Press Play: Video Marketing Leaders

Thanks for joining us for the first season of the Press Play Podcast!  For more information about Explainify and the Press Play Podcast, check out our website!  https://explainify.com/

On this week’s episode of the Press Play Podcast, Alex Matulionis joins host Derek Gerber to discuss all of the exciting things happening at CaptivateIQ. Alex is a software engineer with CaptivateIQ, and he is on the frontlines of all the business’s recent and upcoming developments.  You don’t want to miss this episode! Shownotes(0:37) Introducing Alex Matulionis and CaptivateIQ (4:36) Partnering with Workday(5:42) Using education as a marketing tool(10:19) Full-stack development(12:50) A deeper look into CaptivateIQ(15:29) What’s next for CaptivateIQ?LinksDerek GerberAlex MatulionisCaptivateIQ  Quotes“If you need anything for calculating sales commissions and incentivizing your salespeople, CaptivateIQ is the way to go.” (5:09) - Alex Matulionis“Our platform is super flexible and very dynamic, and it can do quite literally anything you want it to do.  However, that’s a tricky problem to solve because with a lot of moving parts, it takes someone who almost has omniscient knowledge of the system.  So we’re working tirelessly on improving the whole user experience.” (14:39) - Alex Matulionis

In this episode of the Press Play Podcast, Derek Gerber talks with someone who played a significant role in shaping the childhood of Derek’s generation. Tom Bancroft spent over a decade with Disney as a Supervising Character Animator before founding multiple production companies, including Pencilish Animation Studios, where he currently acts as the Chief Executive Officer.  Whether you realize it or not, you are likely already familiar with Tom’s work. His time at Disney later became known as the Second Golden Era for Disney animation. He animated characters for several well-known Disney movies, including The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Tarzan, Mulan, Atlantis, Brother Bear, and Pocahontas. He also created Mushu, a dragon character in Mulan.  Shownotes(0:38) Introducing Tom Bancroft(8:37) Crowdfunding in animation(16:48) Bjorn the Last Unicorn and Mind Over Murphy(21:38) What sets Pencilish apart?(26:23) NFTs(32:05) Closing thoughtsLinksDerek GerberTom Bancroft PencilishPencilish YouTubeBankrupt Brothers Animation Podcast   Quotes“How many movies can you think of from when you were a kid that are still around today and people know about them? It’s a very rare occurrence, and so for me to say I have five or six movies that people still really remember is kind of amazing at my age.” (4:26) - Tom Bancroft“We also now have an army.  We not only got them to invest and help us get going, but we have this army of shareholders that hopefully are not only fans of me or animation, but of this company that they now co-own with us, and so they want it to succeed.” (14:27) - Tom Bancroft“That’s what we’re talking about is cutting out middlemen nowadays and going direct to our audience.  And we can do that now because guess what.  We all have a distribution system in our hands, and it’s in our pockets all day long.” (30:50) - Tom Bancroft

In this week’s episode of the Press Play Podcast, Derek Gerber sits down with Ayla Acosta, an Account Service Executive in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ corporate partnerships department. The pair discusses the importance of synergy and alignment with corporate partners, resuming in-person programs and activations, and why video should be an essential part of marketing programs.  You don’t want to miss this episode!Shownotes(0:39) Introducing Ayla Acosta(2:01) Synergy and collaboration(3:15) Adapting strategies for an evolving world(6:59) How video impacts corporate partnerships(9:03) Reintegrating in-person programs(12:57) What’s next for Ayla and the Diamondbacks?(14:50) Sports betting (16:43) Final thoughtsLinksDerek GerberAyla Acosta Quotes“You need to make sure that you’re collaborating correctly with all of your partners.  You know, we call it a corporate partnership because it is a partnership at the end of the day.” (2:10) - Ayla Acosta“When we’re looking for new partners or we’re looking to continue working with our current partners, we just have to make sure that alignment is there between our organizations.” (2:38) - Ayla Acosta“You’re trying to use video to portray events and emotions, and you want to do that in a way that words can’t.  So if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million.” (7:31) - Ayla Acosta“We’re trying to utilize videos for a lot of our press releases and any big news that we have coming out because we want to showcase what the experiences are, not just tell you what it is. Because if we feel like we can show you, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect.  You’ll get more excited about it and want to come and be a part of it.” (7:43) - Ayla Acosta“One thing that I’ve noticed about the Arizona Diamondbacks and something that really drew me here to begin with was just how much we play into our fans.  It’s all about fan experience.” (10:16) - Ayla Acosta

