Blogs - Eric Howard

August 22, 2026 • 6 min read

Marketing ROI Is a Trust Problem, Not a Math Problem

Most marketing ROI arguments fail on trust, not arithmetic. Here is why the math was never really the issue.

August 15, 2026 • 6 min read

AI Won't Replace Marketers. Marketers Who Use AI Will Replace Marketers Who Don't.

The fear about AI in marketing is aimed at the wrong target. The real risk isn't the technology. It's standing still while others move.

August 8, 2026 • 7 min read

The 90-Day Marketing Audit: What I Check First at Any New Company

Every marketing leadership role starts the same way for me: a structured audit before a single new campaign launches.

August 1, 2026 • 8 min read

Post-Merger Marketing: How to Combine Two Brands Without Losing Either One

Merging two brands is a marketing problem long before it's a design problem. Here is how I approach it.

July 31, 2026 • 6 min read

How to Build a Marketing Scorecard Your CEO Actually Reads

Most marketing scorecards get skimmed, not read. Here is how to build one that a CEO actually opens every month.

July 17, 2026 • 6 min read

Leading From Behind: A Servant Leadership Playbook for Marketing Executives

Leading from behind sounds soft until you see what it actually produces. Here is the playbook, not just the philosophy.

July 3, 2026 • 7 min read

Building a Marketing Function From Zero: The First Six Systems

When there's no marketing function to inherit, the instinct is to hire fast. The better move is to build six systems first.

June 19, 2026 • 7 min read

I Audited My Own Website for AI Visibility. Here's What I Found.

I turned the AEO and GEO framework I write about on my own site. The results were humbling, and useful.

June 6, 2026 • 6 min read

Big Agency Thinking for Small Businesses: Lessons From Rebuilding a Local Beauty Brand

Enterprise marketing frameworks aren't just for enterprise companies. Here is what happened when I applied them to a small local beauty brand.

May 23, 2026 • 6 min read

What I Actually Look for When I Hire Marketers

It's not the portfolio, and it's not the resume. Here is what actually predicts whether a marketing hire will work out.

May 9, 2026 • 6 min read

Why Your Marketing Team Doesn't Need More Headcount, It Needs Better Systems

The instinct when a marketing team is underwater is to ask for more people. Half the time, the actual fix is upstream of headcount entirely.

$The Pipeline Math Every CMO Should Know Cold$

April 25, 2026 • 6 min read

The Pipeline Math Every CMO Should Know Cold

You can't run a marketing function on instinct alone. Here are the five numbers I keep memorized, not in a dashboard, in my head.

April 11, 2026 • 6 min read

What a Lip Gloss Brand Taught Me About Branding

I spend my day job on enterprise B2B software marketing. A side project rebuilding a small beauty brand's website taught me things my day job hadn't.

March 28, 2026 • 8 min read

AEO and GEO Explained: Why Your Website Needs to Be Optimized for AI, Not Just Google

Traditional SEO isn't dead, but it's no longer the whole game. Here is what Answer Engine Optimization and Generative Engine Optimization actually mean.

March 15, 2026 • 6 min read

Managing Up as a CMO: How to Sell Marketing Investment to a Skeptical CFO

CFOs are not the enemy of marketing budgets. They're the toughest, fairest audience you'll ever have, if you speak their language.

March 1, 2026 • 7 min read

The Marketing Function Framework: Mapping Roles Before You Hire

Most hiring plans start with a job title. Mine start with a map of the function itself. Here is how I build that map before I open a single requisition.

February 15, 2026 • 5 min read

What the Steelers' Rebuild Teaches Us About Marketing Turnarounds

Rebuilding a marketing function and rebuilding a football team have more in common than you'd think. Here is what one taught me about the other.

February 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Stop Reporting Activity. Start Reporting Impact.

Most marketing reports are activity logs wearing a strategy costume. Here is how to build a report that actually earns budget.

February 12, 2026 • 8 min read

The CMO Guide to Data-Driven Decision Making: How to Lead with Numbers Without Losing Your Instincts

Every CMO today claims to be data-driven. But there is a vast difference between a marketing leader who uses data to confirm decisions already made intuitively — and one who has built the infrastructure, the discipline, and the intellectual honesty to let data genuinely inform strategy.

