Ok! Welcome back to my podcast: The Marketing Playbook with Mark Friedman! Presented by Details Interactive. Here, you’ll take away 3 game-winning marketing plays every episode to take back to your team. I’m your host, Mark Friedman, and my career has been focused on direct-to-consumer marketing; direct mail, physical retail, and digital commerce.
This is Episode #57 and today’s guest is Alan Kraft, the Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Media Horizons. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast spots – follow and leave a 5-star review if you have your playbook!
Podcast Episode #57: Alan Kraft – Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Media Horizons
Alan Kraft, the Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Media Horizons, adds his page to the Marketing Playbook. Hear how to be flexible and evolve, disconnect from your business, test new marketing channels, how Alan started Media Horizons in 1988, and his trips to 9 Super Bowls. This episode covers everything from football to marketing. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- What was his first experience as an entrepreneur?
- How did he start Media Horizons?
- What problems does Media Horizons solve?
- How is inflation affecting costs in the media space?
- Do direct mail businesses have a bias towards only direct mail?
- How does Alan approach Customer Lifetime Value?
- Can you be a one stop shop as a marketing agency?
- What is something Alan wishes he were better at?
Connect with Alan on LinkedIn.
Let’s open the playbook. Ready? Break! Check out the episode, show notes, and pictures below for much more detail.
Show Notes
- Intro
- [0:25] The Marketing Playbook with Mark Friedman
- [0:27] Details Interactive
- [0:38] Connect with Mark at Mark@DetailsInteractive.com, on Twitter at @DetailsInteract, and on LinkedIn
- [0:45] Connect with Alan on LinkedIn
- [1:08] Thank you as always to Max Branstetter of MaxPodcasting and the Wild Business Growth Podcast for producing this podcast. You can reach him at Max@MaxPodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life
- Alan’s Page of The Marketing Playbook with Mark Friedman
- [2:58] How has Alan been to 9 Super Bowls?
- [3:39] New York Jets
- [4:15] New York Giants
- [4:35] New York Mets
- [4:56] What is Alan’s first story?
- [6:32] What was his first experience as an entrepreneur?
- [8:00] How did he start Media Horizons?
- [9:28] Bootstrapping
- [10:07] What problems does Media Horizons solve?
- [10:53] Direct Mail
- [11:54] What does he think about digital marketing?
- [13:37] Millennials
- [14:10] What services does Media Horizons offer?
- [14:43] What is a matchback?
- [16:38] How is inflation affecting costs in the media space?’
- [18:02] How does Alan show customers what the attribution looks like?
- [20:03] Do direct mail businesses have a bias towards only direct mail?
- [21:19] Facebook
- [21:51] How does Alan approach Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)?
- [23:09] Do you have a Direct-to-Consumer business? I enjoy connecting with guests on this podcast because it reminds me what I love to do: strategic and tactical consulting for businesses like yours. If you’d like to speak with me and see how you can add a fresh set of eyes to your team, contact me at Mark@DetailsInteractive.com
- [23:36] What are the biggest challenges Alan has faced as a business owner?
- [25:41] Can you be a one stop shop as a marketing agency?
- [26:44] Gen Z (Generation Z)
- [28:38] Steve Madden
- [29:08] How did Alan sell his company?
- [31:31] Was it a difficult change to get a new boss?
- [33:18] How have Alan’s clients changed since the start of the pandemic?
- [34:42] Stock Market
- 2-Minute Drill
- [36:51] Goldbelly
- [37:04] Weather App
- [37:14] Amazon, Brochu Walker
- [37:22] What is something Alan wishes he were better at?
- [37:43] Filling in the Blanks
- [37:55] What is a superpower Alan wishes he had?
- [38:13] What’s his most-prized possession other than family?
- Outro
- [38:33] Connect with Alan on LinkedIn
- [38:55] This week’s 3 Game-Winning Plays are as follows:
- Be flexible and evolve
- Disconnect from your business
- Test new marketing channels
- [40:01] If you want to check out more pages of The Marketing Playbook, make sure to follow on your favorite podcast spot and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts
- [40:22] Connect with Mark at Mark@DetailsInteractive.com, on Twitter at @DetailsInteract, and on LinkedIn
- Theme Song: Jazzy Man Funk Rock – Auditone Music Library – provided by Jamendo
What is The Marketing Playbook with Mark Friedman?
Mark Friedman (that’s me) knows direct-to-consumer marketing. The 30+ year industry veteran has served as the President of eCommerce at Steve Madden, Chief Marketing Officer of Brooks Brothers, mentor to dozens of startups, and even youth sports coach. You’ll take away 3 fundamental tips every episode to help your team knock it out of the park, and draw up strategies for digital marketing, eCommerce, customer monetization, and pivoting with the brightest all-stars in business. Do you have your playbook?
How can I work with Details Interactive?
That’s it! Today’s game ball goes to Alan Kraft. Thank you, Playbook Marketers, for listening. If you want to check out more pages of The Marketing Playbook, make sure to follow on your favorite podcast spot and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. You can also follow us on Twitter at @DetailsInteract and learn more at DetailsInteractive.com. Until next time, The devil is in the details.