VB Engage - Mobile, Marketing, & Technology Podcast from VentureBeat

Nirmal Mehta, emerging tech, and VR vacations for everyone Dec 18, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart discuss the latest in VR experiences including a VR vacation simulator -- or VRacation simulator, if you like Travis' made-up words. They also discuss VR's marketing problem, and European standards for watching ads in VR. Yep, it's a VR-fest this week.

And speaking of emerging technologies, the duo then interview Nirmal Mehta, who schools them in everything new and exciting just in time for us to take a short holiday break and head into the exciting technologies that lay ahead in 2018.

Mike Wikan, the singularity, and the first blockchain smartphone Dec 15, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart interview Mike Wikan on the future of emerging technologies and what they're going to mean for both our daily lives and how organizations, businesses, and governments will be affected.

In the news, we talk about A.I. that learns from all other A.I.s, Sophia the robot citizen, a new Messenger bot of note, and the world's most secure smartphone -- apparently the only one ready to hold cryptocurrency without fear of being hacked.

Peggy Anne Salz, mobile futures, and the crazy world of cryptocurrencies Nov 29, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart discuss the latest in A.I.-powered apps and show that you don't have to be a massive organization to use artificial intelligence across your product or service. They also work their way through a list of 100 cryptocurrencies and explain what these blockchain-powered tokens mean for the future of payments.

Then, we interview the amazing Peggy Anne Salz, who knows more about mobile marketing and the future of smartphones than almost anyone. The future looks bright, and not just because we turned up the screen brightness to cornea-burning levels.

Steve Rayson, hacking Alexa, and how A.I. writes better headlines than you Nov 22, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart interview the awesome Steve Rayson of Buzzsumo, which has analyzed over 100 million headlines to learn what works, what doesn't, and what converts.

In the news, we discuss a new solution for creating Alexa skills, the questions businesses must answer before creating a bot, and give a shout out to those of our friends that made this year's "30 under 30" list.

Robert Rose, epic content, and Facebook's myriad of money making methods Nov 08, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart talk about A.I. and the Internet of Things (still the worst tech term in existence), A.I. and customer service, and two opposing Facebook stories that are united by one common thread - how the social media levitation makes its money.

We then interview Robert Rose, a content marketing genius who gives us the lowdown on what works, what doesn't, and how you can win.

Erich Joachimsthaler, Amazon Slay, and how computer vision changes everything Nov 01, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart interview the incredible Erich Joachimsthaler, celebrated branding expert and author. This is one of the most impactful interviews of the year - Erich gives takeaway after takeaway.

In the news, we discuss A.I.'s role in bringing TV advertising up to date and how computer vision is changing the world: not just in marketing through solutions like Google Lens, but in applications that will save lives. We also talk about Amazon's new delivery option that lets delivery drivers into your house and The Onion's fun/macabre take on it. Well, it is Halloween, after all.

Shaul Olmert, Samsung's new toys, and how to grow a community of over 80 million Oct 25, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart interview the amazing Shaul Olmert, who has grown Playbuzz from scratch to an audience of over 80 million. He tells us what it takes to not only make that possible, but maintain the community he helped build.

In the news, we talk about Samsung's developer conference and the new products that were announced at the event, plus a new study that shows marketers are getting it wrong when it comes to holiday season campaigns.

Amit Walia, A.I. smarts, and Snapchat becomes useful again. Oct 18, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart discuss the perils of unlocking phones with your face. Let's just say that Stewart isn't a fan. They then talk about Snapchat's newfound usefulness, location-based marketing, and a big raise for a geographical data company.

They then interview Amit Walia about A.I., where it is making a real difference now, and what is going to happen next. Don't miss one of the smartest interviews of the year.

Valentin Preobrazhenskiy, ICO fever, and how A.I. took over martech Oct 09, 2017

In this week's news, Travis and Stewart talk about A.I. domination at the Martech conference in Boston, where -- seemingly -- it was the topic on the lips of marketers, speakers, and vendors everywhere. We also highlight an A.I.-powered advertising technology that is making waves: More than $250 million in waves, in fact. Finally, we bring everyone back down to earth with the less-than-stellar findings held within the pages of Brian Solis' latest State of Digital Transformation study.

Then, we interview Valentin Preobrazhenskiy of LAToken, who gives us a complete rundown of how to build a blockchain business, what it takes to gain and maintain a community of 11,000 people, and why ICOs are more about marketing than finance.

Sean Ellis, hacking growth, and why Amazon's goggles might suck Sep 27, 2017

In this week's episode, Travis and Stewart talk about virtual reality advertising, Intercom's new lead-generation solution, and Amazon's smart goggles, which sound like they might be a terrible idea. Or they might be good. Stewart thinks, either way, that they'll be cheap because Amazon doesn't do premium products.

