Episodes
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Why do we really buy what we buy?
In this episode of The Two Marketeers podcast, Sean Patrick and Lindsay Waugh go deep on the messy truth about branding: itâs not just about what brands sayâitâs about what they say about you. From badge brands that scream status to âquiet luxuryâ that whispers exclusivity, the conversation dives into how brands become part of our identity, self-worth, and even our emotional reward system.
Whether itâs your morning Starbucks ritual, the quiet confidence of a Celine bag, or proudly rocking high-low style with Walmart and Warhol, this episode uncovers how brand choices reflect who we are, who we wish we were, and how we want the world to see us.
Expect cultural hot takes, marketing confessions, and insights into:
The psychology of luxury and quiet branding
How brand loyalty simplifies decision-making in a world of choice overload
Why brands act like social currencyâfrom high school to middle age
What your âvalue brandâ actually says about your taste
And just when it gets comfortable? Lindsay throws in a political curveball that cuts the convo right at the good part. (Donât worryâPart Two is coming.)
Happy listening, Marketeers!
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Letâs talk about the thing that makes creative people squirm: pricing.
In this raw and revealing episode of The Two Marketeers Podcast, Lindsay Waugh and Sean Patrick unpack the messy, emotional, often awkward relationship creatives have with charging money for their genius. From accidental budgeting expert to agency veteran turned freelance strategist, Sean shares the lessons learned (and insight from dollars left on the table) along the way.
The Two Marketeers are ripping open the outdated belief that time equals value and digging into why value-based pricing is the model creative professionals needâbut rarely use right. From scope creep nightmares to undercharging without even knowing it, they explore what it takes to price your work with confidence, clarity, and a bit of swagger.
If youâve ever dreaded the âso whatâs your rate?â conversation, this oneâs for you. Itâs honest. Itâs uncomfortable. Itâs the real cost of creative workâfinally talked about out loud.
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Episodes manquant?
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In this episode of The Two Marketeers podcast, Lindsay and Sean come for the brands that all sound like they share the same group chat. You know the ones: cheeky, chummy, and desperate to be your bestie â whether theyâre slinging soap or selling mortgages. Inspired by a spicy viral post from strategist Joe Burns, theyâre unpacking the epidemic of copy-paste quirkiness thatâs taken over brand comms.
When every brand tries to be âfun,â is anyone actually saying anything? Why are billion-dollar companies talking like your meme-loving roommate â and more importantly, is it working?
Listen up as The Two Marketeers break down how this bland brand voice trend took over, whatâs driving it, and how to stop your brand from sounding like everyone else at the party.
Expect hot takes, agency confessions, and no holding back as they call out the difference between authentic and just⊠algorithm-friendly.
Grab your AirPods. This one gets juicy.
For reference:Joe Burns > Linkedin: Your Cool Friendâą https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7297588935617138689/
Sonder & Tell > Bestie, can we chat xoxo
https://sonderandtell.substack.com/p/bestie-can-we-chat-xoxo?utm_medium=web
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This episode of The Two Marketeers podcast explores the Multiplier Effect in marketingâaka the critical (and often ignored) balance between brand and performance. Sean and Lindsay dive into a new report by WARC that challenges how we define marketing success today, spotlighting how brand marketingâs long-term impact is consistently undervalued compared to the short-term sugar highs of performance metrics.
Weâre talking about the âmessy middleâ of consumer decision-making, the cracks in how marketing gets measured, and why itâs time to ditch the silos between brand and performance once and for all.
As WARC puts it:
âWeâre excited to introduce The Multiplier Effect, a data-driven analysis that reveals why many advertisers are leaving significant revenue-generating opportunities on the table.âBuilt with insights from a first-of-its-kind coalition of advertising effectiveness expertsâincluding Analytic Partners, BERA.ai, Prophet, and System1âthis report argues that the strongest returns come from using brand equity as an accelerant for commercial performance.
In other words? When brand and performance finally start playing on the same team, you unlock exponential growth.
Happy listening, Marketeers.
See The Multiplier Effect by WARC here > https://page.warc.com/the-multiplier-effect-report
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Sales vs. Marketing: Frenemies or Soulmates?
