Frictionless Growth Marketing

By Sonia Thompson | Inclusive Growth & Customer Experience Strategist

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Category: Marketing

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Episodes: 210

Description

Brand growth today depends on removing friction from your marketing and customer experience to attract and retain more of the people you want to serve. Frictionless Growth Marketing is the podcast for marketers, business leaders, and founders who want to grow by eliminating the messaging, experience, and strategy gaps that quietly push customers away every single day. Hosted by Sonia Thompson, Inclusive Growth and Customer Experience Strategist, the show breaks down how modern brands drive sustainable growth by designing frictionless customer journeys, building trust with identity-rich growth communities, and adapting to changing consumer expectations with clarity and confidence. Each week, you’ll hear practical insights, real brand examples, and candid conversations with marketing leaders and subject-matter experts on: Brand strategy that fuels long-term business growth in the age of modern marketing Customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty in today’s market How friction shows up across the customer journey — and how to remove it Identity-driven marketing, cultural relevance, and belonging What’s actually working now with today’s values-driven consumers If you want to reach more of the people you’re meant to serve — and convert more of them — without relying on outdated formulas or brute-force tactics, Frictionless Growth Marketing will show you the new rules of modern marketing and growth. Because when you remove friction, you remove barriers to growth — for your customers and for your business.

Episode Date
209. Why Most Buyer Personas Lead to an Underperforming Growth Marketing Strategy (and How to Fix Them)
Apr 02, 2026
208. Why Most Customer Acquisition Strategies Underperform — And How to Fix Them for Brand Growth
Mar 26, 2026
207. Is Your Brand Growth Strategy Working With Your Customers’ Brains — Or Against Them?
Mar 19, 2026
206. Customer Experience As Growth Strategy: Nissan CMO on Designing For Different Consumer Needs
Mar 12, 2026
205. General Market Strategies Are Hurting Your Brand Growth. What Smart Brands Are Doing Instead (feat. Myles Worthington)
Mar 05, 2026
204. Why Most Growth Strategies Underperform — And the 7C Growth Marketing Framework That Fixes Them
Feb 26, 2026
203. Relevance Over Reach: The Growth Marketing Playbook for 2026 (Dense Bean Salad Girl Case Study)
Feb 19, 2026
202. How Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Became a Blueprint for Modern Brand Growth
Feb 12, 2026
201. Why the Traditional Growth Marketing Model Is Failing in a Fragmented Market
Feb 05, 2026
200. The Glitch in Modern Marketing — And How It’s Harming Brand Growth
Jan 29, 2026
199. Brand Growth Strategy in 2026: 5 Marketplace Shifts Reshaping How Brands Grow
Jan 22, 2026
198. The Growth Strategy Behind Crayola’s Global Initiative Engaging 17 Million Kids | Brand Strategy and Customer Acquisition Case Study
Jan 15, 2026
197. AMA 2026 Marketing Trends: How Trust, AI, and Audience Fragmentation Are Rewriting the Rules of Growth
Jan 08, 2026
196. Why Growth Requires Evolution: Rethinking Brand Strategy and the Customer Journey
Jan 01, 2026
195. What 2025’s Biggest Marketing Mistakes Teach Us About Brand Growth
Dec 26, 2025
194. How Messaging Creates (or Removes) Friction in the Customer Journey — and Why It Matters for Business Growth
Dec 18, 2025
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)
Dec 11, 2025
192. The New Rules of Brand–Consumer Trust: What LinkedIn, Disney & Ralph Lauren Just Made Impossible to Ignore
Dec 04, 2025
191. The 2025 Marketing Shifts I’m Most Grateful For — and What They Mean for 2026
