Frictionless Growth Marketing
Episodes
196. Why Growth Requires Evolution (And What This Moment Is Asking of You)
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Growth doesn’t stall because you took your foot off the gas. It stalls because what worked before doesn’t work the same way anymore. As markets e...
195. What 2025’s Biggest Marketing Mistakes Teach Us About Brand Growth
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brand growth today depends on avoiding the marketing mistakes that quietly erode trust, relevance, and customer loyalty. In this episode of Frictionl...
194. How Messaging Creates (or Removes) Friction in the Customer Journey — and Why It Matters for Business Growth
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most brands think their messaging is clear. Their customers often disagree. In this episode of Frictionless Growth Marketing, Sonia Thompson sits dow...
193. Is Your Brand Ready for the Super Bowl, Olympics & World Cup? How Smart Brands Win 2026’s Biggest Cultural Moments (No Big Budget Needed)
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the FIFA World Cup are all happening in 2026 — and they’re not just sporting events. They’re cultural events p...
192. The New Rules of Brand–Consumer Trust: What LinkedIn, Disney & Ralph Lauren Just Made Impossible to Ignore
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Consumers today aren’t just buying products — they’re buying alignment, transparency, cultural fluency, and trust. And trust has officially beco...
191. The 2025 Marketing Shifts I’m Most Grateful For — and What They Mean for 2026
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this short reflection episode, Sonia Thompson — inclusive growth and customer experience strategist — shares the 2025 marketing shifts she’s ...
190. I Reviewed 50 Brand Websites — Here Are the Most Common Friction Points Limiting Growth & Conversions
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Even the most well-intentioned brands have hidden friction points buried throughout their customer journey — small, avoidable moments that quietly p...
189. Find the Hidden Friction in Your Customer Journey (Before It Costs You More Customers)
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Even the most well-intentioned brands have friction hiding in their customer journeys — small moments that quietly push ideal customers away. In thi...
188. 4 Common Growth Marketing Mistakes Keeping You From Reaching Influential & High-Growth Communities
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most brands want to grow — but too many still use the same old playbook. In this episode, Sonia Thompson — inclusive marketing and growth strateg...
187. Why Your Growth Marketing Strategy Isn’t Working Like It Used To (and What to Do Instead)
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If your ads, campaigns, or funnels aren’t delivering like they used to, it’s not just you — and it’s not just the algorithm. The truth is, you...
186. Why the Fastest-Growing Brands Start With “Who,” Not “What”
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most growth marketing strategies start with what to do — launch a new campaign, open a new channel, or create a new product. But the fastest-growing...
185. The Proof Your Customer Acquisition Strategy Needs to Convert More Customers
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most brands focus on awareness in their customer acquisition strategy—but neglect the proof that actually drives conversions. In this episode of In...
184. Why Smart Brands Are Winning with Growth Communities (And You Should Too)
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most brands overlook underrepresented and underserved consumers — but these are the communities driving the biggest growth opportunities today. In ...
183. How to Increase the Effectiveness of Your Customer Acquisition Strategy
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most brands are eager to launch new campaigns and chase fresh leads. But here’s the truth: if your foundation isn’t strong, your customer acquisit...
182. How This Brand Is Elevating Latinas -- and Redefining the General Market
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Inclusive marketing isn’t about business as usual—it’s about disrupting the status quo. In this episode, Sonia Thompson shares a live conversati...
181. Uplevel Your Buyer Personas to Convert More Customers
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Buyer personas are supposed to guide your marketing—but too often, they fall short. In this episode, Sonia Thompson, inclusive marketing strategist ...
180. Performance Marketing’s Biggest Miss—and How to Fix It
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Performance marketing is one of the most popular ways brands try to grow. But here’s the problem: too often, leadership decisions create gaps that k...
179. 3 Essential Marketing Lessons Every Brand Can Learn from Cracker Barrel’s Logo Backlash
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cracker Barrel’s logo redesign didn’t just spark backlash—it exposed cracks in leadership decision-making. In this episode, Sonia Thompson s...
178. Win More Customers With These 17 Proven Customer Acquisition Strategies
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Want more customers? You need better customer acquisition strategies — ones that actually work in today’s marketplace. Too many brands still take ...
177. The #1 Customer Acquisition Rule to Boost Conversions and Maximize ROI
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most brands want more customers, better conversions, and stronger ROI. But here’s the catch: when it comes to customer acquisition, there’s one cr...
176. How to Create AI Prompts That Eliminate Bias and Win More Customers
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is powerful — but it’s not perfect. Hidden biases in AI-generated content can quietly push away the very customers you want to attract. In this...
175. 2 Marketing Lessons Every Brand Should Learn from the American Eagle Controversy and Love Island
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two pop culture moments. Two powerful marketing lessons your brand can’t afford to miss. In this episode, I breaks down the biggest key takaway for...