In this episode of The Two Marketeers Podcast, Sean Patrick and Lindsay Waugh tackle one of the most misunderstood power struggles in business: the ongoing battle (or maybe love affair?) between sales and marketing. With over 30 years of combined experience, these two marketing pros pull back the curtain on what really happens when businesses say they âneed marketingâ but are actually drowning in sales problems.
From sales enablement myths to the future of marketing as a company-wide mindset, Sean and Lindsay break down the tiers of marketing functions, the role of brand in short- vs. long-term growth, and how to sniff out when a client just isnât ready to change. Expect real talk, a few spicy truths, and a whole lot of insight for marketers, sales leaders, and anyone tired of the siloed approach to growth.
Whether youâre trying to boost your brand, align your sales and marketing teams, or figure out why your website still isnât converting, this episode is your no-BS guide to redefining what marketing really means in a sales-driven world.
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Buckle up, Marketeers! In this episode, Sean Patrick and Lindsay Waugh go full deluluâbut donât worry, itâs all in the name of marketing insight. Theyâre diving into the Gen Z mindset and their go-to coping mechanism: âdeluluâ (a.k.a. delusional optimism). Inspired by a VML article, they unpack how this generation is flipping reality on its headânot to escape, but to thrive.
Lindsay brings the fire with insights from a TED Talk on âdelulu culture,â while Sean keeps it real with a parentâs POV on how his Gen Z kids are navigating the chaos. Together, they explore how escapism has gone from disconnecting to reconnectingâwith creativity, social media, and sheer optimism shaping a new reality.
This is a fun, eye-opening ride into generational resilience and the power of a good reframe. Are Sean and Lindsay a little delulu too? Probably. And that might be a good thing. Happy listening!
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In part two of The Two Marketeers deep dive into innovation under pressure, Sean and Lindsay hit record on a topic near and dear to their podcasting heartsâhow the industry got a full-blown post-pandemic makeover.
When COVID-19 shut the world down, podcasters had two choices: pause or pivot. (Spoiler alert: The Two Marketeers pivoted.) In this episode, they unpack how lockdowns forced podcasting to evolve overnight, ushering in a new era of remote recording, video content, and a whole lot of Zoom-induced chaos.
From the scrappy rise of virtual recording setups to how listener habits shifted during endless lockdowns, they explore how podcasting adapted to a world in flux. And letâs not forget the video boomâwas it a natural evolution or just a necessary evil in the age of social? Plus, they tackle the fine (and sometimes blurry) line between creativity and innovation, proving that constraints donât kill creativityâthey fuel it.
Whether youâre a seasoned podcaster, a marketer thinking about podcasting for your brand, or just fascinated by how people make magic out of mayhem, this oneâs for you. Tune in as The Two Marketeers proveâyet againâthat constraints donât kill creativity. They fuel it.
Press play. Letâs talk shop, Marketeers.
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Crisis? Or creativity catalyst? In this episode of The Two Marketeers Podcast, Sean Patrick and Lindsay Waugh dive into the unexpected upside of a crisisâhow it fuels creativity and drives real innovation. Using QR codes as a case study (yes, Lindsay has always been a fan), they unpack the difference between creativity (big ideas!) and innovation (actually making them work).
QR codes were clunky and inconvenient⊠until a global pandemic made them indispensable. Suddenly, what was once a tech dud became an everyday essential. So, what changed? The key layers of innovationâbetter phone tech, wider adoption, and a crisis that made them critical.
Tune in as they explore how necessity doesnât just mother inventionâit forces it to finally take off.
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In this timely and crucial episode, Lindsay Waugh and Sean Patrick of The Two Marketeers confront a troubling trend: companies halting corporate social responsibility (CSR) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives during challenging times.
The headlines are dishearteningâDEI departments dismantled, Chief Diversity Officers let goâand itâs impossible not to feel the weight of what this means for the individuals and communities most impacted. Lindsay shares her frustration and concern as years of hard-fought progress are at risk of being rolled back, leaving many wondering: what happens to the people these initiatives were designed to support?
Lindsay and Sean dig into the long-term consequences of these short-sighted decisions. For brands that once stood proudly for inclusion and social impact, pulling back now sends a devastating messageânot just about priorities but about authenticity. They unpack why this isnât just a âbad lookâ but a betrayal of trust that affects employees, customers, and communities alike.
