Ahead of the Game Podcast

In this episode of the DMI podcast, host ⁠⁠Will Francis⁠⁠ speaks with ⁠Jim Lecinski⁠⁠, marketing professor at Northwestern University, Kellogg and co-author of The AI Marketing Canvas. Together, they explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping marketing — from reducing cycle times and boosting productivity to transforming how marketers plan, execute, and measure campaigns. Jim demystifies emerging tools like AI agents, custom GPTs, and reasoning engines, and shares why marketers need to lead AI strategy rather than passively adopt it. He also offers great advice for how marketers can make the most of AI at junior, middle, and senior levels of a career.Jim's Top 3 Tips

• Nominate an AI Champion
• Focus on Today’s Practical Use Cases
• Upskill with Free Tools

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Intro & State of Marketing Today

• 01:08 – The AI Adoption Curve

• 03:30 – How AI Is Actually Used Today

• 05:01 – 4 Common Approaches to AI in Enterprises

• 08:42 – Creating an AI Strategy in Marketing

• 10:27 – Understanding AI Agents vs. Assistants

• 13:27 – What Marketers Should (and Shouldn’t) Focus On

• 16:15 – The Human Side of Marketing & Creativity

• 20:12 – AI-Generated Ads & the NBCU-Waymark Deal

• 24:33 – “We’re an AI-first company”: Why Leaders Say This

• 27:02 – How AI Will Affect Marketing Jobs

• 32:31 – Career Advice by Level

• 36:12 – What’s New in The AI Marketing Canvas (2nd Edition)

• 40:17 – How Jim Used AI to Build His Course

• 45:02 – Reframing AI as a Reasoning Engine, Not a Chatbot

• 46:12 – Job Hunting with AI

• 48:33 – Where to Upskill in AI for Marketing

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The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Check out the DMI’s extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, webinars, guides, templates, and more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join for free today⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so others can find us!

In the second part of our influencer marketing series, we shift focus from the marketer to the creator. Host ⁠⁠⁠Will Francis⁠⁠⁠ chats with ⁠Ben Kaluza⁠, a former Twitch ad ops professional turned full-time content creator. Ben shares his candid journey into content creation—from gaming streams and OBS tutorials to building a trusted multi-platform presence across TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Ben gets into what creators really need to succeed, how to balance authenticity with monetization, and how marketers can partner with them successfully. With honest takes on influencer compensation, content production, and building trust in a noisy digital space, this episode is a must-listen for anyone working with—or aspiring to become—a creator today.

Listen to Part 1 with Sarah Adam who directs the B2B influencer marketing team at Wix Studio.   

Ben's top 3 tips for content creators:

1. Prioritize ideas over everything
2. Don't fuss over the details like hashtags or captions
3. Keep experimenting with formats

Ben's top 3 tips for marketers:

1. Match the content with your product, not just your audience
2. Build great affiliate programs
3. Use creators for unique insights and strategy

Timestamps:

• 03:00 – What Ben learned about value and CPM from Twitch and healthcare display ads
• 06:30 – Starting content creation and streaming on Twitch
• 08:45 – Discoverability struggles on Twitch and why TikTok became his growth engine
• 11:00 – How monetization culture differs across Twitch and TikTok
• 14:10 – Creator fatigue and why streaming isn't sustainable for most
• 16:30 – Pivoting to TikTok tutorials: from opinion to practical value
• 20:15 – High vs. low production content and platform fit
• 28:00 – Creator vs. influencer: defining the roles
• 30:00 – Making a living: how brand deals, pricing, and scheduling actually work
• 38:15 – What marketers should understand when working with creators
• 41:30 – Why paid media should back creator content
• 46:00 – Smart strategies for gifting vs. paid partnerships
• 51:00 – Ranking platforms: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn
• 58:30 – Tailoring content by platform for trust and reach
• 1:05:00 – Top 3 tips for aspiring creators and top 3 tips for marketers working with them

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The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Check out the DMI’s extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, webinars, guides, templates, and more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join for free today⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so others can find us!

On the DMI podcast, we're devoting the next 2 episodes to going deep into influencer marketing. First from the marketer's viewpoint and then from the creator's.