In this week’s episode of the Press Play Podcast, Tim Torigian joins host Derek Gerber to discuss marketing best practices. Tim is the Director of Corporate Partnerships for the New England Free Jacks, a professional rugby team based in Boston, Massachusetts, which recently completed its first season hosting home games.  Thanks for listening!Shownotes(0:38) Introducing Tim Torigian and the New England Free Jacks(5:57) How digital marketing is spreading the Free Jacks name(8:54) Showcasing partners(13:24) The challenges of marketing a team in a major market(17:00) What’s next?   LinksDerek GerberTim TorigianNew England Free Jacks  Quotes“We can talk to people not just in New England, but we’ve got fans all over the county, if not all over the world, because our players are coming from all over the world.” (7:07) - Tim Torigian“As much as we liked being partners with [Delta], and it’s such a great value, but, you know, we love having them out at games.  We try to almost return the favor.  We want to make it so when people come out to a Free Jacks game, they have that same experience that they would have if they’re flying Delta.” (7:50) - Tim Torigian“Whenever we have someone who we think is going to be a good fit and we have some great conversations, there’s no shortage of creativity.  And kudos to our team and our management.  They give us a lot of flexibility and say ‘If you guys have a good idea, let’s run with it.  Let’s see what can happen.’” (11:32) - Tim Torigian

SummaryOn this episode of the Press Play Podcast, Rick Girard joins host Derek Gerber to discuss hiring best practices. Rick is the CEO of Stride Search Inc., specializing in helping startups make the correct hiring decisions. He also hosts the podcast Hire Power Radio, and he is the author of Healing Career Wounds.  Tune in to hear about how to ensure you are hiring the best candidate every time!Shownotes(0:38) Introducing Rick Girard and Stride Search(5:55) Success stories(7:44) The Great Resignation(9:20) Successful education and marketing strategies(10:46) Interviews must connect with corporate values(14:27) What to expect from the HireOS (19:28) Closing thoughtsLinksDerek GerberRick GirardStride Search  Quotes“We make [hiring] decisions based on whether or not we like somebody, or whether or not they bring the skills that we need.  So we make decisions based on irrational thought patterns that essentially put us in bad positions, and it doesn’t really put us in a position where we’re setting ourselves up for success.” (4:43) - Rick Girard“If you want to be successful as a company, people need to be aligned with the values of the company at its core.” (11:12) - Rick Girard“You should be getting an ROI out of every person that you bring on board.” (13:35) - Rick Girard

SummaryDon’t worry; it’s only rocket science!On this week’s episode of the Press Play Podcast, host Derek Gerber discusses rocket science, animation, and all things in between with Iliya Pyshny, the man behind Spaceiac.  Iliya studied electrical engineering and computer science before dropping out of school to commit himself full-time to Spaceiac.  Iliya’s online persona, Spaceiac, publishes engaging, easy-to-understand explainer content that simplifies the complicated science behind rockets.  Together, Derek and Iliya discuss why Iliya chose animation, developing an animation style, and how Iliya uses animation to simplify complex ideas.Shownotes(0:37) Introducing Iliya and Spaceiac(5:03) What inspires Iliya’s content?(11:52) Developing an animation style(14:38) Using animation to teach complicated concepts(18:25) Adapting for a longer format(20:27) Why Iliya chose animation over live footage (23:57) Closing thoughts LinksDerek GerberSpaceiac Quotes“If you try to improve your content and you actually experiment a little bit, you first make your content really unique and stand out from the rest, and people really appreciate the work because if they go through your feed and everything, they really see the progression curve of all that.” (6:49)“I try to explain it as simple as possible so that even my smaller siblings understand it, and they are 10 and 11.  So, if I can explain that to them, I’m pretty sure that everybody can understand it.” (16:01)  “I know [from cartoons], if you take away the voice-overs and everything, the story is still coherent, and that’s one of the things that’s really great with 2d animation.” (22:00)

