6 degrees of separation: The Kevin Bacon effect

The Grapevine

#Business #Marketing #Herdify #Data #Behaviour #ECommerce #Word Of Mouth #Sales #Advertising #Strategy #Analytics #Network #Science

39:30

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with David Brem, Managing Director of the University of Michigan’s Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund. David offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a student-led endowment fund focused on early-stage, sector-agnostic investments primarily in the Michigan ecosystem. He shares insights on their unique, founder-first investment approach, how they navigate pre-seed to Series A venture opportunities, and the rigorous due diligence process involving qualitative analysis over pure numbers. David also discusses his roles with global VC networks including Electro Ventures, the London Venture Capital Network, and Level Up Ventures, illustrating how he bridges U.S., European, and Australian venture ecosystems with a special focus on mobility and transportation tech. Highlights include deep dives into emerging trends like eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft), smart city infrastructure, and safety innovations in aviation technology. Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on how diverse expertise—from military intelligence and management consulting to academic ventures—shapes David’s investment thesis and community-building efforts. The episode also explores the importance of networking, adding value in the startup ecosystem, and practical advice for aspiring investors or entrepreneurs navigating the venture capital world. With stories of successes, challenges, and future outlooks, this episode is a must-listen for innovators, founders, and investors aiming to understand the intersection of academia, technology, and venture capital in today’s dynamic landscape. Learn more about David's work at https://zli.umich.edu/zell-lurie-commercialization-fund/ Connect with David on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lowell-brem/ Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://finstratmgmt.com/innovators-investors-podcast/ Want to learn more about Kristian Marquez's work? Check out his website at https://finstratmgmt.com…

2 years ago 20:02

MP3•Episode home

What can Kevin Bacon teach you about marketing?

Fresh on the podcast today, Ed and Tom discuss the idea of 6 degrees of separation, otherwise known as the “small world effect”.

We’re all six or fewer social connections away from each other. The world of Hollywood has taken this one step further – you can search how many connections separate Kevin Bacon from any other actor (check out “The Oracle of Bacon” for that one!).

When it comes to influencing behaviour (a change, a purchase, a call to action), that effect is reduced to “three degrees of influence” (a friend of a friend’s friend).

What can this teach us as marketers?

15 episodes

The Grapevine

6 degrees of separation: The Kevin Bacon effect

The Grapevine

published 2 years ago

MP3•Episode home

What can Kevin Bacon teach you about marketing?

Fresh on the podcast today, Ed and Tom discuss the idea of 6 degrees of separation, otherwise known as the “small world effect”.

When it comes to influencing behaviour (a change, a purchase, a call to action), that effect is reduced to “three degrees of influence” (a friend of a friend’s friend).

What can this teach us as marketers?

15 episodes

#Business #Marketing #Herdify #Data #Behaviour #ECommerce #Word Of Mouth #Sales #Advertising #Strategy #Analytics #Network #Science

All episodes

The Grapevine

1
Podcast – John James Marketing Guide to Multi-Channel Strategies What keeps marketers awake at night? 43:56

26 weeks ago43:56

43:56

Is it the overreliance on digital channels, the rising costs of customer acquisition, or the looming question: How do we make smarter decisions to maximise ROI and minimise risk?

The Grapevine

1
Time to rethink the Christmas Baileys? 18:38

2 years ago18:38

18:38

Economic headwinds mean that consumers are planning to cut back on Christmas spend, and looking for discounts where possible. In this mini “sun-lounger” podcast, we look into how spending behaviours are changing, and what impact that will have on retailers. Are people switching to lower-priced brands? Will there be a revolution on gifting? Is there a social stigma around switching brands to cut costs? We discuss all of this and more, plus a fair amount of chatter about cheese straws and Baileys!…

