Ep22: What Is Marketing Science (and How It Stops Wasted Spend)

Ever wondered who’s behind the ads that actually make you buy stuff—and how companies waste millions on the ones that don’t? In this mind-opening episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we dive into the world of marketing science with Agastya Komarraju, Global Head of Product and Science for Growth & Funnel at Amazon. Agastya has held leadership roles at Walmart and Nielsen, and he’s here to demystify how data powers smarter marketing—and how Amazon slashed 90% of marketing spend without hurting results.- What exactly is marketing science and how does it differ from traditional data science? - Why “50% of your marketing spend is wasted”—and how to figure out which half. - How direct mail still outperforms digital ads (yes, seriously). - The five pillars of marketing science—from experimentation to attribution. - How AI and GenAI are transforming marketing from creative to targeting. - Real-world wins: The genius experiments that won Agastya and his teams top industry awards.Whether you're a marketing leader, data scientist, or just someone who wants to understand why you keep seeing that ad for a coffee mug you Googled once, this episode is packed with insights on consumer behavior, optimization, and the science behind persuasion. Learn how the biggest brands in the world are applying data—and what that means for your role, your budget, and your career.Connect with Hai, Sravya, and Shane (let us know which platform sent you!):Agastya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agastya-kumar-komarraju-95b60446/Hai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hai-guan-6b58a7a/Sravya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sravyamadipalli/Shane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaneausleybutler/