Future of Consumer Marketing

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, Brett Stapper interviews Alec Ploof, Head of Growth at Moment. Moment began as a mobile lens manufacturer for iPhones before evolving into a curated marketplace for creators, selling everything from camera gear to digital products. After scaling quickly with investor funding, Moment strategically downsized from 50 to 20 employees, refocusing on organic growth and their core mission of supporting creators. Alec shares how they've built a thriving ecosystem where creators aren't just customers but partners who build on top of their platform through courses, presets, content, and co-created physical products.
Topics Discussed:
Transitioning from a DTC lens manufacturer to a curated marketplace for creators
Building a successful creator partnership ecosystem beyond traditional influencer marketing
Shifting from investor-driven growth to sustainable organic marketing
Developing a multi-channel content strategy through YouTube residencies and contributor programs
Creating fair compensation models for creator partners
Setting strategic boundaries with AI in marketing and content creation
The future of niche communities and the evolution of camera culture
 

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Sara Abitbol, VP of Marketing at Jaanuu, a premium scrub brand revolutionizing medical apparel. Sara shares how Jaanuu is transforming the traditionally uninspired medical uniform market through product innovation and fashion-forward design. Founded by a female physician tired of standard vending machine scrubs, Jaanuu has created a modern uniform that healthcare professionals can wear comfortably both during and after shifts. Sara brings her fashion marketing background to position Jaanuu not as just another scrub brand, but as a lifestyle brand serving healthcare professionals.
Topics Discussed:
Transforming functional medical apparel into a fashion-forward lifestyle brand
Building a powerful community of healthcare professional ambassadors
Leveraging word-of-mouth marketing in the uniform space
Transitioning from a primarily D2C model to a multi-channel distribution strategy
Expanding beyond traditional marketing channels with in-app advertising
 

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Chris Edson, CEO and Co-Founder of Second Nature, a digital behavioral change program for sustainable weight loss. Founded a decade ago, Second Nature has evolved from an NHS healthcare service to a consumer brand that's raised over $40 million in funding. The company stands out in the notoriously low-trust weight loss industry by focusing on behavioral science, offering personalized coaching, and publishing clinical evidence showing sustained results over five years. As the weight loss landscape shifts with the introduction of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Second Nature continues to evolve its approach while maintaining its focus on building sustainable habits.
Topics Discussed:
Building a science-based brand in the low-trust weight loss industry
Transitioning from a B2B healthcare provider to a consumer brand
Using behavioral science to create sustainable habit change
Implementing human coaching and community support for accountability
Applying "Jobs to be Done" framework to understand customer motivations
Leveraging NHS certification as a trust signal in marketing
Adapting to the rise of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic
Solving the retention paradox in weight loss programs
User research strategies across different customer lifecycles

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Nora Staudt, who leads marketing for Spread Group, a €200+ million revenue print-on-demand pioneer based in Leipzig. After joining Spread Group two years ago, Nora has been driving a significant marketing transformation, shifting the company from an almost exclusive focus on Google ads to a diverse, multi-channel strategy with a stronger emphasis on branding and retention. Through her journey, she reveals how established e-commerce businesses can evolve their marketing approach while balancing innovation with customer needs in the personalized apparel space.
Topics Discussed:
Transforming marketing at a 20-year-old e-commerce company
Diversifying from Google-centric marketing to social and other channels
Balancing marketplace curation with personalization for 100+ million design combinations
Navigating the shift from occasion-based to everyday fashion use cases
Creating authentic, less polished content that resonates on social media
Managing marketing across multiple brands and global markets
Implementing AI for content creation while preserving authentic creativity

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Brett Wigdortz, CEO and Founder of Tiney, a company transforming early childhood education in the UK. After 15 years leading Teach First, which became the largest graduate recruiter in the UK, Brett recognized the critical importance of early years education and founded Tiney to address the shortage of quality childcare. By applying "war for talent" principles to childminding, Tiney is creating a new marketplace that empowers individuals to build their own childcare businesses while maintaining high standards through technology, data, and regulatory oversight. Despite launching during COVID, Tiney has raised over $50 million and is addressing a severely supply-constrained market where quality and trust are paramount.
Topics Discussed:
Applying corporate talent recruitment strategies to the early childhood education sector
The science behind early childhood development and its undervalued importance in education systems
Building a for-profit business in a highly regulated childcare market
Creating a marketplace model for independent childminders with regulatory oversight
Using technology and data to ensure quality and safety in home-based childcare
Marketing strategies in a supply-constrained marketplace environment