The Grapevine

1
The new car club community 23:57

2 years ago23:57

23:57

Without stock to sell, car marketers have been forced to shift their strategies – and that means keeping existing customers and prospects happy while they wait months, sometimes years, for their new car. Looking at this through a behavioural science lens, what does this mean for consumer buying behaviour? And with purchases becoming more infrequent, how can marketers keep their brand top of mind? We discuss some practical ideas for increasing loyalty, getting people talking about your brand in the right way and creating an “in the club” mentality.…

The Grapevine

1
How to max your communities for post-summer travel 18:29

2 years ago18:29

18:29

According to Hopper’s 2023 Travel Trends Report, people are booking holidays at the last minute more than ever before. In this mini “sun-lounger” podcast, we ask whether this a good thing for marketers when it comes to thinking about shoulder season? Is there still time to market to those people who haven’t yet booked for September and beyond? And can we avoid shoulder-season discounts? We delve into consumer behavioural changes, community networks and the true meaning of value to answer these questions.…

The Grapevine

1
Human behaviour: influencing consumer change 36:53

2 years ago36:53

36:53

It was our absolute pleasure to welcome the brilliant Richard Shotton, bestselling author and expert in applying behavioural science to marketing, on our last podcast of the season. Richard, Ed and Tom dig into some of the fundamentals of behavioural science, and what it actually means for smart marketers. “What motivates us hasn’t changed in millennia and isn’t going to change. Yet still not many marketers look at human behaviour as a way of influencing consumer change. Those who take the time to learn are giving themselves a headstart,” says Richard. If you’re looking to get started with behavioural science and listen to some practical tips on how to apply it to your role, this is the podcast for you! Here’s a sneak peek: The more you learn about behavioural science, the more opportunities there are to apply it The best way to approach pricing and discounting The power of imprecision – people believe unrounded numbers more Red Bull’s growth story (it involves spreading empty Red Bull cans around nightclubs at kicking out time)…

The Grapevine

1
2023: the year of efficiency 34:15

2 years ago34:15

34:15

We’re inundated with new developments in technology and automation, but does that make us more efficient? Neil Mandell, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Samsung, believes that this is the year of efficiency. In this week’s podcast, he chats to Tom about: why we need to lean into AI how the community of Samsung loyalists contribute to business growth what Samsung’s cookieless strategy might look like As Google announces its Privacy Sandbox will be available within months, it’s a timely one!…

The Grapevine

1
Unlock the power of sustainable eCommerce 1:04:08

2 years ago1:04:08

1:04:08

Sustainability and eCommerce… A contradiction in terms? On this week’s podcast, we welcome Chloë Thomas, eCommerce guru and pro-podcast host – no pressure, Ed and Tom! Chloë’s hot topic is sustainability in eCommerce. Surely the two are opposing forces? It’s something we’ve grappled with at Herdify HQ. “Fundamentally, we need to consume fewer resources, and in the UK we’re amongst the worst offenders,” says Chloë. “After a particularly dark weekend of being freaked out by Armageddon stories, I felt like I was helping people destroy the planet. So now my business is about helping people put sustainability front and centre.”…

The Grapevine

1
6 degrees of separation: The Kevin Bacon effect 20:02

2 years ago20:02

20:02

What can Kevin Bacon teach you about marketing? Fresh on the podcast today, Ed and Tom discuss the idea of 6 degrees of separation, otherwise known as the “small world effect”. We’re all six or fewer social connections away from each other. The world of Hollywood has taken this one step further – you can search how many connections separate Kevin Bacon from any other actor (check out “The Oracle of Bacon” for that one!). When it comes to influencing behaviour (a change, a purchase, a call to action), that effect is reduced to “three degrees of influence” (a friend of a friend’s friend). What can this teach us as marketers?…

The Grapevine

1
The secrets behind data-driven creativity 52:04

2 years ago52:04

52:04

On the podcast this week, hear from Mike Taylor… In his own words, a “recovering agency owner” and author of the upcoming book, “Marketing Memetics”. Tom, Ed and Mike go deep in 30 minutes. Is marketing art or science? Do ideas evolve in the same way that genes do? Is any idea ever original? Is creative optimisation the only lever left for performance marketers?…