In our guest interview, Sean Ellis - the man that invented the term "growth hacking" - gives us all his secrets. Well, not all of them, but a really good amount of them. This is one interview you won't want to miss if you're interested in landing more customers and building big communities.

James Peng, blockchain marketing, and swiping left on ad fraud Sep 20, 2017

In the news this week, Travis and Stewart reveal a new round of funding for an A.I. customer service solution, why retail needs VR to survive, and how blockchain technology is coming to marketing.

They then interview as fraud expert James Peng of Match, the company that runs some of the most recognizable dating apps in the world. This is one episode you'll want to go home in the same taxi with at the end of the night.

Jason Miller, combating online ad fraud, and rock star marketing tactics Sep 13, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart interview Jason Miller of LinkedIn, who not only drops a succession of marketing knowledge bombs in our collective laps but who also blows our minds with stories of his amazing live music photography.

In the news, we tackle ad viewability, a new customer research solution, and another marketing-focused A.I. startup - this one claiming to automatically recognise and label video content.

Stan Bokov, social finance, and the wedding of Alexa and Cortana Sep 06, 2017

In this week's episode, Travis and Stewart interview Stan Bokov, who managed to promote his "social network of fintech" to millions of users for free. He explains how this was possible, and what lessons were learned along the way.

In the news, Alexa and Cortana are getting married. The dynamic duo muse on what that means for marketers and conversational UI in general. And we cap off this week's episode with some new research into push notifications and how they are still generating incredible results. How incredible? Almost 10X. Now how do you like them apples?

Wil Reynolds, VR chicken, and our most R-rated episode ever Aug 30, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart discuss the bizarre, weird, wonderful world of KFC's VR "chicken mastery program" and Google's attempts to catch up with Amazon in conversational UI (bolstered by a partnership with Walmart).

And in an interview recorded at Unbounce's excellent CTAConf event in Vancouver, they interview the brilliant, yet very sweary, Wil Reynolds, one of the leading digital marketing strategy experts. As well as dropping a few F-bombs, Wil reveals the secrets of how to win in today's marketing environments.

Scott Stratten, unmarketing, and how A.I. is not optional for retail Aug 23, 2017

In this week's episode - recorded at the excellent Unbounce CTAConf in Vancouver - Travis and Stewart interview Scott Stratten, the man behind "unmarketing." Scott reveals some of his greatest engagement tips and tells us how A.I. will affect the marketer's life.

Speaking of A.I., in the news this week, we debate whether artificial intelligence is no longer an option for retail as proposed in an article by Japjit Julsi of eBay. We also take a look at the Gartner Hype Cycle for emerging technologies and some cool VR startups that are changing how we buy things online. Oh, and Travis makes up more words that don't exist in any language.

Mari Smith, Facebook secrets, and Walmart's creepy AI Aug 15, 2017

In this week's episode, Travis and Stewart interview the Queen of Facebook, Mari Smith - recorded at Unbounce's CTAConf. Mari divulges what really works -- and what doesn't -- when it comes to using Facebook for your business.

In the news, we discuss two big funding rounds for two very different data analytics tools, and we dig into what Walmart is doing with A.I. and CCTV cameras. Spoiler alert: The people of Walmart aren't going to be happy about it, and neither are we.

Rand Fishkin, super-haves, and the state of SEO Aug 10, 2017

In this week's episode, Travis and Stewart discuss a new report that suggests marketers are worried about automation taking their jobs. They segue seamlessly into a conversation about the have-nots, the haves, and the new breed of super-haves (thanks to A.I., of course), but they end on a brighter A.I.-based note.

They then interview Rand Fishkin - one of the world's leading SEO authorities - on the future of the industry and what is going to happen next.

Oli Gardner, computer vision, and 102 million reasons A.I. will change everything Aug 01, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart discuss the implications of the largest A.I. funding round in history, let alone one of the biggest Canada has ever seen. They also dig into eBay's foray into computer vision, how image search will be bigger than conversational UI, and what is going on in the world of rewarded video ads.

We then launch our CTAConf series of interviews with the amazing and outgoing Oli Gardner of Unbounce, in a session that was recorded live on stage in front of 1,000+ people in Vancouver. Get ready to have your mind blown.

Cathy Hackl, ad fraud, and what works in VR and AR Jul 25, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart interview the awesome Cathy Hackl, who is helping big brands get real returns from VR and AR, even at this early "Wild West" stage of the game. Cathy schools us in what works, what doesn't, and what the future holds.