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Ida Tin, founder of Clue, who pioneered the femtech vertical and has raised over $60 million in funding. Ida shares her journey of creating a scientifically-grounded, globally relevant product in a category that was initially dismissed as "niche" despite serving half the world's population. Through building a trusted brand in the sensitive space of menstrual health tracking, Clue has navigated complex cultural taboos, regulatory challenges, and skeptical investors to create a product with extraordinary user loyalty—attracting 10,000 brand ambassadors overnight. Ida offers profound insights on creating purpose-driven companies that challenge traditional metrics of success and finding marketing opportunities in newly visible cultural conversations.
Topics Discussed:
Pioneering the femtech vertical and creating a new product category
Building a scientifically sound, globally trusted brand in a sensitive health space
Navigating investor skepticism when creating products for underserved markets
Developing user-centered products through deep listening and research
Creating and maintaining company culture centered on genuine purpose
Leveraging cultural shifts to drive marketing effectiveness
Balancing global reach with limited localization resources
Moving beyond traditional growth metrics to create resilient companies

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Peter Malmqvist, Co-Founder of Circle Health. After scaling Frontier Car Group to a €150M+ exit with 4,000 employees across 10 markets in 2019, Peter made an unconventional pivot to healthcare following his own frustrating experiences with traditional medicine. Despite being told his eczema was an incurable chronic condition, Peter found complete symptom relief through holistic approaches—inspiring him to build Circle Health's hybrid care model that bridges the gap between conventional healthcare's time constraints and alternative medicine's fragmentation.
Topics Discussed:
Transferring operational excellence from physical retail (used cars) to healthcare delivery
Positioning as the solution for the 90% of patients left unsatisfied by traditional healthcare's brief consultations
Building a multi-city expansion model through practitioner career development
Creating a healthcare brand with credibility in an inherently skeptical market
Developing digital infrastructure for remote care while maintaining high-touch relationships
Building partnership ecosystems with insurance providers, testing labs, and product resellers
Leveraging first-party data from in-clinic diagnostics to develop evidence-based supplements

In this episode of The Future of Marketing, we speak with Sam Shames, Co-founder and COO of Embr Labs, the wearable thermal technology company that has raised over $60 million in funding. Embr Labs has pioneered a "personal thermostat" wearable that applies temperature sensations to the wrist to control overall body comfort. Sam shares the 12-year journey from MIT student project to category-creating consumer technology company with over 200,000 customers in more than 100 countries. Through iterative product development, science-backed messaging, and smart distribution strategies, Embr Labs has built a unique position in the wearable market by focusing on thermal comfort as a pathway to better health.
Topics Discussed:
Creating a new wearable category focused on temperature regulation
The science behind how temperature affects the nervous system
Transitioning from student project to venture-backed startup
Building consumer trust in breakthrough technology
Evolving marketing messaging for different audiences
Developing direct-to-consumer vs. retail distribution strategies
Innovative business models including subscription-based hardware
 

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Kimberly Breuer, psychologist and founder of LikeMinded, which recently merged with competitor Nilo Health to become the DACH market leader in B2B mental health solutions. After pivoting from B2C to B2B during the pandemic, Kimberly shares how they've built a scalable mental health platform that achieves remarkable engagement rates and successfully positions clinical expertise in corporate environments. Her insights reveal the nuanced marketing strategies required when selling wellness solutions in an emerging category where awareness varies dramatically by region.
Topics Discussed:
Market-driven pivot from B2C to B2B mental health services within three weeks
Regional disparities in mental health adoption (Germany at awareness stage vs. US 10 years ahead)
Contrasting buyer motives: sick days ROI vs. employer branding benefits
Achieving 40% activation rates in a category where 3-10% is typical
Strategic rebranding following competitor merger
Repositioning clinical expertise for corporate palatability
Personal brand leverage as a lead generation mechanism

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, Brett speaks with Anthemos Georgiades, CEO and founder of Zumper, a rental platform that has raised over $180 million and transformed the way people find apartments. With roots in London and now fully American, Georgiades shares the gritty journey of building a marketplace startup in the competitive rental tech space, revealing candid insights about marketing, survival, and the evolving landscape of consumer acquisition.
Key Topics Discussed
Building a two-sided marketplace in the rental industry
Organic vs. paid marketing strategies
Surviving startup challenges during the 2021-2022 market downturn
The future of marketing in the age of generative AI
Content marketing as a growth strategy
Startup resilience and founder psychology
00:00 - Intro and Company Background 02:00 - Early Days of Zumper 06:30 - Navigating the 2021-2022 Startup Challenges 11:15 - AI's Impact on Marketing and SEO 16:20 - Organic vs. Paid Marketing Strategies 22:40 - Viral Marketing Tactics 30:10 - Investor Relations and Company Growth 37:50 - The Importance of Startup Creativity 42:30 - Social Media and Content Marketing 45:55 - Insights on Hiring CMOs 47:00 - The Future of Consumer Marketing