In this episode of YouShouldTalkTo, we sit down with Hillary Settle, VP of Digital at the iconic undergarment brand Hanky Panky, to talk about how modern marketing is evolving and what that means for brands that want to stay relevant. From AI strategy to influencer marketing, Hillary brings a refreshingly honest take on what’s working, what isn’t, and why getting back to the basics of human connection is more important than ever.

With a background that spans both creative strategy and performance marketing, Hillary shares how she’s navigating the shifting landscape. VPs don’t just sit around counting all their budget’s money, they strategize the best way to see what it takes to meet customers where they are. That means adapting brand messaging to the changing times without losing their identity and exploring new ways to reach their audience. We are in a new era of marketing. People are moving farther away from brick and mortar stores, and even moving away from household names in favor of the next new platform. Consumers are moving to TikTok and eventually ChatGPT, if you can believe it.

We also touch on the future of agency partnerships, the power of social media apps like TikTok for organic marketing strategies, and what it really looks like to build relationships that move the needle. If you’re not investing in influencer marketing, you’re leaving money on the table. Companies are not seeing the same return on investment in paid ads as they used to. And it’s because people are not buying from ads, they’re buying from people.

Tune into Hillary’s episode to hear more about how you can stay ahead of the curve and invest in the right channels before you lose your audience to the next new thing.

Guest-at-a-Glance

💡 Name: Hillary Settle, VP of Digital at Hanky Panky

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn

Key Insights:

Today’s Products Have To Meet People Where They Are

Hillary knows that there’s always something going on that’s bigger than whatever product you're selling. Whether it’s political changes or economic instability, your audience will face unique and persistent challenges. The brands that win will be the ones that respond in real time, not just with messaging, but with solutions. It’s no longer about selling an idea, it’s about showing up in the everyday. So when the fires hit LA earlier this year, Hanky Panky partnered with a company that helped donate undergarments to women who had just lost everything. People remember that kind of thing.

AI Is Only as Smart as Your Strategy

AI is everywhere, but it’s not enough to tell your team to just use it. Use it to do what?? AI is a tool, but it can’t do all the work for you or your team. You need a strategy. The leaders that thrive will be the ones who ask smarter questions, and not just about how AI can make them more efficient, but how it can deepen what they already do well. Tools like ChatGPT aren’t magic—they’re multipliers. And unless you’ve defined what exactly you want out of these tools, they won’t get you anywhere faster.

TikTok is Reshaping the Beauty Commerce Landscape

Times are changing, and legacy retailers are already feeling the pressure. Platforms like TikTok Shop are redefining where and how consumers discover beauty products, and it’s working. As sales shift from brick-and-mortar storefronts to influencer campaigns, brands need to show up in the right channels with the right content. It’s not just abou

In this episode our host Daniel Weiner sits down with Jeff Crow, CEO of TapMango. He shares his wisdom about the best marketing strategies he’s seen, including how we can improve the role of marketers for 2025, the radical impact of AI, and the timeless importance of strategy, storytelling, and courage in leadership.

Jeff kicks off with a strong stance on AI, one that I have to agree with. While many people in C-Suite positions see it as a replacement for creative work, Jeff believes its true power lies in reinforcing the value of human marketers. As AI handles more of the routine work in a business, it's the human element, the empathy, storytelling, and intuition that we all possess, that make brands stand out. Trust and connection will be the new differentiators. Newer marketers nowadays have to lean in, not step back.

Speaking of new marketers, Jeff reflects on the data-driven culture of today’s marketing strategies. Yes, metrics matter. But insight comes from both data and curiosity. New marketers have to ask why people buy and what really motivates their behavior. He says it’s a lost art, especially among younger marketers who haven’t been trained in foundational brand positioning work.

When asked about a terrible agency experience he’s had, Jeff told the story of a lesson he learned at an agency that didn’t necessarily value the marketing department, even though he was just hired to lead the team. He ended up having to tell leadership point-blank: marketing must have a seat at the table. If you ever find yourself in the same position, Jeff’s advice is to walk into new roles with clarity and confidence. If leadership doesn’t prioritize marketing, the partnership is doomed from the start. Investing in marketing is about more than budget; it’s about commitment, and that commitment starts at the top.

