The Marketing Gateway
By: Sean Jordan
Language: en
Categories: Business, Marketing
A podcast about marketing, focused on St. Louis, MO!
Episodes
When to Leave Focus Groups to the Professionals (Episode 031 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 15, 2025Have you ever wondered how emotions shape group discussions?
Today we are diving into the unpredictable world of focus groups and how a professional moderator can guide the conversation!
Don't underestimate the power of skilled moderation, it's the key to unlocking genuine insights!
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The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of https://www.researchplan.com/) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sean s...
Duration: 00:15:54Why a High Net Promoter Score Doesn't Equal Success (Episode 030 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 12, 2025Think a high NPS equals success? Think again!
In this episode, we discuss the pitfalls of relying on NPS as a measure of customer loyalty.
Key Insight: Context matters! Customers have different reasons for their recommendations.
SOURCES:
The One Number You Need to Grow
https://nashc.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/the-one-number-you-need-to-know.pdf
Decomposing Brand Loyalty: An Examination of Loyalty Subcomponents, Product Price Range, Consumer Personality, and Willingness to Pay
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/2/189
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<... Duration: 00:16:09Interview with Ed Lahue (Part 1) (Episode 029 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 11, 2025Today we are diving in the the incredible history of friend and fellow marketing mentor, Ed Lahue!
This is part 1 of 2. Tune in for part 2 on Tuesday, December 16th!
Ed Lahue, MBA is an Innovation Consultant in St. Louis. Ed helps technology start-ups
and established businesses expand their innovation efforts through supporting various
universities and SBDC centers. He counsels and teaches new business modeling, market
research and other startup curriculum.
With 40 years of experience, Ed has an extensive background in innovation...
Duration: 00:38:57How Much are YOU Willing to Spend to Keep a Customer? (Episode 028 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 10, 2025Ever lost a customer over just a few cents?
Listen to my story from my McDonald's days and learn how small mistakes can lead to big consequences in customer relationships.
It’s a wake-up call for all businesses to prioritize customer satisfaction!
What’s the craziest reason you’ve heard for someone leaving a brand?
SOURCES:
https://hbr.org/2014/10/the-value-of-keeping-the-right-customers
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22870250/nft-beanie-baby-price-guide-bubble-princess-value
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/10/1236458377/charity-roundup-donations-stores-fundraising
A...
Duration: 00:17:27The Worst Customer Service Advice I EVER Heard! (Episode 027 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 09, 2025Think customer service is just about making the sale? Think again!
In this episode, we discuss a pivotal moment in my career that taught me how crucial service is for success.
Picture sources (In order of appearance):
Miniseries at https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/anonymous-person-paying-with-their-cell-phone-gm1447777322-485498281
Porta from https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/multi-ethnic-group-of-people-having-group-therapy-session-gm1372536439-441614679
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-01-28/gamestop-gme-squeeze-should-i-invest-and-buy-shares-of-the-hot-stock
Springtime78 at https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/kleptomania-gm537906532-95583437
Rob...
Duration: 00:17:05The Case for Brand Mascots (Episode 026 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 08, 2025Remember Flo from Progressive? She’s not just a face; she’s a marketing genius!
In our latest podcast, we explore how mascots like Flo and the Aflac Duck have skyrocketed brand awareness and success. They’re fun, memorable, and can capture your audience's attention like nothing else!
Who do you think is the most effective mascot?
SOURCES:
Mascots by Jeff Marzick
https://www.theculturecrush.com/feature/mascots
Handsome Dan: A 130-year-old legacy
https...
Duration: 00:14:03"WELCOME TO THE NEXT LEVEL" A Story about SEGA - (Episode 025 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 05, 2025Console wars: a battle of brands and strategies!
The secret?
Knowing your customer better than your competitor! Sega’s victory against Nintendo shows the power of understanding your audience!
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The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of https://www.researchplan.com/) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sean shares insights about the world of marketing and speaks to people who are working in...
Duration: 00:15:04The GSTIC Plan (Episode 024 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 04, 2025Planning is everything!
In this episode, we uncover how the G-STIC framework helps marketers avoid pitfalls by clearly defining goals, strategies, and tactics.
