• Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart

  • By: Alan B. Hart
  • Podcast

Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart

By: Alan B. Hart
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • Join Alan B. Hart as he dives into conversations with the world’s leading chief marketing officers and business innovators. Tune in to get inspired by the stories and experiences of marketing visionaries—and stay ahead of the curve.
    © 2025
    Show more Show less
Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales
Show more Show less
Episodes
  • 7: How GIFs deliver branding magic: Insights from Kevin Hein, CGO at GIPHY

    7: How GIFs deliver branding magic: Insights from Kevin Hein, CGO at GIPHY
    Apr 16 2025
    Kevin Hein is the chief growth officer (CGO) at GIPHY. He began his print publishing career with Ziff Davis when print and tech were merging. Here, he learned the fundamentals of strategic selling while working on the PC magazine account. Kevin joined GIPHY in August 2024 and has since been instrumental in transforming GIPHY into a unique platform that connects brands with audiences through messaging. Under his leadership, GIPHY has expanded its advertiser base, introduced innovative ad formats, and positioned itself as a key player in the messaging ecosystem, driving significant revenue growth and delivering exceptional client results. Kevin joins Alan Hart at South by Southwest (SXSW) to discuss the unique positioning GIPHY offers brands–to become part of cultural conversations in an additive rather than intrusive way. GIPHY's daily reach touches over 1 billion people worldwide, creating a magical moment when users discover the perfect GIF to convey what words alone cannot. GIPHY collaborates with brands to seamlessly integrate their messages into this magic, transforming existing creative, optimizing new ideas, and experimenting in safe, engaging ways that drive organic, long-term results. Kevin explains the collaboration process with GIPHY, why he thinks all brands need to experiment with creativity, and what marketers can learn from innovative online content creators. Key quote: “The beauty and the elegance [of] GIPHY is that it’s part of the conversation. It’s not intrusive, it’s additive. It’s a natural extension of what you're talking about.” - Kevin Hein, Chief growth officer, GIPHY In this episode, you'll learn: How brands can influence culture without being intrusiveWhat collaboration looks like with GIPHY The value of creative experimentation Key highlights: [01:20] For the love of car detailing [02:45] Kevin's path to GIPHY [05:40] Understanding GIPHY today [08:48] Where to go when you’re already everywhere [10:45] What makes GIPHY unique [13:05] Cut downs and brand collaborations [16:30] Where dexterity meets data [19:20] Making magic with Mug Root Beer [24:50] Investing in safe experimentation [26:10] An experience that defines you: “It’s just a chapter” [28:10] Advice to your younger self: Give people space to prove you wrong [29:55] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI experimentation [32:50] Subcultures to follow: Innovative online creators [39:55] Why experiment when everything is going great [44:10] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: Test and learn Resources mentioned: Kevin Hein GIPHY GIPHY Studios GIPHY's daily reach statistic Mug Root Beer and Mug Root Beer on GIPHY Waz up Super Bowl Commercial Justin Flom, magician and YouTuber Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on Amazon MusicListen on AudibleListen on iHeart RadioListen on Spotify Connect with Kevin Hein and GIPHY: Kevin Hein on LinkedInGIPHY on XGIPHY on Instagram Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:
    Show more Show less
    46 mins
  • 6: Powering commerce from text to checkout: Insights from Mike Manheimer, CCO at Postscript

    6: Powering commerce from text to checkout: Insights from Mike Manheimer, CCO at Postscript
    Apr 2 2025
    Mike Manheimer is the chief customer officer (CCO) at Postscript—and a soon-to-be first-time father. Postscript is a short message system (SMS) marketing platform powered by AI, designed to help e-commerce brands within the Shopify ecosystem build personalized connections with their customers to drive revenue. Mike entered the SaaS world straight out of college at a startup called WebPT, where he worked his way up to marketing director. After leaving WebPT, Mike held various leadership roles at Gainsight before serving as head of growth marketing at Front. He joined Postscript in 2021 as chief marketing officer and transitioned to his current role as chief customer officer in late 2024, leading both the marketing and customer teams. In today’s episode, Alan and Mike discuss conversational commerce, exploring how SMS text messaging, chatbots, and voice assistants are transforming the shopping experience. They examine the potential rise of SMS texts in marketing and why conversational commerce hasn’t fully taken off yet. Their conversation also highlights Postscript's decision to specialize rather than consolidate, and the AI innovations they are using to boost revenue. Mike also shares common misconceptions about SMS marketing, notes a consumer shift toward analog experiences, and encourages marketers to adopt an AI-first mindset. Key quotes: “When I joined Postscript, part of my thesis was that two megatrends were intersecting, and they weren’t going to stop: We’re seeing more transactions done online over time. The second is, we see messaging as a major component of the way people spend their time online, especially on their mobile devices. We see messaging in a bunch of forms but especially text messaging dominates the time people are using their phones. And so, Postscript exists at the intersection of both those trends.” – Mike Manheimer, CCO at Postscript “SMS is the only channel that exists for marketers that is fundamentally ‘two-way’ from the get-go.” – Mike Manheimer, CCO at Postscript “When you nail that—you know, the voice, the value add, and the consent—then what you end up with is a very highly engaged, high-earning channel. And a lot of people are finding that they're actually making more money off of an SMS list that ends up being only one-fifth of the size of the email list that they've been cultivating over the last few years because of the integration with the phone, the immediacy of the channel, and the engagement that you're able to generate.” - Mike Manheimer, CCO at Postscript “Cracking the code on conversational for your brand not only makes you feel good, it’s a financial imperative.” - Mike Manheimer, CCO at Postscript In this episode, you'll learn: Why SMS is yielding results in conversational commerce Benefits of specialization versus consolidation in SaaS What AI innovations are driving revenue Key highlights: [01:40] Preparing for fatherhood [03:10] Career path to Postscript [06:45] What is Postscript? [8:15] How SMS could change conversational commerce [12:10] Marketers’ SMS misconceptions [17:45] Specialization versus consolidation [23:20] AI use cases in SMS to drive revenue [30:55] Learning to adapt as the new kid [34:15] Advice to your younger self [36:20] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about: effectiveness in statistics [30:30] Trends or subcultures others should follow: a renewed interest in analog [41:40] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: become an AI-first thinker Resources mentioned: Mike Manheimer Postscript Shopify What is conversational commerce? Career stops: WebPT, Gainsight, Front Follow the podcast:
    Show more Show less
    44 mins
  • 5: Using ‘fan truths’ to drive a fast-food renaissance: Insights from Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and CX officer at McDonald’s USA