In the news, we find out how TUNE is helping to end mobile ad fraud, discuss the latest in the Snapchat roller coaster (spoiler: it may have turned a corner), and discuss the good/evil impact of A.I.

Gary Nix, social video, and the state of machine learning Jul 18, 2017

In this week's episode, Travis and Stewart discover just how much the field of machine leaning, A.I., and cognitive computing has grown over the last few years. And naturally, there's a new A.I.-powered marketing technology to reveal this week too, as well as a conversation about LinkedIn and its video strategy.

We then talk to the amazing Gary Nix about all things social, branding, and being authentic - something every company needs to focus on if they're going to succeed.

Ben Parr, future bots, and disagreeing with 1,600 AI experts Jul 11, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart talk about the future of A.I., and Stewart has a big issue with a study of over 1,600 experts, wondering how they could collectively be so wrong.

We then interview the awesome Ben Parr, who continues the conversation on A.I., bots, and where this is all headed.

Rishi Dave, VR ads, and how AI might not replace marketers Jul 04, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart discuss Google's latest lab project - VR ads. Apparently, we can't escape ads in even our virtual realities. We also talk about some smart A.I.-powered video solutions, and analytics for smart speakers. Rishi Dave is our guest, which gives us a chance to be schooled by one of the leading CMOs on everything martech-related, including the future of A.I.

Damien Mahoney, Amazon, and how A.I. will affect user-generated content Jun 27, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart interview Damien Mahoney, who tells us everything we need to know about user-generated content, machine learning, A.I., and what the future holds for consumer engagement.

In the news, we discuss the marketing implications of Amazon's intention to buy Whole Foods, and a new study that offers hope for competing e-commerce vendors.

David Berkowitz, future social, and the week AI took over Jun 20, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart talk about artificial intelligence. A lot. In fact, it appears marketing is being taken over by A.I., machine learning, and cognitive computing this week, as every piece of important news includes an A.I. element.

After the news, we get to interview the one and only David Berkowitz about the future of social media. And yes, you can expect A.I. to feature heavily in that, too.

T.J. Leonard, WWDC, and why blocking ads isn't the answer Jun 13, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart interview TJ Leonard on why video content is so engaging, and what marketers can do to leverage the opportunity.

In the news segment, they discuss what Apple's WWDC event means for marketers, why the Homepod might not be the most attractive smart speaker option, and what it will mean if we block all ads, all the time, across all devices. Spoiler alert: This is not a future anybody should want.

Taylor Freeman, digital ghosts, and the future of reality May 30, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart discuss the latest A.I. startups, including Replika - a spin-off of the Luka bot that creates a "digital ghost" of your friends. We also talk about Demandbase's new (massive) round of funding and Twitter's new ad units that put a bot in your DMs.

We then interview Travis Freeman of Upload, who tells us all about the future of VR, AR, and every other kind of reality you can think of. In fact, we had so much fun with this week's guest, we don't want to return to actual reality.

Kristian Segerstrale, maniacal laughter, and what Google I/O means for marketers May 23, 2017

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis discuss how Google's announcements at its I/O event will affect marketers and marketing this year, and we also discuss how AI is helping B2B markets.

We then get to interview the awesome Kristian Segerstrale of Super Evil Megacorp, who gives us the lowdown on how to create amazing communities, and how to sound like an evil genius. And don't forget, you can win a Huawei tablet in our fantastic giveaway, details of which you can find in the show notes for this episode over at http://venturebeat.com/vbengage.

Adelyn Zhou, voice ads, and the current state of chatbots May 16, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart are lucky enough to interview Adelyn Zhou of Topbots. We get schooled on the latest in A.I., how smaller businesses can get involved (it isn't just for Fortune 500 types), what's going on with chatbots, and whether she prefers Decepticons or Autobots.

We also discuss the latest news (including some A.I. startups, of course), debate why it is now OK for Amazon Echo to get voice ads, and compare and contrast our experiences at both CUBE Tech Fair in Berlin and Martech 2017 in San Francisco.

Sujan Patel, massive growth, and the week A.I. took over marketing May 09, 2017

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis interview the amazing Sujan Patel, who hits us with so many growth hacking and content marketing techniques it leaves us spinning.

And in the news, it is A.I. all the way, as we find out more about Microsoft's massive investments in the space, discover yet another AI-powered marketing tool, and dig into what it all means for the budding marketer. And don't forget, you can win a Huawei tablet in our fantastic giveaway, details of which you can find in the show notes for this episode over at http://venturebeat.com/vbengage.