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The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of https://www.researchplan.com/) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sean shares insights about the world of marketing and speaks to people who are working in various marketing roles - creative agencies, brand managers, MarCom p...
Duration: 00:15:45Harley Davidson and the Culture of Consumption (Episode 023 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 03, 2025Ever thought about how brands shape your identity?
We’re uncovering how brands influence our identities in our latest episode. From the cool guy with a Mustang to the geek with a Prius, our choices define us!
ARTICLE
https://www.scribd.com/document/734592400/schouten-mcalexander-1995
BAUM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Baum_(surgeon)
ATTRIBUTION
Leather jacket photo by Adrian Ordonez on Unsplash
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The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podca...
Duration: 00:11:50Moonvertising! (Episode 022 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 02, 2025Ever heard of the infamous Rolling Rock ads featuring a fictitious VP of Marketing?
Their outrageous Moonvertising campaign aimed to spark conversation but left many confused instead.
SOURCES: SCHLITZ
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/04/06/the-ad-that-made-schlitz-infamous/
https://everything-everywhere.com/the-schlitz-mistake/
https://vinepair.com/articles/schlitz-history-ad-campaign/
https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/schlitz-vintage-ads/
SOURCES: ROLLING ROCK
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14Ideas-Section2-C-t-009.html (Archive: https://archive.ph/4L4kY)
https://vinepair.com/articles/rolling-rock-moonvertising-hoax/
https://www.wsj.com/a...
Duration: 00:10:49The Case for Billboards and Outdoor Advertising (Episode 021 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Dec 01, 2025Let's take a road trip and learn more about outdoor advertising and billboards, one of the most reliable strategies for getting eyeballs from everyday people... but also one of the least-used among many types of products, brands and organizations!
Sean in St. Louis makes the case for why outdoor advertising is useful... and how to do it right!
NOTE: No motorists were harmed in the collection of the road trip footage in the Youtube version of this podcast! But it did make a long drive a lot more entertaining as Sean searched for billboards...
A Brief History of Black Friday (Episode 020 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Nov 28, 2025Ever wondered why it's called "Black Friday"? Let's find out in today's episode!
SOURCE: https://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wordroutes/the-origins-of-black-friday/
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The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of https://www.researchplan.com/) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sean shares insights about the world of marketing and speaks to people who are working in various marketing roles - creative agencies, brand managers, MarCom professionals, PR p...
Duration: 00:06:07Happy Thanksgiving from the Marketing Gateway! (Episode 019 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Nov 27, 2025From a family day, to a shopping day, and now back to a family day!
Let's talk about the shift in the meaning of Thanksgiving in today's episode!
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The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of https://www.researchplan.com/) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sean shares insights about the world of marketing and speaks to people who are working in various marketing roles - c...
Duration: 00:05:42The Real Story Behind Coca Cola’s Secret Formula (Episode 018 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Nov 26, 2025Ever wondered what makes Coca-Cola so irresistible?
Dive into the secrets behind the world’s favorite drink with us!
Coca-Cola has thrived not just on its recipe but on clever marketing. It’s a product people want, not need!
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The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of https://www.researchplan.com/) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sean shares insights about the world of marketing and speak...
Duration: 00:13:18Herta Herzog, The Mother of the Focus Group (Episode 017 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Nov 25, 2025Misinformation isn't always malicious. Sometimes you're just that, misinformed!
Today's episode is all about Dr. Herta Herzog and how we are giving her her rightful spot in the history of insights research!
Links to what was mentioned in the episode:
https://www.academia.edu/5878704/The_Founding_Mothers_of_Communication_Research_Toward_A_History_of_a_Gendered_Assemblage?auto=download&auto_download_source=social-news
https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/bitstream/handle/document/90597/sopolis-herta-herzog-1910-2010.pdf?sequence=-1&isAllowed=y&lnkname=sopolis-herta-herzog-1910-2010.pdf
<... Duration: 00:13:38Interview with Wes Morgan (Episode 16 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Nov 24, 2025How important is art in marketing? How is marketing evolving? And how is technology evolving the marketing landscape?