Nov 27, 2025
190. I Reviewed 50 Brand Websites — Here’s Where Friction Is Costing Brands Customers
Nov 20, 2025
189. Find the Hidden Friction in Your Customer Journey (Before It Costs You Customers)
Nov 13, 2025
188. 4 Growth Marketing Mistakes That Prevent Brands From Reaching High-Growth Communities
Nov 06, 2025
187. Why Growth Marketing Isn’t Working Like It Used To (And What to Do Instead)
Oct 30, 2025
186. Why the Fastest-Growing Brands Start With “Who,” Not “What”
Oct 23, 2025
185. The Proof Your Customer Acquisition Strategy Needs to Convert More Customers
Oct 16, 2025
184. Why Smart Brands Are Winning with Growth Communities (And You Should Too)
Oct 09, 2025
183. How to Increase the Effectiveness of Your Customer Acquisition Strategy
Oct 02, 2025
182. How This Brand Is Elevating Latinas -- and Redefining the General Market
Sep 25, 2025
181. Uplevel Your Buyer Personas to Convert More Customers
Sep 18, 2025
180. Performance Marketing’s Biggest Miss—and How to Fix It
Sep 11, 2025
179. 3 Essential Marketing Lessons Every Brand Can Learn from Cracker Barrel’s Logo Backlash
Sep 04, 2025
178. Win More Customers With These 17 Proven Customer Acquisition Strategies
Aug 28, 2025
177. The #1 Customer Acquisition Rule to Boost Conversions and Maximize ROI
Aug 21, 2025
176. How to Create AI Prompts That Eliminate Bias and Win More Customers
Aug 14, 2025
175. 2 Marketing Lessons Every Brand Should Learn from the American Eagle Controversy and Love Island
Aug 07, 2025
174. The Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle Campaign Everyone’s Talking About — 5 Real Lessons for Marketers
Jul 31, 2025
173. How to Win the $2.8 Trillion Latino Market Most Brands Are Ignoring
Jul 24, 2025
172. Behavioral Scientist Reveals a Highly Effective Way to Improve Customer Experience for More People
Jul 17, 2025
171. The Best-Practice Strategy Most Brands Ignore — And How got2b Used It to Drive Growth
Jul 10, 2025
170. How Inclusive Brand Partnerships Drive Real Growth
Jul 03, 2025
169. Your Inclusive Marketing Will Struggle Without This Team Dynamic
Jun 26, 2025
168. The KPI Mistake That’s Costing You Customers (and How to Fix It)
Jun 19, 2025
167. What Consumers Expect in 2025: Inside Kantar’s Global Inclusion Index
Jun 12, 2025
166. What It Really Takes to Execute a Multilingual Content Strategy That Drives Global Growth
Jun 05, 2025
165: The inclusive marketing framework big brands are using with Jerry Daykin [Rebroadcast]
May 29, 2025
164. Inside the Inclusive Marketing Playbooks of Billion-Dollar Brands (and one million dollar one)
May 22, 2025
163. Responsible Marketing: Building Trust, Loyalty, and Brand Growth with Lola Bakare
May 15, 2025
162. About those Mother's Day Opt-Out Emails..
May 08, 2025
161. What consumers really have to say about representation in marketing [Research]
May 01, 2025
160. Representation matters to consumers now more than ever [Research]
Apr 24, 2025
159. Law & Order: Organized's Crime's Danielle Mone Truitt on the realities of representation
Apr 17, 2025
158. Creating inclusive video marketing at Wistia, with Taylor Corrado
Apr 10, 2025
157. The deal with the Target and Amazon boycotts, plus Spotify, and Emilia Perez happenings
Apr 03, 2025
156. 2025 Inclusive marketing trends: Backed by data
Mar 27, 2025
155. 5 Inclusive email marketing strategies
Mar 20, 2025
154. How Sonoro is helping Toyota and other brands authentically engage Latino consumers
Mar 13, 2025
153. Inclusive marketing done right: 7 Examples of brands tackling it in different ways
Mar 06, 2025
152. Build a large and diverse audience with an email newsletter, with Maria Gharib
Feb 27, 2025
151. Converting through case studies: How to infuse inclusion for more effectiveness
Feb 20, 2025
150. Super Bowl VIX: Analyzing ads, decisions, commentary, and implications
Feb 13, 2025
