You Did What !?

The band is back together! After a summer of internships and study abroad, the full team is back for the first episode of the new school year. And the Marketing world did not disappoint, with a plethora of announcements.Cracker Barrel and American Eagle get free PRLego sees record sales - pre-tariff bump, great marketing and adultingMeanwhile...25,000 show up for the Pokemon World ChampionshipsKraft Heinz splits into two companies - one looking for growth, one managing declineseBay is 30?!Pickles are a craze in 2025AI fallout - the return of the in-person job interview ... and blue books?The Tush-Push has an official sponsor!... and more! Enjoy!

A summer cornucopia of topics. Mahjong - fountain of youth?Retail experiences - Ulta, PrintempsGap resurgenceGen Z co-buying homesConverse "Chuck Taylors"2026 Super Bowl ads - $8million for 30 secondsLive Music ConcertsWaymo coming to Philly

Thank you to brand marketers for providing us with so many interesting topics for the podcast. Mattel - adult clubs and family theme parksHBO - admits they were wrong (and YDW was right!)Mattress national holidayMore experiential marketing - ComcastAI ads, hallucinations and desire to be an influencerNike slinks back into AmazonMcDonald's pursues the late night consumerMovies - MI7 and wait for it... the Whac-a-mole movie

We were looking for Sound advice? And who better to ask than a recognized expert in the area of Sonic branding, Dr. David Allan. Dave is a highly regarded professor at St. Joseph University in Philadelphia. We were very glad to have him join the podcast and share his experiences working with well-known brands on using sound to enhance branding - from memorable tones to incorporating popular songs in ads. Thanks, Dave. This episode definitely went to 11 !Dr. Allan's website and link to his podcast: https://marketingmusicology.com/

An enthusiastic welcome to Cynthia St. Pierre, from MassMutual Greater Philadelphia*. Cynthia’s LinkedIn profile headline is as a “Creator of Extraordinary Opportunities”. And indeed that infectious enthusiasm makes it easy to see why she has been so successful. She shared her winding but always upward path that is a great lesson for the 80% of us who have strong aspirations but always don’t know exactly what we want to do early in our careers. Cynthia’s role is a blend of B2B and B2C, working with hundreds of internal clients to drive business with a consumer target group in a very competitive marketplace. She offered sound advice on how to effectively utilize Social Media. And finally, it was great to hear how Cynthia is mentoring the next generation of women in business. Enjoy!*Local firms are sales offices of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111-0001 and are not subsidiaries of MassMutual or its affiliated companies.

Update: we had a number of requests to post a link to the study. Here it is!! https://rb.gy/401i0sWelcome Kate and Irene to the podcast. They have published an amazing paper relating to the impact the use of AI is having on students. Specifically: "How Generative AI is eroding Social Interactions and Student Learning Communities"AI is a valuable tool but it has plenty of watch-outs, especially around accuracy. But in their study, Kate and Irene found that is having an unintended effect of increasing isolation among university students. Coming on the heels of the covid pandemic, not a welcome outcome. But knowing that gives professors a clue as to what to emphasize in classes beyond course content. The interview was much more upbeat than this synopsis and we know that you will enjoy it.

Summer is here and Sheri & Jim are embracing summer activities like driving trips and summer blockbuster movies. And brands are cooperating with lots of new marketing initiatives. Enjoy!- Buc-ee's a truly American cultural experience- Movie refreshments have gotten so expensive, theaters should offer BNPL ($80 popcorn!?)- AMC let's moviegoers know just how long ads and previews will last (25-30 minutes!)- Summerween! is a thing- Retailers preempting Amazon Prime Day - Lululemon sues Costco for their dupes - great PR for Costco!