Noah Kagan, our podcast-iversary, and 1.5 million reasons to love A.I. May 02, 2017

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis finally hit the one year mark with VB Engage. To celebrate, they've launched a fantastic competition to win a Huawei tablet, details of which you can find in the show notes for this episode over at http://venturebeat.com/vbengage. In the news, we talk about an amazing new fund for A.I. startups, an A.I.-powered photo aggregator that is going after the events industry, and how content is taking over the social media universe.

Then, we mark Episode 50 with one of our biggest ever interviews - the one and only Noah Kagan. You won't want to miss a single word he says as we dig into his story and secrets of success.

Jon Miller, sales spam, and the F8 of Facebook Apr 25, 2017

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis discuss (almost) everything announced at Facebook's F8 Developer Conference, including its new chatbot discovery tools, A.I., augmented reality, and 360-degree video hardware - everything a budding marketer needs to create engaging content (and everything Facebook needs to increase advertising revenue).

We also interview Jon Miller of Engagio, who also co-founded Marketo. Jon has a few things to say about sales spam and how to create real, human connections at scale.

Everette Taylor, app wars, and the truth about growth hacking Apr 18, 2017

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis interview the amazing Everette Taylor, a serial entrepreneur who went from being homeless to co-founding GrowthHackers, creating GrowthPup, and his current position as CMO at Skurt. He reveals the secrets of his success throughout this fascinating, eye-opening conversation (which includes a home truth about growth hacking).

In the news, we discuss app marketing, a new report on app store optimization, an A.I. tool that automated the process of buying ads for apps, and a study that explains just how important native advertising has become. Hint: With 600% growth in spend over the last three years, pretty darn important.

John Rampton, pay-to-play, and how A.I. affects marketing forever Apr 11, 2017

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis reveal details of three - yes three - brand-new A.I. or machine learning-powered marketing technologies. In customer service, social media, and the fascinating field of narrative analysis, these cognitive computing technologies are taking over, and we try to work out what that means for the future.

We also interview John Rampton, entrepreneur, and author, on a range of marketing-focused topics, in which he states that we're now in a "pay-to-play world." What does that mean, and where do we go next? John helps us understand what the future holds.

Spencer Liu, community, and how machine learning identifies narcissists Apr 04, 2017

In this week's episode, Travis and Stewart interview Spencer Liu about the importance of community, how to build one in a smartphone-driven world, and what how mobile games can benefit from bringing fans together.

In the news, we discover machine learning techniques that can identify who you are from just your social media status updates, find out why a shopping bot won a major award at SXSW, and get an update on where we are with 360-degree live-streaming video. Hint: Wide-scale adoption is just around the corner.

Michael Stelzner, social media, and using A.I. to measure your emotions Mar 28, 2017

In this week's episode, Travis and Stewart talk about a new A.I.-powered startup that measures viewers' emotions as they watch YouTube videos, and they discuss the latest in social media advertising, including how important video has become.

That provides a nice segue, since they also get to interview Michael Stelzner during the week of Social Media Marketing World. We talk with Michael about all things social, mobile, and the future of the world's most popular communities.

Olga Kay, chatbot fatigue, and the power of finding your niche Mar 21, 2017

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis discover that A.I. and chatbots are a rollercoaster. On the ride to the top, a new bot marketing company promises to close the loop and help chatbots pay their way, while on the rapid drop Facebook is pulling back from chatbots after news of massive failure rates.

Our interview this week is with the irrepressible Olga Kay, one of the original YouTube stars and founder of Moosh Walks, who teaches us a thing or two about how to find your niche and leverage it for incredible success. It's an interview you won't want to miss.

Stephen Gold, cognitive computing, and taping up your webcam Mar 14, 2017

In this week's episode, Travis and Stewart interview the CMO of IBM Watson, Stephen Gold. We talk about cognitive computing, A.I., machine learning, and more, discovering how long we have before the robots take over (just kidding).

In the news, we reveal funding rounds for two A.I. marketing tools, talk about the Snapchat IPO aftermath, Instagram's latest Snapchat-a-like feature, and touch on the Wikileaks Vault 7 disclosures. Better keep that webcam covered, right Travis?

Mark Asquith, Snapchat exodus, and building communities that stick Mar 07, 2017

In this week's episode, recorded on the day of the Snap IPO, Stewart and Travis discuss the supposed exodus of influencers using Snapchat, and whether those with a huge following are that valuable to your business anyway. With great reward comes great risk, right PewDiePie? We also discuss the latest AI-powered marketing technology, and Travis throws down a challenge.

After the news, we interview the UK's top podcaster, Mark Asquith, on how to build communities that stick around and creating amazing content, something he knows a thing or two about.

Mitchell Reichgut, honest ads, and the future of conversational commerce Feb 28, 2017

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis interview Mitchell Reichgut about honesty in mobile ads, consumers and the "race to X," and what the future holds for mobile engagement.