174. The Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle Campaign Everyone’s Talking About — 5 Real Lessons for Marketers
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle campaign made headlines, sparked debate, and flooded social feeds. But beyond the buzz lies a deeper story markete...
173. How to Win the $2.8 Trillion Latino Market Most Brands Are Ignoring
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Latino community in the U.S. is reshaping the future of consumer markets — yet most brands are missing key opportunities to connect authenticall...
172. Behavioral Scientist Reveals a Highly Effective Way to Improve Customer Experience for More People
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Want to improve customer experience for more people — and do it in a way that’s inclusive, intentional, and backed by data? In this episode, I’...
171. The Best-Practice Strategy Most Brands Ignore — And How got2b Used It to Drive Growth
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Co-creation is a best-practice strategy in inclusive marketing — but most brands don’t use it consistently or effectively. In this episode, I si...
170. How Inclusive Brand Partnerships Drive Real Growth
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Inclusive marketing isn’t a tactic—it’s a thread that should run through every part of your marketing mix, including your brand partnerships. In...
169. Your Inclusive Marketing Will Struggle Without This Team Dynamic
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most overlooked elements of inclusive marketing? The team behind it. It’s not enough to have diverse talent at the table — you also ne...
168. The KPI Mistake That’s Costing You Customers (and How to Fix It)
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brands rely on KPIs to know if they’re on the right track — but what if the metrics you’re using are actually leading you off course? In this e...
167. What Consumers Expect in 2025: Inside Kantar’s Global Inclusion Index
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You've probably heard me say it before: inclusive marketing is the future of marketing. And the data keeps proving it. In this episode, I’m joined ...
166. What It Really Takes to Execute a Multilingual Content Strategy That Drives Global Growth
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s global marketplace, content that connects across languages and cultures isn’t optional — it’s a growth necessity. But translating y...
165: The inclusive marketing framework big brands are using with Jerry Daykin [Rebroadcast]
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Inclusive marketing is more than a trend—it's a necessary shift in how brands communicate, connect, and grow. But with so many layers to consider, w...
164. Inside the Inclusive Marketing Playbooks of Billion-Dollar Brands (and one million dollar one)
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Want to know how billion-dollar brands approach inclusive marketing—from the inside out? In this episode, I take you behind the scenes with five sta...
163. How responsible marketing drives real business impact and growth, with Lola Bakare
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Responsible marketing, and its close cousin inclusive marketing are increasingly becoming a part of the fabric of the way in which good marketing is d...
162. About those Mother's Day Opt-Out Emails..
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mother's Day is coming up in the U.S. And for the past few years that has meant a number of companies sending out emails asking people if they want to...
161. What consumers really have to say about representation in marketing [Research]
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Consumers have a lot to says about representation in marketing. In the research study I conducted, their verbatims were quite telling when I asked the...
160. Representation matters to consumers now more than ever [Research]
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Representation matters. We know this. Most people get it. And thankfully, more and more brands are doing a better job of being representative in t...
159. Law & Order: Organized's Crime's Danielle Mone Truitt on the realities of representation
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It is helpful to have the theory and principles behind inclusive marketing to give you a strong foundation for growth. I’m a big believer in learnin...
158. Creating inclusive video marketing at Wistia, with Taylor Corrado
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One thing I’ve learned that is often helpful, especially during the early stages of getting started on a new journey – like inclusive marketing, i...
157. The deal with the Target and Amazon boycotts, plus Spotify, and Emilia Perez happenings
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's a lot of talk about economic boycotts these days as consumers are protesting in response to brands rolling back their policies on diversity, e...
156. 2025 Inclusive marketing trends: Backed by data
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Inclusive marketing is only growing in popularity. And with that, comes a whole new slew of trends to be aware of when it comes to being successful wi...
155. 5 Inclusive email marketing strategies
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Email marketing still remains a highly profitable component of the marketing mix for many brands. Data shows that even after many years of people decl...
154. How Sonoro is helping Toyota and other brands authentically engage Latino consumers
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Camila Victoriano, Chief Content Officer and co-founder of Sonoro, a fast-growing media company t...
153. Inclusive marketing done right: 7 Examples of brands tackling it in different ways
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are many ways to include more people with your marketing. Of course, there are best practices associated with inclusive marketing that enable br...
152. Build a large and diverse audience with an email newsletter, with Maria Gharib
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Email newsletters are all the rage these days, with some popular publications having hundreds of thousands of engaged subscribers. I’ve been learni...
151. Converting through case studies: How to infuse inclusion for more effectiveness
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Consumers want to reduce their risk as much as possible when making a purchase. And that desire increases exponentially when it comes to a product tha...
150. Super Bowl VIX: Analyzing ads, decisions, commentary, and implications
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Super Bowl recently happened in the U.S., and there was a lot of chatter leading up to it, during it, and well after it on a number of fronts rela...