Find out this and more in my interview with Wes Morgan!
Adventures in Advertising Wes invested the first 15 years of his career fine-tuning skills as a marketer in full-service advertising agency environments in New York, Los Angeles, Raleigh (NC), Miami and St. Louis. Brand assignments include a long list of well known and some lesser known brands such as Matchbox Toys, The United States Marine Corps, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Pepsi, Campbell's Soup, Se...
Duration: 00:41:25Marketing Showdown: The Xbox One vs The PlayStation 4 (Episode 015 - The Marketing Gateway podcast)
Nov 21, 2025Our trilogy of episodes concludes with the lessons Sony learned from the disastrous launch of the PlayStation 3 allowing them to find huge success with the PlayStation 4...
...and Microsoft failing to learn the same lessons from the botched launch of the Xbox One, leading to a situation today where the once-valuable Xbox brand is now permanently tarnished while the PlayStation brand is still riding high.
It's all about marketing, and it's all here on The Marketing Gateway!
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The Marketing Gateway is a weekly...
Duration: 00:19:18Marketing Showdown: The Xbox 360 vs The PlayStation 3 (Episode 014 - The Marketing Gateway podcast)
Nov 21, 2025Ever wondered how the Xbox 360 became a gaming powerhouse?
It all started with a bold marketing strategy that shifted the gaming landscape!
Find out how Microsoft turned what many would consider a massive loss on the original Xbox into a monumental win with the Xbox 360! What’s your take on the evolution of gaming consoles?
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The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of https://www.researchplan.com/) and featuring guests fro...
Duration: 00:12:19Marketing Showdown: Microsoft's Zune vs the Apple iPod (Episode 013 - The Marketing Gateway podcast)
Nov 19, 2025Did you know that Microsoft once tried to compete with the iPod?
In this week's episode, we dive into the story of the Zune and what went wrong for Microsoft. The key takeaway? Just throwing money at a product doesn’t guarantee success. Understanding your audience is everything!
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The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of https://www.researchplan.com/) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sea...
Duration: 00:10:23Interview with Jolene Sherman (Part 2) (Episode 012 - The Marketing Gateway podcast)
Nov 18, 2025What lead Jolene to the MBA program at SIUE, and what big idea did her group have for Little Debbie? Find out this, and more, in part 2 of our interview!
Jolene Sherman is a longtime digital advertising and media leader who’s passionate about helping businesses grow smarter. With nearly two decades of experience across media sales, ad-tech, and business development, she now serves as Senior Director of Enterprise Solutions at Fluency, where she helps organizations streamline operations and unlock new revenue through automation. Jolene has led high-performing teams at Lee Enterprises, the St. Louis Po...
Duration: 00:24:07Interview with Jolene Sherman (Part 1) (Episode 011 - The Marketing Gateway podcast)
Nov 17, 2025How does someone with an Elementary Education degree pivot into marketing? What was marketing like at the beginning of the internet age? Let's find out in today's interview with Jolene Sherman!
Contact information:
Jolene Sherman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolene-sherman/
The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of The Research & Planning Group, Inc.) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sean shares insights about the wo...
Duration: 00:30:18How Southwest Airlines Tarnished its Brand (Episode 010 - The Marketing Gateway podcast)
Nov 14, 2025Southwest Airlines used to be one of the most beloved airlines in North America and one of the poster children of business school case studies. But recently, they've been under the control of an activist investor hedge fund and have been forced to become like every other airline... a move customers hate and that is ruining their brand.
Why did Southwest make these decisions, and what should they do to correct their course?
The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of ...
Duration: 00:14:45Interview with Vu Violet Do (Part 2) (Episode 009 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Nov 13, 2025How do you find time for you passion projects? What is the best way to look for advice? How different is marketing in real life versus the classroom? Today we are concluding our chat with Vu Violet Do!
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Vu Violet Do
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vudosgvn/
The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of The Research & Planning Group, Inc.) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Ev...