January 29, 2026 • 8 min read

Modern ABM Without the Buzzwords: A Practical Guide to Account-Based Marketing That Actually Drives Revenue

Account-based marketing has been one of the most hyped — and most misunderstood — strategies in B2B for the past decade.

January 15, 2026 • 10 min read

The Psychology Behind High-Performing Campaigns: Why Buyers Respond to What They Do

The best campaigns are not just well-designed. They are psychologically engineered

December 11, 2025 • 8 min read

Brand Positioning in a Noisy Market: How to Be the Signal, Not the Noise

Brand positioning is not just a marketing exercise

November 13, 2025 • 8 min read

Marketing Automation That Actually Works: Stop Automating Noise and Start Automating Value

Marketing automation has a reputation problem — and it earned it.

October 16, 2025 • 8 min read

Building a High-Velocity Marketing Engine: The Infrastructure Behind Teams That Move Fast and Win

Speed is a competitive advantage in marketing. Not recklessness — speed. The ability to move from insight to execution faster than your competitors is worth more than most brand strategies, most creative campaigns, and most technology investments.

September 18, 2025 • 8 min read

The Future of Demand Generation: What's Coming, What's Dead, and What You Should Build Right Now

Demand generation is having an identity crisis. The channel mix that worked in 2020 is half as effective in 2026…

August 14, 2025 • 8 min read

AI-Powered Marketing Playbooks: How to Build Campaigns That Think for Themselves

Let me be direct with you: most marketing teams are still building playbooks the same way they did in 2015…

July 17, 2025 • 7 min read

Leadership Lessons from Pop Culture: What Marketing Leaders Can Learn from the Shows Everyone's Watching

The best leadership advice I ever got did not come from a business book. It came from watching how fictional characters navigate impossible situations…

June 10, 2025 • 20 min read

15 Unforgettable Pittsburgh Marketing Jingles That Defined Our Childhood

Discover 15 iconic Pittsburgh marketing jingles that defined our childhood — from Century III Chevrolet's “minutes from the mall” to the Eat'n Park Christmas Star.

June 7, 2025 • 7 min read

Steelers News: The Real Cost of Aaron Rodgers - Drop in Steeler Brand Value

Analyze Aaron Rodgers' impact on the Pittsburgh Steelers brand identity and the risks of building a franchise around controversy.

May 27, 2025 • 15 min read

Digital First Strategy 101: A No-Fluff Guide for Business Growth

Learn how to implement a successful digital-first strategy with practical business growth insights and real-world applications.

May 6, 2025 • 16 min read

From Empty Seats to Full Stadium: A Pittsburgh Marketing Strategy the Pirates Can't Ignore

Discover innovative strategies to transform empty seats at PNC Park into a stronger fan experience and packed stadium.

4/16/2025 • 6 min read

Marketing Goals That Win: Business Wisdom from Harvey Specter's Playbook

Suits dominated 2023 with 57.7 billion minutes streamed, teaching marketing lessons through Harvey Specter’s bold strategies.

2/20/2025 • 3 min read

Leading from Behind: Inspiring Excellence and Building Loyalty

Discover the power of leading from behind and how it inspires excellence, builds loyalty, and creates a hands-on leadership style.

2/19/2025 • 4 min read

Why Knowing Your Target Market is Essential for Marketing Success

Yinz gotta know your target market for marketing success! Discover why understanding your audience is key to personalized, efficient strategies.

1/24/2025 • 4 min read

Why You Need to Invest in Marketing Automation Platforms for B2B

Discover why investing in marketing automation platforms is crucial for B2B success and scalable growth.

1/4/2025 • 4 min read

The Transformative Power of AI in Marketing

Discover how AI is revolutionizing marketing by enhancing personalization, automating tasks, and driving data-driven decisions.

11/19/2023 • 4 min read

Reflecting on My Over 20-Year Marketing Journey: All I Know So Far

Join me as I reflect on my 20+ year journey in marketing and the evolution from traditional tactics to digital-first growth.

Eric's Marketing Blog