We’ve made it to Episode 12 of Misadventures in Marketing, the tech marketing podcast that not only tastes great, but fills your mind with tech marketing’s most provocative issues. Take, for example, this episode in which hosts Peter Farago and Steve Haney delve into the challenges of marketing products that haven’t quite found product-market fit. We discuss the concept of 'magical thinking' in tech startups, where CEO founders may believe that their Marketing team can compensate for a product’s deficiencies. We dive into understanding market needs, the role of marketing in addressing product issues, and the necessity of aligning product offerings with customer demands. Peter brilliantly cites the old adage “marketing can accelerate the truth about a product, but can’t manufacture it”.

How does a head of marketing navigate pushback from leadership, build alliances with the rest of management, and empathize with the pressures faced by CEOs when a start-up ends up in this unfortunate situation? Marketing needs to know how to bring relevant data to the table, ask the right questions, and confront worldviews in the company that are not conducive to success.

About Misadventures In Marketing:

The American Marketing Association San Francisco Chapter presents Misadventures in Marketing, a podcast about high tech marketing in Silicon Valley, focusing primarily on marketing challenges in early stage technology startups. Hosts Peter Farago, a career high tech marketer and Steve Haney, a fractional CMO, chat weekly about marketing practices in high tech, the latest martech product news, their experiences from the front lines, and interviews with their CMO friends and marketing colleagues.

Listen: https://mim.captivate.fm/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMASanFrancisco/

X: https://x.com/AMASanFrancisco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amasanfrancisco

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amasf/

Hosts: Peter Farago and Steve Haney

Marketing: Ian Robinson-Lambert

Editing: Lorenzo Fernandez-Kopec, Marisa Gabriela Ramos (Peakbound Studios)

Consulting Producer: JulieAnn Bornales

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In this, the 11th episode of Misadventures in Marketing, hosts Peter Farago & Steve Haney proudly present the first game show edition of Misadventures in Marketing. Steve quizzes Peter on the myriad acronyms in tech marketing (which, oddly, are almost all three letters). Peter gets extra points for accurately defining the term that the acronym represents. Suffice it to say, our brilliant co-host wins fabulous prizes for his efforts. Okay, no prizes, but definitely the admiration of his colleagues for his stunning performance.

So if you’re curious about tech marketing terms like PPC, CTR, SERP, SEO, LTV, and CAC, come on down! This podcast is the one for you. Caught in the pedagogic crossfire are concepts like B2B vs. B2C marketing dynamics, B2B2C marketing strategy, marketing automation systems, go-to-market strategies, data regulations on online advertising, and the intersection of product marketing and product management.

About Misadventures In Marketing:

The American Marketing Association San Francisco Chapter presents Misadventures in Marketing, a podcast about high tech marketing in Silicon Valley, focusing primarily on marketing challenges in early stage technology startups. Hosts Peter Farago, a career high tech marketer and Steve Haney, a fractional CMO, chat weekly about marketing practices in high tech, the latest martech product news, their experiences from the front lines, and interviews with their CMO friends and marketing colleagues.

Listen: https://mim.captivate.fm/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMASanFrancisco/

X: https://x.com/AMASanFrancisco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amasanfrancisco

Hosts: Peter Farago and Steve Haney

Marketing: Ian Robinson-Lambert

Editing: Lorenzo Fernandez-Kopec, Marisa Gabriela Ramos (Peakbound Studios)

Consulting Producer: JulieAnn Bornales

In this, the 10th episode of Misadventures in Marketing, Peter Farago and Steve Haney welcome Melissa Grimshaw-Vargas to the podcast. Melissa heads up Launchwise, a brand consulting practice in San Francisco that conducts brand launches and leads in-house executive brand initiatives for both consumer and B2B companies. She’s also VP of Partnerships for the American Marketing Association San Francisco chapter.

The trio discusses awards as part of a company’s marketing strategy. They explore how awards can enhance credibility, build brand recognition, and serve as a validation tool for businesses, especially startups who don’t have the financial stability or track record of established firms. The hosts also share personal anecdotes and insights on the strategic value of applying for awards and how they can drive revenue generation. There is also the benefit of winning awards for internal team morale and recruitment.

We are excited to announce the re-launch of the Excellence in Marketing Awards, presented by AMA San Francisco chapter! We discuss the historical context of this storied San Francisco marketing event and notable past winners and their iconic advertising campaigns, like Levi's and Old Navy. Applications are being accepted now and we encourage all comers to submit their entries at: https://www.amasf.org/eima/

About Misadventures In Marketing:

The American Marketing Association San Francisco Chapter presents Misadventures in Marketing, a podcast about high tech marketing in Silicon Valley, focusing primarily on marketing challenges in early stage technology startups. Hosts Peter Farago, a career high tech marketer and Steve Haney, a fractional CMO, chat weekly about marketing practices in high tech, the latest martech product news, their experiences from the front lines and interviews with their CMO friends and marketing colleagues.

Listen: https://mim.captivate.fm/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMASanFrancisco/

X: https://x.com/AMASanFrancisco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amasanfrancisco

Hosts: Peter Farago and Steve Haney

Marketing: Ian Robinson Lambert

Editing: Lorenzo Fernandez-Kopec, Marisa Gabriela Ramos (Peakbound Studios)

Production: JulieAnn Bornales