In the news, we talk about the latest announcements in conversational commerce, including developments in taking payments through Facebook Messenger, and the A.I.-driven retail landscape being created by Amazon Echo and Google Home. Because if Skynet is going to take over, it'll be a lot easier to beat humans that have spent all their money on pizzas and movie tickets.

Itai Lahan, Snapchat for brands, and artificially intelligent design Feb 21, 2017

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis discuss the impact A.I. is having on the way websites are designed. A.I. is now building millions of creative elements for us, and we're starting to move away from curated, static web pages. We interview Itai Lahan of Cloudinary on the future of images and video, and how technology can still offer up a few surprises in that area, especially as smartphones and mobile internet access expand across third-world countries.

And in the news, we talk about the free ride brands are getting from Snapchat, and how long it might (not) last.

Howard Love, Twitter TV, and how A.I. might make you redundant Feb 14, 2017

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis talk about how live video is taking over Twitter to the point where the social network is becoming a global TV network, how 4K 360-degree content will start to become the norm in the near future, and why that means Stewart will have to start using a better moisturiser. We then find out why A.I. is making SEO consultants redundant.

We then interview Howard Love, author of The Startup J Curve, on how startups can succeed, and how the 'always mobile, always connected' customer has changed the landscape forever.

Sean Sheppard, growth lessons, and 3 billion reasons to care about Snapchat Spectacles Feb 07, 2017

In this episode, Travis and Stewart interview Sean Sheppard of GrowthX on how to grow your startup, the lessons he has learned along the way, and what you can do differently that will have a massive impact on your fledgling business.

We also talk about Facebook's quarterly results and the massive $3 billion Snap Inc. IPO - timely, since Stewart showed up to the recording of this episode wearing his newly acquired Snapchat Spectacles. The future is 10 seconds long, dear listeners.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, AR sneakers, and a community of 500,000 friendly people Jan 31, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart finish up their Web Summit series of podcasts with a bona fide Hollywood star, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. We talk with Joe (as Stewart now calls him) about the creative, collaborative community he founded with his brother - hitRECord - and how he has not only managed to grow it to over half a million members but why everyone on the platform interacts in such a respectful way. In the news, we talk about the difference between US and EU chatbots, what AI is going to do to marketers, and we sneak in a little retail therapy, augmented reality-style. Or is that mixed reality?

Stephane Kasriel, machine marketing, and the future of work Jan 24, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart continue their Web Summit series of interviews with the awesome Stephane Kasriel of Upwork, which connects more than 12 million freelancers with over 5 million customers. We find out how it manages such a diverse and expansive community, and what has changed since mobile became dominant. And in the news, it is all about how machine learning is transforming marketing technology. Maybe in the future, marketers will be able to focus on being creative again, instead of being technologists. Oh, and we brag a little in this episode. Sorry about that, but someone has to do it.

Katia Beauchamp, A.I. everywhere, and signing 1 million subscribers Jan 17, 2017

This week, Travis and Stewart continue their Web Summit series of interviews with the amazing Katia Beauchamp of Birchbox, the original box subscription service. We find out how the company has signed more than one million subscribers, and four million customers, in such a short time. We also hear how mobile has changed everything, and why it is so important now.

In the news segment, we reveal a new breed of marketing tool powered by A.I. and machine learning, and find out why that technology is going to be transformative in 2017. And if that wasn't enough, we attempt some really bad Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions.

Robert Scoble, CES madness, and the iPhone 8 rumor mill Jan 10, 2017

Travis and Stewart are back with a bang after the holiday season break. In this episode, we continue our Web Summit series of interviews with the one and only Robert Scoble, who was carrying a Microsoft Hololens in his jacket pocket the way you and I would store our smartphones. He gives us the lowdown on the future of VR, AR, MR, and the iPhone 8.

And in the news segment, we focus on CES in Las Vegas. Travis has been walking the floor, checking out all the latest developments, including those in mobile, AI, and the Internet of Things. When you hear just how many devices will be connected by the year 2020, and how they might control each other autonomously, you're either going to embrace our new overlords or book that one-way ticket to Mars.

Paddy Cosgrave, network effect, and 360 degrees of guesses Dec 20, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart wrap up 2016 - which has been such a great year - with their predictions for the future of mobile, marketing, engagement, community, and everything else we manage to shoehorn into VB Engage each week. We also thank our families, producers, directors, makeup artists, and editors for 33 episodes of slightly above-average content, and reveal which publication was good enough to put us in their 'must listen' list of marketing podcasts for 2017.

