Todd and Kelly sit down with Jill and Jeff from Fuse.is to explore the evolution of marketing analytics in the age of AI.

The conversation challenges conventional wisdom about dashboards, data warehouses, and the future of business intelligence. Jeff and Jill reveal why "good enough" data accuracy is no longer acceptable and how their platform eliminates the fragile ETL pipelines that plague traditional analytics tools.

They discuss the critical difference between static dashboards and live data environments, the importance of semantic intelligence layers in preventing AI hallucinations, and why simplicity—not complexity—wins in the long term.

The discussion also tackles data privacy concerns, Google's new ads advisor, and the controversial question of whether dashboards are obsolete or essential.

For marketing executives and data-driven professionals tired of broken dashboards and inaccurate insights, this episode offers a contrarian perspective on how AI should truly amplify marketing intelligence.

Chapters

1. (00:00:00) - The Challenge of Data Interpretation for Junior Marketers
2. (00:01:00) - Are Dashboards Dead? The Evolution of Marketing Analytics
3. (00:04:00) - The Fragile ETL Pipeline Problem
4. (00:08:00) - Dashboards as Conduits for Exploration, Not Just Display
5. (00:11:00) - The Balance Between Simplicity and Complexity in Data
6. (00:15:00) - ETLs vs. AI: Comparing Human Error and Hallucinations
7. (00:19:00) - Fuse's Semantic Intelligence Layer: Preventing AI Hallucinations
8. (00:22:00) - Data Privacy, Compliance, and the Mixpanel Breach
9. (00:25:00) - Why Google's Ads Advisor Isn't Enough
10. (00:27:00) - Contrarian Lessons from Building an AI Startup
11. (00:30:00) - Rapid Fire: Dashboards, Attribution, and What Wins Long-Term

Links and Resources:

1. Website Fuse.is
2. Jeff Cherkassky on LinkedIn
3. Jill Randell on LinkedIn
4. Kelly Maguire on LinkedIn
5. Todd Juneau on LinkedIn
6. Vuja Dé Digital

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Todd and Kelly tackle the realities of marketing and performance measurement with marketing analyst and expert Jeff Sutelman, from Funnel.io.

They discuss why the dream of perfect user journey tracking is dead, how platforms like Meta grade their own homework, and why ROAS isn't the holy grail most marketers think it is.

Jeff shares why small brands stay small when they optimize only for last-click conversions, the critical importance of data quality and governance, and how to balance performance marketing with brand building.

The conversation covers everything from the challenges of attribution in a privacy-first world to why passing quality signals back to ad platforms can be the difference between a $50 CAC and a $10 CAC.

Whether you're an agency trying to prove ROI or a brand struggling to scale past organic growth, this episode delivers hard truths and actionable insights about the current state of marketing analytics.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Why Your Marketing Data Might Be Lying to You
• (00:01:00) - Meet Jeff Sutelman: The Marketing Data Truth-Teller
• (00:03:00) - What is Funnel.io and Why Marketing Data Matters
• (00:04:00) - The Death of Perfect User Journey Tracking
• (00:08:00) - Why ROAS Isn't the Holy Grail of Measurement
• (00:11:00) - The Last-Click Attribution Trap and Brand Building
• (00:13:00) - Balancing Finance Expectations with Marketing Reality
• (00:14:00) - Brand Is Making a Comeback
• (00:18:00) - Data Quality: The Difference Between $50 and $10 CAC
• (00:23:00) - Data Security, Compliance, and GDPR Challenges
• (00:26:00) - Data Analysts vs Data Scientists: The Translator Role
• (00:28:00) - Proving Upper Funnel Impact with Lower Funnel Metrics
• (00:31:00) - Hot Seat: Most Overrated and Underrated Metrics

Links and Resources:

• Jeff Sutelman on LinkedIn
• Kelly Maguire on LinkedIn
• Todd Juneau on LinkedIn
• Vuja Dé Digital

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Is AI democratizing creative work or just making everything look the same? Rebecca Rothstein, founder of The Shorts and Madison Avenue veteran, joins Kelly and Todd for a no-holds-barred conversation about AI's impact on creativity.

Rebecca argues that while AI can be a useful tool, it can't replace human taste, emotion, and cultural intuition. From Stanley Cup's brand transformation to the looming junior talent crisis, this episode challenges the assumption that "good enough" is acceptable in creative work.

If you're wondering whether you're a prompt engineer or an artist, this conversation will give you clarity on where human creativity matters most in an AI-saturated world.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Why This Episode Will Change How You Think About AI and Creativity
• (00:01:00) - Meet Rebecca Rothstein: From Madison Avenue's Trenches to Building The Shorts
• (00:03:00) - The Real Cost of "Always On" Culture: Late Nights, Big Wins, and What We Lost
• (00:06:00) - The Battle Lines Are Drawn: Can Machines Ever Replace Human Creativity?
• (00:08:00) - What AI Gets Wrong About Emotion (And Why That Matters for Your Brand)
• (00:13:00) - The Taste Test: Why Your Creative Instinct Is Your Competitive Advantage
• (00:16:00) - Brand DNA vs. Cultural Moment: How to Know When to Evolve (and When to Stand Firm)
• (00:19:00) - Stanley Cup's Masterclass: How a 110-Year-Old Brand Became Gen Z's Obsession
• (00:21:00) - Are You a Prompt Engineer or an Artist? The Identity Crisis Facing Creative Directors
• (00:26:00) - The Homogenization Trap: Why All AI-Generated Content Starts to Look the Same
• (00:28:00) - "Good Enough" Is Killing Your Brand: Why Great Is the Only Standard That Matters
• (00:32:00) - The Junior Talent Crisis: What Happens When AI Eliminates Entry-Level Experience?
• (00:36:00) - Hiring in 2025: Why Personality and Problem-Solving Beat Perfect Portfolios
• (00:40:00) - Hot Seat: Rebecca's Unfiltered Takes on Nike, Creativity, and the Future of Marketing

Links and Resources:

• Hello Shorts Website
• IG: @helloshortsmkt
• Rebecca Levy Rothstein on LinkedIn
• The Shorts on LinkedIn
• Kelly Maguire on LinkedIn
• Todd Juneau on LinkedIn
• Vuja Dé Digital

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Contrary to Popular Opinion? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!