Brand vs Demand Without the Divide (with Sara Ajemian) | Ep. 28

Brand or demand? Most marketers have wrestled with that question, and in this conversation, Charlie Riley sits down with Sara Ajemian to explore why it shouldn’t be a divide at all.ㅤSara shares how storytelling, awareness, and demand must connect across the funnel — from awareness metrics to demo interest, from billboards to nurture campaigns. She explains why pre-work, shared goals, and a clear North Star allow marketers to measure success, plan campaigns, and align with sales and product teams.ㅤThis episode unpacks how brand becomes the connective tissue across the organization, why tension and pain points drive powerful campaigns, and how marketers can confidently say “no” when ideas don’t fit the plan.ㅤ👤 Guest BioSara Ajemian is VP of Brand & Communications at SOCi, where she leads creative, brand, comms, PR, content marketing, and market research. A self-described t-shaped marketer with two decades of experience, her passion is storytelling — helping companies tell fun, memorable stories that connect with audiences and stand out.ㅤ📌 What We CoverWhy brand and demand should be integrated, not dividedHow storytelling creates connective tissue from awareness through conversionThe role of measurement in linking top-funnel engagement to demo interestA real-world example of competing brand and demand goals on a landing pageHow out-of-home campaigns connect to search traffic and demand attributionWhy social proof and touchpoints like NASDAQ billboards become campaign “spokes”Using pain points, tension, and aha moments to drive emotional campaignsThe importance of a North Star and guardrails to keep messaging consistentHow planning empowers marketers to say “no” and stay alignedㅤ🔗 Resources MentionedScrappy ABM Podcast (mentioned ad read)NASDAQ billboard in Times Square (example referenced)ㅤLow-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based MarketingIf you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy account-based marketing for a repeatable, revenue-driving ABM program, check out Scrappy ABM. Led by a team of Scrappy ABM experts, they specialize in low-budget plays and programs that deliver high impact—no shiny tools required. Scrappy ABM has built account-based programs that have delivered millions in revenue, and you can build your first successful ABM program with their help.Start with a pilot program or launch an account-based podcast. Learn more at scrappyabm.com. Let's get scrappy.