:32:07
In Clear Focus: Storybuilding with John Elbing
1/13/2026
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Brand strategist John Elbing of Standpoint explains why people don't care about your story, they care about how you fit into theirs. John introduces his "Storybuilding" methodology, a canvas-based approach that helps companies find their foundational story before crafting marketing messages. He breaks down the three stages of encountering a brand—Recognition, Perception, and Projection—and shares how to use AI as a sparring partner to achieve authentic customer-centricity.
Duration:00:29:21
In Clear Focus: B2B Content Marketing Strategy with Devin Bramhall
1/6/2026
IN CLEAR FOCUS: In our first episode of 2026, B2B marketer Devin Bramhall discusses why traditional content playbooks are failing. The former CEO of Animalz, Devin argues for a "human-centered" reset, moving away from keyword-stuffing and toward community-driven growth. Sharing insights from her new book, "B2B Content Marketing Strategy," Devin details how to align message, messenger, and channel. Learn how to develop living profiles and "CEO-proof" your strategy to earn executive buy-in.
Duration:00:30:58
In Clear Focus: Trust in Healthcare Communications with Robyn Jackson Malone
12/30/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Guest Robyn Jackson Malone, CEO of RJ Communications, joins us to discuss the increasingly important role of trust in health communications. Robyn argues that brands have a responsibility to fill the widening information gap authentically. She critiques "window dressing" diversity efforts, advocates for genuine equity, and highlights the critical role of patient advocacy. We also discuss the "You Don't Know Jack About MS" initiative and Pfizer's "I Can Do Both" campaign.
Duration:00:31:18
In Clear Focus: ThinkBlink Manifesto with Jean-Pierre Lacroix
12/23/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Jean-Pierre Lacroix, co-founder of Shikatani Lacroix Design, and the author of "ThinkBlink Manifesto," reveals why consumers decide emotionally and validate rationally. He explains the "BLINK Factor" and why incremental marketing fails. Jean-Pierre also outlines his seven-tenet framework for moving from features to feelings and building sustainable emotional brand advantages. Learn how to use strategic design, behavioral science, and AI to win the critical moment of purchase.
Duration:00:28:49
In Clear Focus: Strategic Communications with Kathleen Lucente
12/16/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: In a zero-click world, reputation can shift instantly. Our guest, Kathleen Lucente, CEO of Red Fan Communications, reveals how to turn PR into a measurable revenue driver. She details the "crisis trinity" of speed, transparency, and messaging, and how to avoid the "announcement trap" during M&A. We discuss why brands need an authority reality check to survive in the AI era, and how to identify hidden thought leaders to help build credibility and weather social media storms.
Duration:00:31:03
In Clear Focus: Success is a Numbers Game with Kyle Austin Young
12/9/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Our guest this week is strategy consultant Kyle Austin Young, who discusses his new book, "Success is a Numbers Game." Kyle explains Probability Hacking: a framework to systematically de-risk goals. We also explore Kyle's 'Success Diagram,' discuss why "Bic For Her" pens failed, and hear how to use keyword research to validate market needs. Learn how to identify potential bad outcomes and tilt the odds in your favor, whether you're launching a product or training for a marathon.
Duration:00:30:29
In Clear Focus: The 10 Principles of Social Media Management with Jon-Stephen Stansel
12/2/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Jon-Stephen Stansel, the author of the Bigeye Book Club selection, "The 10 Principles of Social Media Management," explains why human judgment remains essential: "AI can do a lot, but it doesn't have taste." Jon also discusses timeless principles for effective social media, drawn from his work on franchises such as "The Lord of the Rings." Learn why social media is not a one-person job, how to create a consistent brand voice, and why there's no such thing as a boring brand.
Duration:00:28:08
In Clear Focus: Podcast Guesting for Business Growth with Christina Lenkowski
11/25/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Forget chasing big-name podcasts. This week's guest, publicist Christina Lenkowski, reveals why the real money is in guesting on niche shows packed with your ideal audience. She explains how to use podcast guesting as powerful earned media to be someone prospects "know, like, and trust." Learn the secrets to a successful pitch, the importance of service over self-promotion, how to avoid common mistakes, and why this strategy is a long-game for generating warm, qualified leads.