While they highlight brands like Ben & Jerryâs as examples of staying true to purpose even in tough times, they also acknowledge the challenges companies face in maintaining commitments to DEI. But ultimately, this is a call to action: CSR and DEI arenât just business strategiesâtheyâre human commitments that must be kept.
Tune in for an unflinching, heartfelt conversation about why keeping these promises isnât just critical for companiesâitâs essential for creating a more just and equitable society.
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Freelancingâitâs not all coffee shops and âfreedom,â folks. In this episode of The Two Marketeers podcast, Sean Patrick and Lindsay Waugh get real about the rollercoaster ride that is going solo. Sean spills the tea on going freelance twice (yes, he went back for more) and shares what itâs like to leap from agency life to corporate gigs and then to running your own show. Meanwhile, Lindsay talks about how her entrepreneurial spirit and love for novelty made freelancing an awesome choice for her.
But itâs not all sunshine and flexible schedules. Sean and Lindsay pull back the curtain on the reality of freelancing: the sacrifices, the responsibility, and that heavy dose of accountability you canât dodge when itâs your name on the line. The good news? They also share the winsâlike the thrill of calling the shots and building a business that truly reflects their values.
Itâs a candid, no-BS chat about the highs, lows, and everything in between. Whether youâre freelancing curious or already living the hustle, this oneâs for you.
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In this episode of The Two Marketeers, Sean Patrick and Lindsay Waugh dive headfirst into a topic every marketer and creative professional has faced: too many cooks in the kitchen. When deadlines are tight, budgets are squeezed, and creativity feels like itâs on life support, how do you decide how many peopleâand whoâyou really need to get the job done?
Join Sean and Lindsay as they unpack:
âą Why fewer, highly skilled team members can be more effective than a crowded room.
âą The importance of accountability and defining roles in high-pressure situations.
âą How bespoke freelance teams bring agility, expertise, and a sense of ownership that elevates the final product.
âą The challenges of training the next generation in a world that values efficiency over exposure.
This conversation is packed with insights for anyone managing teams, collaborating with clients, or trying to navigate the creative crisis in todayâs marketing landscape. As Lindsay says, âHow many cooks do you need? Ask the chef.â
Listen now to learn how to set your kitchenâand your teamâup for success.
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In this episode, Sean and Lindsay, co-hosts of The Two Marketeers podcast, dive headfirst into the âcreativity crisis" and the concept of time. They uncover how the magic of making truly happens when you respect time, embrace iteration, and lean into a little creative chaos.
They explore why time management isnât just about meeting deadlinesâitâs about giving ideas room to breathe and evolve. From missteps to masterpieces, Sean and Lindsay champion the power of practice, experimentation, and, yes, even making a few glorious mistakes along the way.
Hear their unapologetic take on pushing back against âASAPâ culture and prioritizing upfront strategy and discovery. Because sometimes, slowing down is the secret to speeding up success. Whether youâre a seasoned creative or a client whisperer, this episode is packed with bold insights on making your best work, not your fastest work.
Get ready to rethink your relationship with time, creativity, and the craft itself. Letâs make time work for the work!
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In this episode, The Two Marketeers hosts Lindsay Waugh and Sean Patrick dive deep into the age-old marketing challenge of "doing more with less." As the pressure mounts to deliver high-impact creative work with shrinking budgets, timelines, and resources, the two marketing experts explore how to embrace constraints as an opportunity rather than a threat. They discuss the role of AI and automation tools, cautioning against using them as a crutch to replace human creativity and nuance. Instead, Lindsay and Sean emphasize the importance of nurturing one's own creative spirit, developing taste and discernment, and carving out the necessary time and mental space to produce truly innovative work.
This conversation touches on the vulnerability that often accompanies creative problem-solving and how the willingness to feel challenged can actually be a strength. Sean and Lindsay share strategies for championing great creative within organizations and maintaining a mindset of using constraints to fuel ingenuity.
Happy listening, Marketeers! You will come away with a renewed appreciation for the human element of marketing and advertising, and practical tips for doing more with less in an increasingly fast-paced, resource-constrained world.
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Welcome back to the Two Marketeers podcast! The hosts, Sean Patrick and Lindsay Waugh, are kicking off Season 5, and they couldn't be more excited. As Sean mentioned, this is their 90th episode, which is a huge milestone. Can you believe it? 90 episodes over the course of 5 seasons - it's been quite a journey.