We were really fortunate to speak with Carla Childers while at the AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans. Carla is a very accomplished Marketing Professor, with 17 years of experience. She has taught at Ohio University and for the past five years at Bellarmine University. Her entrepreneurial spirit could easily be felt as she described her journey, moving to a new university and building the AMA student chapter from scratch. Planning, engaging, recruiting, marketing, pr, selling - all the activities that a someone starting a new organization owns - Carla has done very successfully. The chapter continues to grow and excel, as the accomplishments of her students in AMA competitions have demonstrated. Enjoy!

This was a really interesting and insightful interview. A big YDW thank you to Doug Tatum, the Vice President of digital media for the New Orleans Saints & Pelicans. Doug joined us on a Saturday morning along with his dog, Julep. We learned how the Doug's team works across both franchises, how content is created, and how his team interacts with the NFL and NBA. He also shared his thoughts on what skills and experiences students (and grads) need to accumulate to get hired and to progress in their careers.Enjoy!!

We welcome Bennie Johnson, the CEO of the American Marketing Association, back to the podcast. This episode was recorded at the annual AMA International Collegiate Conference, in New Orleans. Bennie discusses the success of the AMA's collegiate efforts, the challenges of leading a multi-faceted organization, and building the strategic plan for future growth. This interview was informative and a lot of fun. Bennie's enthusiasm is infectious!

This was very fun episode, recorded in New Orleans during the annual AMA International Collegiate Conference. Avery Bumstead and Maeve Bishop, the outgoing and incoming Presidents of the award-winning Temple AMA chapter speak with us about modern marketing (spoiler alert - they're already really good at it), and the expert speakers and great professors they have learned from. And also the benefit of leading a large team, while in college. Enjoy!!

Oh Canada! While in New Orleans for the annual AMA Collegiate Conference (1700 students, professors, more), we were fortunate to sit down with Erica Halvorsen, professor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and advisor to the AMA student chapter at the university. It was a terrific conversation, and especially so when the topic moved to the solidarity and pride in country Canadians are showing in the face of threats from the US government.

This was an incredibly informative and engaging episode. Thanks to Alex and Aveena, two rising stars, for sharing your experiences. It was really interesting to learn about the challenges of marketing and selling in the med tech sector. Even those working in very different businesses will find this episode intriguing.

Spring Break in Paris with studentsMattel introducing a line to compete with Lego - what are they thinking!?Live TV programming thrives - Oscars, NCAA basketballSheri interviewed by the BBC about the 2026 World Cup final adding a Super Bowl like, halftime showWhy is the Midwest home to so many large pizza chains?Monetizing AI - Google, Microsoft will run ads in AI searches Orphan Brands - Suave thriving after separation from UnileverGummy Bear Crocs !

Some big stories this week! How should Lululemon, Athleta and Alo respond to the Nike-Skims new product line.P&G returns to its strategy of the 50s and 60s, introducing the first new Soap Opera in many years. Much more!

With the nova of Super Bowl ads fading, the home team fields a range of Marketing topics including: Brands using Influencers for new product introductions, ala Cera Ve hair care Coke enters the alt beverage segment to compete with Poppi and OlliPop Starbucks cuts 30% of their sku's, to improve the customer and barista experience Barnes & Noble embraces TikTok's BookTok to drive book sales and expand brick & mortar bookstores! Super Apps - eyeing the success of super apps in Asia, US brands are looking to expand consumer usage of their apps to new categories - Airbnb, Uber, DoorDash, Amazon Prime Walmart buys the Dawn of the Dead shopping mall

Talk about Marketing for better of for worse! The Super Bowl LIX ads completely earned that epithet. While the Eagles were soaring, brands provided flying facial hair. But their were also some excellent commercials. Will any drive sales for the brand - we think so. And others should have been left on the barber's floor.

Modern marketing and entrepreneurship at its best - Christina Mitchell and Rebecca Neckritz, the Philly Food Ladies share their incredible success as Influencers in the Philly market. Hired by restaurants and stores to create engaging videos, and through collaborations with well-known national and regional brands, the pair have built a very successful business, highlighted by almost 150,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. Thanks to YDW team members Mackenzie and Min for arranging and hosting the Philly Food Ladies!

