Future of Consumer Marketing

In this episode of The Future of Marketing, host Anders Figueira interviews Tyler Axon, Head of Growth at BetHog, a crypto casino and sportsbook from the founders of FanDuel. BetHog is entering one of the most challenging marketing environments imaginable: combining crypto and gambling regulations while competing against established giants like Stake. With just 15 people, BetHog is building trust in a space flooded with anonymous crypto casinos by leveraging their team's FanDuel pedigree, pioneering AI-powered gaming experiences, and completely reimagining digital marketing playbooks for Web3 consumers. Tyler shares how they're navigating the shift from traditional regulated betting to global crypto gambling, where wallet data replaces credit cards, influencer marketing trumps TV commercials, and ChatGPT rankings matter as much as Google SEO.
Topics Discussed:
Marketing crypto gambling under dual regulatory constraints
Building trust and brand legitimacy in anonymous crypto casino markets
Transitioning from Web2 (traditional betting) to Web3 (crypto) marketing strategies
Product-first growth philosophy and timing market entry
Leveraging AI for product differentiation and viral marketing content
Adapting acquisition channels for crypto-native consumers
Using founder credibility and transparency as marketing tools
Token economics and airdrop programs as retention mechanisms

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Andrew Maffettone, Founder of BlueTuskr, a full-service e-commerce marketing agency that operates at the intersection of Amazon marketplaces and direct-to-consumer strategies. With 15 years in e-commerce marketing and multiple agency exits under his belt, Andrew has built BlueTuskr into a 55-60 client operation that serves as an outsourced marketing department for e-commerce brands. BlueTuskr's differentiation lies in its ability to bridge the traditionally siloed worlds of marketplace and D2C marketing, creating truly omnichannel strategies through specialized sub-departments that function like seven agencies under one roof.
Topics Discussed:
Building a full-service agency structure with specialized sub-departments
Qualifying clients through an investor lens: treating agency partnerships like investment decisions
Navigating the tension between being embedded in client teams while maintaining agency culture
Developing new service offerings through complimentary pilot programs with early clients
Scaling operations with a global team across US, LATAM, and Philippines
Integrating AI tools strategically to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality
Managing omnichannel marketing strategies that bridge Amazon marketplaces and D2C platforms

In this episode of The Future of Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Lin Sällström, Head of Sales & Marketing at Hickap, a 9-year-old Scandinavian vegan beauty brand. Hickap is carving out space in the highly competitive beauty market by building an inclusive community-first brand that treats customers like friends rather than transactions. Operating with a lean team of just nine people, Hickap has become one of the fastest-growing vegan beauty brands in Scandinavia through a marketing approach centered on consistency, authenticity, and deep customer relationships. Their strategy demonstrates how smaller brands can compete against legacy players like Max Factor, Lancôme, and Maybelline by leveraging proximity to customers and cultural relevance.
Topics Discussed:
Building an inclusive, warm beauty brand for Gen Z and Gen Alpha first-time beauty users
Operating a lean, high-performing marketing team in a competitive category
Leveraging consistency as a competitive advantage and growth accelerator
Creating community through customer-influencer integration at events and campaigns
Using customer feedback to drive product development and category expansion
Launching culturally-relevant seasonal campaigns in Nordic markets
Expanding from makeup brushes into skincare, makeup, and hair care categories
Competing against legacy beauty brands with significantly larger marketing budgets

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Jordan Malara, owner of Adventure Inn Durango and The Ridge Hotel (rebranding to The Outrider Hotel). Jordan is building a boutique hotel brand in Colorado's competitive hospitality market by recognizing a fundamental insight: guests don't search for hotels first - they choose destinations, then look for places to stay. By marketing the destination alongside the property and focusing on authentic local experiences over sterile accommodations, Jordan is creating a scalable hospitality brand that stands apart from both traditional hotels and the fragmented short-term rental market.
Topics Discussed:
Marketing destination experiences rather than room amenities
Leveraging user-generated content and influencer partnerships for authentic storytelling
Building brand consistency while maintaining local authenticity across multiple properties
Creating operational efficiency through centralized management structures
Using seasonal marketing strategies to balance revenue across peak and off-peak periods
Developing partnerships with local businesses to enhance guest experience
Training staff to embody brand culture and deliver insider local knowledge
Applying AI to guest communications, bookkeeping, and market research
Transitioning from short-term rental management to branded hotel operations

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Tyson Hill, Vice President of Content, Marketing and Communications at Phoenix Rising Football Club. Phoenix Rising operates in one of marketing's most challenging environments: a second-division soccer team competing in a crowded sports market dominated by NFL, NBA, and major university programs—while also competing globally against Premier League and international soccer broadcasts. Rather than trying to convert existing soccer fans, Phoenix Rising has carved out a unique positioning by marketing live experiences to non-traditional audiences, turning accessibility and atmosphere into their competitive advantages. Through hyper-targeted creative, experience-first messaging, and a lean but highly skilled team, they're building a community-driven sports brand in a market that didn't know it existed.
Topics Discussed:
- Marketing a second-division sports team in a saturated major market - Competing against global sports broadcasting for local attendance - Building community and camaraderie as the core product experience - Converting non-soccer fans through live experience marketing - Operating with lean, expert teams in resource-constrained environments - Creating accessible sports experiences versus premium league paywalls - Leveraging broadcast partnerships for brand awareness without major budgets