In this first episode host ⁠Will Francis⁠ chats with ⁠Sarah Adam⁠, Head of Partnerships and Influencer Marketing at ⁠Wix⁠. Sarah shares a behind-the-scenes look at how Wix has navigated the branding challenge of launching its B2B solution, ⁠Wix Studio⁠, in a market that traditionally sees Wix as a consumer-first platform. From influencer strategy to performance metrics and the role of AI, Sarah offers an unique view into B2B influencer marketing in today’s creator economy.

Listen to part 2 with content creator Ben Kaluza.

Key tips from Sarah:

1. Pick influencers for their professional relevance, not follower count
2. Focus on organic discovery over so-called influencer tools
3. Invest in long-term relationships, not just one-off campaigns

Timestamps:

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The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Check out the DMI’s extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, webinars, guides, templates, and more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join for free today⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so others can find us!

In this episode of the DMI podcast, host ⁠Will Francis⁠ speaks with ⁠Mark Kilens⁠, CEO and co-founder of ⁠Tack⁠, a community and consultancy focused on helping companies go to market. Mark shares a fresh perspective on how go-to-market strategies must evolve by putting people, not companies, at the heart of everything. From building trust to leveraging networks over traditional channels, Mark offers plenty of insights that challenge the status quo and equip marketers to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.

Mark's top 3 insights:

1. Focus on People-First GTM built around relationships, storytelling, and partnerships.

2. Build an owned audience through value-led content and free tools, not just blog posts.

3. Prioritize network leverage over channels: think people, places, and brands as your new marketing reach.

Timestamps

0:00:25 – What is People-First Go-To-Market (GTM)?
0:03:02 – Common challenges: Positioning and Ideal Customer Profiles
0:06:54 – The importance of ecosystems and partnerships
0:09:47 – Distribution leverage and marketing in noisy environments
0:12:31 – Channels vs. Networks: A mindset shift
0:18:24 – The role of AI in GTM strategy and marketing careers0:23:56 – Why build a community? The power of owned audiences
0:27:58 – Using free tools to deliver value and collect data0:34:00 – Real-world client scenarios and solutions Tack provides
0:36:38 – The over-reliance on paid media and what to do instead
0:41:23 – What product metrics reveal about GTM effectiveness
0:42:27 – Mark’s GTM checklist: ICPs, messaging, networks
0:45:45 – Career reflections and advice for marketers-----------------------

The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Check out the DMI’s extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, webinars, guides, templates, and more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join for free today⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so others can find us!

In this episode of the DMI podcast, host ⁠Will Francis⁠ speaks with ⁠Laura Costello⁠, Head of Sustainability and Planet Services at youth agency ⁠Thinkhouse⁠, as well as Ireland lead at ⁠Purpose Disruptors⁠. Starting with having Ben & Jerry's as her first client, Laura shares her deep understanding of how marketers can embrace sustainability, avoid greenwashing, and build authentic connections with, especially, younger audiences. She explores what B Corp really means, how brands can shift from consumer focus to community impact, and why storytelling is key to driving meaningful change.

Laura’s top 3 tips:

1. Sustainability starts with long-term thinking

2. Storytelling should focus on values, not just products

3. Avoid greenwashing by collaborating with other teams, including legal

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Resources

• Read about Greenwashing on the DMI blog
• WARC - Future of Effectiveness
• The Good Life campaign
• UN Pact for the Future
• AdGreen
• Climate Communications

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Timestamps

0:00:51 – What Laura is working on now

0:03:51 – The meaning and challenges of B Corp certification

0:08:30 – Why youth and sustainability are deeply connected

0:11:26 – Embedding sustainability without tokenism

0:15:30 – Changing consumer expectations and community building

0:22:45 – Creative global campaigns that make an impact

0:31:54 – Using social media to promote long-term behavior change

0:36:06 – Making climate storytelling specific and relatable

0:40:53 – Where to start with sustainability in your business

0:44:56 – How to measure effectiveness and real impact

0:47:25 – The future of responsible consumption marketing

0:50:26 – Laura’s career path into climate communications

0:52:30 – Lessons learned from the front lines of sustainable marketing

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The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠.

Check out the DMI’s extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, webinars, guides, templates, and more! ⁠⁠⁠Join for free today⁠⁠⁠.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so others can find us!