When Sean and Lindsay first started this podcast, they had no idea it would grow into what it is today. They were just two marketing professionals who wanted to have honest, insightful conversations about the industry they're so passionate about. Over the years, they've covered a wide range of topics - from the latest marketing trends and strategies, to the role of creativity and innovation. And now, as they enter their 5th Season, they find themselves facing a new challenge: the rise of artificial intelligence and its impact on the creative process.
This season, their theme is "creativity crisis" - that uneasy feeling that the work they do, the ideas they generate, and the campaigns they craft could potentially be replicated, or even replaced, by AI technology. It's a topic that's been weighing heavily on both of their minds, and they know it's something many other marketers and creatives are grappling with as well. When Sean and Lindsay first started exploring this idea, Lindsay admits she felt a bit vulnerable. The thought of AI being able to produce content, develop strategies, and even come up with creative concepts faster and more efficiently than humans was, frankly, a little terrifying. I mean, what does that mean for their jobs? For their industry? For the future of marketing as they know it? But as they dug deeper, something shifted. Rather than seeing AI as a threat, they started to view it as an opportunity. Yes, the technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and yes, it has the potential to disrupt the way they work. But instead of running from it, they decided to lean into it. To explore how they, as marketers and creatives, can harness the power of AI to enhance and elevate their own skills and capabilities.
Over the course of this season, Sean and Lindsay will be diving into topics like the role of AI in content creation, how machine learning can inform marketing strategy, and what the future of creative agencies might look like. They'll be doing research, sharing their own experiences, and providing their listeners with some valuable insights and actionable takeaways. Because, at the end of the day, Sean and Lindsay believe that creativity and innovation will always be at the heart of marketing. And while AI may change the way they work, it doesn't have to replace the human element. In fact, they think it has the potential to make them better, smarter, and more efficient marketers.
So buckle up, Marketeers, because this is going to be one wild ride. Sean and Lindsay can't wait to share it with you. Happy listening!
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Welcome to the finale of Season 4, Marketeers! We've made it. Four years, four seasons and 89 episodes later, The Two Marketeers podcast is wrapping up yet again. Don't worry; they only break for the summer, so you'll see them return, fresh and ready to rock, in the fall of 2024.
Co-hosts Sean Patrick and Lindsay Waugh dedicated this finale episode to the top three things they've learned while producing The Two Marketeers podcast. After being made all too aware that an entire season and promotional plan for a podcast can be created in under an hour using AI, Sean and Lindsay wanted to share with their listeners the value of going through it. Enjoy listening, Marketeers, and see you next season.
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Welcome to part 2 of a two-part episode titled "Is Effectiveness Killing Creativity?" In this two-parter, co-hosts Sean and Lindsay explore the relationship between creativity and effectiveness and unpack how we got to today's over-engineered creative process and the need for measurement control over creativity. This episode dives further into how taking accountability for what motivates us as creative people can enable us to thrive as creative thinkers in marketing.
Enjoy, Marketeers!
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Welcome to another episode of The Two Marketeers podcast! This is a special one, so buyers should beware. Have you ever wanted an up-close glimpse into the brains of co-hosts Sean Patrick and Lindsay Waugh? Well, ask, and you shall receive.
In this episode, titled 'Is Effectiveness Killing Creativity,' Sean and Lindsay explore the relationship between creativity and effectiveness and unpack how we got to today's over-engineered creative process and need for measurement control over creativity. From digital to analytics and measurement, they call out and question it all in relation to creativity and ask some complex, possibly unanswerable, questions... Can creativity truly thrive and flourish in the handcuffs of today's environment? And, in turn, what will happen to human creativity as we know it?
Buckle up, Marketeers, and happy listening. This one is a wild ride.
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Marketeers, it was love at first sight! Or sip? Or snack? In any case, as soon as Sean and Lindsay, co-hosts of The Two Marketeers podcast, saw the latest campaign from Kraft Heinz, produced by their internal agency, The Kitchen, they knew they had to dive in. As seen in Strategy Online, the Kraft Heinz brand is having fun with beer marketing cliches for its LTO freebie. In the article titled "KD makes a case for being at The Beer Store", Strategy states, "KDâs latest campaign puts a twist on a time-honoured cottage tradition by helping locals stock their vacation getaway pantries for the Victoria Day long weekend, rolling out the âKD 2-4,â the first ever 2-4 of KD mac ân cheese cups, created in partnership with The Beer Store. Starting Friday (May 17, 2024), consumers can get their hands on a free 24-pack of KD Cups while supplies last.