The Grapevine

1
The cool kids: Leading the herd astray 24:45

2 years ago24:45

24:45

What makes one song a massive hit, and one a flop? What sets apart the popular kids? Why do 1 billion people own an iPhone, more than any other brand? It’s all to do with social proof. In this week’s podcast, Tom and Ed pick apart an experiment that answers these questions. Entitled “Leading the Herd Astray”, the study created an online music marketplace, mere months before Spotify was launched. Participants were placed into groups and asked to rate various songs, armed only with the ratings from the rest of the group. The guys take the findings and chat through what they mean for marketers. Find out how to: appear bigger than you are apply the tactics used by Uber and Airbnb to grow social networks create virality, even years after launch…

The Grapevine

1
Performance Marketing World 2023: The wash-up 55:37

2 years ago55:37

55:37

If you missed the two days of Performance Marketing World Unlocked, we’ve distilled it all into one hour! In this week’s The Grapevine podcast, Ed and Tom pull out the three hot topics of conversation… Cookies: how are marketers making the most of the data that’s left? Cross-platform attribution: what’s the answer? Will there ever be an answer? The intersection between brand and performance: where’s the line in the sand? Can any marketer answer the question, “If I spent more (or less), what would happen?” Thank you for listening! Find out more about influence, behavioural science and Herdify: - Visit our website - Find us on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter or LinkedIn - Email us on hello@herdify.com…

The Grapevine

1
How a conversation in the pub can drive 200x more sales than an ad 28:24

2 years ago28:24

28:24

Did you know that a conversation in the pub can drive 200 x more sales than a creative your team has laboured over for weeks? In this week’s podcast, we delve into what word-of-mouth (WOM) really means in the modern marketing world. These stats might surprise you ⬇️: 🔥27% sales are driven by WOM 🔥200 x more sales driven by WOM than traditional ads 🔥2/3 of WOM happens offline Thank you for listening! Find out more about influence, behavioural science and Herdify: - Visit our website - Find us on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter or LinkedIn - Email us on hello@herdify.com…

The Grapevine

1
Mindful Chef: How to win the subscription box race 35:43

2 years ago35:43

35:43

“Your brand is not what you put down on a piece of paper, it’s what people say about you” Supercharged referrers, retention incentives, the impact of discounting… On this week’s podcast, Ed and Tom meet Arthur Guinness, Head of acquisition at Mindful Chef. It’s one of the best conversations yet, and could have gone on for a lot longer! Here’s what they cover: How to change behaviour and incentivise purchases How to ramp up social proof with “super referrers” How to tune social media advertising with super referrer UGC What discounting really means for subscription boxes Whether the cost-of-living crisis means that customers are trading down And in a first for us, the guys come up with a new experiment to test on air. Thank you for listening! Find out more about influence, behavioural science and Herdify: - Visit our website - Find us on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter or LinkedIn - Email us on hello@herdify.com…

The Grapevine

1
Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu: from pro-football to proving his ecommerce stripes 42:53

2 years ago42:53

42:53

Like many ecommerce businesses, Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu's journey from professional footballer to experienced marketer and owner of The Turmeric Co. didn't happen overnight. From creating the "golden elixir" in his father's kitchen to over 1000 athletes now using his product every day, Thomas shares his story with Tom and Ed on how he earned his business stripes. Discover how he set out to reach 100 million people globally, by: leveraging communities to grow awareness building a digitally native brand moving from elite athletes to "everyday heroes" investing in data understanding true LTV and CAC Plus: Thomas shares his thoughts on expanding into retail, "heavily exploring" TikTok Shop, and the viral growth of PRIME. Thank you for listening! Find out more about influence, behavioural science and Herdify: - Visit our website - Find us on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter or LinkedIn - Email us on hello@herdify.com…

The Grapevine

1
Kicking off 2023 with Shopify, cookies & ecom collabs 37:30

2 years ago37:30