So much fun to have former TU-AMA star, Maeve Coogan join the podcast. After graduation in 2023, Maeve joined the very popular, clothing and home furnishings retailer, Anthropologie. It was very interesting learning about the co-op programs, artist collaborations and fast-growing wedding business, that Maeve works on. We already miss student producer, Joe DG who graduated at the end of the year. Joining Mackenzie and Min on the YDW team is Keenan who edited this episode. Welcome!

Back to class this week Taking students to Dubai over the break. Starbucks back-to basics strategy; no more free loitering State Farm cancels its Super Bowl ad - hear why Yahoo! implements curation to protect advertisers AB and Meta move to the right Dry January - Zebra striping becomes a thing! Celsius and Cottage Cheese having a moment.

We pioneer the new recording studio. It's cozy but sounds great. In this end-of -semester episode we discussed our favorite marketing campaigns of 2024, and a Santa's bag of other interesting topics. Streamers raising prices Cable networks being spun off Sequel heaven - Moana 2 joins Inside Out 2 as top grossing movies of 2024 More GLP1 food products Target gets a Taylor Swift exclusive

How to make great advertising? We are joined by a worldwide expert to answer that question. Shaun Dix is the global leader for creative excellence at Ipsos. Based in Hamburg, Germany Shaun' teams around the world work with brands and ad agencies in the pursuit of breakthrough advertising. Shaun provides some really interesting examples from around the world. He fulfilled our goal to never stop learning.

This may be the most fun You Did What!? episode ever. Riley's enthusiasm is infectious. And why not - she has an incredibly interesting marketing job - driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile all over the northeast region of the US - putting smiles on thousands of faces. She talks about how she got the gig, how she trained and how she engages with fans.

We welcome Min Mei Buck as our newest YDW!? team member! Bogg Bags are a hit! Mackenzie and Sheri jonesing for Rag & Bone, sweatpant jeans. No political ads on Amazon, Thursday Night Football broadcast - thank you! Doritos brings back crowd-sourced ads for the Super Bowl. AI reviving dead celebs voices for ads, movies? Spending more time at home? Vermont man looks for love and fame with billboard ads in Philly and Texas. YDW!? team wins Thursday trivia night at Urban Village! Jim's marketing reunion.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like traveling on tour with big name music performers. Well, today's guest Marita Taglialatela has done just that. How do the artisitic creativity and touring structure get along. Find out with this interesting interview!

How do you improve on great? Rita's Italian Ice is a national phenomenon with successful shops across the country. But the company is constantly looking to build on that success. Brianne Barket, Senior Diretor for product development at Rita's, discusses how new products are conceived, optimized and introduced to the brand's enthusiastic consumers. Brianne was a terrific guest and the interview was conducted by our student producers, Joe and Mackenzie.

Everyone is back on campus and we had a great discussion about Marketing topics. Mackenzie brought up Brat Summer, the Chipotle-Spirit Halloween tie-in, and Skims; Joe talked Reebok's rebirth, Angel Reese's brand and promo by Reese's!; Sheri railed on the state of B2B branding and what has happened to GE; Jim admired the Kelce brothers brand and podcast deal, Lyft's anti surge pricing efforts, and brands' campus marketing. The team opined on Stanley's strategy to expand beyond beverage bottles ... and our favorite brand's and why they earned our loyalty. Enjoy!

"Got Success?" One of the hardest but most rewarding leadership roles, is stabilizing a business that has been in decline. But that is exactly what Yin has done at MilkPEP -or as most people know it, the Got Milk organization. And most recently, the business has actually shown a slight gain, an amazing accomplishment. So pour out a glass and enjoy this interview.

