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.