Un 381 - Zeno Project. Brand Love & Loyalty.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
Release Date: 09/25/2025
UN 396 - Dave Bernath. Wurl.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
In this episode, Dave Bernath, CEO of Wurl and former Comedy Central GM, explains the technology infrastructure behind ad-supported streaming TV. The conversation covers how FAST channels work, the relationship between content owners and platforms, and why major studios sometimes cede advertising control to distributors. Bernath discusses contextual targeting that matches emotional tone between ads and content, the gap between streaming viewership (45%) and ad spending (15%), and attribution challenges on connected TV. He also addresses YouTube's dominance on connected TVs, metadata...
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UN 395 - YPulse. Mythbusting Gen Z.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
MaryLeigh Bliss from YPulse reveals how media headlines systematically misrepresent Gen Z through sensationalized claims based on viral social content rather than representative research. The conversation debunks major myths about financial expectations, workplace behavior, technology adoption, and mental health by contrasting bold headlines with actual survey data from thousands of young consumers. Bliss explains how to distinguish between micro-trends and mass behavior, why seemingly contradictory data points require nuanced interpretation, and what marketers risk by accepting...
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UN 394 - Patrick Moynihan. Identity, Trust, Control.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
Attribution has always been a challenge for marketers, and today’s internet only makes it harder. Cookie banners frustrate users, bots distort signals, and brands face growing liability for the data they collect. What if there were a way to fix all of this while giving individuals true ownership of their online identities? In this episode, Gabriella Mirabelli speaks with Patrick Moynihan, co-founder and president of Tracer Labs, about Trust ID, a portable, user-owned digital identity built on blockchain technology. Trust ID enables consumers to control consent on a site-by-site basis,...
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UN 393 - IJRM. How Creators Capture Value.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
Pierre-Yann Dolbec and Andrew Smith discuss research explaining creator monetization. The conversation covers three value capture modes that determine creator monetization: advertiser mode, selling attention through partnerships, entrepreneur mode, exploiting market opportunities through product launches, and professional mode, packaging expertise for direct sale. The researchers explain why mode-spanning creators demonstrate greater resilience, how authenticity struggles stem from violating audience expectations rather than commercialization itself, and why the industry is shifting from...
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UN 392 - YPulse. Predictions for 2026.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
MaryLeigh Bliss from YPulse reveals 2026 predictions for Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and millennial behaviors. After accurately calling 2025 trends, including livestream shopping's breakthrough and local experience resurgence, Bliss forecasts surprising shifts in how social media functions, dramatic compression of cultural cycles, and the evolution of fan creativity through emerging technologies. The conversation covers unexpected entertainment format changes, authenticity concerns reshaping content consumption, and economic anxieties influencing consumer responses to brand behavior. These predictions...
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UN 391 - Ulli Appelbaum. The Science of Brand Associations.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
Ullie Appelbaum, brand strategist and author of The Science of Brand Associations, explains how cognitive psychology's associative network theory and neuroscience research inform brand building. The conversation covers how information is stored as connected nodes in memory, the 5-95 rule showing brand predisposition represents 70% of future sales, and the 60-40 optimal mix of brand building to performance marketing. Appelbaum discusses how cultural associations age and require modernization, methods for shifting brand associations, creating differentiation in commodity categories, and why...
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UN 390 - IJRM. Complexity & Brand Gender in Advertising.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
Siyun Chen, associate professor at Sun Yat-sen University, discusses her research showing masculine brands perform better with simple ad designs while feminine brands achieve better results with complex designs. The conversation covers how visual complexity is determined by element count, detail level, and arrangement irregularity, why the effect works through subconscious conceptual fluency, and how brand gender can be manipulated through names, colors, and visual elements. Chen explains the role of holistic versus analytical thinking styles, why following design trends without considering...
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UN 389 - Sundar Swaminathan. How Uber saved $35M in Ads.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
Former Uber Head of Marketing Data Science Sundar Swaminathan shares how he uncovered that Uber’s massive Facebook ad spend wasn’t driving real growth. He explains what companies can learn about incrementality, brand investment, and making data-driven decisions without overcomplicating the process. A must-listen for marketers navigating performance vs. brand spend.
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UN 388 - YPulse. Style, Fashion, and Identity.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
In today’s episode, MaryLeigh Bliss, Chief Content Officer at YPulse, discusses insights from their recent fashion preferences report based on a survey of 1,500 young North American consumers. She explores how the fear of seeming “cringe” leads many to avoid clothes that look "try-hard," and how comfort has become a defining aesthetic—with sweatpants now acceptable almost anywhere. The conversation also looks at how TikTok and Instagram often act less as discovery tools and more as validation loops that reinforce existing styles. Bliss explains why luxury branding struggles to...
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UN 387 - IJRM. Luxury & Logo Complexity.
Up Next with Gabriella Mirabelli
Logos do more than identify a brand—they shape how we experience it. In this episode, Qing Tang, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Hong Kong Baptist University, discusses research she and her colleagues published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing on logo design and perceptions of luxury. While many companies have shifted toward clean, minimalist logos, research findings reveal that more complex designs can actually heighten perceptions of exclusivity and craftsmanship. The conversation examines the trade-offs between luxury and approachability, why some brands...
info_outlineWhat makes consumers truly love a brand? In this episode, Allison McClamroch, Head of Brand US at Zeno Group, shares insights from Zeno's latest research on brand love and loyalty. Discover how generational values, social media influence, and cultural relevance shape brand relationships—and what brands must do to earn and keep loyalty in today’s competitive landscape. A must-listen for marketers, brand strategists, and communicators.