Jim's travels with a group to Morocco to visit companies and see how the country is poised to grow as a producer of goods for Europe. Selling skills seem to come naturally Also, brands thoughtfully provide Sheri and Jim with new "marketing for better or for worse", tactics. Nestle's line of frozen foods for those on GLP-1 drugs Ad supported streaming grows (as we predicted) Selling skills France issues scratch & sniff baguette, postage stamps! Please ... no bare feet on airplanes

Lot's of activity among brands - for better and for worse. McDonald's and Starbucks pricing action New product failures - knowing your target Nike DTC retrench Netflix moves into brick & mortar entertainment United Airlines customized ads on in-flight screens

Olympics! ... Inside Out 2! ... McDonald's $5 meals! ... Saks appointment only store ... Amazon "losing billions" on Alexa ... and so much more!

This interview with Tricia Richards-Service was incredible. She is an incredibly engaging speaker covering a range of topics - public speaking, PR, story-telling, internal communication to employees and external to customers. Give this episode a listen - you will be very glad that you did!

College sports have undergone a complete change in the past 5 years, and their athletes are now being compensated. Major revenue sports like football and basketball have transformed from faux amateur to professional minor league. To compete, universities now need to generate funding, usually through donors to third-party entities to keep up. In this truly informative episode, we hear from Lou Parisi, from the Owl Elite Fund which raises money in connection with Temple University athletics.

How do you build a successful business in the 2020s? "Kick Ass Customer Service"! That is the mantra at Honeygrow, the fast-expanding healthy food chain. Sheri and Jim are big fans of the Honeygrow on Temple's campus. And they aren't alone. Honeygrow has legions of loyal customers from Boston to Washington. Find out how Justin built the business in this scintillating episode.

Trying to make use of AI but are stymied? Fret not - you are not alone. Recent headlines about AI from The Economist: "So far the technology has had almost no economic impact" and The Wall Street Journal: "The pace of innovation in AI is slowing, its usefulness is limited, and the cost of running it remains exorbitant", indicate that the hype far outpaces utility for many users. Today's guest, Nick Schroeter has carved out a niche, becoming an expert on the benefits and watch-outs for individuals trying to use AI to improve productivity. Enjoy!

Passion - what every marketer dreams about for their target market. And that's exactly what David Dominik and his team inspire every day. David is the VP of Digital Strategy for the New York Giants. This episode was so interesting that it left us wanting to here more. What a great way to kick-off the summer.

The best way to start any day is with Saxbys coffee. In this episode, we speak with Nick Bayer, founder and CEO of the fast-growing coffee chain. Saxbys has an amazing business model, operating cafes on college campuses, which are run by students. The Philadelphia based company has expanded to universities from Boston to Georgia and well into the midwest. How does a company grow when its employees change (graduate) every year? Give this episode a listen and learn about one of the best development programs in America!

With a tip of the cap to Bananarama, we bid adieu for the summer to our student producers Mackenzie and Joe, as they head off to their summer internships. But not before offering great insights on a potpourri of new product introductions and other current Marketing topics. This was a really fun episode - recorded live in the studio at the Temple University, Fox School of Business. Enjoy!!

This episode really strikes a chord. Edward Cole, President of Fender Guitars in Asia-Pacific shares incredible insights into one of the world's most evocative brands. Our student producer (and guitarist) jams with Sheri and Jim to uncover great nuggets. Edward is not just the business leader but also clearly loves the Fender products and brand.

Family! That is how Dr. Myra Perez describes her Marketing students at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. In this third of three interviews with Marketing Professors, we speak with Myra about her fascinating career both as a Marketing professor and as a business consultant. She is the advisor for the award winning student Marketing student organization (AMA) at the university. Her students are always among the most enthusiastic but they are also extremely talented. The were just named one of three International Chapters of the Year (out of over 370 universities) at the annual AMA conference. Family indeed - many of Myra's students were in the studio audience for this interview. Myra also discussed the unique business environment in Puerto Rico and gave great examples of how she has helped brands to build their business on the island. Myra, thank you for joining the podcast. It was fun and we learned a lot! (Recorded in front of a live audience at the annual AMA International Collegiate Conference.)

