Brand and performance marketing have been treated like rival sports teams for decades. Different budgets. Different goals. Different incentives. But is that divide actually helping anyone, or is it costing businesses more than they realize?

In this episode of The Hypothesis, our host Santana Blanchette, sits down with Phil Ware (VP of Strategy), Eric Sloan (VP of Data & Strategy), and Jorge Shaadi Moreno (Director of Paid Media) to unpack why these two functions are siloed, what it actually costs when they don't communicate, and how teams can start working better together without waiting for an organizational overhaul.

We get into:

-Why the brand vs. performance divide exists in the first place, and why it's largely artificial
-What "brand formance" actually means, and whether it's useful or just a buzzword
-Why you can't apply a performance measurement lens to brand and expect it to make sense
-The gap in the middle of the funnel that most organizations are ignoring
-When brand advertising actually makes sense (and when it's just burning money)
-Practical steps for getting brand and performance teams to actually work together

Whether you're managing both sides of the funnel or just trying to explain to your CFO why brand matters, this one is worth your time.

The Hypothesis explores the strategies, tactics, and insights that drive growth in the performance marketing world.

Connect with us:

Website: https://www.thrivedigital.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thrive-digital

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrive_digital/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThriveDigitalMarketing

Can AI really build a marketing strategy you'd actually trust? Thrive's VP of Performance, Blaize Bolton, and Director of Strategy, Amanda Ng, break down what AI actually does well (and what it absolutely doesn't) when it comes to marketing strategy.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why AI excels at facilitation but fails at strategic decision-making
• The data problem that prevents AI from creating genuine strategies
• How to use AI as a collaborative tool without over-relying on generic outputs
• Where AI is making the biggest impact in performance marketing right now
• The worst AI advice flooding LinkedIn (and why "AI employees" need to stop)

The Hypothesis explores the strategies, tactics, and insights that drive growth in the performance marketing world.

Connect with us:
Website: https://www.thrivedigital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thrive-digital
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrive_digital/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThriveDigitalMarketing

Most B2B lead scoring is built on arbitrary point systems and outdated assumptions and it's costing you real money. In this episode, our strategy directors break down why traditional lead scoring fails and what actually works.

We cover:
- Why points-based lead scoring is fundamentally flawed
- The data infrastructure you actually need before attempting lead scoring
- How to build empirical models that predict real conversion probability
- Why lead scoring should never come before fixing your fundamentals
- The validation gap that makes most models worthless after a few months
- How to spot when your scoring model has drifted from reality

Key takeaway: Lead scoring is an optimization layer, not a solution. If your CRM is messy, your tracking is unreliable, or your creative isn't working, lead scoring won't save you. Fix your foundation first.

Perfect for: B2B marketers, growth teams, and anyone wondering why their lead scoring system isn't delivering results.

The Hypothesis explores the strategies, tactics, and insights that drive growth in the performance marketing world.

Connect with us:
Website: https://www.thrivedigital.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThriveDigitalMarketing

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thrive-digital

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrive_digital/