On this week’s episode of the Press Play Podcast, Derek Gerber sits down with longtime friend Will Crist. Will is a certified EOS implementer, and he believes in a brighter future for entrepreneurs, their businesses, and their teams. Derek and Will discuss COVID-19’s effects on the workforce, the importance of purpose, the EOS curriculum, and much more.  Check it out!Shownotes(0:37) Introducing Will and EOS(5:32) Why Will chose EOS(8:38) Five things businesses need to understand(11:53) The importance of purpose (14:37) EOS curriculum(18:31) Deciding if EOS is right for you(22:18) People aren’t quitting!LinksDerek GerberWill CristEOS   Quotes“Companies are going to have to change the way that they recruit, retain, and motivate their people.” (3:17)“What’s important is doing what you love doing, because that’s where you’re going to find the most fulfillment.” (9:19)“People can talk about what their experience is to find out if there’s a fit, and then people can decide whether they want to invest the time, the resources, and the money to make their business better.” (19:54) 

On this week’s episode of the Press Play Podcast, Derek Gerber sits down with Kim Ades, Founder and CEO of Frame of Mind Coaching and The Journal That Talks Back. Kim is passionate about helping others achieve mental wellness, and she has some creative solutions to accomplish her goals. She and Derek discuss the motivation behind her businesses, how she helps others, and how she utilizes video to promote her ventures.  Check it out!Shownotes(0:37) Introducing Kim Ades and Frame of Mind Coaching(6:14) Teaching others how to accomplish their goals(13:17) Marketing strategies(19:28) What’s next for Kim and Frame of Mind?LinksDerek GerberKim AdesFrame of Mind Coaching  The Journal That Talks Back Quotes“From the get-go, what we noticed was that if we could lay down the whole accountability model and leave it alone and say, ‘Let’s help people simply think differently.  Let’s help them align their thinking in their beliefs with their desires and their goals,’ then they will naturally take action to reach their objectives.” (8:05)“You can have a million goals, but if you have all this chatter running around in your brain that doesn’t let you rest, it’s going to be very, very hard to reach your goals.  And then when you don’t reach your goals, guess what happens?  The chatter gets worse.  It gets louder, harder, and harsher.” (10:23)“What we’re really doing is trying to tell the story, and the story is that there’s a huge issue in the world with mental wellness at a young age.  And so the question is, how do you get help?” (14:06)“It’s really important for us to always be adding value when we are creating videos.” (18:22)

SummaryOn this week’s episode of the Press Play Podcast, Zane Heinselman joins host Derek Gerber to discuss marketing the minor league experience.  Zane is the Director of Sales and Partnerships for the St. Paul Saints, the AAA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.  Tune in to hear how Zane is making sure that the Saints are standing out from the crowd in a major league city!Shownotes(0:37) Introducing Zane Heinselman and the St. Paul Saints(2:11) Finding partners that engage with the community(4:10) Curating a memorable experience at a minor league ballpark(7:34) Engaging fans through partnerships (12:56) Using digital content to level the playing field (15:16) Engaging with the community in wacky ways LinksDerek GerberZane Heinselman Quotes“Our corporate partners need to understand that we are a community asset, so they need to be engaged also with the community.  So when we’re seeking corporate partners, we want to find partners who want to be with the community, want to engage with the community in the same way we do, and want to build multi-integrated partnerships that have value [across multiple channels].” (3:14)“When we can put the Saints flare on everything we do outside the ballpark and on our digital team, it really helps engage with partners, engage with fans, and help continue to build our brand.” (10:06)“I think that the biggest thing that digital content does is it almost levels the playing field a little bit.” (13:11)