Then, we interview Paddy Cosgrave - the founder of Web Summit - on how he and his team managed to grow this tech event from humble beginnings to an amazing 53,000 visitors in just a few short years. The answers include data science, network effect, and a serious amount of hard work.

Alexis Ohanian, Reddit's influence, and predicting the future Dec 13, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart interview Alexis Ohanian, cofounder of the front page of the internet, Reddit. The second in our Web Summit series, this was recorded the morning of the U.S. Presidential Election results, which made for some interesting discussion around communities, influence, and Reddit's role in that process -- a topic that has since become quite the discussion point. In the news, we discuss what has happened at Reddit since the interview, reveal Facebook's new dynamic ads for app installs, and revisit the time we predicted what was going wrong at Pebble, which shut down this week.

Alan Schaaf, $7 investments, and the future of A.I. Dec 06, 2016

This week, we bring you the first VB Engage to have been recorded live on stage! That's right: At Web Summit in Lisbon earlier this year, we got to interview Alan Schaaf of internet phenomenon Imgur about the evolution of the company, geek culture, community, and what it takes to create a success from seemingly meagre beginnings.

In the news segment, Travis quizzes Stewart about his trip to Helsinki -- where he spoke at Nexterday North and Slush -- and discovers what he learned about the near future, artificial intelligence, mobile marketing, and where technology is taking us next.

Jessy Hanley, marketing secrets, and Instagram's Snapchat killer Nov 29, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart interview Jessy Hanley, who knows a thing or two (well, more like a few thousand things) about apps, games, and how to unlock the secrets of success.

They also discuss the latest Instagram features, which look to further copy Snapchat and take on the likes of Periscope and Facebook Live. Will Instagram win, or are we headed toward a live streaming future that no one company will dominate? The dynamic duo put their futurist brains to the test as they try to work out what will happen next.

Seth Besmertnik, being brutally original, and making Spectacles of yourselves Nov 22, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart talk with Seth Besmertnik about content marketing, SEO, mobile engagement, how to make sure the output you create is actually seen, and what to do to ensure your potential customers actually care about you. And in this week's news we discuss the latest and greatest in VR, plus we talk about what's going on with Snap Inc.'s Spectacles, a wearable that interacts with Snapchat to provide a less geeky, more socially acceptable Google Glass-like experience.

Want a pair? Turns out there isn't an easy way to get hold of them right now, but that's part of the fun, right?

Veronica Belmont, chatbot therapy, and 72 hours in Lisbon Nov 15, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart have been in Lisbon for Web Summit, where 53,056 people ate over 97,000 custard pastries, and the world's best minds came together to drop knowledge bombs across 17 stages.

We reveal who we interviewed for our special VB Engage: Web Summit episodes and discuss the highlights of the conference before talking with the brilliant Veronica Belmont on how big brands are embracing chatbots, why discovery is a big issue, and what her favorite chatbot examples are -- one of which is like having a therapist in your pocket.

Alexis Fogel, Hillary's emails, and telling the truth at all times Nov 08, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart discuss Hillary Clinton's biggest e-mail mistakes. No, not those e-mails, but the thousands she sends to her supporters every day. Being fair-minded, we also talk about Donald Trump's messages to voters. Thanks to new research on both candidates' outreach practices, we highlight three marketing lessons for your business.

We also interview Alexis Fogel of Dashlane, who explains how the security app managed to grow so quickly, and why being transparent helps with trust, engagement, and community management.

Matt Asay, mobile horror stories, and what's next for Twitter Nov 01, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart interview Matt Asay of Adobe who -- during Halloween week -- tells us a few horror stories about how some mobile app and game developers have complicated their marketing stacks beyond belief and how hard it is for web-focused businesses to make the move to mobile.

We also discuss Twitter's latest news, including its earnings, user growth, and what this means for social advertising. Finally, we find out (thanks to Adobe's annual online sales predictions report, which is always spookily accurate) exactly what this holiday season holds for retail marketers.

Ray Beharry, intelligent fridges, and the $600 million mobile game Oct 25, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart talk with Ray Beharry, who is not only the CEO of Pollfish -- a mobile survey solution -- but an adjunct instructor at NYU. In other words, he's a very smart man, and he delivers takeaway after takeaway to help you win in today's mobile-driven market (although we're not sure about his penchant for intelligent white goods). And in the news, we discuss some seriously clever retail solutions that marry machine learning, mobile, and online sales together with interactive mirrors. There's also talk of messaging app LINE's apparent flatlining, and we reveal how Pokémon GO has managed to reach the $600 million mark faster than any mobile game in history.

