Studying Attention Economics: Platform Strategy for Marketers

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing: Masterclass Edition, host Andres Figueira interviews Jake Kurtz, CEO and Founder of Brick Media Group. Brick Media has evolved from a general digital marketing agency into a specialized social media powerhouse that helps established brands modernize their online presence through comprehensive social media management. Starting as a side hustle in 2018, Jake built Brick Media by recognizing a critical shift in the marketing landscape: the emergence of short-form video and the algorithmic revolution sparked by TikTok. By 2020, he made the bold decision to cut all services except social media, positioning Brick Media as Tampa Bay's go-to social media agency. Today, the company operates with 21 full-time W2 employees, managing everything from strategy to content creation to analytics for established businesses that need to add "gasoline to an existing flame" rather than starting from scratch. Topics Discussed: Pivoting from full-service digital marketing to social media specialization The algorithmic shift caused by TikTok and short-form video dominance Building a 21-person in-house team without outsourcing Analyzing supply and demand dynamics of attention across platforms The evolution from volume-based to clarity-focused content strategies Strategic platform selection based on audience attention patterns Leveraging AI for efficiency without replacing human judgment