149. Inclusive marketing as an organizational standard, not an option
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 141 of the podcast, I talked about what is important for you to have to be effective with your inclusive marketing efforts over the long-te...
148. Answer this question to convert more customers
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to attracting new customers – and especially customers from underrepresented and underserved communities, it is important to remember ...
147. A critical lesson for marketers from the Blake Lively v. Justin Baldoni saga
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last week I've been riveted by ongoing developments in the legal feud between actress Blake Lively and actor and director Justin Baldoni, who...
146. How to use data to increase customer success for all, with Deborah Pickett
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A core element of being effective with inclusive marketing and therefore any inclusive marketing strategy — is data. We’ve got to know not just t...
145. How to implement systems for inclusive marketing, with Kumi Croom
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Agencies are an integral partner and part of the marketing process for many brands. But when it comes to incorporating inclusion into the work brands ...
144. A chat with Wistia co-founder and CEO about inclusive marketing
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I had a conversation with Chris Savage, co-founder and CEO of Wistia, a video marketing company, on their Talking Too Loud podcast, a...
143. The mistake that made me
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode -- I'm bringing you an interview I did with Eman Ismail, on her super cool show Mistakes That Made Me. In it, I talk about my journe...
142. How to make more people feel seen, with Jasmine Star
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Representation matters. I think people know this, and get it intuitively, but for some, it can be hard to do in practice consistently. In this episode...
141. How to be effective with inclusive marketing over the long-term
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As I've worked with clients of various sizes over the years, one of the things that has become clear is that an organizational transformation is requi...
140. This AI tool assesses how inclusive brands are
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I sat down with Asha Shivaji and Jason Klein, co-founders of SeeMeIndex, and AI tool that evaluates how inclusive brands are with the...
139. The biases we hold
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
My personal belief is that we all hold some time of bias -- much of it unconscious. In this episode, I share a brief story of when one of mine recentl...
138. How smart brands demonstrate their values to consumers
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brand values are increasingly more important to consumers. As a result, brands need to communicate not only what their values are but how they are liv...
137. 8 Inclusive eCommerce website examples that drive growth
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
eCommerce is a core part of the journey for many consumers across a number of different industries. And because eCommerce websites or sections of webs...
136. The YouTube growth strategy top channels use
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of brands are making YouTube marketing a priority. It's easy to understand why -- it puts you in a position to get in front of more of your ideal...
135. How to create an LGBTQ+ inclusive brand all year long
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
By this time of year, normally we don't see too many LGBTQ+ celebrations from brands. Pride month has passed, and many brands are back to business as ...
134. 3 Steps to create an effective multilingual content strategy
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Engaging customers that speak other languages is a smart strategy for brands to grow. But too often, marketers think that an effective multilingual co...
133. Jaw dropping stats about Latino youth prove why marketers shouldn't ignore this growing consumer group
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every time I see data about the changing demographics in the U.S., it seems like my jaw drops open. Population Growth: 70% of the U.S. population g...
132. How to build a high-performing diverse team in today's political climate
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the summer of 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court said that it was no longer lawful to use affirmative action as a way to diversify the number of students...
131. Brands rollback of DEI, microfeminism, and insensitive headlines: Inclusive marketers react
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a lot going on in the world these days, which often means there’s lots going on in the world of inclusive marketing. And sometimes – ce...
130. How to plan more inclusive business events with Eman Ismail
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to business events, particularly those where important and transformational relationships are formed, it's very common for them to not b...
129. 7 Customer acquisition strategies smart brands used to reach more consumers
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Customer acquisition is one of three core components of any good and effective inclusive marketing strategy. In particular, brands must prioritize "in...
128. Inclusive marketing isn't enough. Why (and how) to build an inclusive brand
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Being successful with inclusive marketing is about more than just the marketing. It requires building an inclusive brand that supports communities and...
127. How to create a multilingual content strategy with Selim Dahmani
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is very likely that people who speak different languages also have the problem your brand solves. As such, a smart way to grow your brand and custo...
126. How to identify and eliminate friction in your brand's customer experience
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of brands have unnecessary friction in the customer experiences they deliver. That friction negatively impacts those brands’ conversions. That...
125. How to increase conversions with an inclusive website and social media audit
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most brands don’t know how much they could improve their conversions by optimizing their website and social media to also work for consumers from ...
124. 3 Ways to deliver customer experiences that boost conversions
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The experiences you deliver play an important role in how well you do at converting people who are considering your brand. Far too often, brands deliv...
123. A framework for an inclusive SEO strategy
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SEO is a common strategy marketers use to attract a broader customer base. However, most SEO strategies do not effectively serve the needs of consumer...