149. Inclusive marketing as an organizational standard, not an option
Feb 06, 2025
148. Answer this question to convert more customers
Jan 30, 2025
147. A critical lesson for marketers from the Blake Lively v. Justin Baldoni saga
Jan 23, 2025
146. How to use data to increase customer success for all, with Deborah Pickett
Jan 16, 2025
145. How to implement systems for inclusive marketing, with Kumi Croom
Jan 09, 2025
144. A chat with Wistia co-founder and CEO about inclusive marketing
Jan 02, 2025
143. The mistake that made me
Dec 27, 2024
142. How to make more people feel seen, with Jasmine Star
Dec 19, 2024
141. How to be effective with inclusive marketing over the long-term
Dec 12, 2024
140. This AI tool assesses how inclusive brands are
Dec 06, 2024
139. The biases we hold
Nov 28, 2024
138. How smart brands demonstrate their values to consumers
Nov 21, 2024
137. 8 Inclusive eCommerce website examples that drive growth
Nov 14, 2024
136. The YouTube growth strategy top channels use
Nov 07, 2024
135. How to create an LGBTQ+ inclusive brand all year long
Oct 31, 2024
134. 3 Steps to create an effective multilingual content strategy
Oct 24, 2024
133. Jaw dropping stats about Latino youth prove why marketers shouldn't ignore this growing consumer group
Oct 17, 2024
132. How to build a high-performing diverse team in today's political climate
Oct 11, 2024
131. Brands rollback of DEI, microfeminism, and insensitive headlines: Inclusive marketers react
Oct 03, 2024
130. How to plan more inclusive business events with Eman Ismail
Sep 26, 2024
129. 7 Customer acquisition strategies smart brands used to reach more consumers
Sep 19, 2024
128. Inclusive marketing isn't enough. Why (and how) to build an inclusive brand
Sep 12, 2024
127. How to create a multilingual content strategy with Selim Dahmani
Sep 05, 2024
126. How to identify and eliminate friction in your brand's customer experience
Aug 29, 2024
125. How to increase conversions with an inclusive website and social media audit
Aug 22, 2024
124. 3 Ways to deliver customer experiences that boost conversions
Aug 15, 2024
123. A framework for an inclusive SEO strategy
Aug 08, 2024
122. How Michael Graves Design & Pottery Barn Are Working to Bring Accessible Home Design to More Consumers
Aug 01, 2024
121. How to write inclusive prompts for biased AI tools with Chi Odogwu
Jul 25, 2024
120. How to use data to deliver customer experiences that convert with Jess Cervellon
Jul 18, 2024
119. How to build an SEO strategy that reaches a broader diversity of consumers with Dale Bertrand
Jul 11, 2024
118. The right (and wrong) way to use pop culture references for your brand
Jul 04, 2024
117. Power dynamics in brand imagery
Jun 27, 2024
116. How to authentically engage Hispanic consumers with Federico Gagliardone
Jun 20, 2024
115. How to create a brand customers love with Lydia Michael
Jun 13, 2024
114. What is "normal" anyway?
Jun 06, 2024
113. How Lysol drives brand growth with inclusive marketing with CMO Gary Osifchin
May 30, 2024
112. How to make your email marketing inclusive with Samar Owais
May 23, 2024
111. How to deliver inclusive brand messaging with Diane Wiredu
May 16, 2024
110. Essential Lessons from Nike's WNBA Signature Shoe Controversy
May 09, 2024
109. Cultural intelligence for marketers with Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel
May 02, 2024
108. A framework for inclusive communications with Dr. Suzanne Wertheim
Apr 25, 2024
107. How changes to the 2030 U.S. Census impacts your brand today
Apr 18, 2024
106. How Zumba built a global customer base in more than 180 countries
Apr 11, 2024
105. How The Home Depot became "The Most Culturally Inclusive Brand"
Apr 04, 2024
104. How smart brands use an inclusive marketing consultant to spark growth
Mar 28, 2024
103: Why we fumble when talking to people different from us (and how to fix it) with Topsie VandenBosch
