Pebble Presents

Episode 3: Marketing in the music and audio technology industry with Saf Elmansour

Emelia Rallapalli

In this episode, Pebble Presents Saf Elmansour, a global marketing expert with over 20 years of experience. Emelia and Saf talk about his journey in marketing and his work in the music and audio technology industries, particularly with AutoTune. Together, they explore the importance of brand protection, strategies for reclaiming brand identity, and nuances of global marketing management, emphasizing the need for cultural fluency. Their discussion highlights the importance of integrity and humility in marketing practices, especially when engaging with younger generations. Finally, they touch on the evolving role of AI in global marketing and discuss the possibilities surrounding AI’s integration into business and beyond.

Emelia Rallapalli is the founder of Pebble Strategy - a brand strategy and marketing research consultancy. Pebble provides custom-made research programs, marketing strategy consulting, and account planning services. 

Saf Elmansour founded his first start-up at age 24 with clients including Georgetown, Oxford, and Cambridge Universities. He then went on to launch and grow over 35 products and services, lead multinational and multicultural teams, and manage integrated campaigns with top creative, media, and PR agencies. Most recently, he’s helped grow marketing teams for SaaS platforms like SMULE and recently as CMO for the iconic Auto-Tune® / Antares Audio. In addition to marketing, Saf is a published photographer and semi-pro DJ & producer.


Welcome to Pebble Presents.


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Resources and References 


Show Notes 

0:23 - Emelia introduces our guest, and what we will be talking about today

1:49 - Emelia prompts Saf to share how he got to where he is in his career

6:46 - Saf and Emelia tell the story of how they met and first collaborated

8:06 - Saf recalls how his upbringing has influenced his work

11:19 - Saf shares what drew him to his current work in music technology spaces, as well as some of the technological advances going on at this time

15:32 - Saf dives into the Autotune technology and how the company has grown

20:16 - Saf discusses how he shepherded the marketing process for Autotune, ultimately winning a Grammy®

28:26 - Saf breaks down core principles that he has developed re: global marketing management 

32:21 - Emelia and Saf reflect on what they love about global research

35:48 - Saf expands on the idea of integrity as an operating principle for global marketing

40:19 - Saf summarizes how humility and respect show up in his principles

42:12 - Saf shares what he’s excited about with this next generation of business and marketing leaders

44:47 - Saf divulges his perspective on the role of AI as it relates to global marketing and creativity

49:41 - Emelia brings the episode to a close


Episode Credits

Executive Produced by Emelia Rallapalli

Produced by Stephanie Watanabe 

Editing and Post Production by Erin Zimmerman

Artwork and Design by Liisa Turan-Walters