Mark Ghermezian, free sneakers, and how apps are taking over the world Oct 18, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart discuss apps. A lot. There's a new solution on the block this week that could spell the end of "shovelware" on your smartphone and help you when you run out of memory or your battery is draining too fast. Plus, we reveal the details of a new study that explains exactly how to win over your app-wielding competition this holiday season. We then talk to Mark Ghermezian, CEO and co-founder at Appboy, about the rise of personalized app marketing, how to avoid being creepy, and why he gave away a truck-load of free, customized sneakers.

David Steinberg, crossing devices, and VR ads that smash you in the face Oct 11, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart talk about Google's Pixel and Daydream VR, Facebook's big Oculus VR event, and what the future of virtual reality marketing and advertising might look like as these devices enter the mainstream. We talk about our dreams and nightmares for VR ads, including some highly unsavory futures. We then chat with David Steinberg of Zeta Interactive about cross-device measurement, multi-channel campaigns, and using audience data in the most effective ways possible, without making consumers feel like we're getting creepy.

Marshall Kirkpatrick, faulty Facebook, and what AdWeek taught us about content Oct 04, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart get to talk with Marshall Kirkpatrick, cofounder of Little Bird, about influencer marketing. In fact, the three of us are so excited to be talking with each other that we almost explode -- not literally, of course. We also talk about Marshall's Magic Search Engine, which is an amazing resource everyone can use.

And in the news this week, we talk about the headlines coming out of AdWeek New York, including Facebook's inability to count and why content quality trumps views.

Adam Goldstein, avoiding Chinese airlines, and Snapchat's biggest problem Sep 27, 2016

This week, Travis and Stewart talk about the world's first dedicated Snapchat conference/awards show and a new solution that solves the ephemeral messaging platform's biggest issue. We then interview Adam Goldstein of Hipmunk -- the travel company and app that was just acquired by Concur -- and talk chatbots, natural language understanding, and the never-satisfied customer. And boy, do those customers ask some challenging questions.

Mark Organ, bad Kardashians, and the benevolence of Facebook Sep 20, 2016

This week, Stewart and Travis talk with Mark Organ about influencer marketing, employee advocacy, and how we can do more important things with our smartphones than play Angry Birds. We then reveal why the Kardashians are in trouble with the FTC, what Instagram are doing to make ads better for everyone, and how Facebook plans to power the new economy of chatbot payments.

Alain Falys, VR jump-scares, and Apple's show of courage Sep 13, 2016

There is no way that Travis and Stewart could leave the iPhone 7 launch out of this week's news, despite the fact that Apple has decided to leave the headphone jack out of the device. We talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of Apple's "courageous" decision and then dig into the engaging future of mobile marketing thanks to a world-first Blair Witch VR trailer. Then, Alain Falys takes us into the world of payments, spelling out the future of mobile wallets.

Jonathan Abrams, Zuck beef, and what the West can learn from WeChat Sep 06, 2016

In this episode, we talk to Jonathan Abrams of Nuzzel about the startup world, mobile engagement, being cross-platform, and how he makes a 100 percent organic acquisition strategy work. We also ask him a leading question about Mark Zuckerberg, which isn't awkward at all (honest).

Finally, we discuss Travis' trip to China and dig into why WeChat is dominating and what the US can learn from its meteoric rise.

Jon Ferrara, smashing phones, and the death and rebirth of CRM Aug 30, 2016

Stewart and Travis spend an awful long time reminiscing about the terrible, horrible days of using customer relationship management (CRM) solutions in the field and then muse on the future of smartphone-driven selling. We're then joined by CRM pioneer Jon Ferrara, who tells us that the past is broken, and the future is golden. Oh, and Jon forgets that visual jokes don't translate well on an audio podcast, but we love him all the more for it.

Roland Smart, vide-no, and the new marketing battleground Aug 24, 2016

This week, Stewart and Travis take a massive swipe at the mess Google's video-calling strategy is creating, the joy Google's app advertising strategy is creating, and the sudden death of Blab. We then talk with the ever-clever Roland Smart about marketing tech, mobile, and the battle that's raging between marketers and engineers.

Peter Dering, Kickstarter, and winning with radical transparency Aug 16, 2016

Travis and Stewart get excited about the new app sharing economy this week. What do we mean by that? Apps within apps, people, and we’ll tell you why you should get seriously pumped about this trend, too.

And then we interview Peter Dering, who was just about to launch his sixth successful Kickstarter campaign at the time we interviewed him. That's right - sixth! He tells us how he made it all work (hint: radical transparency helps).

Shira Abel, Footloose, and the problem of marketing debt Aug 09, 2016

This week, Stewart and Travis talk about one important news item: Instagram Stories. That's right - the Snapchat copycat has arrived on our mobile devices, and we break down what it does, what it doesn't, and why it is perfect for re-enacting '80s VHS tape covers.

