Future of Consumer Marketing

Platform Risk: When Facebook Killed 4Ocean's Growth Overnight

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Alex Schulze, CEO and Co-Founder of 4ocean. Born from a surf trip to Bali where Alex witnessed devastating plastic pollution, 4ocean has evolved from a simple bracelet company into a vertically integrated ocean cleanup operation that has removed over 41 million pounds of trash from the ocean. What started as a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand leveraging viral marketing has transformed into a multi-faceted business including B2B partnerships, government contracts, and a global network of cleanup crews. Alex shares the brutal realities of scaling a mission-driven company through algorithm changes, health crises, and the challenges of the modern e-commerce landscape.
Topics Discussed:
Building a vertically integrated ocean cleanup operation from a consumer product
Navigating Facebook's political categorization that killed organic reach overnight
Pivoting from viral social media marketing to relationship-based B2B partnerships
Managing the operational complexity of employing hundreds of cleanup crews globally
Surviving the e-commerce bloodbath and why most DTC brands are struggling
Dealing with greenwashing accusations in the sustainability space
The founder's personal health crisis and how it shaped business priorities

1,000 Walmart Stores: The Retail Launch Strategy That Worked

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Terri Rockovich, Co-founder and CEO of Jinx. After scaling Casper's marketing budget from $30k to $7M monthly as their first marketing hire, Terri applied those hard-won lessons to building Jinx—a premium dog food brand positioned for mass market accessibility. Jinx has successfully navigated the challenging transition from D2C to retail, launching in 1,000 Walmart stores and expanding to Target, Amazon, and specialty retailers. Through their "specialty for the masses" positioning, they're making premium pet nutrition mainstream while building a community of millennial pet parents who treat their dogs like family.
Topics Discussed:
Scaling paid acquisition budgets efficiently without burning cash on learning
Transitioning from D2C-first to retail-dominant business model
Launching and scaling with major retailers like Walmart and Target
Building "specialty for the masses" brand positioning
Consumer-led product innovation in saturated CPG categories
Managing small, high-output marketing teams in competitive spaces
Balancing founder involvement in marketing without micromanaging

Scaling a 50-Person Marketing Team — Patrick Buchanan [Lulus]

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Patrick Buchanan, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Lulus. Patrick shares how he's building a brand focused on empowering women through authentic storytelling and community-driven marketing. From his early days in product placement working with celebrities like Zac Efron and Kobe Bryant, to scaling marketing teams of nearly 50 people, Patrick reveals the strategic approach behind Lulus' recent momentum - including their current Globetrotter campaign that's driving all-time high brand equity scores across billboards in New York, Nashville, and Miami.
Topics Discussed:
Scaling from product placement to brand marketing leadership across multiple celebrity-backed brands
Building and managing marketing teams of nearly 50 people across brand, creative, and go-to-market functions
Creating campaigns that drive measurable brand equity while maintaining authentic community connection
Balancing performance marketing with creative brand work to maximize efficiency and results
Developing clear KPIs and post-campaign scorecards to measure success and extract learnings
Leveraging storytelling backgrounds from journalism to create marketing that transports audiences
Managing celebrity partnerships and product placement in an evolving influencer landscape

Can You Really Measure All Marketing? Jacqueline Parisi [Elektra Health]

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Jacqueline Parisi, Head of Marketing at Elektra Health. Elektra Health is revolutionizing women's healthcare by providing comprehensive menopause care through telemedicine, combining clinical treatment with wraparound support services like menopause doulas, education, and community. Operating primarily in New York and Connecticut, they're tackling the massive gap in menopause care where only one specialist exists for every 26,000 U.S. women, and 70% of women seeking care don't receive treatment. Through strategic insurance partnerships and localized marketing, Elektra Health has achieved network coverage for four out of every five New York women while becoming the first virtual menopause provider to accept Medicaid and Medicare.
Topics Discussed:
Building a data-driven marketing culture in healthcare
Navigating complex insurance partnerships and state-by-state expansion
Marketing in emotionally charged healthcare categories
Balancing consumer acquisition with B2B health plan relationships
Scaling localized marketing strategies
Differentiating in a crowded emerging market
Managing information overload in newly destigmatized health categories

How Smol's CMO Turned Hidden Products Into Display Assets

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Hilary Strong, CMO of smol, the UK-based challenger brand disrupting the laundry and cleaning category. Founded in 2018 by two ex-Unilever colleagues, smol has revolutionized how consumers buy cleaning products by combining D2C subscription delivery with sustainable, high-performance products at accessible prices. Hilary shares how they've built a brand that customers proudly display rather than hide under the sink, while maintaining competitive pricing against mass market giants like Unilever and P&G.
Topics Discussed:
Dual disruption strategy: simultaneously changing product and distribution models
Balancing sustainability with performance and accessible pricing
Creating desirable aesthetics in traditionally hidden product categories
Organizational structure: splitting CMO and Chief Growth Officer roles
Upper funnel brand building vs. performance marketing allocation
International expansion challenges in France and Germany
Consumer behavior evolution around ingredient transparency and sustainability