    5: Using ‘fan truths’ to drive a fast-food renaissance: Insights from Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and CX officer at McDonald’s USA
    Mar 19 2025
    Tariq Hassan is a proud girl dad, a transformational leader, and the chief marketing and customer experience (CX) officer at McDonald’s USA. Before joining McDonald’s, Tariq spent over 20 years in global marketing, communications, innovation, and consumer insights. Before moving into his first chief marketing officer role at Petco, he held marketing and brand leadership roles at HP, Omnicom Group, and Bank of America. Since joining McDonald’s in 2021, Tariq has led the post-pandemic marketing efforts, including digital, media, CRM, brand content and engagement, consumer insights, and menu strategy to create holistic and compelling brand experiences for customers across nearly 14,000 McDonald’s restaurants in the US. On today’s show, Alan and Tariq discuss Tariq’s career at McDonald’s and how he has helped bring the iconic brand into the digital future. They also explore how McDonald’s has modernized its approach to digital engagement and solidified its cultural relevance by mindfully using data and digging deep into “fan truths.” Tariq shares the four key areas that fueled this transformation: influencing food culture, deeply engaging with fans, leveraging data for personalization, and using McDonald’s influence to shape cultural moments. In this episode, Alan and Tariq also explore the return of McDonald’s beloved characters and the leadership lessons Tariq is taking with him as he moves on to his next career venture. Tariq opens about his personal experiences, including navigating the college search as a dad and how his daughter’s cancer journey influenced his outlook. Finally, he offers advice to brand leaders, reflects on AI’s growing role in marketing, and highlights food culture as a key trend for the future. Key quotes: “Data is a currency, it’s a language, it’s a form of connecting with [Gen Z], and if you do it the right way and provide value, then they return that value with a deeper relationship.” - Tariq Hassan, Chief marketing and customer experience officer, McDonald’s USA “At McDonald’s, we’re guided by what we call fan truths. These truths are about understanding the unique moments, those connections, that our fans have [with our brand].” - Tariq Hassan, Chief marketing and customer experience officer, McDonald’s USA “As brand leaders, you drive clarity of your values, you're transparent with those, and then you lead with actions.” - Tariq Hassan, Chief marketing and customer experience officer, McDonald’s USA In this episode, you'll learn: Why consistency is key to maintaining brand integrity Strategies for building deeper customer relationships through personalization Tips for embracing digital transformation and data-driven marketing Key highlights: [01:24] Experiencing the college search as a dad [03:35] Tariq’s career path to McDonald’s [07:28] Applying a customer-focused lens across industries [08:54] Where to start when stepping into an iconic brand [10:40] Four key areas driving McDonald’s modernization [12:43] The return of McDonald’s classic characters and their impact [17:18] The journey of McDonald’s digital transformation [20:15] Understanding the scale and reach of McDonald’s [21:11] Advice to brand leaders on navigating social, health, and other major events [24:24] Leadership principles Tariq is leaving at McDonald’s as he moves on [27:50] An experience from your past that defines you: his daughter's cancer journey [30:36] Advice to your younger self: trust your gut, find mentors, take a step back [32:08] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about: Generative AI [34:50] Trends or subcultures others should follow: food culture [36:15] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: data Resources mentioned: Tariq Hassan McDonald’s Career stops: Agencies – Darcy, Leo Burnett, FCB, Omnicomm. Brands: HP, Bank of America, Petco McDonald’s Celebrity Meals Hamburglar Hits the Road Grimace’s Birthday McDonald’s Mobile App Success “It’s not just you: McDonald’s really was everywhere this year” (CNN) Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts   Listen on Amazon Music  Listen on Audible 
    Show more Show less
    39 mins
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro768_stickypopup

What listeners say about Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com reviews

Amazon reviews
No Reviews are Available