The Hypothesis
The Hypothesis is a biweekly show where industry experts debate and discuss growth marketing approaches, digital advertising tactics, measurement plans, plus creative and growth strategies. Prefer video? Check out the recording of the show on YouTube every two weeks at https://www.youtube.com/@ThriveDigitalMarketing
Episodes
18 episodes
Ad targeting isn’t very precise
In this episode, we challenge the assumption that ad targeting is as precise as marketers believe. We discuss the pitfalls of audience segmentation, the over-reliance on machine learning, and the growing importance of creative in a world where ...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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43:24
Answering your biggest performance marketing questions
Performance marketing is constantly evolving, and we know you have questions. In this special Q&A episode, we took your questions about performance marketing, from AI’s impact to reporting best practices and answered them in this wide-spann...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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46:56
Founders series: lessons in resilience and marketing for early-stage startups
In this episode, we dive into Kirby Winfield of Ascend VC’s entrepreneurial journey and the lessons learned from building businesses and working in venture capital. We discuss the importance of resilience, early...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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31:20
Is your landing page hurting ad performance?
In this episode, we dive into the nuances of landing pages—what they are, what they should do, and how to avoid common pitfalls. We also discuss whether content should be gated, the balance of personalization, and why every marketer should prio...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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37:59
Attribution is overrated
In this episode, we dive into the complexities of attribution in marketing. What does it really mean? How can marketers assign value to their activities amidst flawed data and imperfect systems? Join us as we break down the concepts, discuss co...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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45:20
If Meta doesn’t work for you, it’s your fault
In this episode, we dive into the common mistakes marketers make when running Meta ads and how to correct them. From creative testing to campaign objective misalignment, we discuss the nuances of effective ad strategy on Meta’s platform. Tune i...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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32:36
Search is dying
In this episode, we discuss the evolving landscape of search and address the misconception that search is dying. Learn about search advertising strategies, the importance of local search optimization, search data for insights, keyword structure...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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35:31
Your Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales could be better
Episode 11: Your Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales could be betterFrom poor planning to neglecting post-event strategies, in this episode we cover the most common pitfalls of planning big sales events and how to avoid them. Listen n...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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55:25
Performance creative should be journey-based
In this episode, we talk about why creative messaging should go beyond buy now, how to create an emotional bond with your consumers, where you need to place these ads, and tailoring for each channel.For show notes, including links to the...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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40:27
We’re making budget cuts worse than they already are
In this episode, we discuss why marketing teams should always be looking for places to make their ad budget more efficient, how bottom of funnel is not the solve for every problem, methodologies behind effective spend reductions, and why you sh...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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47:58
You’re wasting your marketing budget
Episode 8: You’re wasting your marketing budgetIn this episode, we define waste vs learning, why trusting automation too heavily leads to more waste, how the wrong KPI’s and targets incentivize waste, and more.For show n...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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40:15
Ugly ads are better than polished ones
In this episode, you’ll learn how we define ugly creative, what pattern interrupt is, how to harness more unconventional creative in your ad program, and why ugly creative is so useful.For show notes, including links to the video, mor...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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50:14
Automation is taking advantage of marketers
In this episode, we tell you what exactly advertising automation is, where we think it goes wrong, how it takes advantage of busy marketers, how we use it, where we test to ensure its effectiveness, and more. For show notes, visit
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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41:07
When to expand advertising beyond Google and Meta
Episode 5: When to expand advertising beyond Google and MetaIn this episode, we discuss why so much ad spend goes into these two channels, how to better optimize them to get the most out of your investment, what di-worsification i...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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35:43
Marketers should be taking more big swings in their advertising
In this episode, we talk about what big swings in advertising are, what marketers lose when they play it too safe, how to take calculated big swings, finding the right opportunities and budget, getting team buy-in, and more.For show note...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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45:01
Is incrementality is the only marketing metric that matters?
Episode 3: Incrementality is the only marketing metric that mattersIn this episode, we delve into the challenges and considerations of incrementality as a primary measurement for marketing success. This chat includes discussions o...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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44:23
In-platform reporting doesn’t show business results
In this episode, we discuss the usage and limitations of in-platform reporting for measuring marketing effectiveness. Learn about using platform data for day-to-day decision-making, the potential misinterpretation (or intentional manipulation) ...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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39:18
Is the marketing funnel still relevant?
Episode 1: Is the marketing funnel dead?This episode explores the limitations and challenges of using the marketing funnel in today's digital landscape. Learn how marketers are currently using the funnel in ad planning and lead g...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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37:55