In this second of three interviews with Marketing Professors, we speak with Dr. Delonia Cooley from Texas Southern University, an HBCU located in Houston. Delonia has first-hand knowledge of the benefits for students attending an HBCU - smaller class sizes, direct access with professors and personal attention. It was instructive to hear the comments from one of Delonia's students regarding setting high standards and expectations. And her focus in pushing students to develop networking, communication and selling skills, is so accurate in helping them land their first job upon graduation and also in building their careers. Thanks, Delonia, we learned a lot!! (Recorded in front of a live audience at the annual AMA International Collegiate Conference.)

It's 2024, and like it or not many of us will be inundated with political ads this year. In a fascinating interview, we speak with Eric Van Steenburg, a professor at Montana State University who has done extensive research into the impact of political marketing. Like a book that we can't put down, this episode is riveting from start to finish. A special thank you to the students from Purdue, Montana State and Temple for asking pertinent questions during the discussion. Enjoy! (Recorded in front of a live audience at the annual AMA International Collegiate Conference.)

A great interview with Bennie Johnson, the CEO of the American Marketing Association. Bennie answered a wide range of questions about his multi-faceted organization, the future of Marketing and the many ways that AMA interacts with marketers - local professional chapters; publications, webinars and conferences; and the next generation of marketers through AMA's extensive collegiate programs. The interview took place during the AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans, April 11-13 attended by 1400 students from the US, Puerto Rico and Canada.

A terrific interview with Mark Jenkins, the VP of Marketing for one of America's most beloved brands - Rita's. Mark shared great insight into the Marketing of a large yet seasonal business, including: the annual March 1 grand re-opening the research behind and rollout of new products working closely with the franchise owners of all Rita's stores creating awareness and trial in new markets how delivery has added incremental sales (even for a frozen treat) setting standards - the Marketing and Sales playbook Enjoy!

Wendy and Kellogg's CEOs speak and uh-boy were people listening Speaking of uh-boy, more plant-based meats Sometimes sticking to why customers buy your brand is the best strategy Are occasional 8am meetings really that bad? Visiting companies in Tokyo

Taylor Swift Tokyo concert; Uber unshackled in Japan; TU-AMA makes the finals, again!!; Joe gnoshes on Gen Z snacking; Lululemon intros men's footwear; States/cities opt for humorous highway signs; Streaming leaders - YouTube #1, Netflix #2; Pepsi Wild Cherry campaign

Sheri in Tokyo; Older women as social influencers; Subaru "your car's health report" to owners; Twins born in different years; Apple iPhone now #1 (passes Samsung); Apple breaks norm, offers discounts in China; Door Dash - beyond food (leveraging capacity for new offering);

We continue our international expansion via an interview with the very popular Japanese social media content creator and influencer, Cyber Bunny. During this chat, she spoke about growing the “Bunny Brand” in Japan and overseas. ✨Forbes Asia 30 under 30- 2022 ✨Pacific Edge Magazine’s “Social Media of the Year”- 2022 ✨“The Reluctant Traveler” appearance on Apple TV- 2023

Sheri in Japan for the semester! Welcome to Nicole Weltman, Head of Social at Taco Bell; Constantly posting new content; The brand's irreverent personality; How content catches fire; Customers as well as fans of the brand; Taco Tuesday; Social Listening

Welcome Mackenzie and Joe - our student producers join Sheri and Jim on the podcast!; NY Thruway marketing fail. "Sorry, our rest area restaurant is not open on the busiest travel day of the week."; Should brands respond to call outs on social media - Chipotle; Brick & Mortar growth continuing; AMC theaters private label candy; Favorite brands - Joe-Kirkland, Mackenzie-Stanley tumblers;