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.