We then interview Shira Abel, who schools us on marketing debt, putting marketers in the boxing ring with the engineers, and why mobile is everything.

Vala Afshar, American yogurt, and improving human performance with mobile tech Aug 02, 2016

Stewart and Travis take a stab at understanding what is going on at Apple in a week where everyone announced their latest results, and we wonder whether Snapchat will grind to a halt soon as it adds yet another 3D solution to its stable.

We then soak in the knowledge of Vala Afshar who schools us in everything from mobile to marketing, digital IQs to data science, and why culture is more important than technology.

Brian Solis and how tech is changing our behavior Jul 26, 2016

Technology is accelerating, behaviors are changing, and thankfully there are people like Brian Solis around who can help make sense of it all. We talk to Brian about customer X-perience as well as dissecting the latest news, which includes debunking a well-worn stat about mobile apps.

Peter Shankman, being ADHD positive, and scaling a give-to-get mindset Jul 19, 2016

Stewart and Travis discuss new research that shows an ever-decreasing attention span, and Stewart suggests that nothing short of perfection will do for today's app-loving consumers - shipping an 'almost done' product early for feedback just isn't going to work anymore. They then we talk with the force of nature that is Peter Shankman about the power of ADHD, his latest projects, and what you can learn from his approach to engagement.

Scott Brinker, Pokemon GO, and mobile table stakes Jul 12, 2016

As Pokemon GO sweeps the nation and makes the news, Stewart and Travis discuss that particular phenomenon and what it means for the future of mobile mixed reality. We then talk about the world of mobile marketing with Scott Brinker, the man behind the original 'gotta catch 'em all' - the huge marketing technology landscape infographic.

Andrew Grill, full disclosure, and influencing the influencers Jul 05, 2016

This week, Stewart and Travis become artificially intelligent after speaking with Andrew Grill of IBM about employee advocacy, full disclosure, and influencer marketing in a mobile-first world.

In the news, it is (almost) all about chat bots now that we've discovered Facebook Messenger alone has 11,000 of these little assistants waiting to meet your every need. Well, as long as your every need is hearing a bunch of A.I.-generated dad jokes.

Talia Wolf, testing outcomes, and jumping from perfectly good planes Jun 28, 2016

This week, Stewart and Travis get excited about YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and every other live video platform while also being honest about why some of them have failed spectacularly. They then talk to the skydiving force of nature that is Talia Wolf, who helps us understand how to use conversion optimization in new and interesting ways (not just changing button colors).

Bryan Kramer, staying human, and the rise of the chat bots Jun 21, 2016

Stewart and Travis muse on Apple's WWDC conference, try to work out why Microsoft bought LinkedIn, and then talk about humans, artificial intelligence, chat bots, and the future of interactions with Bryan Kramer, who promises to stop filtering our emails out of his inbox in the future.

Aunkur Arya, waterproof mascara, and the future of mobile payments Jun 14, 2016

In this week's episode, Stewart and Travis wonder how the U.S. can't roll out decade-old Chip and PIN nationwide, yet they somehow get Apple and Android Pay before the rest of the world. They then interview Aunkur Arya of Braintree to find out what the future holds for mobile payments, and we discover that real men can cry.

Mayur Gupta, marketing, and the battle of the behemoths Jun 07, 2016

When it comes to marketing with technology, tools, and other words beginning with 'T,' Mayur Gupta really knows his stuff. In this episode, we discover how you can choose the right technologies to support your marketing goals and whether the huge enterprise players are a safe option or not.

Sarah Austin, artificial intelligence, and what happens when bots start to lie to each other May 30, 2016

Chat bots are all the rage right now, so Stewart and Travis attempt to gaze into the crystal ball and figure out what the future holds. Then, A.I. expert Sarah Austin tells us what is really going to happen, since she's much more qualified to predict what lays ahead.

Joel Comm, Snapchat, and what if your shadow talked back to you? May 30, 2016

Travis and Stewart dive head first into the Gen Z sensation that is Snapchat, throw on a few geofilters, and find out how Joel Comm is generating thousands of views per snap by letting his inner 12-year-old out every day.

Amy Vernon, content marketing, live video, and how Facebook can't count May 30, 2016

This week's news focuses on live video, streaming video, regular video, and every other type of video. We then talk to Amy Vernon about content marketing, the mobile audience, and why Peach was the Google Wave of social networks.

Gary Vaynerchuk on social media May 30, 2016

Stewart and Travis dig their teeth into the latest social news and then bring you their own version of the #AskGaryVee show with Gary Vaynerchuk.

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