The Directly Speaking Podcast

DTC marketing leaders of today and tomorrow share their stories, discuss their brands, and compare notes on trends in the marketing landscape.

Hosted by Quad’s VP of Strategic Sales at Quad / Head of DTC Strategy, Marcus Lancaster.

Featured episode

Season 3, Episode 6: Yasmine Parrish, Fenty Beauty

Fenty Beauty logo

Join us as Yasmine Parrish, Global Director of Influencer Marketing of Fenty Beauty, talks about the importance of authenticity in partners and your relationships with them, how to curate relationships with potential influencers, navigating the world of TikTok Shop and why it’s OK if sometimes it doesn’t work! Plus, tips for starting out your influencer program.

Previous episodes

Season 3, Episode 5: Corey Smale, Garage Beer

Garage Beer logo

On leaning into nostalgia in a new way, how social media is an advantage if done right, challenging yourself to stay true to who you are as you grow and ultimately how to create a brand you’d be into yourself. 

Season 3, Episode 4: Gary Lancina, Briggs & Stratton

Briggs and Stratton logo

On managing the complex nature of multiple customer relationships; making your B2B product additive to customer consideration of end purchase; and how brand awareness is interesting, but brand commitment is most important.

Season 3, Episode 3: Brian Makela, Bad Ideas LLC

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On creating authentic products and authentic connections with consumers; drawing inspiration for everyday life; using organic social media; and how people love stories.

Season 3, Episode 2:  Jason Moskal, Elevate

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On how asking the question behind the question gets to the heart of what is driving the business and marketing; and how to bring your teams along with you.

Season 3, Episode 1: Franz Tschimben, Covision Media

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On how 3D Scanning enables marketers to do more with less, where the market is moving and how what’s most important to success is getting most of the micro decisions right.  

Season 2, Episode 7: Phillip Glaeser, Bollman Hat Company

On getting back to basics in e-commerce, how segmentation of data is so important for ecommerce and how he’s implemented strategies in PPC to show marketing as an investment.

Season 2, Episode 6: C. David Minifee, Terakeet

On how Terakeet created the category Owned Asset Optimization (OAO), what makes it different than traditional marketing approaches and why Google is the most honest focus group!

Season 2, Episode 5: Jess Cervellon, Open Late Collective

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On the importance of an emotional connection to the brand experience; answering customer questions before they arise; and the crazy start of Feastables!

Season 2, Episode 4: John Roman, Battlbox

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On the importance of community, how consumers want connection with a brand and staying leading edge/bleeding edge in acquisition.

Season 2, Episode 3: Susan Stoklosa, G-III

G-III Apparel Group logo
On how G-III has learned that clients see them through a different lens, the importance of a unified customer journey and how good product starts the journey for everyone.

Season 2, Episode 2: Kyle Smith, Noom for Work

On how Noom for Work reaches B2B customers based on their business operations and how building credibility with good research is key in the space.

Season 2, Episode 1: Dr. John Puterbaugh, Quad

On using contextual marketing in the cookieless future, and the importance of building zero and first party data.​

Season 1, Episode 9: Ajit Sivadasan, Lenovo

On why DTC doesn’t cannibalize other channels and how personalization is critical to genuine audience connections and setting future trends.

Season 1, Episode 8: Shawn Douphner, Mechanix Wear

On experimenting in different channels, the importance of creating content that connects with people, and how they balance lower and upper funnel marketing.

Season 1, Episode 7: Amber Minson, Blue Apron

On quickly synthesizing customer data, today’s rule of learning fast and the importance of not obsessing over perfection as you test ideas.​

Season 1, Episode 6: Dan Spiegel, Branch

On how Branch is winning in the hypercompetitive moment by reducing customer friction and lowering cost.  

Season 1, Episode 5: Scott Thomas, Ownwell

On the frictionless customer experience, testing upper funnel marketing and how failing is just as valuable as winning.

Season 1, Episode 4: Chris Kolbe, Hypernatural

On creating a sustainable luxury brand, why more marketing after purchase is important and how he applies the principles of Patagonia and Tesla.

Season 1, Episode 3: Ben Yahalom, True Classic

On building a sustainable business model, the importance of customer first, performance vs. a fully loaded P&L and why “done” is better than perfect.

Season 1, Episode 2: Alvaro De La Rocha, Bespoke Post​

On growing the vaunted brand and how small brand partnerships have identified the importance of brand marketing post-iOS14. ​ ​

Season 1, Episode 1: BJ Jacobs, Harper Wilde

On why sustainability leads to filling the top drawer, how we’ve been spoiled by shallow funnels and what marketers can learn from Red Bull. ​ ​