âAs many Canadians head to the cottage for the long weekend in May, stopping at the Beer Store for their 2-4 is an unheralded tradition,â says Brian Neumann, head of brand communication, Kraft Heinz Canada. âWe took the opportunity to piggyback on this consumer behaviour with the KD 2-4, 24 cups of Canadaâs favourite Mac & Cheese in our most convenient snackable format.â
Neumann adds that KD cups were a perfect fit to provide easy snacking on long weekends for Gen Z consumers searching for âcravings and convenience. He adds that the product also allows consumers to enjoy it without having to spend extra time in the kitchen during their long weekend."Happy listening, Marketeers, as Sean and Lindsay guide you along this long weekend road trip, one bite at a time.
For reference:
Strategy Online, "KD makes a case for being at The Beer Store"
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In April 2024, Contagious sent out its weekly newsletter, the 'Contagious Edit: Your Weekly Dose of Contagious Thinking,' which immediately caught the eye of The Two Marketeers as it discussed the virtues of churning stuff out.
The newsletter states, "In his 2018 book, Atomic Habits, James Clear tells a story about a photography teacher that holds a useful lesson for creative types.
Clear had come by the story in another book, called Art & Fear, which was published in 1985. The authors of that work had â for not especially interesting reasons â obscured the truth of the tale by omitting the name of the teacher in question and changing the locale to a ceramics class. But after Clear got in touch with them â and then spoke with some of the teacherâs former students â he learned the facts behind the fable, and this is apparently how it really happened.
Jerry Uelsmann was a successful artist who taught a film photography class at the University of Florida. On the first day of class one year, Uelsmann divided his students into two groups. He told the first group that they would be the âquantityâ group, and he would grade them on how many photos they submitted by the end of term. The other group, he said, was the âqualityâ group, and they only had to produce one photograph all semester, but it had to be near-perfect to earn an A.
When it came time for Uelsmann to review his studentsâ photographs, he saw that the best compositions almost all came from the quantity group. While the students in the quality group had fussed over one or a few pictures, the quantity group were clicking away like an arthritic ankle in winter, and apparently became better photographers for it.
Former psychology professor Dean Keith Simonton spent decades studying human greatness in art and science, and he also found that, when it comes to creative endeavours, there is great value in volume.
After researching the lives of more than 2,000 eminent scientists, Simonton told the LA Times in 1988 that the single most important quality these great thinkers shared was probably âthe willingness to produce a tremendous amount of work â often on seemingly trivial or useless projects â without fear of failure.â
In 1997 Simonton published a paper that articulated this finding as the âequal-odds ruleâ, which states that âthe relationship between the number of hits (ie, creative successes) and the total number of works produced in a given time period is positive, linear, stochastic, and stable.â
The relationship between quality and quantity is not written in stone. A 2008 paper by Aaron Kozbelt, for example, found that classical composers produced their greatest concentration of hit songs around five years after their productivity peak, which suggests things like experience and expertise have a role to play. And common sense would suggest that you have to pay at least some attention to the quality of your ideas and compositions to eventually hit paydirt.
Still, itâs a fairly reliable rule of thumb that you need to have a lot of ideas to have great ones."
Join The Two Marketeers in this episode as they debate the quality vs. quantity of ideas and how to become a master of more. Happy listening!
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Welcome to a less-than-brief conversation all about the brief! As creative strategy people in the marketing and advertising industry, The Two Marketeers co-hosts, Sean Patrick and Lindsay Waugh, are obsessed with the brief. And rightfully so! The brief is the kick-off to brilliant (and, unfortunately, mediocre) work. But, it should NOT be the beginning of the work being done. In this episode, Sean and Lindsay discuss and debate the role of the brief, all that has to go into creating one, and what to do in the absence of a great one, or let's be real, one at all.
Happy listening, Marketeers! Then, get out there and craft better briefs.
For reference:
MarketingWeek, "Mark Ritson: The idea that marketers need to be creative is a load of baloney, weâre useless at it."
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