How Vivobarefoot Built $120M Challenging Big Shoe

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Galahad Clark, founder and CEO of Vivobarefoot. Clark is leading a rebellion against "Big Shoe" - the $24 billion global footwear industry dominated by Nike and Adidas. Coming from a 200-year-old Quaker shoemaking family, Clark pivoted from traditional footwear to create barefoot shoes that prioritize foot health over fashion trends. Despite facing near-bankruptcy in the early years, Vivobarefoot has grown into a $120 million business by targeting "conscious mavericks" and building a community-driven brand that challenges conventional wisdom about what shoes should be.
Topics Discussed:
Challenging established industries through education-based marketing
Building a direct-to-community brand in a fashion-driven category
Transitioning from performance marketing to brand marketing at scale
Creating custom, localized manufacturing through 3D printing technology
Positioning against industry giants while maintaining authenticity
Leveraging truth providers and domain experts for credibility
Balancing rational health messaging with emotional brand appeals

How Nick's Built Brand vs Performance Marketing Balance

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Stefan Lagerqvist, Group CEO of Nick's, a Swedish food tech company revolutionizing the healthy snacking space. Nick's has carved out a unique position by focusing on eliminating the gap between indulgent and healthy, creating products that taste great without the traditional health food compromise. After a major brand pivot based on data-driven consumer insights, Nick's transformed from an angry activist brand to one that celebrates joy and removes guilt from snacking, targeting young urban females who prioritize looking good on social media over traditional health messaging.
Topics Discussed:
Pivoting from activist messaging to joy-focused brand positioning based on consumer research
Using quantitative research to identify and validate target audiences beyond existing customers
Balancing risk-taking in startup marketing versus playing it safe at large corporations
Strategic distribution across physical retail, Amazon, and direct-to-consumer channels
Managing rapid US expansion during COVID with geo-targeted performance marketing
Transitioning from growth-at-all-costs to profitability-focused business model
Leveraging brand building over pure performance marketing in competitive markets

Why Sauna House Rejected Wellness Bros for Working Moms

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett interviews Gavin Jocius, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer of SAUNA HOUSE®. SAUNA HOUSE® is building the modern American bathhouse by adapting ancient wellness modalities for US consumers. Operating in a market where communal bathing culture is nascent compared to established markets like Finland, Japan, and Canada, SAUNA HOUSE® has grown from one Asheville location in 2019 to multiple corporate and franchise locations across the Southeast. Through strategic positioning against tech-bro wellness culture and creating intentional analog experiences, they're capitalizing on the convergence of loneliness epidemics, generational shifts away from alcohol, and the growing demand for digital detox experiences.
Topics Discussed:
Adapting international wellness concepts for American market sensibilities
Strategic customer segmentation beyond obvious wellness demographics
Creating forced digital detox environments as a competitive differentiator
Leveraging cultural early adopters as organic brand ambassadors
Building educational content strategy around adventure and expertise archetypes
Scaling intentional community experiences across franchise operations
Positioning against obvious influencer partnerships for authentic brand building

Why Ad Campaign "Wear-Out" Is Killing Your Brand Growth

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Andrew Thomas, VP of Marketing at Archer Meat Snacks. Andrew shares how Archer Meat Snacks, the fifth largest meat snack brand in the nation, is disrupting the category dominated by legacy players like Jack Link's and Slim Jim. Through bold rebranding, strategic color psychology, and a deep understanding of consumer segmentation, Archer Meat Snacks is driving category growth alongside Chomps as the only two brands capturing the "better-for-you" consumer trend. Andrew reveals the tactical playbook behind their transformation from a commercially-focused business to a brand-driven powerhouse, including their upcoming national advertising campaign designed to punch above their weight class against competitors with significantly larger marketing budgets.
Topics Discussed:
 Strategic brand positioning in legacy-dominated categories
 Rebranding methodology from consumer insights to execution
 Color psychology and visual differentiation in CPG
 Consumer segmentation strategy for category disruption
 Marketing team structure and resource allocation for growth-stage brands
 AI's impact on creative production and marketing efficiency
 Risk-taking philosophy in conservative industries
Agency selection and creative brief development
The myth of ad campaign wear-out and mental availability
 

15M Tickets = AI Pricing That Actually Works at TicketCo

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg, CEO and Co-Founder of TicketCo. TicketCo began as a solution to outdated ticketing infrastructure in Norway's event industry and has evolved into one of Europe's fastest-growing sports ticketing platforms. What started as a necessity for their own mountain festival has grown into a company that holds monopoly positions in Norwegian sports and is rapidly expanding across the UK and Ireland. Moberg shares how they disrupted an industry dominated by legacy providers through strategic focus, innovative pricing models, and community building that elevates the often-overlooked heroes of the ticketing world.
Topics Discussed:
Transitioning from broad event ticketing to sports-only focus for market dominance
Building subscription-based season ticket models to reduce churn and increase revenue
Creating the world's largest ticketing community through "Don't Forget Your Tickets"
Geographic expansion strategy prioritizing podium positions over market presence
Consumer behavior differences across global markets (China, US, UK)
AI implementation for predictive pricing and sellout forecasting
B2B brand positioning versus consumer marketplace strategies