Tune into Jeff’s episode to hear more about how you can cover the blind spots you didn’t know about and how to harness that creative instinct.

Guest-at-a-Glance
💡 Name: Jeff Crow, CEO at TapMango

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn

Key Insights

AI is Highlighting the Best Parts of Humanity

AI is transforming marketing—but not in the way the most recent headlines suggest. Rather than replacing marketers, it's creating an even greater need for human creativity. As AI starts to handle the more routine tasks, the marketers who will thrive are the ones who can tell compelling stories, build authentic connections, and bring emotional intelligence into their campaigns. The future of marketing still belongs to professionals who understand that tech should amplify human insight, not replace it.

The Lost Art of Brand Positioning

In today’s fast-moving, performance-driven market, brand positioning is often overlooked. Many younger marketers just haven’t been trained to develop it, but defining your brand’s place in the market is still essential to long-term success. Positioning gives context to every campaign, it’s what allows a company to differentiate in the dreaded sea of sameness. Reinvesting in foundational brand work isn’t just smart—it’s necessary for companies that want to stand for something meaningful and stay top-of-mind when buyers are ready to make a purchase.

Hellman’s? Really?

For a creative campaign to land, it has to be brand-specific and culturally grounded. Generic ideas that could belong to any company in any category fall flat, especially when they don’t align with the product’s reality or the audience’s context. Take the recent commercial with Hellman’s mayonnaise and Katz’s deli, for example. What is Hellman’s mayonnaise doing at Katz’s Deli? Unthinkable! Knowing your customer, your brand heritage, and your cultural setting matters.

In this episode of YouShouldTalkTo, host Daniel Weiner sits down with Justine Fisher, VP of Marketing at bartaco. From teaching marketers to speak fluent "finance" to breaking free from cookie-cutter creative briefs, Justine shares incredible gems of information for anyone trying to thrive in today's hyper-saturated marketing world. With experience that spans successful restaurant brands and teaching marketing courses at NYU, Justine shares her perspective on how marketers can drive real impact through calculated risk-taking, stronger alignment with finance, and more human-centered agency partnerships.

Standing out in today’s saturated market is no small feat. Throughout the episode, Justine emphasizes that one of the biggest challenges in marketing is figuring out how to stand out amongst the “sea of sameness.” This seems to be a growing concern in the marketing industry, as she is the second person on the podcast to bring up the ‘sea of sameness’ this year. With consumers overwhelmed by a constant stream of content, brands can no longer afford to play it safe. Differentiation requires bold, strategic choices and the willingness to experiment, particularly in competitive spaces like the restaurant industry.

One of the ways marketers can break free from the sea of sameness is by using the market data as a suggestion and letting it guide the creative team. While attribution is critical in today’s marketing environment, Justine says that it can’t come at the cost of creativity. She specifically calls out advertising as a space where being overly dependent on metrics can lead to forgettable campaigns. The result? Campaigns that blend in, rather than break through. To stand out, you have to start spending less time on the attribution and more on creativity.

Tune into Justine’s episode to hear more about how you can harness your team's creative success with just a side of marketing attribution.

Guest-at-a-Glance

💡 Name: Justine Fisher, Vice President of Marketing at bartaco

💡 Where to find Justine: LinkedIn

Key Insights:

The Sea of Sameness is Real

One of marketing’s biggest challenges right now is cutting through the noise. With ad content being pushed at consumers 24/7, standing out isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s key to a company’s survival. According to Justine, it’s not just about being louder. It’s about being braver. And that bravery usually means taking a risk.

Prioritize Relationships over Pitch Decks

If you’re trying to win over a VP like Justine, here’s your pro tip: drop the one-size-fits-all pitch deck. Justine says she’s much more likely to engage with someone who introduces themselves as a human first and expert second. Even if the timing isn’t right, that relationship might pay off later.

Show Curiosity, Don’t Be Overconfident

In this week’s episode, Justine shares an experience with an agency that stood out to her in the best ways. This agency did their homework, stayed humble, and came in with curiosity. They didn’t pretend to know her company better than she did. Instead, they collaborated. That partnership worked because they listened first and added value later. Agencies that miss that listening part can come off as presumptuous.