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Hal Smith, Founder of H Street Digital, a performance marketing agency that guarantees to 2x digital advertising revenue for eight-figure DTC brands in 90 days. After a decade of scaling multiple performance marketing agencies and working across presidential campaigns, Fortune 100 banks, and DTC brands, Smith identified the systematic bottlenecks that prevent most brands from scaling efficiently. His agency's approach differs radically from the typical agency model: they audit brands across five core performance levers, identify the single biggest constraint using theory of constraints methodology, and commit to specific, measurable outcomes through 90-day sprints with full refund guarantees if they don't deliver.
Topics Discussed:
- Applying theory of constraints to identify the biggest growth bottleneck in DTC brands - Building a performance marketing audit framework across thousands of data points Using 90-day outcome-based sprints with measurable KPIs and refund guarantees - Leveraging AI for creative research and customer insight extraction Testing product-market fit through systematic persona and pain point matrices - The five core performance levers: offer strategy, creative systems, media buying, CRO, and attribution - Why tactical advice on social media often delivers low-impact results Building a lean, profitable agency model focused on accountability over growth - Preparing for agentic commerce and AI disruption in the DTC ecosystem

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews John Tabis, Founder and Chairman of The Bouqs Company. The Bouqs Company transformed the floral industry by eliminating the traditional five-to-six layer supply chain and shipping flowers directly from eco-friendly farms in Ecuador, Colombia, and beyond to consumers across the United States. Starting with just $13,000, Tabis and his co-founder grew the company from $2 million in year one to $32 million by year four—all by rejecting commodity positioning and building a premium brand in one of the most emotionally charged but underserved consumer categories. Through strategic storytelling, aggressive PR tactics, and ruthless focus on customer experience optimization, The Bouqs Company carved out a new position in a market dominated by players competing solely on price.
Topics Discussed:
Disrupting traditional supply chains by shipping directly from farms to consumers
Finding the "Holy Shit Moment" (HSM) in brand storytelling to break through noise
Leveraging guerrilla PR tactics to secure celebrity endorsements and media coverage
Evolving brand narrative and product offerings based on customer feedback
Transitioning from growth-focused founder to strategic chairman role
Building subscription models that balance flexibility with customer lock-in
Expanding from pure e-commerce to omnichannel retail strategy

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Allie Egan, Founder and CEO of Veracity. After reversing her own autoimmune thyroid disease through functional medicine, Allie built Veracity into a doctor-recommended, clinically-backed metabolic health brand that's achieved 40x growth in two years. Operating in the increasingly crowded natural alternatives to GLP-1s market, Veracity has differentiated itself by combining rigorous Western scientific validation with plant-based ingredients, while riding the wave of consumer education created by the prescription weight loss medication boom. Through strategic product development driven by biological data from tens of thousands of hormone tests, Veracity pivoted from a broad wellness brand to focus exclusively on metabolic health - a decision that 4x'd their business in a single year.
Topics Discussed:
Using proprietary biological data to identify product-market fit and category opportunities
Positioning against prescription medications without directly competing
Leveraging market education created by pharmaceutical competitors (GLP-1s)
Building scientific credibility through physician partnerships and clinical testing
Pivoting from broad wellness to category-specific focus based on customer data
Balancing founder authenticity with scalable content production
Maintaining brand principles throughout manufacturing and supply chain decisions

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Andres Gimeno, Director of Growth Marketing at Hyperice, the world's leading recovery technology company. Hyperice has mastered the art of building premium brand authority through professional athlete validation while simultaneously scaling to everyday consumers. Born from a courtside observation of Kobe Bryant's recovery routine 12 years ago, Hyperice now partners with every major professional sports league globally - NBA, NFL, MLB, PGA, UFC - and has recently launched the groundbreaking Nike x Hyperice boot collaboration. With just over 100 employees operating across 65+ countries, Hyperice demonstrates how a lean team can execute sophisticated global expansion through strategic partnerships, localized market intelligence, and a product-first marketing philosophy that lets results speak louder than campaigns.
Topics Discussed:
Building brand authority through professional athlete validation before scaling to mass market
Translating premium product positioning from elite athletes to everyday consumers
Leveraging UGC content to bridge the gap between professional and amateur use cases
Executing global expansion with cultural localization across 65+ countries
Using AI to accelerate creative prototyping and market-specific insights at scale
Navigating payment infrastructure differences in emerging markets
Partnering with Nike to launch category-defining products (Hyperboot)
Focusing on endurance sports communities as primary adoption channels

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Sangwook Park, Chief Executive Officer at Laughland. Laughland is disrupting the oral care category by bringing dentist-level personalization to teeth whitening at an accessible price point. Starting from a consumer growth equity background at a fund investing in brands like Olaplex and Curology, Park identified a critical gap: oral care lacked the innovation and fun that had transformed skincare and beauty, while remaining clinically credible. With over 200,000 customers across 25+ countries and a lean team of nine, Laughland has proven that personalization doesn't require sacrificing accessibility, achieving double-digit growth while actually reducing prices through supply chain optimization.
Topics Discussed:
Building a personalized oral care brand in a commoditized category dominated by legacy players
Scaling internationally from day one through organic press coverage
Leveraging dentist expertise and authority to educate consumers on product differentiation
Optimizing team productivity through AI tools to maintain lean operations while scaling rapidly
Transitioning from premium positioning to mass-market accessibility through strategic pricing and product expansion
Balancing clinical credibility with brand personality in a traditionally boring category