Duration: 00:36:26Cows, Dogs and Rising Stars - The Growth-Share Matrix (Episode 008 - The Marketing Gateway podcast)
Nov 12, 2025Have you ever wondered how a company or brand decides if it's going to keep a product on the shelves, sell it off to another company or put a lot of marketing dollars into making sure it's a success?
Wonder no more! The logic is all explained by the Growth-Share Matrix, aka the Boston Consulting Group Matrix or BCG Matrix. And it's a really useful tool that you can use for just about any context (as Sean explains with three examples)!
The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St...
Duration: 00:10:30Interview with Vu Violet Do (Part 1) (Episode 007 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Nov 11, 2025How different is marketing from the corporate side versus the agency side? How does your language affect everyone’s understanding? Today we are getting to hear from someone who has been on both sides of the research!
From marketing beginnings all the way in Vietnam, to expanding her horizons here in the Greater St. Louis area. This week, we are interviewing Vu Violet Do, one of the best Insights Consultants I know, and she was even once a student of mine! Stay tuned for Part 2 on Thursday, November 13th!
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Vu Vio...
All About the Ansoff Matrix - A Fundamental Tool! (Episode 006 - The Marketing Gateway podcast)
Nov 10, 2025The Ansoff Matrix is one of the golden oldies of marketing and management strategy, and if you're not familiar with it, you should be! And even if you are, it's always a good idea to brush up on the fundamentals!
The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of The Research & Planning Group, Inc.) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sean shares insights about the world of marketing and speaks to people who are...
Duration: 00:12:23Brought To You by the 4 P's... or is it the 4 C's? (Episode 005 - The Marketing Gateway podcast)
Nov 07, 2025There are many frameworks for defining what is conventionally known as the "marketing mix," and if you thought it was just 4 P's - Product, Price, Promotion and Place - you're going to learn a lot from this overview of some of the alternatives, like the 7 (or 8) P's, the 4 C's, the 5 C's, the 7 T's, the 5 A's... and more!
Be sure to read Philip Kotler's 2024 piece "The Past, Present and Future of Marketing" via the AMA: https://www.ama.org/2024/03/12/a-lifetime-in-marketing-lessons-learned-and-the-way-ahead-by-philip-kotler/
The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean...
Duration: 00:10:17Interview with Lisa Richter (Part 2) (Episode 004 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Nov 06, 2025Are you ready to learn more from one of the seasoned pros? Do you want to know why it's important to have professional moderators run focus groups? Why is it important to talk to your customers? What can St. Louis marketers do to boost their profile? And how can aspiring marketers position themselves for success?
We're kicking off our interview series with this interview with Lisa Richter, an experienced marketing researcher who's full of interesting insights to share! In fact, we learned so much, we broke it into two parts! (This is the second of them.)
<...
Why No One Knew KPOP Demon Hunters Would Be a Huge Hit (Episode 003 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Nov 05, 2025Have you watched KPOP Demon Hunters yet? It's not only the biggest streaming movie of the year, but the biggest movie in the history of streaming, with a huge cultural impact to match it! But nobody thought this film was going to be as big as it's become, and Netlfix and Sony Pictures Animation were as caught off guard as anyone. Were they asleep at the wheel... or is this just part of what happens when new ideas break through in a big way?
The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in...
Duration: 00:12:19Interview with Lisa Richter (Part 1) (Episode 002 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)
Nov 04, 2025Are you ready to learn from one of the seasoned pros? Have you ever wondered what phytoplankton are, or how research can be controversial, or how the St. Louis Cardinals can learn a thing or two from the LA Dodgers about engaging fans?
We're kicking off our interview series with this interview with Lisa Richter, an experienced marketing researcher who's full of interesting insights to share! In fact, we learned so much, we broke it into two parts! (This is the first of them.)
BONUS: You'll even learn how research is like Batman and...
How to Listen To Your Customers (Episode 001 - The Marketing Gateway podcast)
Nov 03, 2025Are you a good listener? You need to be if you want to be successful at marketing! And Sean takes some time in this solo episode to talk about why listening is one of a marketer's most important skills and how everyone can be better at it.
The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of The Research & Planning Group, Inc.) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sean shares insights about the world of...
Duration: 00:08:51