Mar 21, 2024
102. How (and why) to get better at talking to your customers with Andi Jarvis
Mar 14, 2024
101. Multilingual SEO Strategies to reach more consumers with Sarah Moon
Mar 07, 2024
100. Research strategies big brands are using to to deliver better customer experiences with Santronya Smith
Feb 29, 2024
99. How this former CMO used inclusive marketing to rapidly grow eCommerce brands with Bryan Alston
Feb 22, 2024
98. How to be authentic in your marketing (and where brands mess up)
Feb 15, 2024
97. Inclusive marketing ethics
Feb 08, 2024
96. How to do representation in marketing the right way
Feb 01, 2024
95. Navigating the effective use of AI for inclusive marketing with Joyann Boyce
Jan 25, 2024
94. Inclusive product design with Sabrina Meherally
Jan 18, 2024
93. The Inclusive Marketing Spectrum with examples for each
Jan 11, 2024
92. A blueprint for inclusive marketing success in 2024 and beyond
Jan 04, 2024
91. Understanding diversity-owned and diversity-targeted media with Carlos Santiago
Dec 28, 2023
90. Inclusive marketers react to new Ralph Lauren and Zara debacle
Dec 21, 2023
89. Embedding inclusion into business planning for sustainable growth
Dec 14, 2023
88. Managing the change of operating as an inclusive brand, with Nancy Harris
Dec 07, 2023
87. How brands showed these consumers they belonged
Nov 30, 2023
86. How to make more people feel like they belong with Unni Turrettini
Nov 24, 2023
85. Lessons in Belonging from Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour
Nov 16, 2023
84. The truth about customer experience
Nov 09, 2023
83. You can't afford to not have this kind of talent on your team
Nov 02, 2023
82. Should you ask customers for their demographic information?
Oct 26, 2023
81. Do this to increase customer acquisition for people from underrepresented and underserved communities
Oct 19, 2023
80. Consumer reactions to real brand customer experiences
Oct 12, 2023
79. How smart brands strategically partner with HBCUs
Oct 05, 2023
78. Authentic and inclusive brands: INBOUND 2023 panel discussion with Natasha Pierre and Sundas Khalid
Sep 28, 2023
77. 5 Common reasons brands hesitate to engage in inclusive marketing (that are costing them sales)
Sep 21, 2023
76. 'Nothing about us without us' and working with an inclusive marketing agency, with Matthew Tsang
Sep 14, 2023
75. Inclusive marketers react to campaigns from Barbie, Sainsbury's, McDonald's, and more
Sep 07, 2023
74. How to authentically engage Muslim consumers with Mariam Shahab
Aug 31, 2023
73. How to bake inclusion into your brand guidelines
Aug 24, 2023
72. Why brands should practice responsible marketing with Lola Bakare
Aug 17, 2023
71. Rule #1 of inclusive marketing
Aug 10, 2023
70. Growth through Spanish translation: Best practices for reaching customers that speak different languages
Aug 03, 2023
69. Growth with globalization: How smart brands of all sizes and budgets are doing it
Jul 27, 2023
68. There's no growth without "we"
Jul 20, 2023
67. Evite CMO shares how the brand expanded their customer base
Jul 13, 2023
66. Common mistakes that prevent your brand's growth
Jul 06, 2023
65. The truth about 'woke' brands and companies getting political
Jun 29, 2023
64. How to build an accessible website
Jun 22, 2023
63. How Google makes their brand accessible
Jun 15, 2023
62. How to build a diverse customer base with Gloria Chou
Jun 08, 2023
61. How to deal with resistance to inclusion
Jun 01, 2023
60. Designing inclusive experiences for neurodivergent consumers
May 25, 2023
59. How to create an accessible brand for people with disabilities with Erin Perkins
May 18, 2023
58. How to build an LGBTQ+ inclusive brand with Hank Paul
May 11, 2023
57. Neurodiversity at work: How to create a culture where everyone thrives
May 04, 2023
56. Inclusive marketing lessons from Bud Light's Dylan Mulvaney fumble
Apr 27, 2023
55. Incorporating inclusion into conversion rate optimization with Talia Wolf
Apr 20, 2023
54. Creating inclusive influencer marketing campaigns with Tinashe Chaponda
Apr 13, 2023
53. The inclusive marketing framework big brands are using with Jerry Daykin
Apr 06, 2023
52. Diversity and inclusion data: How to capture and use It to achieve your business goals
Mar 30, 2023
51. How to create inclusive content that makes more people feel seen with Natasha Pierre
Mar 23, 2023
50. How to get better consumer insights for underserved communities with Renita Bryant
Mar 16, 2023
49. How smart brands are closing the gender pay gap
Mar 09, 2023
48. How to create an inclusive workplace culture with Leanne and Al Elliott