122. How Michael Graves Design & Pottery Barn Are Working to Bring Accessible Home Design to More Consumers
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is increasingly becoming more important for brands to consider the physical needs of consumers. Sixteen percent of the world’s population has som...
121. How to write inclusive prompts for biased AI tools with Chi Odogwu
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
AI has a lot of biases in it. We know this, simply by considering the sources of the training data used. But knowing that AI have bias doesn't mean yo...
120. How to use data to deliver customer experiences that convert with Jess Cervellon
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Customer experience is an integral part of ensuring that the people you serve feel like they belong with you. But knowing what actually creates a bet...
119. How to build an SEO strategy that reaches a broader diversity of consumers with Dale Bertrand
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a common strategy brands use to attract their ideal customers. But a lot of times when engaging in SEO, marketers ...
118. The right (and wrong) way to use pop culture references for your brand
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many brands use pop culture brands in their messaging and content. It is a way for brands to relate to consumers and connect to them at a more emotion...
117. Power dynamics in brand imagery
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brands hold a lot of power. The imagery brands choose to use communicates in ways that influence consumers more than they realize. Brand imagery not o...
116. How to authentically engage Hispanic consumers with Federico Gagliardone
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you look at the ethnic group that is the largest in the U.S., by far, it is the Hispanic population. As of the 2020 Census, 18% of the population...
115. How to create a brand customers love with Lydia Michael
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I spend a lot of time talking about belonging and how important it is for you as a brand to ensure you’re making the people you serve feel like they...
114. What is "normal" anyway?
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
People from underrepresented and underserved communities are often viewed as not being "normal" or very different from everyone else -- which is why t...
113. How Lysol drives brand growth with inclusive marketing with CMO Gary Osifchin
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, rankings for the Most Culturally Inclusive Brands were announced. The rankings come from the Association for National Advertisers’ (ANA) A...
112. How to make your email marketing inclusive with Samar Owais
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most business engage in email marketing to some degree. And because email marketing is such a commonly used tool that reaches a broad diversity of con...
111. How to deliver inclusive brand messaging with Diane Wiredu
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brand messaging is a critical component of the marketing strategy for any brand. And when it comes to ensuring that your brand messaging speaks to all...
110. Essential Lessons from Nike's WNBA Signature Shoe Controversy
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's reported that Nike will be signing a signature shoe deal with Caitlin Clark. While excitement for, viewership, and support of women's sports, inc...
109. Cultural intelligence for marketers with Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cultural intelligence is essential for any brand that wants to be effective with their inclusive marketing efforts. It is the foundation for helping y...
108. A framework for inclusive communications with Dr. Suzanne Wertheim
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Communication is a core part of marketing. And yet it feels like so many brands struggle with communicating in a manner that is both inclusive and aut...
107. How changes to the 2030 U.S. Census impacts your brand today
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Major changes are coming to the 2030 Census in the U.S. And even though we're a few years away from those changes taking effect, the implications for ...
106. How Zumba built a global customer base in more than 180 countries
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Inclusive marketing really is just doing marketing well. Even though we aren't there now, eventually, we'll get to a place where won't even need to ca...
105. How The Home Depot became "The Most Culturally Inclusive Brand"
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Home Depot was recently named "The Most Culturally Inclusive Brand" by the ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive & Multicultural Marketing (AIMM). I thou...
104. How smart brands use an inclusive marketing consultant to spark growth
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Inclusive marketing is a fairly new discipline. As a result, inclusive marketing consultants and strategists are newer areas of expertise for talent. ...
103: Why we fumble when talking to people different from us (and how to fix it) with Topsie VandenBosch
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever encountered someone different from you, and then fumbled your way through interacting with them? I know I have, and I included a few of ...
102. How (and why) to get better at talking to your customers with Andi Jarvis
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Customer intimacy is one of my five pillars of building an inclusive brand. The most effective way to build customer intimacy is through actually talk...
101. Multilingual SEO Strategies to reach more consumers with Sarah Moon
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Search engines connect interested consumers with willing brands. That's why smart brands optimize focus on SEO to make it easy for these curious custo...
100. Research strategies big brands are using to to deliver better customer experiences with Santronya Smith
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More brands are acknowledging the many ways consumers are different, and adjusting their marketing approach accordingly to ensure they make all the pe...
99. How this former CMO used inclusive marketing to rapidly grow eCommerce brands with Bryan Alston
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of my goals this year is to bring you more stories of marketers who've been out in the trenches using inclusive marketing to grow their brands. Fo...
98. How to be authentic in your marketing (and where brands mess up)
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
People want authenticity in their food. We need authenticity in our relationships. And we definitely crave authenticity in marketing. Today, we’re...
97. Inclusive marketing ethics
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marketing ethics, or more specifically, the ethics associated with inclusive marketing doesn’t get talked about nearly enough as it should. Of cour...