Duration:00:30:47
In Clear Focus: Values-Driven Marketing with Thom Mozloom
11/18/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Thom Mozloom of The M Network discusses why brands like Bud Light and Cracker Barrel face backlash. He argues their marketers don't understand, or even like, their core audience. Thom explains how to navigate controversy with honesty and why values-driven marketing, not just purpose-led, is key to building loyalty. He also shares fresh research on news consumption and why he believes attention spans haven't shrunk but tolerance for bad content has.
Duration:00:29:57
In Clear Focus: Tech-Enabled Hospitality with Jessica Gillingham
11/11/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Jessica Gillingham, author of "Tech-Enabled Hospitality," explores how tech is reshaping hospitality marketing and the guest journey. She discusses the challenge of marketing to digital natives who expect a seamless journey from search to booking. Jessica explains how data silos and reliance on OTAs prevent true personalization and building direct guest relationships. Learn how marketers can create loyalty beyond points and shift from per-night transactions to customer LTV.
Duration:00:30:40
In Clear Focus: The Science of Brand Associations with Ulli Appelbaum
11/4/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: For our 300th episode, strategist Ulli Appelbaum, author of "The Science of Brand Associations," reveals why brand associations are the operating system of marketing. He explains how brands exist as memory networks, and why their strength predicts 80% of future purchases. Ulli also discusses his evidence-based framework, grounded in neuroscience, for building stronger associations that drive growth and command premium prices. Hear why advertising should reinforce brand memory through associations.
Duration:00:37:39
In Clear Focus: Rocket Fuel for Startups with Amanda Patterson
10/28/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Guest Amanda Patterson, founder of Rocket Fuel Labs, discusses the rise of fractional CMOs and shares practical tips on developing effective marketing for startups and scaleups. Drawing from her experience scaling MINDBODY from $30M to $200M, Amanda details a data-driven "bottoms-up" plan for efficient growth. She explains why "brand builds demand," the underrated power of customer journey mapping, and how to de-risk marketing spend for quick wins in a high-stakes environment.
Duration:00:26:24
In Clear Focus: Brand Authenticity in the Age of AI with Nick Usborne
10/21/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Veteran copywriter Nick Usborne explains how to combat "brand drift" with a story-first, AI-powered content strategy. Nick introduces his Story Aligned framework, arguing that a brand's unique story is its only defensible moat against the "sameness trap." He reveals why marketers must lead with story when prompting AI. Learn how to use structured prompts to scale content while preserving the human touch and authentic brand communication that builds lasting trust.
Duration:00:30:09
In Clear Focus: Hispanic Heritage Month
10/14/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: To mark Hispanic Heritage Month, strategists Kathy Guzmán Galloway and Alex Santiago join host Karen Jimenez to explore how brands can authentically connect with Hispanic consumers. They discuss why cultural context matters more than literal translation, the importance of diverse teams, and how consumer immersions uncover deep insights. Learn why "multicultural is mainstream" and how to move beyond superficial tactics to build genuine relationships with this influential audience.
Duration:00:28:14
In Clear Focus: Marketing Effectiveness with Sorin Patilinet
10/7/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Sorin Patilinet of PepsiCo and author of "Marketing Effectiveness" shares his scientific approach to brand growth. Sorin explains why marketers must look beyond just advertising to all levers of effectiveness, from pricing to packaging. He introduces his Engineering Marketing Framework, discusses why brands grow through penetration, not loyalty, and explores the balance between creativity and analytics. Hear Sorin's evidence-based principles for creating sustainable brand growth.
Duration:00:29:05
In Clear Focus: Creating Branded Podcasts with Jen Moss
9/29/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Jen Moss of JAR Podcast Solutions explains how brands can create podcasts audiences love. Jen reveals why most branded podcasts fail—they're boring and too promotional—and shares her "JAR" (Job, Audience, Result) system for success. Using case studies from clients like Amazon, she details how to offer true value instead of a sales pitch. Learn how to choose between audio and video, engage specific audiences, and achieve measurable business results through strategic storytelling.
Duration:00:31:26
In Clear Focus: Flow States and Hollywood Productivity Techniques with Steven Puri
9/23/2025
IN CLEAR FOCUS: Hollywood executive turned tech CEO Steven Puri of The Sukha Co shares his playbook for leading remote creative teams. Drawing lessons from producing special effects for blockbuster films like Independence Day, Steven reveals the science behind "flow states" and how to create conditions for deep, meaningful work. He discusses overcoming procrastination, the creative power of working on "the other thing," and why leaders must protect uninterrupted time for their teams to thrive.
Duration:00:33:18