Mar 02, 2023
47. How to increase customer success for people who are not in the majority, with Natalia Sanyal
Feb 23, 2023
46. Inclusion wins at SuperBowl LVII
Feb 16, 2023
45. Factors that influence your customers' success you need to be aware of
Feb 09, 2023
44. [Listen to Them] Black consumers share what they want brands to do to earn their trust
Feb 02, 2023
43. [Listen to Them] All representation isn’t created equal. Black consumers share what works for them and what doesn’t
Feb 02, 2023
42. [Listen to Them] Are you using your brand’s power for good? How marketing impacts the way consumers feel about themselves
Feb 02, 2023
41. [Listen to Them] Working with people different from you will soon be the norm. Black talent share what you need to know to make it work
Feb 02, 2023
40. [Listen to Them] This is what a high-performing diverse team looks like, according to Black talent
Feb 02, 2023
39. [Listen to Them] Common micro-aggressions your Black talent encounter in the workplace
Feb 02, 2023
38. [Listen to Them] Black women are used to being the only ones like them in a room in professional settings. Here’s what it’s like
Feb 02, 2023
37. Introducing 'Listen to Them: Black talent and consumers share their real life stories and perspectives on working in teams and inclusive marketing'
Feb 02, 2023
36. [BONUS] Listen before hitting "go" on your Black History Month campaign
Jan 30, 2023
35. 5 Consumer expectations for brands engaging in inclusive marketing in 2023
Jan 26, 2023
34. [BONUS] Practical tips for building a diverse team | Interview on the Billion Dollar Moves podcast
Jan 23, 2023
33. How smart brands are leaning into inclusion to reach more customers with their products with Jacqueline Snyder and Minna Khounlo-Sithep, of The Product Boss
Jan 19, 2023
32. [BONUS] An impactful way every leader and brand can honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy today and everyday
Jan 16, 2023
31. How to actually build a diverse and representative team
Jan 12, 2023
30. Best practices for incorporating inclusive stock photography into your brand's visual imagery
Jan 05, 2023
29. What inclusive brand type are you?
Dec 29, 2022
28. The mindset you need to build an inclusive brand
Dec 22, 2022
27. Planning your inclusive brand calendar
Dec 15, 2022
26. Making your performance marketing campaigns more inclusive with Karen Amundson
Dec 08, 2022
25. Listen before featuring diverse talent in your next video, photo, and or content shoot
Dec 01, 2022
24. Engage more diverse consumers authentically with this essential practice
Nov 24, 2022
23. How consumers want you to celebrate heritage months with Arturo Gutierrez
Nov 17, 2022
22. Common ways brands treat diverse talent like unpaid consultants (and what to do instead)
Nov 10, 2022
21. Cultural appropriation and inappropriate use of a culture not your own: Let's talk about it
Nov 03, 2022
20. Why more brands are embracing advocacy
May 24, 2022
19. The critical link between equity and customer success with Deborah Pickett
May 17, 2022
18. Planning a marketing mix that works for more of your customers with Bianca Blake
May 03, 2022
17. What anti-racism looks like in business with Dr. Nicole Charles
Apr 26, 2022
16. Navigating the complex world of identity
Apr 19, 2022
15. Getting Started with Inclusive Language for Your Brand with Nailah King
Apr 12, 2022
14. Are you taking more than you give?
Apr 06, 2022
13. How representative is your brand, really? A conversation with Gradient
Mar 29, 2022
12. We are not the same, so don’t treat us the same
Mar 22, 2022
11. The end of the majority and what it means for you with Julye Williams
Mar 15, 2022
10. How and why to create inclusive buyer personas
Mar 08, 2022
9. Why differences are profitable with Gelaine Santiago
Mar 01, 2022
8. The role of culture and values to build an inclusive brand
Feb 22, 2022
7. What happens to people most brands exclude
Feb 15, 2022
6. How to build an employer brand that attracts and retains a representative team with Desiree Booker
Feb 08, 2022
5. Strategies to build a brand that serves a broader group of customers with Tevia Celli
Feb 01, 2022
4. My origin story: How & why I became an inclusive marketing strategist
Jan 25, 2022
3. Yesterday's customers are not today's customers. Here's why
Jan 18, 2022
2. Is diversity a distraction to business? With Antoine Andrews
Jan 18, 2022
1. Why it's not enough to just add seats to your table (and what to do instead)
Jan 18, 2022
Inclusion & Marketing podcast trailer
Jan 06, 2022